McDonough ILGenWeb

LESTER, Obadiah Sherman, who is successfully engaged in farming in Macomb Township, McDonough County, Ill., was born January 16, 1868, in Mercer County. Ky., where in early youth he attended public school. He is a son of Jesse M. and Cynthia H. (Sallee) Lester, natives of Mercer County, Ky. His paternal grandparents, Obadiah and Nancy (Young) Lester, were natives respectively of the State of Virginia and Germany. John Sallee, his maternal grandfather, was born near Somerset, Ky. Obadiah S. Lester was reared on the farm in Kentucky, where he staid with his parents until he reached the age of nineteen years. At that period he went to Coles County, Ill., and worked on a farm two years. He returned to Kentucky where he remained ten months, and then came to McDonough County, and worked three years for Nelson Upp. On his marriage he rented a farm of 150 acres from his wife's grandfather, George Upp, who was one of the early settlers of the county. Mr. Lester purchased this farm in 1899, in connection with his father-in-law, Nelson Upp, and in 1900, bought out the latter's interest in the property. He carries on general farming and raises cattle, hogs, etc. His parents removed to Good Hope, Ill., in 1897. On October 26, 1893, Mr. Lester was married to Eva L. Upp, who was born and schooled in McDonough County. Four children have resulted from this union namely: Olive Winifred, Lucille, Francis Lloyd and Lyman. Politically, Mr. Lester is a Republican. He has served as School Director since 1898. Fraternally, he is a member of the M. W. A.

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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, page 938, extracted 15 Jun 2019 by Norma Hass.