W. C. BROWNLEE

BROWNLEE

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/20/2020 at 13:44:18

W. C. BROWNLEE, a stock-raiser on his Clover Hill farm, section 18,
Nodaway township (postoffice East Nodaway), was born in Mercer county, Illinois, February 4, 1844, the son of W. C. Brownlee, a native of New York State; and the latter was the son of Rev. W. C. Brownlee, of the Seceders’ Reformed Church; he was born in Scotland. Two of his sons went to St. Louis, Missouri, where they were honorable and successful business men. The father of our subject chose farming for his calling, and came to Illinois in 1839, to Mercer county, a pioneer there, ten miles southeast of Aledo. He married Miss Mary, a daughter of Thomas Brownlee, of Mercer county, Illinois, and they had three sons and three daughters. Mrs Brownlee died in 1876, and Mr. Brownlee died in 1886.

Mr. Brownlee of this sketch, the second born in the above family and the eldest son, came to Adams county in the spring of 1872, and purchased 139 acres of wild land, a small portion of which, however, had been broken. He now owns an aggregate of 280 acres, all rich land and well improved. He has 600 rods of. Osage orange hedge about bis farm, a good frame house on an natural building site, with ornamental surroundings, an orchard, barn 64x70 feet, windmill, etc. Devoting his attention to the rearing of live-stock, he has a herd of thoroughbred shorthorn cattle, and a small herd of registered Shropshire sheep and Poland-China hogs. In his political views he is a Democrat, and he is a member of the order of United Workmen, Lodge No. 196 at Villisca. Mrs. Brownlee is a member of the Cumberland Church.

Mr. Brownlee was married in Shelby county, Illinois, in August, 1866, to Mrs. Rebecca McDonald, who was born in Richland county, Ohio, a daughter of James and Rachel Brownlee. They have four children: Ed., who is married and owns a good farm near his father’s; Viola, wife of T. J. Finlay of Nodaway township; Willie and Albert. They lost one child by death, Alick, at the
age of three years.