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Below is a family biography included in The History of McLean County, Illinois published by Wm. LeBaron, Jr. Co. 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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STEPHEN E. CLARNO, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 11; P. O. Weedman; one of the early settlers of Illinois; born in Clark Co., Ohio, March 8, 1816; his father, Andrew Clarno, emigrated from Ohio, and located in St. Clair Co., Ill., in the year 1818, and the year following he removed to Sangamon Co., ten miles north of Springfield. Mrs. Clarno was the second white woman that crossed the Sangamon River; Mrs. Clarno died in Menard Co., Ill., in 1844; Mr. Clarno died in Galena, Ill., July 15, 1851. The subject of this sketch lived with a family by the name of Straisbridge from 6 to 15 years of age, when he, with his father and brother, went afoot to the south part of Wisconsin, where they took an active part in the Black Hawk war; he remained in Wisconsin until 1839, when he came to Menard Co., Ill., where he rented land, upon which he farmed three years, when he entered forty acres and purchased forty more, upon which he lived until 1854; when he sold out and removed to Logan Co., where he purchased 640 acres of land, upon which he lived until 1875; when he sold out and came to West Township, where he purchased 680 acres of land, where he now lives; he keeps some 80 head of cattle of a high grade, 150 hogs, some horses and sheep. His marriage with Nancy Barnett was celebrated April 16, 1840; she was born in Tennessee in 1816, and died in Menard Co., in 1850; of their six children, only one survives, now Mrs. John Ewing, of Logan Co. He was united in marriage to Eliza Kincaid, October, 1851; she died in March, 1853, leaving one child — Mrs. M. Dillard, of West Township. The maiden name of his present wife was Dorothy Wigginton, to whom he was married Jan. 8, 1854; she was born in Kentucky in 1824; they have four children now living Francis Marion, Stephen E., Jr., James T. and Lucretia.

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This family biography is one of 1257 biographies included in The History of McLean County, Illinois published by Wm. LeBaron, Jr. Co. in 1879.  View the complete description here: The History of McLean County, Illinois

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

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