McDonough ILGenWeb

ARVIN, James (deceased), for many years a successful, influential and highly-esteemed farmer in Schuyler County, Ill., and later a resident of Macomb, McDonough County, Ill., was born in Garrard County, Ky., August 30, 1822, and received his early education in the country schools of his neighborhood. His family was of Scotch descent, and he was a son of Starling and Elizabeth (Leysher) Arvin, natives of Nova Scotia. The subject of this sketch was the youngest of ten children. At the age of seventeen years he came to Schuyler County, Ill., where he was engaged in farming until 1892, when he moved to Macomb, where he died, June 26, 1904. When he began life for himself he possessed very little means, but by industry, economy and thrift, he acquired considerable property.

On May 17, 1882, Mr. Arvin was united in marriage with Margaret E. Wheat, who was born in Littleton, Schuyler County, Ill., where in girlhood she attended the district schools, afterward pursuing a course of study in the Branch College, Macomb. One child, James, resulted from this union, who died September 9, 1901, at the age of seventeen years. The political views of Mr. Arvin were in harmony with the policies of the Republican party. Religiously he was an active and useful member of the Baptist Church in Macomb, and contributed liberally toward the construction of the new church edifice of that denomination, his donation of two thousand dollars being the largest one made for that purpose in Macomb. In every relation of life, James Arvin was an upright and conscientious man. He took faithful and affectionate care of his parents as long as they lived and fulfilled every obligation resting upon him with a high sense of duty.

Mrs. Arvin was a daughter of John Wheat and Julia A. Snyder, who were natives of Kentucky, the mother being of Irish descent and the father German. They came from Kentucky to Schuyler County, Ill., located on a farm, and later moved to Littleton, Ill., where the father died March 26, 1902. The mother still survives, and is living at Littleton. Mrs. Arvin was one of fourteen children, of whom only five are now living.

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Source: The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McDonough County, compiled by Dr. Newton Bateman, and Paul Shelby, 1907, volume 2, pages 816-817. Extracted 11 Oct 2018 by Norma Hass.