One of the venerable citizens of LaSalle county is Jacob Kuney, now
living retired in the pretty town of Earlville. Though now well along in
years, he comes of families noted for longevity, and doubtless will live to
see many years of the new century so near at hand. Both of his grandfathers
were soldiers in the war of the Revolution, and patriotism has been a
notable characteristic of all of his relatives.
The Kuneys are of German descent, as the name indicates, but several
generations have resided in America; and the grandfather of our subject, for
whom he was named, was a Pennsylvania farmer, the father of a large family.
Of these children, Samuel Kuney, a native of the same state, was engaged in
farming in Perry county, Pennsylvania, until his death, at the age of
sixty-five years. His wife, Mary, daughter of Jacob Bergstresser, survived
him, attaining the age of eighty-six years. She, too, was a Pennsylvanian,
though her father was a native of Germany. He was eighty-six years old at
death, but his wife lived to be six months over one hundred years of age!
For many years he served as the clerk of the county court, but the chief
business of his life was agriculture. In religion the Kuneys were originally
Lutherans, but later identified themselves with the Methodist church. Of the
five sons and five daughters of Samuel and Mary Kuney, but three are now
living, namely, our subject; Sarah, of Jackson, Minnesota, widow of John
Bergstresser; and Daniel, of Baker, Kansas.
The birth of Jacob Kuney took place in Perry county, Pennsylvania, November
29, 1816, and when twenty years of age he left home and went to Niagara
county, New York. At the time of the Canadian rebellion he was called into
military service, but at the end of two weeks was allowed to resume his
accustomed vocation. In 1838 he was married, and for a period was occupied
in farming, later learning the blacksmith's trade, which he pursued about
four years. In 1847 he went to Waukesha, Wisconsin, accompanied by his wife
and three children. Locating near the town, he continued to reside there for
twenty years, at the end of which time he sold his farm of three hundred and
twenty acres and removing to Winneshiek county, Iowa, invested in one
thousand acres of land. Two years later, in 1869, he divided six hundred
acres of this tract among his children, and, selling the remainder, came to
LaSalle county. Here he bought four hundred acres of land in Earl township,
and subsequently disposing of this property he purchased a farm of one
hundred and twenty acres situated about a mile north of Earlville. This
place he still owns, though he rents it and makes his home in Earlville, in
the enjoyment of well earned rest from toil.
As previously noted, Mr. Kuney was married in 1838, the lady of his choice
being Miss Amanda, daughter of Joshua and Laodicea (Cotton) Slayton. Six
children were born to our subject and wife. The eldest son, Cassius M. Clay,
was graduated in the Bryant & Stratton Business College, and at seventeen
years of age enlisted in the Union army, serving with distinguished bravery
from the beginning to the close of the war of the Rebellion. He wedded Miss
Ellen Guthrie and has five children, — Inez, Edith, Ralph, Carl and Max. The
family is now living in Wasco, Oregon. Garrett Smith, the younger son,
married Miss Alice Boozle, and is a resident of Earlville, his occupation
being that of a farmer. He has five children, — Perry, Cora, Harry, Mabel
and Agnes. Mary, the oldest daughter of our subject, now living at White
City, Kansas, is the wife of Horace Harmon, and is the mother of four living
sons, — Joseph, Horace, Guy and Ernest. Emeline, the second daughter,
married Joseph Gauthie, of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Desire married Ellis T.
White, of Earlville, and their children are Eria, Archie, Laura, Sadie,
Radley, Clyde and Ralph. Josephine D. wedded Henry Boozle, a farmer, now of
Des Moines, Iowa, and their children are: Grace, Angie, Kittie, Myrtle,
Louise, John and Harry. Altogether, Mr. and Mrs. Kuney have thirty-nine
grandchildren and thirty-one great-grandchildren; and it is a remarkable
fact that of all their descendants only six have passed to the silent land.
For many years Mr. and Mrs. Kuney have been devoted members of the
Congregational church. Politically he is a Republican, and though he has
never desired public office he has served as township assessor four times,
thrice in succession when he was living in Wisconsin, and once while in Earl
township. In all of his relations with his fellow men, Mr. Kuney has been
honorable and just, winning the respect of every one, and to his children he
will leave what is better far than riches, the record of an exemplary life.
Extracted 17 Jul 2017 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois, published in 1900, volume 2, pages 478-480.
| Lee | DeKalb | Kane |
| Bureau |
 |
Kendall |
| Putnam | Grundy | |
| Marshall | Woodford | Livingston |
