My Genealogy Hound

LINDLEY HEFLING, farmer, Sec. 2, Town 21; P. O. Empire. The birthplace of this gentleman was in Harrison Co., Ohio, Feb. 5, 1826. His father, Fielding Hefling, died when the subject of this sketch, was but 10 years of age, leaving six children, of which Lindley was the second son, and upon him and his elder brother fell the care and labor of supporting the family which duty they nobly performed until each member was old enough to provide for himself. In his youth, he had the advantage of three months’ schooling during the year; by close application to his studies and devoting his spare time to the same, he was able to obtain a fair education, and at the age of 17 years engaged in school-teaching, which occupation he followed in connection with farming, until upwards of 21 years of age, when he was united in marriage Aug. 20, 1848 to Elizabeth Gardner; she was born in Harrison Co., Ohio, Oct. 20, 1827; he then rented land upon which he farmed for six years, when he removed to Illinois in 1855; he first located four miles from Bloomington for eighteen months; he then removed to Old Town Timber, where he rented land four years, when he purchased forty acres upon which he lived until 1865, when he then sold out and purchased his present place of eighty acres, where he has since lived. The children of Lindley and Elizabeth Hefling were nine in number, of which four died in infancy; the living are — Sarah, born Aug. 26, 1849, now Mrs. Albert White, De Witt Co.; Anna M., born Feb. 18, 1851; now Mrs. Ross Arrowsmith, of Padua Township; Ada, born June 18, 1853, now Mrs. John Healea, De Witt Co.; Freeman D., born July 7, 1860; Lulu, born Sept. 14, 1867. Mr. H. has taken a deep interest in the cause of religion and education. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for a period of twenty-five years; Mrs. H. having been a member previously. Township and school offices have been his in plenty, having filled the office of School Director many years in Ohio and Illinois; was the first Town Clerk of Old Town Township, and two years Collector, and two years Collector in Empire Township, and Assistant Collector for two years, and other petty offices. He is a strong temperance man, which he carries into local politics, measuring to a certain extent the capacity of the candidate which he supports by his temperance principles.