On June 7, 1871, Lorenzo and Margaret Dye went to the office of the County Clerk in Macomb, McDonough County, Illinois, where Lorenzo signed an affidavit to the effect that he was over the age of 21, Miss Margaret R. Dye was over the age of 18, and that to the best of his knowledge there were no legal objections to their marriage.  J. B. Nickel, Justice of the Peace and also a County Judge, signed the affidavit and married the young couple the same day.  The marriage license was prepared with the name Lorenzo D. Conn.  Marriage License

Margaret, born September 17, 1852, in McDonough County, was the youngest daughter of three born to James Madison Dye and his second wife, Rebecca Brown.  When James was murdered in 1854, Rebecca was tried, found guilty and sent to prison.  The two older daughters, Laura Jane (about 7) and Rebecca (about 5), were given a home by Calvin and Maranda Simmons.  Little Margaret was mentioned at Rebecca's trial: "Cast out upon the cold and friendless world, where is the little one that was torn from her bosom while incarcerated in a dungeon, by the iron hand of the law?"  Marilyn Shelley, Lorenzo and Margaret's great-granddaughter, writes that Margaret was raised by Kendrick and Mary Jane Leach.  We have not discovered with whom Margaret was living in 1860, but we have a hunch she was at the Conn home in 1870.  Follow the above link to Samuel Conn for more detail.  See also: The Murder Trial of Rebecca Brown Dye

Lorenzo and Margaret's farm was located 2 1/2 miles southeast of Fountain Green, in Fountain Green Township.  All of their children were probably born there:

i.	Henry Clark Conn, born June 26, 1872.  He died August 30, 1957, at his home in Miller, Lawrence County, Missouri.
ii.	Franklin Conn, born April 20, 1874, died November 14, 1921, in Hancock Township.  Burial at Majorville Cemetery.
iii.	George Conn, born in 1877, died in 1964, interment at Majorville Cemetery.
iv.	Silas R. Conn, born January 31, 1878, died August 21, 1952, at Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois.  Silas married first Alice Pearl Parker on January 3, 1906.  She was the daughter of Lemuel L. Parker and Ella May Long.  Alice died September 1, 1915, and was buried at Majorville Cemetery.  Silas married second Huldah Belle Fuller on February 11, 1918, daughter of Truman Fuller and Margaret Ellen Walker. Silas died at Memorial Hospital, Carthage, Hancock County, on August 21, 1952, and was buried at Majorville Cemetery.  Huldah was born February 11, 1882, at Webster, Hancock County, died June 14, 1960, at Carthage, burial at McConnell Geddes Cemetery, Fountain Green Township.
v.	Charles Thomas Conn, born December 21, 1879, died in 1955 in Macomb, McDonough County, Illinois.  He is buried at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Colchester, McDonough County.
vi.	William Jasper Conn, born September 29, 1881.  He died January 27, 1947, in California, burial at Angeles Abbey Memorial Park, Compton, Los Angeles County, California.
vii.	Perry Conn, born August 13, 1884, died in 1971.  He was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois.
viii.	Kendrick L. Conn, born April 4, 1886 (date calculated from tombstone inscription), died January 10, 1887.  Burial at Majorville Cemetery.
ix.	Ethel Cecelia Conn, born November 2, 1887.  She died April 10, 1959, at her home in Webster and was buried at McConnell Geddes Cemetery, both located in Fountain Green Township.
x.	Ruby Conn, born in 1889.  Ruby survived her brother, Charles, who died in 1955.
xi.	Infant Son Conn, died February 28, 1894, burial at Majorville Cemetery.

The cloud of sorrow hangs low, hearts are crushed and bleeding, all because a light has gone out from a home, leaving naught but desolation and despair.

Margaret R. Conn, wife of Lorenzo Conn, was born in this vicinity September 17th, 1852, and died at her home September fifth, 1906.

Her girlhood was spent in this neighborhood and Fountain Green.  On June seventh, 1871, she was united in marriage to Loreno Conn [sic], who is left to mourn her loss.  Eleven children were born to this union, of which two have preceded their mother to the better land.  The remaining nine are Henry, Frank, George, Silas, Charles, William, Perry, Ethel and Ruby, who were all with her in her last hours.  She had one grandson, Ivan, who has been with her since his early infancy, and on him she lavished all the wealth of a grandmother's love and care.  She leaves an only sister, Mrs. Rachel Burrow.

She was a loving wife, a tender and devoted mother, meeting sorrow or misfortune with a high and noble courage.  She gave cheerfully and unstintedly the best there was in her heart and life to her family.  She was a strong kind friend and neighbor, always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need.  She has been a faithful and helping member of the Majorville M. E. chuch [sic] for many years.  Last October the state of her health made it necessary for her to be taken to Macomb to the hospital, where she underwent some painful operations, which she endured uncomplainingly and has borne all the months of suffering since with wonderful patience and cheerfulness.  Knowing from the first that she was afflicted with a fatal malady, she was never despondent, but was upheld through all by her firm faith in God's goodness and had constantly expressed her wlilingness [sic] and readiness to go when God should call her.  She lived to see the results of her life's teachings exemplified in her family by the tender care and devotions she received from them during her illness.  Often when her friends called to see her, she would say with a happy smile, "No one could have had better care than I have had."  The faith that consoled her in life sustained her in death.

Funeral services were held at Majorville Friday, September seventh, at two o'clock, conducted by Rev. L. P. Bear, M. E. pastor at Elvaston.  The floral offerings were beautiful.

Those from a distance who attended the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. August Coeur, Mrs. Lucy Smith and two children, of Powellton; Marlow Conn, of Burlington, Iowa.

Another small clipping:

"Hetty" wrote of the death of Margaret R. Conn which took place at her home in Joetta after months of suffering, aged 55.  She was married to Lorenzo Conn in 1871 and became the mother of 11 children, 9 of whom survived with the father, Henry, Frank, George, Silas, Charles, William, Perry, Ethel and Ruby.  A grandchild, Ivan had been with her from infancy.  She left an only sister, Mrs. Rachel Burrow.  Mrs. Conn was a devoted and helpful member of the Methodist church of Majorville.  [handwritten] Sep 1906

The obituary is from an original clipping from the collection of Okle Campbell Browning.  The small item is from a scrapbook at the LaHarpe Historical and Genealogical Society, unknown original news sources and print dates.

Lorenzo Conn, a well known and highly respected and former citizen of this vicinity, died at the home of his son, George Conn, in Blandinsville, Friday, Nov. 12, 1909, of heart failure, his sickness being the short time of only two weeks.

Lorenzo Conn was born in Hancock county, Ill., Oct. 23, 1847, aged 62 years and 19 days. Deceased was married on June 7, 1871, to Miss Margaret R. Dye.  To this union were born eleven children, nine sons and two daughters, the wife and two sons having preceeded him to the better world.  The remaining nine are: Henry and George, of Blandinsville, Frank and Charles, of Tennessee, Silas, of Galesburg, William, of Colmar, Perry, of Macomb, Mrs. Ethel Callihan and Mrs. Ruby Yetter, of Webster, also one grandson, Iva[n] Conn, of Blandinsville, who with an only brother, Marlow Conn, of near Burlington, Ia., two sisters, Mrs. Caroline Bullock, of Blandinsville, and Mrs. Ermina Rhea, of Ft. Green, besides a large number of nephews and nieces with a host of old friends in this community are left to mourn his departure.  Mr. and Mrs. Conn lived all their lives in our vicinity and had many friends here as was manifested by the large audience which gathered Sunday at Majorville to pay respect to Mr. Conn's memory.  Mrs. Conn died Sept. 5, 1906.  Since her death Mr. Conn has never been contented any place, never forgetting the crushing grief he suffered in the death of his devoted wife.  Mr. Conn was a pleasant neighbor and friend, always meeting his old friends with a pleasant smile at all times.  Funeral services were held at Majorville Sunday afternoon, Nov. 14, 1909, conducted by Rev. Wm. Love, of Webster, after which his body was laid to rest beside that of his devoted and loved wife.  The floral offerings were a beautiful collection by relatives and friends.  The children have the deep sympathy of a large circle of friends in this vicinity, in this dark hour of their lives.

The above obituary was probably published in the Carthage Republican.  It is excerpted from the Joetta column authored by Hetty, the pseudonym used by Mrs. Ella May Long Parker.  This is a verbatim transcription, except for [bracketed] text.