Illinois:  History of Cass County, Illinois, ed. William Henry
Perrin. O. L. Baskin & Co. Historical Publishers, Chicago, 1882. 
Cass County.

THE EPLER FAMILY is of German origin.  Abram Epler, was born in
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County, Penn., Feb. 28, 1769.  He was
married in 1791, to Miss Anna Oldweiler.  She was born Oct. 26,
1768.  In 1798 he emigrated to Kentucky, and settled near the
falls of the Ohio, from whence he removed across the Ohio river,
into what is now Clarke [sic] County, Ind.  He was a man of
commendable enterprise and industry, a miller, distiller and
farmer, and disposed of the products of his varied business in
southern markets, principally New Orleans, transportation being
by flat boats, steamboats not yet having been introduced on
Western waters.  In 1832, Abram Epler removed to Illinois,
settling on Indian Creek, in Morgan County, Ills., on section
two, township sixteen north, range nine west, of the third
principal meridian, where he died Jan. 22, 1837.  Abram Epler ws
the father of six sons and five daughters, who widely scattered,
settling in various parts of the West.  John, Jacob, David and
Isaac preceded him to Illinois, and settled on farms now embraced
within the limits of Cass County.  George, the youngest son,
remaining with his parents, attending them in their removal to
Illinois, resided at the old homestead until his removal to
Sangamon County, near Farmingdale, where he died Sept. 5, 1867. 
John and David are deceased, Jacob resides at Pleasant Plains,
Sangamon County, Ill., which prosperous village he settled and
founded about the year 1848.  Isaac resides in Otoe County, Neb.,
near Nebraska City.  The above named, John, Jacob, David, Isaac
and George were enterprising and eminently successful farmers,
and were among the leaders of that noble class of men, who by
their industry, morality and exemplary citizenship, laid the
foundations of our social and civil institutions, with credit to
themselves, and with honor to their country.  Anna, the mother of
this family, died may 3, 1847.

     John Epler, the oldest son of Abram, was born in Lancaster
County, Penn., April 15, 1795, being about four years of age when
his parents settled in Clark County, Ind., and being the oldest
son, was always his father's right hand business man.  Early in
youth he assumed the more weighty responsibilities of his
father's heavy river transportation, and often made long and
profitable trips down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, with the
cargoes of the product of his father's business.  Closing out,
perhaps, at New Orleans, he would purchase a saddle horse, and
return home across country.  He married Miss Sarah Beggs, a
daughter of Captain Charles Beggs, a pioneer of 1829, of Morgan
County.  She was born at the falls of the Ohio, April 28, 1800. 
John Epler came to Cass County, located at Little Indian, in
1831, and up to the time of his death, which occurred in Cass
County, May 26, 1876, was one of the most active citizens, and
enterprising farmers of that county.  He was no scholar, yet his
reading took a wide range, an but few in busy life possessed the
historical information which he did.  In Biblical, Ancient and
Modern History he was considered an authority by all who
interested themselves in such studies.  He raised a family of
twelve children:  Charles B., who married Miss Mary Lurton,
daughter of Dr. Lurton, of Jacksonville, Ill.; died 1855, leaving
no offspring.  Abram, the second, died Aug. 7, 1847, unmarried. 
Cyrus is a resident of Jacksonville, and Judge of the judicial
district, of which Morgan County is a part.  Mary, and the fourth
child, married Richard Barnett, of Sangamon County.  She died in
1859.  Sarah is now Mrs. D. W. Fairbank, a merchant of
Jacksonville; Elizabeth the sixth child, married H. H. Hall, now
of Jacksonville.  She died at Faribault, Minn., in 1869, leaving
five children.

     John M., one of the prominent farmers of Cass County, was in
early life one of the main stays of his father's family.  He
attended the common schools of the county, and at twenty-one
years of age, purchased a portion of the land now comprising his
estate of [illegible] acres.  He has for years past devoted much
time to the breeding and raising of short-horn cattle, of which
he has a fine herd.  Has twice been chosen a member of the State
Board of Agriculture, and has for twenty years been connected
with Cass County Agricultural Society, and for five years a
presiding officer of the organization.  March 29, 1855, he
married Miss Nancy A., daughter of Hon.  David and (Rachel R.
Johnson) Epler.  She was born Oct. 27, 1833, and is a mother of
seven children, viz.: Edward E., Laura, Mary A., John W.,
Frankie, Charles and Frank, who died in infancy. [Note: A
handwritten correction on the printed copy indicates that
Frankie, not Frank, was the one who died in infancy.] Mr. Epler
is one of the charter members of the Knights of Honor of
Virginia, and is identified with the Democratic party.

     William, the eighth of the family, now a prominent citizen
of Virginia, is a grain dealer and shipper.  At the age of
twenty-eight was a member of the first Constitutional Convention
of the State of Nevada, held at Carson City in 1863, in which
State he was for eight years engaged as Civil Engineer and Deputy
U. S. Land and Mineral Surveyor and during a part of that time
connected with the engineering department of the Central Pacific
Railroad Company, of California.  In 1869, he returned to Cass
County and settled on his farm near Little Indian.  In 1874, was
elected Sheriff of Cass County, where he has since resided.  He
married Miss Jennie Woodman of Paw Paw, Van Buren Co., Mich.  The
ceremony took place April 12, 1859, at Duluth, Minn., and was the
first marriage of white persons pronounced in that city.  Mrs.
Epler died at Star City, Humboldt Co., Nevada, Oct. 2, 1863,
leaving one daughter, Miss Nellie W.  Mr. Epler again married,
Miss Ellen Conover July 5, 1870.  Ellen is daughter of Levi
Conover (of whom see sketch elsewhere in this volume), and they
have two children, Florence and Myron.

     David was the ninth child of the family, and died at the age
of two years. 

     Myron, the tenth child, lived to acquire an excellent
education, and a thorough knowledge of the law, and located in
Chicago.  Hard study had shattered his constitution, and in spite
of much travel and strenuous efforts to regain his health, he
died at Helena City, Montana, Sept. 5, 1866.

     Margaret E. received a Seminary education at Monticello,
Ill.; married John W. Price, a prominent druggist of Princeton,
Bureau Co., Ill.

     Albert, the youngest of the family and the present Mayor of
Virginia, was born Jan. 22, 1845 at the Epler homestead.  After
receiving his rudimental schooling at home, he took a course of
study at the Wesleyan University, at Bloomington, finishing in
1864.  He then engaged in farming until 1871, when he entered the
livery business for two years.  Since that time he has been
engaged in the sale of agricultural implements and farm hardware,
and dealing in grain.  In 1880-81, he served as alderman of his
ward, and in the fall of 1881 was elected to the city Mayorship.
He married Miss Martha J. Vance, daughter of Samuel S. Vance
(deceased), who was a prominent farmer and stock man of Cass
County.  Mrs. Epler was born in Morgan County, Aug. 9, 1845. 
They have seven children, viz.:  Nellie, Edgar, Lizzie, Ada L.,
Frederick, Jessie, and Ralph, of whom Frederick is deceased.

Epler Oldweiler Beggs Lurton Barnett Fairbank Hall Johnson
Woodman Conover Price Vance
=
Lancaster-PA Dauphin-PA Clark-IN Morgan-IL Sangamon-IL Otoe-NE
Jacksonville-Morgan-IL MN NV Paw_Paw-Van_Buren-MI Star_City-
Humboldt-NV MT Princeton-Bureau-IL