(Christian Cassel - John - Christian - William - Henry)

Henry Cassell (1826-1906)

Henry Cassell was born on February 29, 1826 in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He spent his early life on his family’s farm there. Henry and his brothers started helping their father on the farm at an early age. As a young boy, he learned to swing an ax, cradle and scyth which were the principle farm implements during that time. Whenever possible during the winter season, Henry attended the local school which was held in a log cabin and did his lessons on a slab bench.

In 1839, Henry’s brother, Berry, convinced his parents to join their brothers, Augustus, Joseph and Christian - who were living in Illinois., They started on their journey in the fall of 1839. Henry and his family traveled down the canal from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The water was so low that steamers could not run so the family traveled by keelboat to Louisville, Kentucky. The trip took them 21 days.

In Louisville, Henry and his family rented a house to wait for low water. After a few weeks, they grew tired of waiting and purchased a one horse wagon. Henry and his family came by land from Louisville, Kentucky to Decatur, Illinois. By this time the weather was so severe that his brother, Berry froze his feet during the trip. They arrived in Decatur, Illinois on the November 20, 1839.  By this time the snow was 4 foot deep and the weather so severe that they couldn’t travel any further. His brother, Berry notified his brothers living in Putnam County, and one came to pick up them up to take them to their new home.

In Putnam County, Illinois, Henry began to earn a living as a farm hand and as soon as he had enough money, he bought his own farm. At the age of 21, he married Sarah Bashore on September 15, 1847 in Putnam County, Illinois. They had two children, Katy in 1848 and Charles in 1850. Both children died before their second birthday.

Henry and Sara lived in Putnam County until 1854. They then moved to Decatur, Illinois and lived on a farm owned by Henry’s brother, Berry Hill. They started their life in Decatur with a team of horses, 5 head of cattle and $60 in cash. Ten years later, Henry bought 50 acres of farmland on Section 12 of Decatur Township. By 1893, he had purchased a total of 130 acres and was considered one of the most prominent citizens of the Decatur area.

Henry served as Decatur Township Commissioner for 9 years and took a prominent part in Decatur’s development and growth. He supported the Whig party until 1861, then voted for Lincoln. After that he was a loyal Republican. Henry was a faithful member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Decatur for 22 years. Henry retired from farming in 1893. He continued living in Decatur until March of 1899. After that, Henry and Sara moved back to Putnam County and settled in the village of Florid, Illinois. Henry lived out the remainder of his years in the little village of Florid.

In 1901, Henry and Sara spent the winter in California but returned to their home in Florid the following spring of 1902. Their home in Florid was considered to be very beautiful. In 1903, Henry had a contractor from Missouri erect a large horse barn for the house.  Three years before his death, his health began to fail. Henry died at his home in Florid on Saturday, July 15, 1905. He was laid to rest the following Monday in the Florid cemetery.

Sara Ann Bashore (1830-1924)

Sara Bashore was born on August 2, 1830 in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Sometime before 1847, her family moved to Putnam County, Illinois. At the age of 17, on September 15, 1847, Sara married Henry Cassell. They had two children, Katy and Charles. Both died before their second birthday.

Sara and Henry made their home in Florid until 1854. They then moved to Decatur, Illinois where they remained for almost 45 years. At the age of 50, Sara was converted during a revival meeting in Decatur, Illinois. She remained faithful to her religion the rest of her life. In 1899, Sara and Henry moved back to Florid. Henry died in 1905. After that Sara lived by herself until 1911. Her niece, Ella Danley then moved in and was her companion for the remainder of her life.

On July 31, 1912, a unique birthday party was reported in the local paper, The Putnam Record. It stated, "On last Friday, there was quite a unique and unusual gathering at the home of Mrs. Sara Cassell. It being her 82nd birthday, she invited four ladies to eat with her. The four are cousins of Mrs. Cassell and are as follows, Mrs. Eliza Beck, Mrs. Elizabeth Dissenger, Mrs. Mary Willis, and Mrs. Eliza Henderson. Mrs. Beck, the eldest of the five, will be 87 her next birthday and Mrs. Henderson, the youngest is 72 and all are widow ladies. It is unnecessary to say that these ladies enjoyed themselves to the fullest."

In February of 1924, Sara fell on the ice outside her home. After that she never recovered and died three months later at 7 PM on Saturday May 3, 1924. She was laid to rest beside her husband in the Florid cemetery.

**Note: May 1998: At this time evidence leads us to believe that Jacob and Catherine are the parents of Sara Cassell and Elizabeth Cramer. If this is found to be true, their children listed in the 1850 Putnam Co. census are also their siblings.

(Christian Cassel - John - Christian - William - John)
John Cassell (1828 to 1926)

John Cassell was born on October 26, 1828 in the village of New Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He spent his early life on his family’s farm there. John and his brothers started helping their father on the farm at an early age. As a young boy, he learned to swing an ax, cradle and scyth which were the principle farm implements during that time. Whenever possible during the winter season, John attended the local school which was held in a log cabin and did his lessons on a slab bench.  According to Civil War records, John was a small man with black hair and blue eyes.

In 1839, John’s brother, Berry, convinced his parents to join their brothers, Augustus, Joseph and Christian - who were living in Illinois., They started on their journey in the fall of 1839. John and his family traveled down the canal from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The water was so low that steamers could not run so the family traveled by keelboat to Louisville, Kentucky.  The trip took them 21 days.

In Louisville, John and his family rented a house to wait for low water. After a few weeks, they grew tired of waiting and purchased a one horse wagon. John and his family came by land from Louisville, Kentucky to Decatur, Illinois. By this time the weather was so severe that his brother, Berry froze his feet during the trip. They arrived in Decatur, Illinois on the November 20, 1839.  By this time the snow was 4 foot deep and the weather so severe that they couldn’t travel any further. His brother, Berry notified his brothers living in Putnam County, and one came to pick up them up to take them to their new home.

On September 17, 1849, at the age of 21, he married Harriet Ursula Wyckoff in Putnam County, Illinois.  John and Harriet had six children. They were Ella, who was born in 1852; Charles Henry, who was born in 1853; Anna F., who was born in 1856; Willie, who died in infancy in 1859, John Frank, who was born in 1860 and Arminni L., who was born in 1867.

Between 1860 and 1870 John lived in Monticello Township, Piatt County, Illinois where he worked as a Justice of the Peace.  John at one time was the magistrate for Dewitt County and Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer that visited with him at times. The story is passed down from generation to generation that Abraham Lincoln gave John a cane that he had carved.  This cane is supposed to still be in the family.  John also served in the civil war as a musician.  Sometime before 1880, John and family moved to Big Creek, Ellis County, Kansas.  It is unknown how long, John lived in Kansas but by the time of Harriet's death in 1882, they were living in Niantic, Macon County, Illinois.

Sometime after 1880, John and Harriet moved to Niantic, Illinois, where they continued to live the rest of their lives. John made a living as a baker.  Harriet passed away on November 31, 1882. John married once again on April 29, 1886. His new wife was Mary Jane Pettes. They were married by John’s brother-in-law, Thomas Albert.  John ran his bakery and in the early 1890’s, was also a merchant. By the early 1900’s, John had retired was simply called “Squire John”. Mary Jane passed away in 1912. Sometime after that John moved to West North Street in Decatur, Illinois where he continued to live until his death.  In 1920, his daughter, Minni and family were living with John.  John died Thursday morning in his home on February 25, 1926. He was buried beside his first wife in the Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois.

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Ursula “Harriet” Wyckoff (1832-1882)

Harriet Wyckoff was born on November 8, 1832 in Ohio. When she was still a child, her father died and her mother remarried and the family moved to Putnam County, Illinois.  On September 7, 1849, Ursula married John Cassell. They settled in Niantic, Illinois. Ursula and John had five children. They were, Ella, Charles, Willie, Anna, John and Arminni. Ursula continued living in Niantic the remainder of her life. After her death on November 31, 1882, she was laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois.

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Mary Jane Cassell (nee Grider)(1837-1912)

Mary “Jane” Pettes was born April 7, 1837, near Ramsey, Fayette county, Illinois. She was married during the Civil war to W.H. Pettus, near Mt. Auburn. They had two sons, William and George. Her husband died in 1869. On April 29, 1886, she was married to John Casell.  Jane lived the remainder of her life in the same house she was married in in Niantic, Macon County, Illinois.  On April 7, 1912, Jane celebrated her seventy-third birthday by giving a dinner to several friends.

Her death was very sudden and unexpected of heart failure. While standing at the kitchen table drying dishes on a Friday afternoon, she suddenly fell backward. Her granddaughter, Laura Pettus, was with her and ran to the store on the back of the lot and summoned help, but Jane was dead before she could be placed on a bed. She had been complaining for three or four days of pains in her chest and of being dizzy, but she seemed to be in good health Firday and ate a good dinner. After her death on April 29, 1912, she was laid to rest in the Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois.

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