Delavan Republican, Thursday, April 13, 1905

DEACON AND MRS. JOHN READER.

     It is profitable as well as pleasant to recur occasionally to the history 
of our ancestors, especially if their lives were spent in noble endeavor and 
crowned with a well rounded spiritual manhood. It is therefore a pleasure to 
present the above likeness of the late John Reader, one of the pioneers of 
Walworth, whose good influence and upright life were so potent in establishing 
that wholesome morality among the settlers that we still find permeating the 
residents of that town.
     Mr. Reader was born in Corn Head, Kent County, England, February 21, 1803. 
He received such an education as the limited schools of that country then 
afforded to the sons of the laboring classes. Growing to manhood, he married 
Elizabeth Featherstone in 1822, and their first child, Elizabeth, was born. 
Persuaded by the favorable reports being circulated of the new world, they 
crossed the ocean in 1824 to seek a home in America. For a few years he 
remained in Oneida county, New York, and in 1836 he came to Wisconsin. His 
first stopping place was in Sharon, where he decided on a location for his 
home, and where he lived all alone until fall, being the first white man to 
settle in that town.
     In 1837 he returned to York State for his family, bringing them most of 
the way with the slow-going ox team. He finally located on Big Foot Prairie, on 
Section 18, town of Walworth, where the activities of his life were spent. He 
built a log house with his own hands, and although devoid of floors and many 
other conveniences, it was a home of their own, and was prized accordingly. His 
farm comprised about 400 acres of the choicest prairie land and "openings" or 
timber. Two weeks after settlement in the new domicille, the youngest child, 
then an infant, died. There were neither undertakers nor neighbors to call upon 
for assistance in such trials, and Mr. Reader was obliged to make a coffin, dig 
a grave and bury his baby with his own hands and alone except the presence of 
the family.
     Thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Reader, four sons and nine 
daughters, John J., of Delavan, being one of the sons and Amanda, wife of 
Richard J. Wilson, of this city being one of the daughters. The others are 
Richard, who died in 1864 from disease contracted in the army; James, who died 
in California; Stephen, of Rockford, Ill.; Mrs. Edward Hall, of Janesville; 
Phebe Bending, (widow) of Walworth; Mrs. D. Searles died at Beloit, Wis.; Mrs. 
Trahern, died at Rockford, Ill.; Mrs. David Jacobie, died at Sharon; Mrs. 
Robert Spensely, of Walworth, and Mrs. Elias Harris, of Walworth, and Mrs. 
Jasper Voorhees, who died in California in 1873.
     During the pioneer days Mr. Reader has his full share of the privations 
incident to frontier life. He was surrounded by Indians whose friendship it was 
necessary to maintain for the safety of himself and family, and wild and 
ferocious animals were plentiful. Until he could break land and grow a crop all 
their provisions had to be carted in with oxen from Chicago, then the nearest 
trading point. To make the journey and return required two weeks, for there 
were no roads nor bridges across the streams. On one of his journeys to the 
city to get provisions for the winter a heavy storm swelled the streams so that 
they were impassable, while the mud was axle deep. When he left home the larder 
had already become pretty nearly exhausted. Realizing the condition of those at 
home he forced his way homeward as rapidly as his overburdened and tired oxen 
could go, reaching there in the night. Meanwhile the patient mother had used 
the last of the food, even to eating the bran from sifted corn meal. She put 
her children to bed at night supperless and hungry, without a morsel of food in 
the house to provide breakfast. Anxiously watching and waiting she heard in the 
night the approach of her husband. She ran to meet him and cautioned him 
against making a noise lest he awaken the children before she could prepare 
them a meal. The next spring he had a similiar journey his trip lasting sixteen 
days. The barrel of pork that he purchased on the former visit at $27 a barrel, 
turned out to be mainly hogs heads. The flour that cost $18 a barrel was 
exhausted and the oxen were too poor and weak to make the journey until grass 
grew and they were strong enough to travel. While he was absent the family 
subsisted mainly on greens.
     Mr. Reader was a faithful, conscientious Christian, who exemplified his 
profession in every walk of his daily life. He united with the Delavan Baptist 
church soon after coming to Walworth, and on the establishment of the church in 
Walworth of which he was the mail promoter, he was chosen deacon, which office 
he filled according to scripture requirements until he removed to Delavan in 
1864. He was frequently elected to the most important offices in the town which 
he filled solely for the public good and left those postions without a smirch 
on his official integrity. His beloved wife died in October, 1868, and on 
Christmas day 1878 he passed away. The remains of both, side by side now repose 
in the Brick Church cemetery waiting the resurrection morn.

Submitted By:  Allan Reader
(areadr@excite.com)