Francis O. Lee

As printed in 1910

FRANCIS O. LEE (1892) resides in the village of Jackson, from which place he farms his Middletown township land, four miles southwest of town. He has been a resident of the county seventeen years.

The parents of our subject are John and Hannah (Spink) Lee. John Lee was born in Haslet, Yorkshire, England, October 18, 1829; Hannah Spink, in Hook) Yorkshire, England, January 28, 1834. They were married November 30, 1852, and in July, 1853, came to the United States. From the time he was sixteen years of age until his marriage John Lee was a sailor. Upon their arrival to the new world Mr. and Mrs. Lee located at East Haven, New York, and eighteen months later moved to Morgan county, Illinois. In January, 1868, they moved to Logan county, Illinois, and the next year to Sangamon county of the same state, where they bought a farm and resided until 1891. They then moved to the town of Buffalo, in Sangamon county, and there they still reside. Mr. and Mrs. John Lee brought up a family of twelve children, of whom eight are living. The children are: George R., born April 21, 1855, died February 18, 1904; William, born September 28, 1856, died May 27, 1908; Mariam, born April 7, 1858; Francis Oliver, born February 12, 1860; Joseph, bom August 18, 1861, died April 15, 1863; John Albert, bom May 14, 1863; Morris Parker, bom January 28, 1865; Minnie Ann, bom July 15, 1867; Nora Bell, born June 18, 1869; Anna Adelia, born August 25, 1873; Aldie May, born April 11, 1875; Sarah Elizabeth, born January 10, 1878, died December 20, 1884.

It was while his parents were living in Morgan county, Illinois, on the twelfth day of February, 1860, that Francis Oliver Lee was born. Until he was of age he worked on his father's farm; then he farmer rented land ami made his home with his parents until he was twenty-five years old. Then he rented a farm near Curran, Sangamon county, farmer the place two years, and then located in Logan county, where he engaged in farming until

1891. The next year he spent farming near Illiopolis, Sangamon county, and in March,

1892, came to Jackson county, Minnesota. He farmer in Des Moines township one year, and then located in Middletown township, where he resided ten years. While still a resident of IllinoiSj Mr. Lee had come to Jackson county and bought the northeast quarter of section 4, Middletown township, which he still owns, but upon which he never lived. In the fall of 1902 Mr. Lee moved to Jackson, bought town property, and has since made his home there, engaged in conducting his farm. During his residence in Middletown Mr. Lee served one term as a member of the township board. He holds membership in the A. F. & A. M., the M. W. A. and the Eastern Star lodges. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church and of the Eastern Star and Royal Neighbors lodges.

Francis Oliver Lee was married at Mount Pulaski, Logan county, Hlinois, on the first day of the year 1885, to Miss June Alexander, who was born in Waynesville, Dewitt county, Illinois, May 28, 1862, the daughter of Orrin A. and Lockey M. (Parker) Alexander. Her mother died September 2, 1887, aged 56 years, 4 months and 8 days. Her father died October 23, 1908, aged 84 years.

Orrin A. Alexander was a noted photographer of war times and before, and he took several pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas when they were on their memorable debating trip. These pictures are in the possession of Mrs. F. 0. Lee. From these original all the pictures of Lincoln of that time have been copied. Of Mr. Alexander's work as a photographer the Decatur (Hlinois) Review of Novemmber 29, 1908, said:

"When O. A. Alexander was found dead in Mount Pulaski it was recalled that during the war he was a traveling photographer with a territory comprising Decatur, Bloomington, Clinton and Springfield. When his daughter, Mrs. Oliver le, of Jackson, Minnesota, came to dispose of her father's effects she found great quantities of copper plates, mates, frames and capes used in the mounting of daguerreotype pictures. Among them she found many photographs of army officers and fair ladies, but of greater interest were pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, taken at the time of the famous debate."

Mr. and Mrs. Lee have three children: Reuel Parker, born February 18, 1888, in Logan county, Illinois; Mabel June, born October 17, 1890, in Logan county, Illinois; Royal Emory, born March 27, 1894, in Middletown township, Jackson county.

As printed in An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.