The full biographical sketch as printed in 1922, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.
WILLIAM STILL.
William Still, one of the prosperous farmers of Dorr Township, resides one mile south of Woodstock, and is a man widely and favorably known. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, December 20, 1851, a son of William and Hannah (Briggs) Still. In June, 1852, he was brought to the United States by his parents who joined friends at Ring- wood, this county, where the father obtained employment at $13 a month. Later he bought an undeveloped farm in MeHenry Township, and spent about fourteen years upon it. In 1869, he bought the Barber farm east of Woodstock, where he died in 1900. The mother died January 6, 1900.
William Still had scarcely any schooling, but grew up on the home- stead where he remained until 1875, at which time he rented a farm across the road from his old home, and remained on it for two years. He then went on another farm and continued as a renter for seven years, and has owned in all four farms, buying his present place of 120 acres, in 1908.
On November 25, 1875, William Still was married to Mary Susan Frame, who died four years later. On January 26, 1890, he was mar-
ssl> HISTORY OF McIIENRY COUNTY
ried second to Cynthia Frame, a younger sister of his first wife, and a daughter of John and Rachael (Knight) Frame, natives of Virginia, who settled in Dorr Township, where Cynthia Frame was born February 26, 1856. By his first marriage Mr. Still had one daughter: Zella, who is Mrs. Arthur Ellis of Salem, Wis. By his second marriage Mr. Still has the following children : Francis Roy, who married Lillian Coffman, has one son, Kenneth William, and is associated with his father in farm- ing; and belongs to the local school board; Lura Mae, who is at home.
William Still is a Republican, and has served as a tax collector, and for thirty years has been a member of the school board. He is a director of the Dunham-Chemung Farm Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and has been instrumental in building up the volume of business of this company now averaging .$3,000,000. The Methodist Episcopal church has in him a faithful and influential member, and he is serving it as trustee.
Mr. Still is a man who has always taken the stand that it pays to develop land, and use improved and modern methods in operating it. Whenever necessary he has put in tile and otherwise drained his farm, put up the buildings he has needed, and bought and installed machinery and appliances. His premises show that the one in charge not only understands his work, but also takes a pride in keeping everything up to standard. He stands well in his neighborhood, and many times his experiments have resulted in an improvement in neighborhood farming. Such men as he always do constructive work, and aid materially in advancing the standards of their community. He can be counted upon to give active support to all measures looking toward increasing the welfare of Dorr Township and McHenry County.
Source: History of McHenry County, Illinois (1922. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.
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