Ford County IL Archives Biographies.....Cherry, A.L. December 13, 1832 - 
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Norma Hass http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00013.html#0003021 February 25, 2017, 8:58 pm

Source: History of Ford County, Illinois : from its earliest settlement to 1908, volume 1, pages 370-374
Author: Gardner, Ernest Arthur

A. L. Cherry is now living a retired life on his farm of one hundred and sixty 
acres, located on section 9, Patton township. He is a native of the Buckeye 
state, his birth having occurred in Greene county, on the 13th of December, 
1832. His parents, James and Elizabeth (Greenwood) Cherry, were natives of 
Virginia and at an early day took up their abode in Ohio, where the father 
purchased land and there reared his family of eleven children, of whom only 
two now survive, the brother of our subject being David, a resident of Ohio.

A. L. Cherry acquired his education in the schools of his native state and 
remained under the parental roof until he had reached the age of twenty years. 
He then learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for seven years. 
Believing, however, that he would more readily acquire a competence in other 
pursuits in the west, he then made his way to Moultrie county, Illinois, where 
he operated a tract of land which he rented, for two years, and he also spent 
three years in Washington, Iowa. In 1862 he took up his abode in Ford county, 
purchasing a farm of eighty acres, situated on section 9, Patton township, to 
which he later added an additional eighty-acre tract, so that his place now 
embraces one hundred and sixty acres. He has erected all of the buildings 
which are here seen today and added to the productiveness of his fields by the 
liberal use of tiling, so that his farm is now in a high state of cultivation. 
For many years he was actively identified with the work of the farm but owing 
to his well directed labors and careful management he acquired a competence 
that now enables him to spend the evening of his life in honorable retirement.

Mr. Cherry has been twice married, his first union being with Miss Martha 
Davis, by whom he had four children but two of the number are now deceased, 
the surviving daughters being: Laura, who resides in Paxton; and Etta, the 
widow of Samuel Strong, a resident of Ford county. The wife and mother passed 
away in 1870, and three years later Mr. Cherry was married again, his second 
union being with Margaret Archer, who was born in Washington county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1835. She graduated from the high school in Washington, 
Pennsylvania, and for eight years prior to her marriage was successfully 
engaged in teaching. The parents of Mrs. Cherry were natives of Virginia and 
of Pennsylvania respectively, and she is one of a family of thirteen children, 
of whom only three survive, her sisters being: Sarah, the wife of Charles 
Ross, of Crawford county, Illinois; and Charlotte, the widow of Jonathan 
Raney, of Ohio.

Mr. Cherry has always given his support to the republican party and aside from 
serving as school director for several years has filled no public office, his 
time and attention during his active business career having been fully 
occupied with his private business affairs. Both he and his wife are 
consistent members of the United Presbyterian church at Paxton. He has lived 
in Ford county for more than four decades and during that time has witnessed 
many changes as pioneer conditions have given way to more modern methods in 
various lines. His acquaintance is wide and no man of this section of the 
state enjoys in larger degree the esteem and high regard of his neighbors and 
friends. He has now reached the advanced age of seventy-five years and his 
persistent labor in former years now enables him to enjoy in retirement the 
accumulations of a profitable, successful and honorable career, while in the 
companionship of his estimable wife he takes great delight.



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