Biography - Jacob Brunner
JACOB BRUNNER, a thorough-going and honorable German-American citizen
and practical and successful farmer, resides on section 22, Ridge Township,
Shelby County. His father, George Brunner, was a native of Baden, Germany,
and his mother, Christine Klein, was also born in the German's Fatherland.
They emigrated to America during the summer of 1836, and made their first
home in West Virginia, settling in Marshall County. They remained here
industriously pursuing the vocation of farming for some nine years, but
removed to Belmont County, Ohio, about the year 1845. They were not,
however, thoroughly satisfied here and returning across the river to West
Virginia, made their home in Ohio County, but finally returned to Hocking
County, Ohio, where the father died about the year 1855.
Our subject is the eldest in a family of ten children born to his worthy
parents, being born in Baden, Germany, October 20, 1832 and was some six
years old when he came to make his home in the New World. He remained under
the parental roof until his marriage, although he worked out to quite an
extent at farm labor. The lady whom he took for his bride is a sister of
Mrs. John W. Beery, and our reader will find further particulars in regard
to her ancestry in the biographical sketch of Mr. Beery, elsewhere to be
found in this volume. This lady's name was Miss Elizabeth Swartz, and she
became Mrs. Brunner, in March, 1858, at her native home in Fairfield County,
Ohio, where she was born, July 22, 1833. Here they first made their home and
returned to it again after living for a while in Allen County, that State.
In August, 1886, Mr. Brunner brought his family to Shelby County, and
settled on section 22, Ridge Township, where he now owns eighty-eight and
one-half acres of excellent and arable land, and where he has made a genuine
success of farming, being a man who is thoroughly devoted to his family and
his work and who deserves and receives the esteem of all who know him. His
integrity is unquestioned and his character bears inspection by the most
critical and faultfinding. Ten interesting children have come to brighten
this home, namely; John M., Rebecca C., Barbara E., Ida E., Lottie,
Christine A., Mary E., Lucy W., William S., and Minnie C., all of whom are
living except Rebecca, who died when about four years old.
Extracted 13 Jan 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 454-455.
