My Genealogy Hound

D. McBARNES, farmer; Sec. 15; P. O. Bloomington; one of the old settlers of McLean Co., born in Harrison Co., Ohio, Oct 1, 1821; his father, Dennis McBarnes, was born near Glasgow, Scotland, in the year 1759; he went to Ireland when he was a young man, and, after working several years at the trade of harness-making, emigrated to America and located first near Philadelphia; from there to Harrison Co., Ohio, where he purchased land and engaged in farming until his decease, which occurred in April, 1844, at the advanced age of 85 years. He married in Pennsylvania to Mary Voden; she was born in Pennsylvania and died a few years after the death of her husband; they were the parents of seven children, of whom four are now living. The subject of this memoir was brought up to work upon his father’s farm in Ohio until he attained his majority, when he commenced farming for himself, which business he followed in Ohio until he came to Illinois and located on his present place in the spring of 1853, where he has since lived, during a period of twenty-six years, and is consequently classed as one of the old settlers; he owns eighty acres of well-improved land upon his home farm with good farm buildings and also eighty acres in Anchor Township, all of which he has, by good business management, accumulated. In politics he is a stanch Republican, having joined the above party upon its organization and has since labored for the success of the same; he has taken a great interest in the cause of religion and education, having been a School Director many years and is now School Trustee; he and his wife have been members of the Christian Church for a period of upward of twenty years; the second oldest daughter being a member of the same church. His marriage with Mary Jane Dickey was celebrated in Harrison Co., Ohio, upon the 18th of September, 1847; she was born in Harrison Co. March 4, 1826; they were the parents of seven children — Sarah J., born June 18, 1848 (she died March 1, 1870); Maggie, born Oct. 3, 1849 (now Mrs. Joseph Brookbank, of Anchor Township); John, born July 24, 1851; Agnes, Feb. 22, 1853; Hannah M., June 18, 1855; Elizabeth, May 14, 1857, and Edward, Nov. 8, 1858; of the children, the two sons are farming in Anchor Township; the four daughters attended the University of Bloomington, both the Normal and Wesleyan, three of whom are engaged in school-teaching in McLean Co., the oldest of whom has taught ten years; John attended the Normal three years; Edward is now attending the Wesleyan.