Biography - Jacob F. Kull
JACOB F. KULL. Among the prominent agriculturists of Prairie Township,
Shelby County, who have helped to give this county its present proud
position in the State is the gentleman whose name appears at the opening of
this paragraph. His home is located upon section 3, is quite near to the
village of Strasburg, and his settlement in the county dates from September
6, 1854, when he first purchased forty acres of land on Robinson Creek in
Ridge Township. Here he tilled the soil for two seasons and then removed to
the region where he now lives, and purchased one hundred and ten acres of
his present property on which at that time the principal improvements were a
log cabin and the broken soil of a very few acres. He now owns about two
hundred and thirty acres of land upon which are splendid improvements, and
he has platted some additions to Strasburg which he has sold off from his
farm. A view of his pleasant homestead may be found elsewhere in this
volume.
Hocking County, Ohio, was the native place of Mr. Kull, who was born January
31, 1836, being a son of Christopher F. and Johanna (Weidner) Kull, natives
of Wurtemburg, Germany. In their native land they had grown to manhood and
womanhood, were united in marriage and one child was born to them before
leaving their Fatherland. In 1830 they came to the United States and made
their first short stop at Baltimore, Md., then went on to Ohio, settling on
the prairie in Fairfield County. When the family arrived in the Buckeye
state the father had $50 which he thought would be sufficient to keep them
in frugal comfort until he could earn more, but the ague was then prevalent
throughout that region, and the family being sick for some time the $50 were
spent for quinine. This disgusted Christopher Kull with prairie life and
removing to Hocking County he settled among the hills and woods. His father,
Jacob F. Kull, with his wife made his home there, also four sisters and a
brother, Jacob F., Jr., who died in Hocking Country.
The father of our subject was fond of hunting and found plenty of game in
that hilly region. As his health improved there he was well pleased with
Hocking County and made it his permanent home and reared a family of
fourteen children, twelve of whom grew to maturity. They were: Magdalena,
who married John Kircher and died in Shelby County; Christian who died in
this county; Charles; our subject; Mary, wife of G. Pieffer; Caroline, wife
of John Ruff; Minnie, now Mrs. J. F. Baur; Amelia, wife of Christ Bruney;
Emanuel; Adam; Matilda, wife of J. F. Mautz, and Julius. The parents of this
large family came to Shelby County in 1865 and settled at Strausburg, where
they remained until called hence by death.
Jacob F. Kull was reared among the woods and hills of Hocking County and
there grew up to a sturdy and intelligent manhood. In 1858 he decided to
take to himself a wife and was married April 13, to Elizabeth Niller, who
was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, February 18, 1839. She became the the
mother of eight children and died in this county June 11, 1877. The children
who survive her are named as follows: Ferdinand J., Johanna A., wife of John
Piefer; C. Louisa, wife of C. Martin Rieger; Caroline Rosetta, wife of
Charles Nipp; Matilda E. W.; William and Tobias.
The second marriage of our subject took place February 3, 1878, he being
then united with Cathrine M. Clump who was born in Fairfield County, Ohio,
August 15, 1857. Of their six children four are now living — Joseph B., John
D., Caroline W. and Anna S. J. The religious belief of this family is in
accord with the doctrines of the Lutheran Church with which they are
connected, and the political views of Mr. Kull have led him to ally himself
with the Democratic party.
Extracted 29 May 2017 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 277-278.
