John Lantz emigrated to America on May 7, 1869, settling in Cherry Valley, Illinois, where he initially worked for Wallace Mackey’s father. He married Christina Wilhelmina Anderson on August 26, 1871. They had six children: Albert, May, Nellie, Jennie, Arthur, and Esther. The Lantz family lived in Cherry Valley, then on a farm east of the village, and eventually on a 240-acre farm south of Cherry Valley owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jenks. Later, they moved to a farm west of Cherry Valley. Both John and Christina are buried in the Cherry Valley Cemetery. Esther Fonken, their surviving child, lives in Belvidere, along with grandchildren Lewis Hawkey and Mildred Cooper.
By Esther Fonken
John Lantz came to America May 7, 1869. He settled in Cherry Valley and worked for Wallace Mackey’s father. In those days they raised broomcorn, and when it was gathered the weather was very hot and some of the workers were ruffians. These men were rather hard on the horses and some of the horses would drop dead, but the owner said, “Never mind, there are more horses in the pasture and more Swedes on the way from Sweden.”
John married Christina Wilhelmina Anderson on August 26, 1871. They lived in Cherry Valley for a few years. Here he was a shoe cobbler. Then they moved to a farm about three fourths of a mile east of Cherry Valley. Here they lived for a few years. Now they had six children; Albert, May, Nellie, Jennie, Arthur, and Esther.
Now they moved to a 240 acre farm south of them that was one-half mile from the highway, owned by Mr. & Mrs. Jenks. Mr. & Mrs. Jenks were homesteaders and had gone to Chicago with their lumber wagon several times to buy lumber to build their house. Both Mr. & Mrs. Jenks are buried in the Belvidere cemetery. Mr. Jenks had planted soft maple trees around each field and had two orchards filled with apple trees and berry bushes. John Lantz lived here for 20 years.
Then he bought a farm one mile west of Cherry Valley. Here they lived for a number of years and here is where John and his wife died. Both are buried in the Cherry Valley Cemetery.
All of the children are now dead except Esther Fonken, who is now living in Belvidere. The only grandchildren living are Lewis Hawkey who lives east of Cherry Valley and Mrs. Mildred Cooper living in Belvidere.