Biography - ALEXANDER HANCE
Alexander
Hance, who is one of the ideal farmers of Douglas county, came to Newman
township in 1871 and engaged as an ordinary farm hand, at which he continued
for some seven or eight years. His career is a fine example of what a man
can do with a determined purpose in life. From the ordinary walks of life he
has gradually risen to the front rank as a farmer, stock-raiser and a
business man.
Mr. Hance was born in Washington county, Tennessee, February 19, 1850, and
there he remained until he came to Douglas county. He purchased his first
land of three hundred and twenty acres in 1889, paying thirty dollars per
acre for it, and has since added one hundred and sixty acres. He is a son of
Mordecai and Millie (Lackey) Hance, who were born respectively in North
Carolina and east Tennessee. His father, who resided at Tompkinsville,
Kentucky, volunteered in 1861 in the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry, and remained
out until the close of the war. He was with Sherman mostly, and was with him
from Atlanta to the sea. He was a son of Samuel Hance, who was born in
England, Alexander Lackey was Mr. Hance's maternal grandfather. Alexander
Hance carries on farming on a very extensive scale and feeds regularly about
one or two hundred head of cattle.
In 1874 our subject was united in marriage to Miss Nancy, a daughter of John
H. Biggs, who came to north Newman township from Edgar county in about 1855.
His wife died in 1895. To them were born seven children: Burnette, Robert,
Myrtle, Jay and Joseph, living; and Glenn and an infant, deceased. His
second and present wife was Miss Generva, a daughter of W. H. Holton, of
near Jeffersonville, Indiana. Two children have blessed this union: Leon and
Leonard. Mr. Hance has served as commissioner of highways and has been a
ruling elder of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, at Fairfield, since
1872.
Extracted 22 Jul 2019 by Norma Hass from the Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois, published in 1900, pages 239-240.
