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Below is a family biography included in The History of Greene County, Illinois published by Donnelley, Gassette & Loyd in 1879.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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WITT, RANDOLPH, farmer and stock raiser, Sec. 10, P.O. Carrollton. Randolph Witt, a well-known resident and early settler of Greene County, is a native of Jefferson County, Tenn., where he was born on the 3d of Dec., 1810, third child of Ely and Nancy Witt. He raised a family of twelve children, two having died before arriving at mature years. It was during the year 1829 that the Witt family took up the line of departure for the West, landing in Greene County on the 6th of December of this year. Ely Witt rented the first year of his settlement. Randolph well remembers the deep snow, and relates that it began falling toward the latter part of December, and continued to do so at intervals during the Winter, at the time the weather continued mild, causing a crust to form on the top of the snow, causing many wild animals to perish, and so emboldened did they become that it was no uncommon occurrence for the early settler to frequently find them at the threshold of his cabin. Ely Witt died during the Autumn of 1851, and nine years later his wife was laid at rest amid the scenes of her early labors. Randolph received a round log cabin education, and early learned the energetic ways of his ancestry. On the 18th of August, 1836, he was married to Miss Polly Tunnell, oldest daughter now living of the late Hon. Calvin Tunnell, one of the best men who bore a prominent part in the development of Greene County. Mr. Witt, in his own language, put in many years of his time in a log cabin, a rough box taking the place of a table the first Winter. He is now one of the leading agriculturists and the owner of 790 acres of valuable land in the counties of Montgomery, Macoupin, and Greene. Not only does Mr. Witt rank among our more opulent farmers, but his kindness of heart and generosity is unbounded. Of the marriage four children were born: Andrew J., William T., Jane E., and Elzina.

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This family biography is one of 744 biographies included in The History of Greene County, Illinois published in 1879.  View the complete description here: The History of Greene County, Illinois

View additional Greene County, Illinois family biographies here: Greene County, Illinois Biographies

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