Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Fillman, Charles ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com March 26, 2006, 12:09 am Author: Bio/Gen Record LaSalle/Grundy 1900 On the list of Grundy county's substantial farmers appears the name of Charles Fillman, who is one of the practical and progressive agriculturists of Good Farm township. He was born in Dwight, Livingston county, Illinois, August 28, 1860, a son of Jacob and Mary Fillman. His father, Jacob Martin Fillman, was one of the early settlers of Good Farm township and a worthy representative of the Fatherland, whence have come so many of the substantial American settlers. He was born in Nassau, August 29, 1826, his parents being John George and Anna Sevilla (Stark) Villman, for thus the name was spelled in Germany. The grandfather was a native of Germany, the family having for generations resided in that locality. John George Fillman was a miller by trade and resided in the city of Kaube. For some years he held membership in the Lutheran church, but afterward united with the Evangelical church. He owned a home and some horses and cattle and carried on farming on land which belonged to the town and was rented to the people for raising small crops. His death occurred in Germany, when he had attained the age of sixty-three years. His children were Nicholas, Christian, Henrietta, Philip, George and Jacob Martin. The last named attended school between the ages of six and fourteen years, learned the blacksmith's trade in early life and came to America when twenty- seven years of age, sailing from Germany to Hull, England, and from Liverpool to America, arriving in New Orleans in November, 1852, after a voyage of forty- two days. He then proceeded by steamer to St. Louis, where he lived for one year, devoting his energies to the blacksmith's trade. For his first week's work he received five dollars in gold. He was married in that city to Mary Eberhardt, and they became the parents of a daughter, Bertha. The mother died a short time afterward, and from St. Louis Mr. Fillman removed to Ottawa, Illinois, where his daughter was reared by her maternal grandfather, Joseph Eberhardt, who is now deceased. Mr. Fillman worked at the blacksmith's trade from September 30, 1854, until February 1, 1855, when he went to St. Paul on a prospecting tour. He located, however, in Galena, Illinois, where he followed blacksmithing and wagon-making. Subsequently he spent some time in Elgin, Illinois, after which he went to Ottawa. He was married August 7, 1855, to Eva Maria Burger, of Morris, Illinois, who was born in the village of Kaudorf, Bavaria, on the 17th of June, 1834, and came to America in 1851, with her brother, George S. Burger. They left Hamburg on a new sailing vessel and from New York came to Illinois, locating in Good Farm township, Grundy county. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Fillman located in Ottawa, where he worked at his trade until March 5, 1856, when he established a blacksmith shop of his own at Marseilles, Illinois, being employed there until December 5, 1857. Subsequently he purchased a farm of forty acres in LaSalle county and in 1858 he bought a second tract in Good Farm township, for which he paid ten dollars per acre. Removing to Dwight, he opened a blacksmith shop in which he carried on business for seven years. He then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land just across the road from his present home. There were few improvements upon the place, yet he carried on the work of cultivation, making it his home for many years. As his financial resources increased he extended its boundaries from time to time until he owned six hundred acres, which came to him as the result of hard work and untiring thrift. By his second wife Mr. Fillman had the following children: George Stephen, born January 3, 1857; John William, born January 11, 1859, and died at the age of four years; Charles, born August 28, 1860; Ludwig Leonard, born July 12, 1862; Catherine Marietta, born September 28, 1864; John Jacob, born January 27, 1867; and Barbara Maria Louise, born October 25, 1869. The parents are members of the Lutheran church and he held the office of elder and church librarian. In politics he was a Democrat and for three years he served as the road commissioner for Good Farm township. He has led a very busy, industrious life, earning his property by his own unaided efforts. His life has ever been honorable and upright, characterized by common sense and good judgment in all private and public relations. He has never used either whisky or tobacco, and his career has been characterized by fidelity to those principles which ennoble and elevate men. In the common schools Charles Fillman, of this review, acquired his education and upon the home farm he was early trained to the work of field and meadow. At the age of twenty-three he was married, in Good Farm township, to Lizzie Klughardt, the wedding taking place April 11, 1883. She was born in Livingston county, Illinois, May 2, 1864, a daughter of Christian and Lavina (Burk) Klughardt. Her father was born in Bavaria, April 23, 1836, and was a son of John and Katherine (Narles) Klughardt. His father was born in the same locality, in 1808, and the ancestors had resided in Bavaria for many generations. John Klughardt was a shoemaker by trade, and was married in his native town, the children of their union being Christian, Katherine, Julia, John, Mary, Emma and Leo. The father of these children came to America, bringing with him his wife and son, Christian, who was then three years old. He left his home in August, 1839, sailed from Hamburg and after a stormy voyage of sixty-five days reached the harbor of New York in October. He made a settlement near Schenectady, Montgomery county, New York, where he followed shoe-making among the Holland Dutch of this locality, meeting with prosper¬ity during the five years in which he followed his trade there. On coming to Illinois he settled in Oswego township, Kendall county, where he purchased twenty-two acres of land, making his home there for nine years. He came to Good Farm township in July, 1853, settling on one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, which he improved and cultivated until his death, which occurred January 9, 1859. He was a member of the Methodist church, held the office of class-leader and was an upright and respected man. All of his children were born in America, with the exception of Christian Klughardt, who was born in Bavaria. The lad attended school for one winter in New York and for eight winters in Oswego, Illinois, and in early life he became familiar with the work of farming, performing the arduous task of clearing the new land and preparing it for the plow. He was married to Louisa Burk, after which they located upon the old homestead in Good Farm township, still later removing to his present home. His wife is a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Smith) Burk. Her father was born in Nassau, Germany, in 1810, and was married in that country, where two children, Lavina and Adolph, were born of their union. He followed farming and carpentering until 1855, when he came to the United States, locating in Plano, Illinois, where he had a farm. In the fall of 1859 he came to Grundy county, purchasing eighty acres of land, transforming it into a good home. His life was one of honest toil, and his labors were ended in death when he had attained the age of seventy-three years. Christian Klughardt, the father-in-law of Mr. Fillman, located upon a part of his father's farm of eighty acres, in 1866, and placed the land under a high state of cultivation. His children were: Elizabeth, born May 2, 1864; Mary, born April 16, 1866; Julia Matilda, born July 25, 1870; and George, born August 4, 1872. Mrs. Klughardt was a member of the Lutheran church, and died March 29, 1898. Mr. Klughardt, however, is still living and is an enterprising, straightforward farmer of Grundy county. After his marriage, Charles Fillman, of this review, located on an eighty-acre tract of land belonging to his father and has since operated this farm. He is to-day the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land, improved with substantial buildings and all modern accessories and conveniences. He is successfully carrying on general farming and at the same time is a practical mechanic, possessing much mechanical ingenuity. He has invented a wagon- lifter, which is to lift a wagon loaded with corn from the fields and saves the hard labor of unloading. It is an excellent labor-saving device. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Fillman have been born the following children: Frederica Mary, born October 20, 1882; Ella Julia, born June 4, 1887; Annie Matilda, born December 2, 1888; Lillie Julia, born May 19, 1892; Franklin John, born November 25, 1896; and Leslie Arthur, born February 23, 1899. Three died in infancy. The parents are members of the Lutheran church, and in politics Mr. Fillman is a stanch Democrat. The cause of education finds in him a warm friend and for several terms he has served as a member of the board of education, acting as president of the board at the time a new school-house was erected, and it was through his efforts, largely, that this was secured and equipped with modern accessories and appointments. He is very public-spirited and progressive and withholds his support from no measure or movement which he believes would be of public good. Additional Comments: Source: Biographical and Genealogical Record of La Salle and Grundy County, Illinois, Volume 11, Chicago, 1900, p756-759 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/bios/fillman81gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/ File size: 10.0 Kb