McDonough County IL Archives Biographies.....Bertschi, John W. February 12, 1852 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sandy Morrey sandymorrey@yahoo.com November 9, 2009, 8:32 pm

Source: Hancock, McDonough and Henderson Counties, Illinois
Author: Unknown

JOHN W. BERTSCHI, who occupies the posi- 
tion of County Treasurer of Hancock County, 
and makes his home in Carthage, has the 
honor of being a native of this locality, his birth 
having occurred in Appanoose Township, on the 
12th of February, 1852. He is a representative 
of one of the honored pioneer families. His 
father, William Bertschi, is still living on the 
same farm to which he removed in the spring of 
1852. The mother, who bore the maiden name 
of Elizabeth Walti, died on the 7th of October, 
1893, at the age of sixty-six years, and was buried 
the following day, Sunday, in Nauvoo Cemetery. 
The parents were both natives of Switzerland. 
The father crossed the Atlantic to America in 
1849, but the following year returned to his native 
land. He was there married and then came with 
his bride to his new home in 1851. He now owns 
a good farm of one hundred and forty acres and is 
comfortably situated in life. 

In the Bertschi family were ten children, of 
whom eight are now living, five sons and three 
daughters. Four of the number are now residents 
of Hancock County, and most of them follow 
farming. John W. of this sketch was reared to 
agricultural pursuits, and devoted his time to farm 
work until the fall of 1890. He became familiar 
with the business in all of its details, for as soon 
as old enough to handle the plow, his labors in 
the field began. 

Mr. Bertschi continued upon the old homestead 
farm until the age of twenty-six years, when, on 
the 24th of October, 1877, he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Margaret Porth, daughter of 
Frederick Porth, one of the early settlers of Ap- 
panoose Township, where the birth of the daugh- 
ter occurred May 28, 1856. Three children grace 
the union of our subject and his wife: William 
Tell, born August 19, 1878; Roscoe Russell, born 
April 13, 1883; and Wallace, born May 14, 1887. 

Upon his marriage, Mr. Bertschi secured a farm 
near the old homestead, which he still owns. He 
began its cultivation, and soon the well-tilled fields 
yielded to him a golden tribute in return for the 
care and labor he bestowed upon them. He gave 
up farming in the autumn of 1890, when he was 
elected to the office of County Treasurer, being 
the candidate of the Democratic party. He had 
previously held township offices, having served 
as Township Supervisor for three years, as Col- 
lector for four years, and as Town Clerk for one 
year. He has also served as Central Committee- 
man of his township. His entire time and atten- 
tion are now given to his official duties, which are 
discharged with a promptness and fidelity that 
have won him high commendation. He is always 
true to every trust, whether public or private, and 
has therefore won the confidence and high regard 
of all with whom business or social relations have 
brought him in contact. 

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