Garret SEYMOUR

                   Champaign County, Illinois Biography of Abel R. Seymour (http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilchampa/biographies/bio0519.html):

ABEL R. SEYMOUR, the proprietor of 240 acres of valuable prairie land and forty acres of timber on section 17, Scott Township, is a fine representative of the prosperous element of this county, who by his own industry and enterprise has built up a fine homestead and secured a competency for his later years. He is a native of Hampshire County, Va., born Dec. 2, 1815, and the son of Garrett and Sally (MCNEIL) SEYMOUR. His parents were both natives of Hardy County, now W. Va., where they were married and first located. Afterward they removed to Hampshire County, where the mother died in about 1825. The father afterward removed to Tippecanoe County, Ind., where he lived about ten years and then became a resident of Ross County, Ohio, where he died in 1848. The six children of the parental household included four sons and two daughters, of whom our subject was the third child.

Abel Seymour removed with his father to Tippecanoe County, Ind., and in 1839 to Ross County, Ohio. In the latter place he was engaged in herding and driving cattle until 1848. He then removed to Fayette County, Ohio, and from there in 1856, to Urbana, where he lived two years, then returned to Fayette County, of which he remained a resident until 1862. That year he came to Illinois, purchased a farm in Cumberland County, and lived there until the fall of 1866. He afterward rented land in Piatt County until 1869, when he came to this county and located in Scott Township, of which he has since been a resident.

The marriage of Abel R. Seymour and Miss Jean DILL was celebrated at the home of the brides parents in Ross County, Ohio, May 13, 1840. Mrs. S. is the daughter of Robert and Ann (GREGORY) DILL, who were both natives of Pennsylvania. They located in Ross County, Ohio, soon after their marriage, became the parents of ten children, who lived to mature years, and there spent the remainder of their lives. Of the seven sons and three daughters born to Mrs. and Mrs. Dill, the wife of our subject was the fifth child. Mrs. Seymour was born in Ross County, Ohio, Nov. 22, 1812. Of her union with our subject there have been born eight children, of whom the record is as follows: William D. married Miss Kate E. RUFFNER, and is farming in Scott Township; Annie became the wife of Joseph H. BRADLEY, and died in Hillsboro, Ohio; Abel married Miss Sciota A. RENICK, and resides in Seymour, Ill.; Sally J. married Abel S. SCOTT, a farmer of Scott Township; Robert G. married Miss Rhoda BARTLETT, and is a resident of Denver, Col.; Richard F. is at home with his parents; John J. married Miss Corinne HOWELL, a cousin of the author, W. D. Howell, and resides in Quincy, Cal.; Absalom J. is in Nevada.

Abel Seymour, Jr., during the late war enlisted as a Union soldier in the 60th Ohio Infantry, and served in the army for fourteen months. He was captured at Harpers Ferry in September, 1862, but soon afterward paroled and went with his regiment to Chicago, where they were discharged. The year following he re-enlisted in the 1st Ohio Cavalry, and served until the close of the war. In 1854 our subject, in company with three other gentlemen, took a trip to England and Scotland in the interest of the Clinton and Fayette Counties Importing Company, for the purpose of purchasing Short-horn cattle. He was gone about two months, the journey proving a source of both pleasure and profit.

Mr. S. has been quite prominently connected with township affairs, holding the minor offices, and politically is a Democrat. Mrs. Seymour is a member of the Swedenborgian Church. In 1861 she was chosen President of the Ladies Aid Society at Washington Court House, in Ohio, and shortly after the battle of Pittsburg Landing was sent to Camp Dennison in charge of supplies. She is a lady of great benevolence and kindness, and gave much of her time during the war in preparing necessaries for the wounded soldiers, large consignments of which were frequently sent from the North to the various hospitals where the soldiers were suffering from illness or wounds.
                  

                   Champaign County, Illinois Biography of Felix G. Seymour (http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilchampa/biographies/bio0463.html)

FELIX G. SEYMOUR, of Scott Township, is favorably known as one of its intelligent farmers and substantial citizens. He is a native of Hampshire County, now W. Va., and was born Dec. 1, 1824. His parents, Garrett and Sarah (MCNEIL) SEYMOUR, were natives of West Virginia, in which State they remained after their marriage, and where the mother died early in life. Garrett Seymour afterward removed to Indiana, where he remained a resident of Tippecanoe County for about nine years. Thence he removed to Ross County, Ohio, where his death took place in 1848. The seven children of the household included four sons and three daughters, of whom our subject was the youngest.

Felix G. Seymour was about ten years of age when the family removed to Indiana, and remained in Tippecanoe County for eight years following. He then returned to the vicinity of his old home in Virginia, and for two years lived with an uncle in Hardy County. From there he proceeded to Ross County, Ohio, where he engaged in driving cattle and farm work, and where he continued to live until 1863. In the fall of that year he started for the West with his wife and five children, and coming into Champaign County located in Scott Township. In company with his uncle, R. R. SEYMOUR, who is now deceased, he purchased about 1,000 acres of land, 900 of which he yet owns. The greater part of this was improved and under a good state of cultivation. Our subject erected a comfortable farm dwelling, and has all necessary out-buildings for the shelter of stock, the storage of grain, and the carrying on of agriculture after the most modern and improved methods. He has been uniformly successful in his undertakings since coming to Illinois, and is one of the representative men of an enterprising and prosperous community.

The marriage of Felix G. Seymour and Miss Catherine J. PARKER took place in Ross County, Ohio, Feb. 24, 1852. Mrs. S. was a native of that county, born Dec. 26, 1832, and the daughter of Richard and Nanch (DILL) PARKER, natives respectively of West Virginia and Ohio. They settled in Ross County after their marriage, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour became the parents of six children, namely, Sarah J., parker, Margaret E., Catherine, Virginia and Nancy T. Sarah became the wife of Benjamin WHITE, and is a resident of Seymour, Ill.; Parker married Miss Amanda SLIDER, and is farming in Scott Township, this county; Catherine died Oct. 30, 1874, when fourteen years old; Virginia died May 10, 1864, aged eighteen months; Nancy P. resides at home with her father. Mrs. Catherine J. Seymour departed this life at her home in Scott Township, Nov. 9, 1867. She was a lady highly respected in the community, and a member in good standing of the Methodist Church.

Mr. Seymour since coming to this county has been prominent in local affairs, holding the offices of Supervisor, School Treasurer and Director for many years. He is also connected with the Methodist Church, to the support of which he has contributed liberally and cheerfully. In earlier years, politically, he was a stanch adherent of the old Whig party, but upon its abandonment gave his support to Democratic principles. He has all his life been engaged in farming, and of late years has given much attention to the breeding of fine stock.