Posted on: Crawford Co. Il Obituaries Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/gc/USA/Il/CrawfordObits/90 Surname: Hill, Stears ------------------------- Note: I have no connection to this family. I'm just posting an Obit that was sent to me by Barbara Dix who is transcribing old news articles for the website. A Pioneer Dead Dr. Hill died Christmas day at Martinsville, being aged over 80 years. He came to Crawford county from North Carolina with three brothers and a sister while a young man and entered a farm near Annapolis. In 1819 with his brother, Archie, and several persons from this county, he went to California, in the search of gold, going overland from St. Louis with ox teams which hauled their supplies, the women, children and sick, all of the men were walking. He was successful and on his return invested his wealth in land and made a fortune. His brother remained California and nothing was since heard of him. Doctor Hill was married to Emiline Stears in 1848 and fifteen children were born to them, four of whom survive, being Arthur Hill of Robinson, George and Grant of Sterling, Okla., and Milo of New Mexico. Most of the doctor's life was passed on the farm near Annapolis. When he came to Illinois his settlement was on the frontier with neighbors miles apart and the nearest market the Wabash River. The prairies were broken with oxen, and his life today would be regarded as hardship and privation. He moved to Martinsville in 1870 but he is well remembered by many of the older persons in this community.