CRUISE, J. F.

CRUISE, LEONARD, VARNEY, SHARGLE, ALDRIDGE

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 5/14/2004 at 15:46:23

Biography reproduced from page 592 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

J. F. Cruise is the owner of a well improved farm of two hundred acres located on sections22 and 23, Wesley township, where he engages in stock-raising in connection with general agricultural pursuits, and is meeting with a good measure of success. He was born in La Salle county, Illinois, on the 15th of December, 1874, and is a son of Mike and Mary (Leonard) Cruise. The father was a native of County Westmeath, Ireland, and there he was also reared and educated. In 1835, at the age of twenty-four years, he emigrated to America, locating in Canada. Three years later he came to the United States, settling in La Salle county, Illinois, where he took up a homestead, located on section 18, Freedom township. He was an experienced agriculturist, and the remainder of his active life was devoted to the improvement and cultivation of his farm, where he passed away in January, 1891, at the venerable age of over eighty years. The mother was a native of County Fermanagh, Ireland, but the greater part of her life was passed in La Salle county, Illinois, as she was only a child of three years when she came to the United States with her parents, who settled on a homestead in the vicinity of Ottawa, where she was reared to womanhood and subsequently married. She is also deceased, her death having occurred in October, 1897, at the age of sixty-nine years. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Cruise numbered twelve, our subject being the eleventh in order of birth. The others are as follows: James, deceased; Mary, who is residing in Ottawa, Illinois; Kate, the wife of Edward Varney, of Marseilles, Illinois; Mike, who is farming in Wesley township, this county; Andrew, Thomas and Margaret, who are deceased; James, who is residing in Earlville, Illinois; Ellen, who married William Shargle, of Saskatchewan, Canada; P. J., of Earlville, Illinois; and Etta, who resides in Ottawa, Illinois.

Reared on the farm where he was born, in the acquirement of his education J. F. Cruise attended the common schools. He early became acquainted with agricultural labors by assisting with the work on the farm and by the time he had attained his maturity, he had a thorough knowledge of practical farming. After the death of his father, he left the old homestead and came to Kossuth county, where he has ever since continued his agricultural pursuits. Ten years ago he purchased the Charles Reineke farm in Prairie township, but two years later he disposed of his property and invested the proceeds in two hundred acres of land in Wesley township, which has ever since been his place of residence. During the period of his ownership, Mr. Cruise has wrought extensive improvements including the erection of a number of buildings and the tiling of the fields. His land is planted to such cereals as are best adapted to the soil, and is given the care and supervision which insure abundant harvests. He makes a specialty of Shorthorn cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs. Diligence and enterprise united with careful management and a close regard for details have been the salient factors in the success that has come to Mr. Cruise, who is numbered among the highly capable agriculturists of his community.

On the 23d of January, 1906, Mr. Cruise was united in marriage to Miss Eva Elizabeth Aldridge, and to them have been born three children, John Vincent, Catherine Beatrice and Mary Phyllis.

The parents are communicants of the Roman Catholic church, being affiliated with Wesley parish, and fraternally Mr. Cruise belongs to the Knights of Columbus and Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he is a democrat and has served for three years as assessor of his township. He is one of the highly respected citizens of his community, and in the conduct of his undertakings is meeting with the prosperity that accompanies intelligently concentrated activity.