Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Herath, John R 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2007, 4:01 am

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County

JOHN R. HERATH, a prominent business man of Joliet and assistant supervisor of 
the county, was born in Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany, August 24, 1858, a son of 
Frederick and Magdalena (Kueffner) Herath, natives of the same place. His 
father, who was a merchant, and for eight years burgemaster, died in his 
native town when fifty years of age. Both he and his wife were members of old 
and influential families of their province. They were the parents of seven 
children, all but one of whom are living, five being in America and one in 
Germany. Of the three sons in the United States, Albert and John reside in 
Joliet, and Henry is engaged in the agricultural implement business in 
Goodland, Ind. At an early age our subject acquired a thorough knowledge of 
the grocery business by clerking in his father's store. Crossing the ocean in 
1874, he came to Will County, Ill., and worked on a farm owned by his uncle, 
Conrad Herath, who had settled here about 1855. During the two years that he 
worked for D. C. Searles, of Troy Township, he was given $28 per annum and his 
board, and had the privilege of attending school during winters. Later he 
worked at the carpenter's trade, and for one year was night watchman at the 
state penitentiary, at the same time taking a commercial course in Joliet 
Business College. For three years he was employed as converter in the mills of 
the Illinois Steel Company. His next position was that of clerk in a grocery. 
In 1886 he became a member of the firm of Holmstrom & Herath, on Washington 
street, but after ten months the partnership was dissolved, and he resumed 
work with his former employer. Four months later he opened a grocery at his 
present location, No. 109 Jefferson street, and in a short time took a cousin 
into partnership, the title becoming Herath & Herath. When the site formerly 
occupied by his old employer, Mr. Eckland, was vacated, he rented the store, 
and continued there for eighteen months, then sold to his cousin and started a 
store across the street. Five years later this corner being again vacated he 
returned here, remodeling the building, which consists of three stories, 22x80 
feet in dimensions. In addition to a retail business he also does some jobbing 
and deals in provisions. To deliver his orders he runs two wagons. Being 
reliable in his dealings and reasonable in prices, he has built up a large and 
valuable trade among the people of the city. At No. 709 Exchange street Mr. 
Herath owns and occupies an attractive residence,which is one of Joliet's many 
comfortable homes. He was married in Joliet to Miss Regina Sartori, daughter 
of Rudolph Sartori, who was a nephew of a French count, and a native of 
Alsace, but an early settler of Joliet. In politics Mr. Herath is a stanch 
Republican. With no solicitation on his part he was nominated for assistant 
supervisor and elected in the spring of 1896. Two years later he was re-
elected, receiving one hundred and fifty more votes than any other candidate 
for the office. While a member of the board of supervisors he was chairman of 
the bridge committee at the time of the building of two good bridges in the 
county. In his work as an officer he has shown himself a friend of the 
workingman. He has also been very accurate and careful in all official work, 
aiming to carry on the county business with as great care as his own. While he 
is not connected with any denomination, he is liberal in his gifts to 
religious movements and is a friend of all churches. He is a member of the 
Joliet Grocerymen's Association, and is serving upon its executive committee. 
Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America.

Additional Comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900

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