Peter Hamm, a life long and well known resident of this community, died suddenly Friday afternoon at about 3:00 o’clock at the County Farm in Schuyler county, where he had been staying off and on for the past two years.
His death was due to heart trouble from which he had been troubled with for some time.
Mr. Hamm’s death was a great shock to his family as well as to his many friends. He was aged 73 years, 11 months and 28 days.
At one time Mr. Hamm was considered one of the largest land owners in Schuyler county, owning over 1400 acres of land in one body. Financial reverses came upon him, due principally to the breaking of levies in drainage districts in which he was interested, which brought financial disaster to him, forcing him into bankruptcy.
Mr. Hamm created and organized the Kelly Lake drainage district, located in Hickory township, which contains around nine hundred acres. The levy protecting this acreage broke twice during his ownership, and once afterwards.
Mr. Hamm is recognized today as one of the pioneer farmers and stock feeders of this vicinity. He was a man of meager education but his judgment was frequently sought on affairs pertaining to farming and stock feeding by his neighbors. He started out in his early life working as a farm hand by the month. But through his ambitious efforts he eventually became the owner of a vast acreage of the best and most productive farm land to be found in Illinois. And, through his efforts in developing lakes and swamps into tillable and fertile farm land, many laborers were provided with work and many tenant farmers were provided with acres of farm land. So, his activities mean a great deal to the people of that community. But, unfortunately financial reverses overtook him and as a result he lost it all. But it can be truthfully said of Mr. Hamm, he tried.
Mr. Hamm was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Lane, June 1st, 1879. To this union seven children were born, two are deceased. Ida, dying in infancy and Homer Hamm, on May 23, 1926. Those surviving together with the widow are, Mrs. M. W. Hughes of Astoria; James Hamm of Fox Lake; Mrs. Rolland Chapman of Peoria; Austin and Petie Hamm of Bluff City. Also one sister, Mrs. Alice Brown of Topeka, Kansas; twenty-two grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock at the Sheldons Grove church, conducted by Rev. John Davis, in the presence of a large audience. Burial was made in the cemetery nearby.
Current Obituaries in the Astoria South Fulton Argus