McDonough ILGenWeb

LOVEJOY, Horace E., formerly a successful farmer in Sciota Township, McDonough County, Ill., but now living in comfortable retirement in Good Hope, that county, was born in Oxford, N. H., March 13, 1842, a son of Selah and Abigail (Woodbury) Lovejoy, natives of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, respectively. Selah Lovejoy was a farmer by occupation, and always followed agricultural pursuits in his native State. He was the father of four children. The subject of this sketch received his early instruction in the public schools of New Hampshire and passed his youth at home, assisting his father on the farm until he went away to engage in railroad work. For some time his occupation in this connection consisted in running a train. He left New Hampshire in 187G and settled in McDonough County, Ill., locating in Section 11, Sciota Township, where he rented farming land from his wife's father. He still has 200 acres, willed to his wife by her father, on which most of the improvements were made by Mr. Lovejoy. This farm he continued to operate until Christmas, 1901, when he purchased residence property of Daniel McNeff, in Good Hope, which he has since made his home. Two of his sons now carry on general farming and stock-raising on the homestead, devoting considerable attention to the breeding of Red Polled cattle.

On November 3, 1864, Mr. Lovejoy was united in marriage at Rindge, N. H., with Mary Robbins, who was born in that place in 1841. Her father, David A. Robbins, first visited McDonough County in 1865, and a year later located in Sciota Township. There he was engaged in farming until a few years previous to his death, when he returned to the East. He was the owner of 680 acres of land in that township. Mrs. Lovejoy's mother, Betsy (Coolidge) Robbins, who was a native of Gardner, Mass., was the mother of two children, one of whom is deceased. After the death of Mrs. Lovejoy's mother, Mr. Robbins married Louisa Stone, of Winchendon, Mass., who bore him three children, two of whom survive. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Lovejoy resulted in ten children, fjve of whom survive, namely: Elsie A.; Fred W., who lives in Colorado; Mary (Mrs. Charles Combs), and Charles Thomas and Samuel, who conduct the home farm. In 1900, Charles Thomas was married, at Macomb, Ill., to Pearl Evans, who was born in Logan County, Ill., and three children have resulted from their union, namely: Orville E., Floyd E., and Leota Mary. The father of Mrs. Pearl (Evans) Lovejoy (the mother of these three children) carried on farming in Logan County. Fred W. was born in Winchendon, Mass., was married, in 1900, to Nancy Evans, the sister of his brother's wife. Both of these sons of Mr. Lovejoy were married on the same day and at the same hour, one in Oklahoma, and the other, in Macomb, Ill. The latter is the father of one child, Earl B. Mr. Lovejoy takes no part in politics, not having voted for over thirty years.

---

Source: The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McDonough County, compiled by Dr. Newton Bateman, and Paul Shelby, 1907, volume 2, page 942, extracted 15 Jun 2019 by Norma Hass.