Biographical Review of Hancock County, Illinois, 1907, pp. 503-504

G. M. Humphrey was widely known as the proprietor of the Shoreham Hotel in Carthage.  He was born in Burton, Adams county, this state, March 30, 1850, his parents being William and Frances (Richards) Humphrey.  His paternal great-grandfather was a soldier of the war of 1812, while his uncle, Abner Humphrey, was a soldier of the Civil war.  William Humphrey, the father, was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, and the mother's birth also occurred in the Old Dominion. He devoted his time and energies to farming and was only about eleven years of age when he came to Illinois.  His political support was given to the democracy and during and after the war he served as sheriff of Adams county.  He was drafted for service with the Union army but hired a substitute, to whom he paid one thousand dollars.  He acted as constable and was also a member of the school board in his home locality and in local affairs took an active and helpful interest.  His first wife died when about fifty-one years of age and three years later Mr. Humphrey married Cydrilla [sic] Childers. By the first union there were two children: M. E., now the widow of Tom Spense, of Chicago; and G. M., deceased, of this review.  Five children were born of the second marriage and are yet living, namely: Thomas, who resides in Macomb, Illinois; Alice, the wife of George Muhl, of Indiana; James, who is living in the Black Hills; Charles, who resides in Missouri; and Blanche, the wife of William Laramore, of Adams county, Illinois.

G. M. Humphrey was indebted to the public school system of Adams county for the early educational privileges he enjoyed.  Later he attended the high school at Quincy and after putting aside his text books remained with his father and grandfather, devoting his time to farming until he had attained the age of eighteen years.  He then rented land and followed farming until the last four years, in Adams, McDonough and Hancock counties, becoming a well known agriculturist and meeting with success in his cultivation of the rich land of Illinois.

In 1876, Mr. Humphrey was married to Miss Belle Hungate, who was born in McDonough county, this state.  Their only child died at the age of two years and Mrs. Humphrey died in 1878, her remains being interred in her native county.  On the 23d of January, 1881, Mr. Humphrey wedded Miss Maggie E. Yetter, who was born in Fountain Green township, Hancock county, in 1863, a daughter of Lewis and Martha E. (Wright) Yetter.  Her mother was born in Tennessee and was brought to Illinois when three years of age.  Her father, a native of Pennsylvania, became a resident of Hancock county at the age of seven years and in manhood followed farming and stock-raising.  Both he and his wife died and were buried in this county.  He was a Mason and also connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and both he and his wife were devoted Methodists.  For forty-two years Mr. Yetter served as class-leader and was also superintendent of the Sunday-school for a long period.  He, too, was drafted for service in the war but sent a substitute to the front.  His political allegiance was given to the democracy but he never aspired to office.  In the family were eight children, seven of whom are yet living, namely: C. A. Yetter, a resident farmer of Fountain Green township; T. B., a merchant of the same township; J. B., a wholesale grocer of Galesburg, Illinois; Mrs. Humphrey; Ella F., the wife of William Day, of Fountain Green; Morris H. [Maurice], a resident farmer of Fountain Green; and Susie, the wife of William Fortney, of Missouri.  To Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey were born two children, both born in Hancock county: Arda L., who was born January 8, 1882, and is a clerk in the Hotel Shoreham; and Martha F., a student in the Carthage schools.

Mr. Humphrey was always a democrat but without political aspiration.  He belonged to the Woodmen and was a worthy representative of the order.  In December, 1902, he removed from Fountain Green to Carthage, where he and his wife conducted the Shoreham Hotel on the American plan, having entertainment for sixty guests.  Mr. Humphrey was a wide-awake business man, upright citizen and genial and pleasant gentleman, popular with his guests and the community at large. That he had the support of the public is shown by the fact that every week he was forced to turn away people for lack of room.  His wife ably assisted him, doing much of the office work and both put forth every effort in their power to promote the comfort of their guests.

Mr. Humphrey died May 9, 1906, at 1:15 A. M., and his remains were laid to rest in the home cemetery, at Mayorville [sic], Illinois.  He is greatly mourned and missed, not only by his immediate family, but also by his many friends and acquaintances who were accustomed to his genial face and hospitable manner, when guests at the Shoreham Hotel.  Mrs. Humphrey and her daughter are still managing the business in a very efficient manner.

William Humphrey's second wife was Cinderella Childers.

Isabell's parents were Charles C. Hungate and Catharine (Dorothy) Hale.

On February 14, 1876, Gill applied for a McDonough County marriage license for himself and Miss Bell Hungate.  He signed an affidavit to the effect that they were both single and unmarried. McDonough County marriage license #653 was issued the same day to Gill, 26, and Miss Bell Hungate, 22.  They were married on February 17 by Alexander Bushnell, Minister of the Gospel, at "Charles Hungate Frenship" - apparently the Hungate residence in the Friendship neighborhood.  Marriage Documents

Isabell is buried at South Cemetery, McDonough County, just south of Blandinsville.  We have located no further information on the child mentioned in Gill's biography.

On January 21, 1881, McDonough County marriage license #935 was issued to Gill, of Hire Township, and Maggie Yetter, of Fountain Green [Township].  They were married on the 23rd at Blandinsville, McDonough County.  Rev. Theodore P. Henry performed the marriage in the presence of witnesses Maria Fordham (a former resident of Fountain Green Township) and Mrs. Minnie Freeland.  (Unfortunately, entries in the lower portion of the license are faint.)  Marriage Documents

From a biography of Gill and Margaret's son, Arda: "After their marriage, Gill Humphrey and his wife settled in Fountain Green Township, but in two years moved to Hancock Township and lived on rented land for four years, when they bought 116 acres of land on sections 2 and 11, where they lived and farmed until 1902, when they moved to Carthage, and there he died in May 1906. His widow survives him and lives at Kansas City, Mo.  Their children were as follows: Arda; and Martha, who is Mrs. Edward Miller, of Kansas City, Mo."

Oddly, Gill's biography made no mention of the three little girls that he and Margaret lost between 1883 and 1886.

Gill and Margaret's children:

i.	Arda L. Humphrey, born January 8, 1882, Fountain Green Township, Hancock County. He died July 25, 1936, at Macomb, McDonough County, and was buried at Majorville Cemetery.  His remains were later moved to Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Colchester, McDonough County.
ii.	May Humphrey, born November 27, 1883 (calculated from tombstone inscription), in Hancock County.  She died January 31, 1884, burial at Majorville Cemetery.
iii.	Bertha Humphrey, born September 11, 1886 (calculated from tombstone inscription), in Hancock County.  She died just two months later, on November 11, and was buried at Majorville Cemetery.
iv.	Birdie Humphrey was Bertha's twin, born on September 11, 1886 (calculated from tombstone inscription).  She survived only one week longer than Bertha, died on September 18.  She was also buried at Majorville Cemetery.
iv.	Martha Frances Humphrey, born about 1896 in Hancock County.  She died after July 25, 1936, the last surviving Humphrey sibling. Martha, at 17, married in 1913.  Marriage Application  Her husband was Edgar Parrin Miller, born November 4, 1886, in Kansas, despite entries of Tennessee in both the 1920 and 1930 censuses.  (His parents came from Tennessee.) In 1917 when Edgar registered for the draft, he and Martha were residing at 1719 Prospect. Edgar was an electrical contractor and reported the same address for his place of business. In 1930 Edgar was listed as a radio electrician and Martha was also working, apparently in a related field.  As of 1930 they had no children.

Sometime after Gill's death, Margaret moved to Missouri.  She remarried twice.

In 1910 she was running a hotel or boarding house in Kansas City; besides herself and Martha, there were 8 lodgers.

On September 14, 1913, at St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri, she married Henry Hartley Hayford, who was born August 13, 1878, in New York.  He died December 23, 1921, at 1719 Prospect, Kansas City, and was cremated.  Marriage Documents

From The News of Fountain Green, Majorville column, April 14, 1926:

"A letter from Mrs. Martha (Humphrey) Miller of Kansas City, tells of her mother's serious sickness the past ten days.  The lame limb is the trouble.  Friends and relatives here are very sorry to hear of Mrs. Hayford's illness and hope she may soon recover."

When the Federal Census was taken in April of 1930, Margaret Yetter Humphrey Hayford was living with her daughter and son-in-law in Kansas City.

On July 3, 1930, Manley C. Nestle of Cooperstown, Otsego County, New York, and Margaret E. Hayford of 5924 Locust, Kansas City, applied for a Jackson County marriage license.  Marriage Application  In September of that year, in an article about Ella Yetter Day's 50th anniversary, Margaret was named as Mrs. Margaret Nestle, of near Kansas City.

In 1934 Ella died; among the survivors was Margaret Nestle of Raytown [Jackson County], Missouri.

In 1936 when Arda Humphrey died, Margaret was referred to as his "invalid mother, Mrs. Maggie Hayford of Kansas City."

Margaret died June 15, 1939, in Brooking Township, Jackson County, apparently at the home of her daughter, Martha Humphrey Miller.  Her death certificate was issued in the name of Margaret E. Hayford, marital status - divorced.  The certificate indicates that Margaret had been an invalid for a number of years.  She was buried at Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City.

The published tribute is from the files of Margaret Zimmerman Lewis.

See also: Lewis Yetter and Martha Wright

John G Humphrey, 56, male, farmer, value of real estate 5000, born VA
Mary, 47, female, born VA
Margaret P, 17, female, born VA
Mary, 4, female, born IL
Gill M, 1, male, born IL
Granville Butcher, 14, male, born IL, attended school within the year
William V Humphrey, 21, male, farmer, value of real estate 5000, born VA

William [D or V - one letter was written over the other] Humphres, 36, male, farmer, value of personal estate 100, born VA
Cinderella, 32, female, born KY
Mary, 13, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Gelmorgana, 11, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Thomas L, 8, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Alice, 6, female, born IL, attended school within the year
James, 2, male, born IL

Charles C Hungate, 48, male, farmer, value of real estate 2800, value of personal estate 700,
born KY
Cartharun, 49, female, born KY
Susan, 16, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Malvina, 11 ?, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Douglas, 7, male, born IL
Isabell, 6, female, born IL

Huphy, Gill, 21, male, white, farm, value of personal estate 720, born IL, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Hunphey, John, 72, male, white, farm, value of personal estate 200, born VA, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
May, 64, female, white, keeping house, born VA

Hungate, Charles, 58, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 9000, value of personal estate 1500, born KY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Mary, 27, female, white, keep house, born IL
Isabelle, 15, female, white, born IL

Yetter, Leuis [sic], 36, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 5000, value of personal estate 1000, born PA, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Martha, 40, female, white, keeping house, born TN
William, 16, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Charles, 14, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Thomas, 12, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
James, 8, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Maggie, 6, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Ellie, 5, female, white, born IL
Susie, 1, female, white, born IL

Yetter, Lewis, white, male, 48, married, farmer, born PA, both parents born PA
Martha E, white, female, 52, wife, married, keeping house, could read but not write, born IL, father born VA, mother born TN
Thomas, white, male, 22, son, single, at home, born IL, father born PA, mother born IL
James, white, male, 19, son, single, at home, born IL, father born PA, mother born IL
Maggie, white, female, 17, daughter, single, at home, born IL, father born PA, mother born IL
Ella, white, female, 15, daughter, single, at home, attended school within the year, born IL, father born PA, mother born IL
Susie, white, female, 11, daughter, single, at home, attended school within the year, born IL, father born PA, mother born IL
Morris, white, male, 9, son, single, at home, attended school within the year, born IL, father born PA, mother born IL

Humphrey, Gill M, head, white, male, March 1850, 50, married for 19 years, born IL, father born KY, mother born VA, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, owned his farm home, farm schedule 29

Margaret E, wife, white, female, Jan 1863, 37, married for 19 years; mother of 5 children, 2 living; born IL, father born PA, mother born TN, could read, write and speak English

Arthur L, son, white, male, Jan 1881, 19, single, born IL, both parents born IL, could read, write and speak English

Martha F, daughter, white, female, Feb 1896, 4, single, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Humphrey, M E, head, female, white, 43, widow; mother of 2 children, both living; born IL, father born PA, mother born TN, spoke English, keeper, hotel, working on own account, could read and write, rented her home

Martha F, daughter, female, white, 14, single, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, could read and write, did not attend school after Sept. 1, 1909

Miller, Edgar P, head, renter, male, white, 34, married, could read and write, born TN, both parents born TN, spoke English, contractor, electrical, working on own account

Martha, wife, female, white, 24, married, could read and write, born IL, father born NY, mother born IL, spoke English

Hayford, Henry [poorly written] H, father-in-law, male, white, 67, married, could read and write, born NY, both parents born NY, spoke English, credit man, furniture, working for wages

Margaret, mother-in-law, female, white, 56, married, could read and write, born IL, father born PA, mother born TN, spoke English

Miller, Ed A, head, owner, home value 8000, owned a radio, male, white, 43, married, age at first marriage - 27, could read and write, born TN, both parents born U.S., spoke English, electrician, radio, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no

Martha F, wife, female, white, 33, married, age at first marriage - 17, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, manager, radio

Hayford, Margaret E, mother-in-law, female, white, 60, widow, age at first marriage - 18, could read and write, born IL, father born PA, mother born KY, spoke English