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is extremely commendable, for through his untiring labors he has won
the success which he now enjoys.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sykes have been born
three children, two sons and a daughter; Freddie James, born March
8, 1894; Paul Edwin, September 2, 1900; and Mary Elizabeth, October
12, 1903. The parents occupy an enviable position in the regard of
many friends and acquaintances. Mr. Sykes is a republican in his
political views and belongs to the Modern Woodmen camp at Barry and
to the Odd Fellows lodge there. He has been very successful in his
business career, ever manifesting the spirit of enterprise which
would allow him to brook no obstacles and has enabled him to
overcome all difficulties and work his way steadily upward to
success. He is justly accounted one of the representative
agriculturist and merchants of his community.
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JON SHASTID
Jon Shastid, of Perry, is the owner of valuable landed interests
comprising eleven hundred and eight acres in Pike county, nine
hundred and fifty acres in Texas, ten acres in Wisconsin and eighty
acres in Adams county. He is now retired from active business life,
for he has passed the seventy-eighth milestone on life's journey,
his birth having occurred in Overton county, Tennessee, June 2,
1827. The following year he was brought to Illinois by his parents,
John G. and Elizabeth (Edwards) Shastid, who took up their abode in
Menard county. The father was born in Kentucky in March, 1798, while
the mother's birth occurred in Rutherford county, North Carolina, in
September, 1794. They were married in Tennessee and after coming to
Illinois Mr. Shastid purchased land in Sangamon county which was
surveyed by Abraham Lincoln. This was partially prairie and
partially timber land and upon the tract he built a log cabin. He
was closely associated with the pioneer development of that district
and in 1836 he removed to Pittsfield, Pike county. Here he carried
on farming and teaming and was a factor in public affairs, serving
as deputy sheriff, constable and collector. He gave his political
support to the democracy in early life, being a stanch advocate of
the principles promulgated by General Jackson, but later he joined
the ranks of the republican party. He held membership in the
Christian church and died in that faith in Pittsfield in February,
1874, when about seventy-six years of age. His wife passed away
December 8, 1863. In their family were eight children, but only two
are living, Jon of this review and Dr. T. W. Shastid, a resident of
Pittsfield. As before stated, Jon Shastid was only about a year old
when brought by his parents to Illinois. His early education was
acquired in the public schools and he afterward attended the
Illinois College at Jacksonville. When seventeen years of age he
began teaching school, following the profession for twenty-four
years. During the first five months of his connection with the work
of public education he made about twelve dollars per month. Through
the careful husbanding of his resources during all of the time that
he was teaching he found himself worth between fifteen and twenty
thousand dollars when he put aside the duties of the schoolroom. He
taught for three months in Whiteside county, Illinois, and for a
little more than two years in Fulton county and during the remainder
of the time his educational service was rendered in Pike county. In
1869 he joined his father-in-law in the conduct of a mercantile
enterprise and was thus engaged until January 1, 1884, when he sold
out to Mrs. Cockill, his mother-in-law. He was very successful in
his agricultural venture, acquiring a handsome competence through
well directed effort, judicious purchases and advantageous sales. As
his financial resources have increased he has made extensive
investments in real-estate and now owns four farms in Perry
township, one in Pittsfield township, one in Spring Creek township,
one in Beverly township and five in Texas, having altogether
twenty-one hundred and forty-eight acres of land.
In 1864 Mr. Shastid was united in marriage
to Miss Esther A. Cockill, whose birth occurred January 11, 1843,
her parents being Joseph and Anna (Beatty) Cockill. Her father was a
native of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and died in 1873, at the
age of fifty-six years. His wife,
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