Loyd Burger’s life encapsulates the essence of American agricultural heritage and the enduring spirit of rural communities. Born on April 11, 1853, in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, and relocating to Illinois in 1855, Burger’s journey from a young boy in Whiteside County to a successful farmer in Palmyra Township is a story of dedication and hard work. Operating a farm since 1888, Burger’s 157-acre tract stands as a testament to his commitment to the land and the agricultural lifestyle. His family history, deeply rooted in the trades and traditions brought from Pennsylvania and enriched by German descent, highlights a lineage of industrious individuals contributing to the fabric of their communities.
Loyd Burger is a general farmer owning a fine tract of one hundred and fifty-seven acres, on section 16, Palmyra Township, this county. He has been a resident here since 1881, purchasing land in 1882 and operating the farm on which he now resides since 1888. He was born April 11, 1853, in Columbia County, Pa., and removed to Illinois in 1855, first settling in Whiteside County.
The father of our subject, Isaac Burger, was born in the Blue Mountains in Pennsylvania but was reared in Columbia County. He came of Pennsylvania parents who were of German descent, and in his native state learned the trades of a cabinet-maker and carpenter, following them for some twenty-two years. After coming to Illinois with his family he settled on a farm in Jordan Township, Whiteside County, where he carried on farming and also worked in his trade as a mechanic until his death, April 9, 1887, at seventy-eight years of age. He was a thoroughgoing Democrat and a member of the Presbyterian Church. His wife, the mother of our subject, was a native of Columbia County, Pa., also born of parents of German descent. She was a most excellent woman and a true wife to her good husband. This worthy couple spent forty-nine years in harmony together and were separated for only a short time by death, she soon following her husband, her death occurring August 23, in the same year as his, 1887. She was then seventy-six years and six months old. Like her husband, she was an earnest member of the Lutheran Church.
Our subject was the youngest but one in a family of four sons and five daughters. He was reared and educated in Jordan Township, Whiteside County, where he came with his parents when only two years old. He was married near Freeport, Stephenson County, this state, to Miss Hannah M. Swartz, who was born in Center County, Pa., May 21, 1850. She came to Stephenson County when a child with her parents, Michael and Esther (Mensch) Swartz, natives of Pennsylvania. After coming to Illinois with their family of three sons and three daughters, they located in the northern part of Stephenson County and there purchased and improved a fine farm, where they still reside, both being past seventy years of age. They are members of the Lutheran Church. Mrs. Burger, the wife of our subject, is the third child of this worthy couple.
Our subject and his wife have been the parents of six children, of whom two, Jesse and an infant, are deceased. Those living are Sarah E., Maggie M., Bessie M., Clinton E., all at home. Mr. Burger is an energetic and hardworking man and owes much of his success to the assistance of his estimable wife. For nineteen years, he operated a thresher in this and Whiteside Counties and is well known as one of the oldest men in this business in this part of the state. Mrs. Burger is a worthy member of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Burger is a Democrat in politics and has held local offices in his township.