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JOSEPHUS C. GILLILAND, who was ordained to preach in the Free Will Baptist Church in 1863, has since that time been a minister of the Gospel and was engaged in home missionary work for seven years. He is a gentleman of cordial manners, consistent Christian character, and perhaps no higher credit can be given him than to say that in practice, as in precept, he is faithful to the cause he loves. Mr. Gilliland is not holding any regular charge at the present time, but devotes the greater part of his attention to the cultivation of his farm of fortyacres located on section 8, Bald Hill Township, Jefferson County. Our subject was born at Cape Girardeau County, Mo., March 14, 1833, and is the son of Hiram A. and Matilda Gilliland. The former was born in North Carolina and removed to Missouri when only sixteen years of age, where he spent the remainder of his life in Cape Girardeau County, following the combined occupations of farmer and brick layer. He departed this life in 1853. His wife was born in Missouri and died when our subject was a lad of twelve years. Josephus C. attended the common schools of his native place and spent his early life on his father's farm. Later he learned the carpenter's trade, and when starting out for himself, after reaching his majority, followed that line of work in Union County, ILL., whither he had come in 1854. In May, 1861, on the outbreak of the late war, our subject enlisted in Company I, Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, and was mustered into service at Anna, this state. He participated in all the engagements in which his regiment took part until July of that year, when he was commissioned First Lieutenant of Company E, Thirty-first Illinois Infantry. He served his country faithfully and well until February, 1862, when he was discharged on account of disability and returned to Union County. His health was so greatly impaired that for the succeeding five years he was unable to perform manual labor. In 1863, Mr. Gilliland joined the Free Will Baptist Chureh, and the following year, as was stated in the opening paragraph, was ordained a minister of that denomination and preaches every Sunday. In 1884, he located upon his forty-acre tract of land in Bald Hill Township which he manages, and occasionally preaches in different parts of Jefferson County. In 1857, Mrs. Susan A. (Peak) Waldrop became the wife of our subject. Mrs. Gilliland was the daughter of B. Peak, of Kentucky, and by her union with our subject has become the mother of two children, Martha J., who died when nineteen years of age, and James W., who is living in Missouri, where he is following his trade of a carpenter. Mrs. Gilliland departed this life in 1882. In January, 1884, the Rev. Mr. Gilliland was married to Miss Martha, daughter of Green B. and Frances (Wright) Johnson, natives respectively of Tennessee and Kentucky. Socially our subject is a member of Stephen Place Post No. 581, G. A. R., and is a strong Republican in politics. Although not in any sense an office seeker, he takes great interest in local matters and is thoroughly posted on the issues of the hour.
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Clinton,
Washington, Marion and Jefferson Counties, Illinois" |
For corrections or additions, please contact me: Sandy Bauer