Champaign Co, ILGenWeb, The USGenWeb Project - Biography

William Hawker

SOURCE: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Champaign County, Illinois," Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1887
SURNAMES: ALLEN, BURROWS, DARST, HAWKER, JACKSON, KYLER, LESHER, LEVY, ODAFFER

WILLIAM HAWKER, a prosperous farmer of Urbana Township, was born near Dayton, Greene Co., Ohio, Jan. 12, 1837. His parents were David and Sarah (ODAFFER) HAWKER, one a native of Pennsylvania and the other of Maryland. In 1826 they removed to Ohio, which was at that time considered the far West, where they settled in Greene County, and engaged extensively in farming, cultivating about 500 acres. His father died there in 1865, and his mother, who survived him for some time, died in her eighty-third year. She had a family of nine children, three boys and six girls. The record is as follows: Catherine married Abram DARST, and is now deceased; John T. lives in Ohio; Mary A. married Jonas LESHER, a resident of Ohio; Elizabeth married Abram DARST, husband of Catherine; Sarah J. married E. BURROWS; William is our subject; David is a resident of Dayton, Ohio; Martha married Clay KYLER and they live in Dayton; Harriet married J.F. LEVY, and they live in Urbana.

William Hawker, in his early boyhood, attended the district school, but later had the advantage of pursuing his limited education in the graded schools. He remained with his parents until he had attained to manhood, when, in 1867, he came West and located on Section 28, Urbana Township, purchasing 240 acres of land, which he cultivated and improved until 1878, when he sold off 160 acres, reserving eighty acres for his own farm residence, where he is engaged in stock-raising, giving his attention chiefly to the best breed of hogs.

On Dec 24, 1868, Mr. Hawker was married to Miss Martha ALLEN, daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth ALLEN. Her mothers name before marriage was JACKSON, and her family were formerly from Kentucky, where her father died in 1856. After his death her family moved to Champaign County.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawker have a family of six children-Charles T., David W., Franklin A., Stephen A., Lillie Pearl and Otho W. Mr. Hawker is interested in public affairs of the county, and has held the office of School Director for several years. Himself, his wife and four of their children are members of the First Baptist Church, in which society they are regarded with much esteem. Politically Mr. Hawker is a Jeffersonian Democrat.