McDonough ILGenWeb

WALKER, Cyrus, a much respected farmer now living in retirement in Macomb, Ill., was born in the vicinity of Columbia, Adair County, Ky., in September, 1832. He is the son of Cyrus Walker and Flora (Montgomery) Walker, the former born in Rockbridge County, Va., May 6, 1791, and died December 4, 1876, the latter born near Lexington, Ky., in 1794, and died December 5, 1862. The paternal grandfather, Alexander Walker, was a native of Virginia, born in 1765, and his wife's maiden name was Magdelene Hammond. Cyrus Walker, Sr., who was a prominent and widely known criminal lawyer in western Illinois, first came to McDonough County in 1828, and having bought a section of land in Scotland Township, brought his family there in May, 1833. He was the father of seven children, of whom his son Cyrus was the youngest. He had in all 780 acres of land, which he divided among his children, the subject of this sketch receiving 152 acres of the old homestead, upon which he lived with his parents until their death. Mr. Walker continued to live on the place until his retirement from active labors, when in November, 1901, he moved to Macomb and bought a residence on South Dudley Street. Until then he had been a general farmer and stock-raiser, and had prospered in his undertakings. He has lived an industrious, useful life, and is now enjoying that repose to which many years of faithful exertion have entitled him. Mr. Walker was married September 11, 1860, to Mary L. McGaughery, who was born in Putnamville, Putnam County, Ind., in 1842, where she received her education in the public school. Eight children resulted from this union, namely: John Cyrus, Flora Esther, Cynthia Ann, Arthur, Guy, Grier, Pitt M. and Nancy G. Mr. Walker's political opinions are in accordance with the policies of the Republican party, and in religious belief, he is a Presbyterian. He voted for the first Republican candidate for President, John C. Fremont.

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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 1035, extracted 26 Oct 2020 by Norma Hass.