J. J. BIVENS

BIVENS

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/20/2020 at 20:30:20

J. J. BIVENS, of section 28, Grant township, is one of the early settlers of this county, having come here in the spring of 1876. He was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, January 25, 1833, a son of Leonard and Christena (Hull) Bivens. The father was born on the same farm as our subject, and the mother was born in the same neighborhood. The father was a farmer all his life; a Democrat politically, and a member of the Catholic Church, and his children were reared in that faith. The parents lived in Pennsylvania until death, the mother dying when our subject was small. He was reared on a farm in Franklin county, and received a common school education. At the age of twenty-two years he came West to Knox county, Illinois, where he lived three months; then he lived in Peoria county, same State, and next returned to Knox county, where he lived until 1876, and in that year came to this county. He bought his present farm of
S. H. Fisher, who had made some improvements, and he now owns 240 acres of Adams county’s best land, located four miles northeast of Lenox. He has a good residence, 14x24 feet, one and a half stories high, with an addition 12x24 feet, and also good stables, sheds, cribs, feed lots for stock, etc.

Mr. Bivens was married in Knox county, Illinois, when twenty-eight, years of age, to Mrs. Addie (Phillips) Cullison, a widow lady, who was born in Vermont, a daughter of Joseph Phillips. She was reared and educated in her native State. They have had six children, three of whom are living, viz.: Joseph Leonard, Sidney Grant and Charles, all at home. Three children died in childhood: Katie, at the age of four years; Orlando Hugh, when a babe of nine months; and Sherman Porter, at the age of eight years. The great loss of Mr. Bivens’ life was in the death of his beloved wife, in 1881. She was an affectionate wife and mother, a kind neighbor, and her death was a severe blow to her family and friends. Mr. Bivens is a Republican in his political views.