McDonough ILGenWeb

SHEETS, Ira H., who is successfully engaged in the poultry business in Macomb, McDonough County, Ill., was born in Mound Township, this county, December 24, 1877, and received his education in the Macomb Normal College and Lombard University at Galesburg, Ill. He is a son of George W. and Eliza A. (Foley) Sheets, the former a native of Frankfurt, Germany, and the latter, born in Indiana. The grandparents on the maternal side were William and Jane (Perkins) Foley, the latter a native of Indiana. At the age of eighteen years, Ira H. Sheets was graduated from the Macomb Normal College, and for two years was in the photograph business in Blandinsville, Ill. Next, he entered into a partnership in the Keefe Clothing Co., at La Harpe, Ill., where he continued two years. Selling out his interest in this concern he returned to Macomb, bought three acres of land and a house just south of the city, and built several poultry houses. Later in the summer of 1905 the subject of this sketch sold his three acres of land south of Macomb to George A. Singer, of that city, bought fourteen acres of land of the Blazer estate and built a new home, where he now resides. He built many new poultry houses and is now running an up-to-date poultry farm. The varieties of poultry raised are White Plymouth Rocks and White Wyandottes. He makes a business of furnishing exhibition stock and breeders for the fancy trade; also raising much utility stock. His birds are very fine, having won many prizes at leading shows and poultry exhibitions. Mr. Sheets is a young man of much energy, and of close application to business, and his prospects in the new venture are very encouraging.

The subject of this sketch was married January 29, 1901, to Dora Dunham, who was born in McDonough County and was a pupil in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Sheets have one child, George William, born November 17, 1901. Mrs. Sheets' parents, W. O. and Ermy C. (Creel) Dunham, were natives, respectively, of Pike and McDonough Counties. Her grandparents, Joshua and Matilda (Nelson) Dunham, were born in Ohio. Mr. Sheets is a Republican in politics, and fraternally, is connected with the I. O. O. F.

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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 1000-1001, extracted 30 Jul 2020 by Norma Hass.