My Genealogy Hound

D. F. VANDEVENTER, farmer and stock-raiser; Sec. 12, Town 21; P. O. Le Roy; born in De Witt Co., Ill., July 29, 1845; he is the second son of Thomas Vandeventer, who emigrated from Virginia and located in De Witt Co. about the year 1820. He married in De Witt Co., to Elizabeth Arbogast; she was born in Ohio; they were the parents of six children, of whom five are now living; the parents now live in De Witt Co. The subject of this sketch attended the common school and assisted his father in farming until 17 years of age, when he went to California and followed teaming three years, driving a team of ten mules to a wagon itself weighing two tons and hauling from five to six tons of mining machinery and supplies, the trip consuming about six weeks; in 1865, he returned to De Witt Co., Ill., and engaged in farming and stock-raising until the spring of 1875, when he purchased 125 acres of land in Downs Township, upon which he then located and where he has since lived; he also owns forty-five acres in De Witt Co., all of which he has accumulated by his own hard labor, energy and industry. His marriage with Sarah Nichols was celebrated Oct. 26, 1868; she was born in Brown Co., Ohio, July 7, 1849; three children were the fruit of this union, of whom two are living — Lewis N., born April 20, 1870; Dick, born March 24, 1872, died Oct. 22, 1878, and Merritt E., born July 19, 1875. Mrs. Vandeventer is a daughter of John and Lucinda (Teter) Nichols, who now live in Champaign Co., Ill.; Mr. Nichols was born in Germany and Mrs. Nichols in Virginia; they were the parents of seven children, of whom five are living.