This really belongs to all counties listed above but I didn't want to spam all of Illinois, so I'm sending it to this list only. Hope nobody minds. >From the "Album of Livingston Co. Biographical Sketches of Prominent & Representative Citizens of the County, Governors of Illinois, Presidents of the U.S." Press of Chapman (no relation) Bros. of Chicago, March 1888, page 1053. Henry Francis, a citizen of Odell, having retired from active farm life,was born in Lewis, Essex Co, N.Y., on the 1st of September, 1823, and is the third child of a family of eight born to Alvin and Betsy (Soper) Francis who were natives of the state of New York. The paternal grandparents were Samuel and Dorcas Francis, who were also New Yourkers, and the former was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The father of Mr. Francis was reared to farm life and served for a short time in the war of 1812. He moved to Erie Co. Pa., in 1832, and engaged in farming. During his life he was an old-line Republican, but not active in politics. He was accidentally killed by a fall from a scaffold in his barn in Erie Co., Pa. The widow survived him nineteen years. Our subject spent his early days on a farm, and his only educational facilities were afforded by the common schools. At the age of Eighteen he entered a chairmaking establishment as an apprentice to that trade, where he remained for about three years, and became a proficient cabinet-maker. He then opened a shop at Girard, Erie Co., Pa., where he continued nine or ten years. In 1844 he was married to Mary J. Pope, the daughter of Ichabod and Almira (Badger) Pope, of Cattaraugus, N.Y. Mrs. Francis was born in New York, but her parents were early settlers of Pennsylvania, and were engaged in farming. Mr. Francis and his wife remained in Girard until 1855, and then went to Sac County, Wis., where they farmed one year. They then moved to La Salle County,Ill., where he operated a rented farm for nine years, and from there went to Braceville, Grundy Co., Ill., where he bought 160 acres of land, on which he lived for eighteen years following, engaged in farming and stock-raising. In March, 1865, Mrs. Francis died. She had become the mother of eight children, all of whom are living--Mary E., Arrace E., Florence V., Perry D., Franklin W., May E., and Nelson G.. Arrace married Lake Francis, a Farmer, and they live in Nebraska; Julia married David Laymon, and is now a widow living near home; Florence married Lucius Coleman, and they live in Gardner; Perry married Emily Smith, and lives in Lane County, Kansas, where he is engaged in farming; May married William H. Ward, and lives near Odell; Mary is at home with her father; Franklin married Miss Mary A. Clark, and resides in Coal City, Grundy Co.; besides carrying on a clothing business, he is a land and insurance agent and Justice of the Peace;. Nelson is farming near home. In 1882 Mr. Francis sold his property in Grundy County and moved to Livingston County, where he bought 210 acres of improved land on section 14, Odell Township. He also purchased seven acres in the suburbs of Odell, on which stands a fine residence occupied by himself and daughter, and a view of which is to be seen in this volume. He is now retired from active business. In Grundy County he served as Assessor, Collector, Road Comissioneer and school Commisioner; in this county he has taken no active part in politics but votes with the Republican party. Carolee [email protected]