Stephen Arnold came from Tennessee and settled in Dodds Township. His son, Seth and wife Malinda, tilled the soil of this farm and here Stephen Anderson Arnold was born on Feb. 15. 1861. Stephen "Teban" married Mary Catherine Dial of Morganfield, Kentucky on Nov. 22, 1885. She was born in Union County on Sept. 22, 1864, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Dial. They were the parents of five children: Homer, Anna, Rufus, Claude and Allie. Teban died in 1930 and Molly in 1957 and both are buried in the Arnold Cemetery.

Homer, the oldest son, was born Nov. 20, 1885 and in 1910 he married Bessie McClure. Bessie was born in 1890 to Harvey McClure, 1862-1943, and Emma Lowry, 1863-1956. They had one son Homer Ray. He served with the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. He married Laverne Allen. He was employed by the Kemper Propane Co. until his death in Feb. of 1972. He and Laveren had two children; Donna Ford who lives in Mt. Vernon; and Duane who lives in Champaign.

Anna, the second child of Teban and Molly, was born April 2, 1891 and she married Clarence Garrison of Mt. Vernon. He was born in 1888 and was the son of James Wiley and Lydia Hughes Garrison. Anna and Clarence had two daughters, Ruth Eileen and Anna Berndine. Anna died August 16, 1944 and Clarence died on May 23, 1971.

Rufus, the third child, was born June 9, 1895 and in 1917 married Lilah, born 1897, to James Albert Hutchison and Emma Bates. They were the parents of three children, James Rufus "Bud", Lilah Ruth and Leroy. Lilah Ruth and her first husband, Sam Farmer, lived in Mt. Vernon and were the parents of Kenneth, Mark and Jack. By her second husband, Ray Girard, she had one child, Gene.

Bud Arnold, served in Europe during World War II and married Audrey Risley, who was killed in an auto accident in 1965. They have two children, James Richard and Lilah Mae, who both live in Texas. Bud later married "Sis" Shelton of Bluford and they now live in Olney.

Leroy, the youngest child of Rufus and Lilah, was born on July 3, 1925. On Jan. 16, 1945 he was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge.

J. Claude Arnold was born August 27. 1899 and on Dec. 23, 1922 married Lela Richards; the daughter of Charles Richards and Rilda Bumpus. They are the parents of four children; Doris, Wayne, Dean and Deanna. Prior to his death on Oct. 21,1968, Claude owned and operated a cafe and gas station at Bonnie. Lela died on May 23, 1974. Their oldest child, Doris, was born in Mt. Vernon and she married Howard Coffin of Bonnie. They live in Peoria and have one son, Ray.

Wayne Arnold was born in Mt. Vernon. He graduated from the Sesser High School. After his discharge from the U.S. Air Force in 1955 he attended the junior college at Centralia and at SIU. He is now employed at Rend Lake College as a physical education instructor. He married Ailene Crider, the daughter of Ralph Crider and Thelma Hale, of Mt. Vernon. Wayne and Ailene have one son Gary, who graduated from Rend Lake College in 1957 and is now continuing his education in Tennessee.

Dean Arnold received his grade school education in Bonnie and graduated from the high school at Sesser in 1953. He served in the army following the Korean conflict and is presently employed in Peoria.

Deanna, the youngest child of Claude and Lela Graduated from the high school at Mt. Vernon in 1959. she became the bride of Bobby L. Johnston, the son of Oral and Bertha Johnston of Whittington. They are the parents of one son, Jeff. Bob teaches elementary school at Benton.

*NOTE* Some ommisions may have occured to protect living individuals.

Source: Facts and Folks of Jefferson County, Illinois Page 75 & 76
Submitted by Sandy Whalen Bauer