Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Monk, Henry ************************************************ 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 http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 2, 2008, 4:01 am Author: Past & Present Will County, 1907 Henry Monk, a prosperous farmer, owning and operating the old homestead on section 1, Peotone township, the tract embracing one hundred and sixty acres of well improved land, is a native son of Will county, his birth having occurred in Monee township, February 4, 1862, and comes of German parentage. His father, Henry Monk, Sr., was born in Mecklenburg, Schwerin, Germany, and died on the farm which is now the property of his son, in 1891, when he had reached the age of seventy years. He came to America, in 1858 but after a brief residence here returned to his native land, where he was married to Miss Catherine Charmburg, who was also a native of Mecklenburg. She died in 1904, having reached the venerable age of eighty-one years. Upon his second arrival in the new world the father settled at Monee, Will county, where he worked as a laborer, being employed mainly as a well digger. He afterward operated rented land near Monee for five years, subsequent to which time he purchased eighty acres of land in Kankakee county, making his home thereon for three years. In 1868 he disposed of that property and purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Peotone township, Will county, this farm constituting the present home of our subject. He here engaged in general agricultural pursuits for many years, or until the time of his death. Although he was in limited financial circumstances when he took up his abode in the new world, he was a man of good business judgment and practical ideas so that in his farm work he prospered and at the time of his death was in very comfortable circumstances. His family numbered five children, namely: John, who follows farming near Welcome, Minnesota; Fred, who died at the age of forty-one years; Minnie, the deceased wife of Peter Rathmond, a resident of Kankakee county; Mary, the wife of Jacob Geminder, a resident of Jolley, Iowa; and Henry, of this review. Henry Monk, Jr., was reared to farm life, assisting his father in the operation of the home farm during the period of his boyhood and youth, while in the common schools he acquired his early education, this being supplemented by two years' study in the public schools of Chicago. At the age of twenty-two years he assumed the management of his father's farm, which afterward came into his possession. In addition to his farming interests he was formerly engaged in dealing in real-estate to considerable extent, and this business brought to him very gratifying returns. At the present time he is engaged in loaning money, doing quite an extensive business in this line. In his farm work he has likewise met with gratifying success and has brought his fields under a high state of cultivation, while the farm in all its equipments presents a neat and attractive appearance, for he keeps everything in good condition and carries on his work with the latest improved farm machinery. In 1884 occurred the marriage of Mr. Monk and Miss Amelia Bentien, who was born in Monee, a daughter of William Bentien, a retired farmer of Peotone. After a happy married life of two decades Mrs. Monk was called to her final rest, her death occurring November 30, 1904, at the comparatively early age of thirty- nine years. She was a devoted and constant member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and by her marriage had become the mother of ten children, all of whom are still under the parental roof, these being Ada, Elmer, Jennie, Ella, Amos, Nettie, Arthur, Wallace, Beula and Traverse. The eldest daughter graduated from the Peotone high school, after which she engaged in teaching for two terms but is not acting as her father's housekeeper. Mr. Monk holds membership with the Methodist Episcopal church and gives his political support to the republican party, taking an active interest in local political circles, he has several times been a candidate for public office and for three years served as road commissioner. He has frequently been a delegate to county conventions, and at the last convention acted as assistant secretary. He is identified with the Grange and for many years has been its business manager and purchasing agent. He is a man of excellent business ability and sound judgment and is public-spirited in a marked degree. He and his family are prominent socially, having many warm personal friends in their home locality. Additional Comments: PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/monk2467nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb