HENRY A. SHIELDS, section boss, Belle Rive. This gentleman was born December 18, 1851, in Pttsburgh, Penn., son of Henry C. Shields, a native of Ireland. He was a solider the best part of his life while in the same reigment in which his father, Maj. Henry Shields, served all his life, who participated in the Crimea war and also in the Sepoy insurrection in India. Lieut. H.C. Shields came to the United States in about 1851, but was drowned in the Ohio River in 1852, while on his way to Cincinnati.

The mother of our subject, Minnie (Shute), a native of Ireland, died in 1879 in Louisville, KY. She was married a second time to Charles Moore, and was the mother of ten children, of whom six are now living -- Charles, Lewis, Walter, Lizzie, Albert and Emma.

Our subject was the only child from the first marriage; he received five weeks' schooling in Louisville, KY, but by reading has acquired a large fund of useful knowledge. In early life he worked in a tobacco factory in Louisville, KY.

From 1869 to 1873, he worked at railroading, and then entered the regular United State Army, serving till 1878, when he again took to railroading, coming to Belle Rive in 1879. He has charge of a section.

He is the Superintendent of the Sunday school.

Mr. Shields was married December 31, 1879, in Belle Rive, to Sarah Alma Laird, daughter of Jesse Laird. She is the mother of Henry L. Shields.

Our subject is a member of the A.F. & A.M., and also an I.O.G.T. In politics, he is a Republican.

Source: The History of Jefferson County, Illinois
by William Henry Perrin
Published by Globe Publishing Co - Chicago, in 1883
Page 58 & 59
Submitted By: Sandy (Whalen) Bauer