Genealogy Data Page 847 (Notes Pages)

Genealogy Data Page 847 (Notes Pages)

For privacy reasons, Date of Birth and Date of Marriage for persons believed to still be living are not shown.

Census: Date: 1860
Place: Buffalo, Washington, Pennsylvania

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Note: ONE of the old settlers of Shelby county, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on the 25th of April, 1810. His grandfather, James Brownlee, was a Scotchman, who on his emigration to America settled in Pennsylvania. Thomas Brownlee, father o f the subject of this sketch, was born and raised in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and married Ann McLain, a native of the same county. Mr. Brownlee was the oldest of ten children.

In the year 1824, when he was fourteen, the family moved to Richland co unty, Ohio. He obtained a good education, and when twenty-one began teaching shool, which occupation he followed for several years in Tuscarawas, Carroll and Richland counties. In 1831 he married Elizabeth Sheridan, a native of Carroll county, Ohio. She d ied in 1837. April, 1838, he married Rachel Dye, and in 1839 came to Illinois and settled in Ridge township, entering land where Prairie Bird is now situated. In 1846 he moved to Cold Spring towship, entering land in section ten of township ten, range two , and has since resided in that part of the county.

His second wife having died in March, 1849, he married Mary M. Curry, a native of Tennessee, who died in October, 1869. He was married to his present wife, a native of Medina county, Ohio, whose maiden n ame was Lucinda Fulks, on the 6th of April. 1871. He was originally in sympathy in his political views with the democratic party, and cast his first vote for president in 1832, for that strong and stalwart champion of democratic principles, Andrew Jackson . He remained a democrat for many years, till he became convinced that the doctrines of the party on financial questions were fundamentally wrong, and he then became a member of the National Greenback organization.

In 1876 he supported Cooper, and in 1880 Weaver. He has always taken an active interest in public affairs, and a few years after he came to the county was elected county commissioner. He was also elected county surveyor, and for six years discharged the duties of that position. On the adoption of township organization, he was elected the first member of the Board of Supervisors from Cold Spring township, and several times was re-elected to the same office.

He has nine children living, four sons and five daughters, whose names are as follows: Mary, the wife of Samuel Wallace, of Tower Hill township; Rebecca, now Mrs. William C. Brownlee, a resident of Iowa; Reuben Brownlee, who is in the drug business at Mt. Zion, in Macon county; Joseph Brownlee, residing in Kansas; William H Brownlee, engaged in farming in Macon county; Rachel, the wife of A. J. Fryman, of Iowa; Julia Ann, now Mrs. Thomas Jester of Tower Hill township; Isabelle the wife of Joseph Jester, of Tower Hill township, and Robert T. Brownlee, who still resides at home.

Mr. Brownlee is a man who has always stood high in the estimation of the citizens of the county. For a number of years he has been a member of the Baptist church. He has been a resident of the county for upwards of forty years, and in that time has witnessed many change s. As one of the surviving representatives of the earlier population of the county his name deserves mention in this work.