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He played the "fiddle," playing for neighborhood dances, and wrotepoems but never published
them, writing one poem a week in his latteryears, finishing the last one only 3 days before
his death. At age 60he took up wood carving, making statues of animals, roses, inlay ontrays,
etc, giving each piece away as he finished it. He lovedgardening, was proud of the gladiolas
he raised, and enjoyed readingbooks and daily newspapers. Residences & events: 6/4/1873 Shelby Co, IL. He was put in the county almshouse alongwith his mother and sisters, Sarah and Elizabeth. 6/13/1873 He was discharged and "taken by P (unreadable) (PhillipKneller) to raise." The following agreement was made between his father and the Knellers: "This agreement made and entered into this 10th day of January A.D.1876 by and between Jesse K Spurgeon of the first part and PhillipKneller of Shelby county Illinois of the second part--witeness thisJesse k Spurgeon father of Andrew Nelson Spurgeon according with theStatute in such case named and provided does here by bind said AndrewNelson Spurgin his son of the age of two years eight months and twentydays who now resides with said Phillip Kneller in the town of Richlandin the county of Shelby and State of Illinois to serve the saidPhillip Kneller in the trade and occupation of a farmer which the saidPhillip Kneller now follows in said county to be taught in said tradeand occupation and to live with and continue with to serve the saidPhillip Kneller as a apprentice from the day of the date of thisindenture with the full term of Eleven years three months and twelvedays or until he shall become of the age of sixteen years the saidAndrew Nelson Spurgin is to mull (?) and faithfully serve the saidPhillip Kneller during said term and obey his commands and the saidPhillip Kneller on his part in consideration of said service do herebycovenant and agree to provide for the said apprintice in sickness andhelth and supply him with suitable food and clothing during the entireterm aforesaid to endeavor faithfully to instruct or cause him to beinstructed and taught to read and write and the ground rules ofArithmetic and to teach him the trade and occupation of farming andalso at the expiration of said term of service that he will give saidapprintice a new Bible and two complete suits of wearing apparrelsuitable to his condition in life and twenty Dollars in money. It isalso hereby agreed by said Phillip Kneller that if the said AndrewNelson Spurgin shall stay with him and serve him until he shall becomeof the age of twenty one years that he will then pay to the saidAndrew Nelson Spurgeon the full sum of Five Hundred Dollars inaddition to all other things herein before specifide and that if thesaid Andrew Nelson Spurgeon should stay any length of time after heshall arrive at the age of sixteen that then said Phillip Knellershall pay him at the rate of one Hundred Dollars in every year that heremains." Four years after Andrew moved in, Mrs Kneller died but the 2nd MrsKneller arrived in 1880 to care for him. 1880 At census time he was living with John and Philip Kneller. He learned the carpenter trade, rather than farming, and built severalhomes and barns in the area before moving west, after the age of 21,to be with the rest of his biological family, living and workingthroughout the frontier. 1898 Strasburg, IL. He returned to settle down on the old Knellerfarm, married and had a family of 2 daughters and 2 sons. 1920 Stetsonville, WI. They moved there for health reasons,remaining the rest of his days. |