Corlew, J. Morgan,  one of the retired farmers of Litchfield, was formerly a very important agriculturalist of Zanesville Township.    He was born one half mile north of Walshville, Illinois March 20, 1852, a son of Philip & Elizabeth "BARLOW" Corlew

Philip Corlew was born near St. Louis, Missouri, and died in 1855, and his wife was born in Illinois, and died in 1859.    Left so early an orphan,  J. Morgan Corlew was taken by an uncle and aunt who reared him in their home on a farm,and sent him to the district schools.   When he was twenty-one years old,  he  began earning his own living.    On December 28, 1876, he was married to Susan F. Roberts, who was born March 06,  1857,  in  Montgomery County near Honey Bend  and was reared there.

Mr. and Mrs. Corlew located in North Litchfield Township after their  marriage and after several changes, during which time Mr. Corlew bought and sold a farm, they moved to Zanesville Township, where he became the owner of 200 acres of land on Section 23, and on it he carried on general farming until February 9, 1917, when he moved to Litchfield.

He is a director of the Hillsboro Insurance Company, and while living in Zanesville Township, represented that company.   He is also a stockholder in the Raymond Farmers Grain and Supply Company and has been a very important man in business circles.

Mr. and Mrs. Corlew became the parents of the following children:

      Effie, who is the wife of Clinton Ash
      Fred, who is married to Effie Bennett
            has the following children: 
.............. Lora L.
...............Morgan B.
...............Dorris M.
...............Willis M. who was married to Fannie Burnap, has a son .............................Leon R.
    Jessie J., who is a graduate of  the  Raymond  High  School  and  also of the  Northwestern  
                  Dental School, Chicago, Illinois, and is a dentist at Mt. Vernon Illinois
    Philip, who is deceased
    Joseph, who is a home and 
    daughter, who died at the age of fourteen months

Mr. Corlew and his daughter belong to the Primitive Baptist Church,  and Mrs. Corlew is a member of the Free Methodist Church.

In politics, Mr. Corlew is a Democrat.   He is interested in local matters and keeps well posted on current events.

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Montgomery County
Alexander T. Strange, Editor
Volume II  Munsell Publishing Co, Chicago, 1918

Note from Susan:  I noted that Phillip Corlew, the father of the subject had died young.  Illinois marriage records shows that Elizabeth Barlow married Phillip Corlew in 1843, and then a Mrs. Elizabeth Barlow married William Corlew in 1850.  I'm curious if she is the same, having married brothers .... anyone know the answer?

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