John D. Harber, an ex-soldier and prominent farmer of LaSalle county,
Illinois, is a resident of Otter Creek township. He was born June 19, 1847,
in Champaign county, Ohio, and is a son of Elijah and Francis (Waller)
Harber. The grandfather, Elisha Harber, Sr., resided in the state of Ohio,
where the father of our subject was born and grew to manhood. Elisha, the
grandfather, fought in the war of 1812, and died at the age of eighty years.
The lady whom he married was formerly Miss Francis Waller, a native of Logan
county, Ohio. They had three sons and two daughters, John D., our subject,
being the eldest. Franklyn, Mary Anne and Amandy Jane, the youngest child,
are deceased. Elisha resides at Fort Madison, Iowa, Mary Anne Fordery in the
state of Missouri, and Willard at Fort Madison. The father was a Democrat.
He died in Indiana, at the age of sixty-seven years and his wife at the age
of fifty-five.
John D. Harber was educated in Indiana, about twenty-five miles from Fort
Wayne, where he remained until the breaking out of the rebellion. Although
but sixteen years of age he at once enlisted in Company D, Captain McDonald,
One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Indiana Volunteers, under Colonel Case, and for
eighteen months saw active service, taking part in some sharp battles, among
which were the battles of Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Jonesboro, all in
Georgia, and Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee. He received a severe wound
in the hip and was honorably discharged in 1865, when he returned to his old
home in Indiana. He has a kindly interest in the "boys in blue" who took
part in that struggle, and they are sure of meeting a hearty welcome from
him. Post No. 68, G. A. R., of Streator, Illinois, claims him as an honored
member.
He was married in 1867, in Whitley county, Indiana, to Miss Marilla Pimlot,
a daughter of Joseph Pimlot. Five children have blessed their union, viz.:
Wallace, who married Miss Hattie Hillison and resides in this township; and
Arthur, who married Miss Ida Cooper and resides also in this township; Emma,
the wife of Richard Hilgert, also of this township; and Anna and Ralph. Mr.
Harber is a stanch Republican and takes a prominent part in the politics of
his county. He was the efficient road commissioner of Otter Creek township,
for three years, and has done creditable work in improving the highways in a
permanent manner; and he is the deputy sheriff of LaSalle county. He is
quiet and retiring in disposition rather than aggressive, and his many
excellent traits of character have caused him to be highly esteemed.
Joseph Pimlot was born in Chesterfield, England, and enlisted in the English
army and was captured on Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, by Commodore Perry.
After he was released as prisoner he moved to Akron, Ohio, where he was
married, and to this union five children were born, — three sons and two
daughters: The oldest son, Clark, and Stanton are deceased; Cary is now
residing in Kansas; Melissa and Orpha, both deceased. By his marriage to
Louisa Lockwood there have been three children, — Meralda and Martha,
deceased, and Greeley, who resides in Oklahoma.
Extracted 17 Jul 2017 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois, published in 1900, volume 2, pages 489-490.
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