Robert E. Stanley, Jr. resides on Nippersink Point, section 4, Grant Township, and is engaged in farming and keeping summer boarders. He is a native of Oneida County, N.Y., born May 6, 1834, but spent only two years of his life in that State. His parents emigrated Westward, locating in Goodale, now Grant Township.
He attended school in Chicago for a time.He grew up on a new farm on the banks of Fox Lake and helped open up a farm, giving his services to his father until fifteen years of age when he began life for himself. Since that time, he has been dependent upon his own resources and whatever success he has met with the whole credit is due to his efforts alone.
When he was twenty-three years of age, his father went to Missouri and Robert and his wife and child accompanied him, where they spent about fifteen months. He then returned to Illinois just subsequent to the breaking out of the late war. On the 7th of August, 1862, he offered his services to the Government, enlisting as a member of Company D, Ninety-Sixth Illinois Regiment, and was mustered out of the United States service June 15, 1865. He participated in all the engagements of his regiment, including seventeen regular battles and the battle at Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia.
He was a faithful soldier, always found at his post of duty, and when the war was over he was honorably discharged at Nashville, Tenn. He escaped injury, but for seven weeks was off duty, that time lying sick in the hospital at Harrisburg. When discharged at Nashville, Tenn., he was also lying sick at Camp Harker. The war at length being over, he returned to his home and family after having faithfully served his country as a loyal soldier in her hour of peril.
Mr. Stanley was married in Lake County, Ill., December 31, 1854, Miss Mary A. Rix becoming his wife. She is a native of England and a daughter of Samuel Rix, who was born and reared in Norfolkshire, England.
By occupation, Mr. Rix was a farmer and followed that business during the greater part of his life. He married Anna Thurlow, and some year after, thinking he could better his financial condition by so doing, he sailed with his wife and five children to America, crossing the Atlantic in a sailing vessel in 1844. They landed in Quebec, Canada, and the family came direct to Lake County, but afterward moved to McHenry County. The mother died a few years after coming to the United States when about thirty-four years of age, and Mr. Rix afterward married Miriam Smith, who was born in New York in 1815. His death occurred in February, 1872, and his second wife survived him about two years.
Mr. Rix's family numbered the following children: Edward, who is a potter of Macomb, Ill.; Mrs. Mary Stanley , wife of our subject; Emily, who died in England; Sarah, wife of George Hill, who is a carpenter by trade, but is now engaged as a potter in Whitehall, Ill.; George, who enlisted in Company B, Ninety-Sixth Illinois Regiment and died during the service; and Charles P. also deceased.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, have been born eight children, four of whom are now living: Emma, became the wife of Melvin Little, and both are now deceased; Belle, married Charles Neal and died in Rockford; George, died when his father was in the army; George D. is also deceased; Harry W., Bert, and John E. are all at home. With the exception of the eldest, all of the children were born and reared in Grant Township.
For fifteen years after the war, Mr. Stanley engaged in carpentering, but now follows farming and for the past ten years has been keeping summer boarders, being able to accommodate from twenty to twenty-five. His home is pleasantly situated for this purpose, as it borders on Nippersink Lake. Socially, Mr. Stanley is an Odd Fellow, belonging to the lodge of Antioch, and in politics has been a Republican since the time when he cast his first vote for Fremont.
His wife has been a member of the Baptist Church for about twenty years, and is a lady highly esteemed for her many excellencies of character. Both are widely and favorably known in this community and are numbered among the honored pioneers. Few have as long been residents of the county as Mr. Stanley, and many interesting experiences of those pioneer days does he relate, telling of the time when the Indians still visited the neighborhood, when the settlers had to drive miles to market, when the nearest neighbors were long distances apart and their homes were mostly log cabins.
Another feature of those days was the ample opportunity afforded one to indulge in a love of hunting. When only seven years old, our subject fired his first gun and from that time he has been a great lover of the sport. He can remember to have seen seventy-five deer cross Fox Lake upon the ice, and all kinds of water fowl were to be had in abundance.
Robert was born on May 6, 1835 in Ohio, and died on April 22, 1905 in McHenry, Illinois. He and his wife Mary Ann (Rix) are buried in Woodland Cemetery in McHenry, Illinois. There is no headstone for either person.
Go to "Hartford" Stanley Families of America
- Read About My Great-Grandfather, Aralzeman Stanley.
- 96th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, History.
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