Elias Hayer, the assessor of Miller township and for more than a quarter of a century a resident in the near vicinity of Stavanger, LaSalle county, Illinois, was born in Lee county, Iowa, in 1848, and is the son of Ole L. and Martha (Buland) Hayer. The father was a native of Norway, where he grew to man's estate, and soon after reaching his majority he came to America. His first stopping place was in Wisconsin, in 1842, and in 1844 he went to Iowa, where he met and married Miss Martha Buland. In 1851 he came to LaSalle county, Illinois, where the remainder of his hfe was passed. He was seventy-four years old at the time of his death, and his wife was in her sixtyeighth year. She was a member of the church of the Latter Day Saints. They had five children: Elias; Samuel, who resides on the old homestead; Sarah Ann and Andrew, deceased; and Isabella, the wife of John Midgorden, of this township.
Elias Hayer received a good common-school education, and early learned habits of industry, assisting in the labors incident to farm life. He was married at the age of twenty-three years, the lady of his youthful devotion being Miss Annie Teal, a native of this township and a daughter of the late Edward Teal, one of the earliest settlers of this county. Edward Teal married Miss Susan Piester, a native of Germany, and had a family of five children, namely: Harriet, wife of T. Hougas. of this township; Mary Jane, wife of J. Hougas, of Iowa; Nathan; Morgan; and Annie, wife of our subject. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hayer has been blessed by the birth of eight children, of whom Millie, the eldest, is the wife of Thomas J. Thorson, of Grundy county, this state; Silas, the second child and eldest son, is now in his twenty-fifth year, and is living at home; Laura; Frederick, Bessie, Nellie and Allen E. are all residing at home; and next to the youngest, Olan, died at the tender age of six years. Mr. Hayer and family are zealous members of the church of the Latter Day Saints. He has resided on his present homestead for over twenty-nine years, and has improved it until it is one of the ideal homes for which Illinois is noted. The farm comprises one hundred and twenty acres of the most fertile land, with large barns and a fine, modern residence, which was erected in 1896. He is a Republican, and as assessor of the township has won more than passing commendation for the fair and impartial manner in which he discharged his duties. Straightforward and honorable in his life, he has the respect of every one, and stands as one of the representative men of LaSalle county.
Extracted by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois published in 1900, volume 1, pages 109-110.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
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Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
