The following excerpt was submitted by Virginia Biddle Thode of Tuscola, Illinois--Mrs. Thode was a Hooe descendant.

"Henry Hooe, the second of seventeen children of Benjamin W. and Hannah (Skinner) Hooe, was born in 1844 in what is now Newman township in Douglas County. Henry's occupation for years was driving oxen to a plow cultivating and draining the swamps around Newman. He helped to improve the Newman park and lay out the streets and alleys.

"Henry looked upon the public School as the hope of the nation. He served as Constable of Newman township, and in politics was a Republican. Later he served on the city council and was assessor for several terms. Henry Hooe was a member of the Newman Methodist Church and the Knights of Pythias Lodge.

"On February 4, 1869, just 3 days before his 25th birthday, Henry was married to Nancy Jane (called Jennie) McCown, daughter of John Wherry and Mary Jane (Myers) McCown. Jennie was born at Clay's Prairie in Edgar County but moved to McCown Station some two miles east of Newman in 1857. In 1872, Henry and Jennie purchased a house at the corner of Shirley and Green Streets, just east of the city park. It was here they lived for the remainder of their lives. Two daughters and one son were born to this couple, namely; Mollie, Ada and Loren. Jennie died in 1908, and Henry in 1914. Both were buried in the Newman Cemetery. Here are their children:

"Mary Hannah (Mollie) Hooe was born on January 7, 1870. She married Wm. A. Brown, having Ruth who married Claude Hodge, Dwight and Max Brown, all of Allerton.

"Ada Alice Hooe was born on July 31, 1872. She married T.W. Biddle and were the parents of Fred, Grace, Russell, Loren, Wilma and Ross. [See T.W. Biddle sketch.]

"Loren H. Hooe was born on May 5, 1880. He married Beulah Brown, later became a Christain Minister. Their four children are: Virgil, Kenneth, Freda and Marcella."