Biography - Henry Weakly
REV. HENRY WEAKLY, a man of ability and usefulness who pursues the
double avocation of tiller of the soil and spiritual laborer in the vineyard
of the Lord, has his pleaant home on section 2, Rose Township, Shelby
County. His father was Benedict Weakly and his mother Martha Mathews, both
born in Maryland, thence they migrated to Fairfield County, Ohio, and from
there removed to Shelby County, Ill. Their marriage took place December 21,
1815, and they were successful and laborious farmers. It was in 1843 when
they came to Shelby County, Ill., and they settled in Ridge Township which
became their final earthly home.
Our subject was one of the oldest members of his father's family, his native
place being in Fairfield County, Ohio, where he was born September 7, 1826.
He passed his early days in Ohio where he attended the common schools and
after coming to Illinois he devoted himself to farm work, assisting his
father upon the farm until he was twenty-five years old, when he was united
in marriage with Miss Amanda Wagoner, a native of Indiana.
The young wedded couple made their first home in Ridge Township and there
set up their household and industriously devoted themselves to farm labors.
This was their farm home until they removed to Rose Township. Mr. Weakly
first united with the Evangelical Brethren Church in Ridge Township, which
church afterward became a part of the Southern Methodist. He has officiated
in the pulpit since 1866. He was ordained as a Deacon in 1877 and four years
later received the ordination of Elder.
A large tract of land located in Shelby County is the property owned and
managed by our subject. He has it in an excellent state of cultivation and
has erected upon it, comfortable and neat farm buildings. This worthy couple
are practically doers of good in the world, for as they have no children of
their own they have acted as father and mother to four little orphans and
have brought them up to attain lives and character of usefulness in the
world. This truly good, industrious and benevolent life strongly re-inforces
the pulpit utterances of Mr. Weakly, and his eloquent exhortation to a
Christian life are not without their effect upon the people to whom he
administers. At a meeting which he conducted nine miles east of Nokomis,
thirty-seven professed conversion to the Saviour. Aside from his domestic
life and pulpit work, Mr. Weakly has been useful in the community as Highway
Commissioner in Ridge Township.
Extracted 17 Dec 2018 by Norma Hass from 1891 Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties Illinois, pages 561-562.
