This gentleman owns and occupies a valuable farm in Mission township, LaSalle county, comprising one hundred and ninety-five acres of land, and is a practical and progressive agriculturist, whose business methods are bringing to him creditable success.
Mr. Fowler can trace his ancestry back through many generations to Richard Eastman, who was born in Wales, in 1611, and came to this country in 1640, settling in Salisbury, Massachusetts. In the year 1747 three of his sons - Thomas, Enoch and Benjamin Eastman - removed to Hopkinton, New Hampshire, and there Thomas married Eunice Chase, of that town. They had three sons - Thomas, John, and Samuel, who was sometimes called Bonus - and a daughter, Hannah, and perhaps other daughters. Hannah married Deacon Jonathan Fowler, of Hopkinton, in 1784, and their children were Mary, Thomas (who was born November 13, 1786), Nicholas, Timothy, Ruth, Joanna G., Jeremiah, Eunice, Betsey, Martha and Chase. Mr. Fowler died September 7, 1840, at the age of seventy-six years, and his wife passed away May 19, 1858, at the age of ninety-one years.
Of their children Thomas Fowler married Olive Hale, of Hopkinton, a daughter of Captain John Hale, who commanded a company in the battle of Bunker Hill under General Stark. Thomas and Olive Fowler became the parents of the following children: Olive B., who was born in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, July 23, 1812, and died April 22, 1832; Thomas Milton, was born in Hopkinton, August 7, 1814, and died March 21, 1899; Jonathan, who was born at Warner, New Hampshire, January 27, 181 7, and died in Newark, Illinois, November 20, 1850. The father of these children died in Newark, March 16, 1872, and his wife departed this life at the same place, on the 19th of April, 1850.
Thomas Milton Fowler, their elder son, was married November 8, 1849, to Hannah F. Phillips, who was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, March 22, 1821. Their children were all natives of Newark, and in order of birth were as follows: Calvin, born April 9, 1851; Sylvanus, born February 10, 1852; Olive and Orville, twins, born February 11, 1854; Annie, who was born January 11, 1856, and died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 4, 1874; Emma, born December 28, 1857; William, born August 2, 1860; Matilda, who was born July 11, 1862, and died in Newark, Illinois, March 3, 1876; and Adell, born February 1, 1864. Of these children Calvin, the eldest, married Sophronia Parker, January 11, 1882, and their children are: Grace Maude, born in Wisconsin, January 13, 1883; Flossey Pearl, who was born at White Lake, South Dakota, June 3, 1884, and died on the 13th of September of the same year; and L. D., who was born in Ottawa, Illinois, February 6, 1890. Sylvanus was married January 13, 1875, to Ida R. Phillips. Orville was married November 6, 1878, to Amelia A. Jones, and their children are: Claude E., who was born in Newark, June 16, 1880; and R. B., in Newark, July 11, 1885. Olive became the wife of Charles S. Johnson, January 5, 1881, and their children are: Irving E., who was born at Fox, Illinois, September 18, 1885; and Jay F., at Piano, Illinois, June 11, 1888., Emma married Edgar E. Edgerton, January 5, 1881, and their children, born in Newark, are: Glenn V., born August 7, 1883; and Dean, May 26, 1889.
Jonathan Fowler, the father of our subject, was born at Warner, New Hampshire, December 27, 1817, and became one of the pioneer settlers of LaSalle county. With his brother, Milton Fowler, he came to the west about the year 1847, locating in Mission township, LaSalle county, where he spent his remaining days. He was here united in marriage, June 9, 1842, to Miss Sarah Phillips, who was born in Henniker, New Hampshire. September 24, 1817, Mr. Fowler died in 1851, but the mother long survived him and passed away in Newark, Illinois, November 4, 1896. Their children were all born in Newark. John Hale, born March 23, 1845, is now an attorney at law of Ottawa, Illinois. He married Clara Wright, on the 9th of October, 1872, and their children are: Edward Wright, who was born in Newark, June 27, 1884; and Rex Hale, who was born in Ottawa, August 27, 1893. Chase, who was born August 15, 1846, is a member of the legal profession of Ottawa. He was married November 21, 1879, to Mrs. Mary E. Waterman, who died March 22, 1892, leaving two children, Eva and Chase, who were born in Ottawa, the former September 21, 1880, the latter February 15, 1883. For his second wife Chase Fowler wedded Angle Fread, on the 24th of September, 1895, and they have a son, Lyle N., who was born in Ottawa, Illinois, June 24, 1896. Albert J., who was born August 10, 1848, is the subject of this review. Jonathan and Thomas, twins, complete the list of children, and were born July 2, 1850; but Thomas died the following year. Jonathan, who is now a lawyer at the bar of Aurora, Illinois, was married March 24, 1 891, to Mary E. Barnard, and they have one daughter, Marian Edna, who was born in Illinois, January 9, 1899.
Albert J. Fowler was reared on a farm and lessons of industry and economy were early impressed upon his mind and have had marked bearing upon his later life, causing him to be a practical, energetic and successful man of business. He was educated in the schools near his home, and has spent his entire life in Mission township. His diligence has been unabating, his perseverance continuous, and these qualities, combined with his honorable dealings, have secured to him a fine property, so that he is now the owner of one of the valuable farms of the county.
Mr. Fowler has been twice married. On the nth of March, 1873, he led to the marriage altar Miss Frances Lewis, who died August 27, 1881. They had two children - Charles Milton, who was born in Newark, March 17, 1874, and died November 12, 1874; and Edith Marsellis, who was born June 26, 1876, in Newark, and was married January 23, 1895, to Stanton Sinclair, a native of Kansas, and they have one child, born November 27, 1898. and named Frances May. On the 14th of December, 1882, Mr. Fowler was again married, his second union being with Permelia Jane Mason, and four children have come to bless their union, all natives of Newark, namely: Emery Stipp, born March 11, 1884; Milton Ross, born November 8, 1885; Anna Arvillia, born July 3, 1888: and Alpha Armedia, born January 21, 1895.
Mr. Fowler exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democracy, believing that its principles contain the best elements of good government. He is a man worthy of the esteem of his fellow men, and in LaSalle county, where his entire life has been passed, he is widely and favorably known.
Extracted by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois published in 1900, volume 1, pages 357-360.
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