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JOHN HUEGELY, JR.,
is one of the successors of the founder of the Huegely Milling Company of Nashville, Illinois, and was born in this city February 25, 1858, his father being John Huegely, the pioneer industrialist of the place whose substantial achievement is reflected in the live and vigorous fliouring mill whose management he surrendered more than a score of years since, and whose retirement from the activities of life came only after years of devotion to a purpose and the accomplishment thereof.
John Huegely was born November 11, 1818, in Hassloch, Bavaria, Germany, and after a limited education was called upon to face the stern realities of life alone at a tender age. Having reached his majority March 9, 1840, he came to America, landing in New Orleans, and as his finances were at a low ebb he worked there sawing wood until the opportunity came to continue his journey further north. He made his first stop in Monroe county, Illinois, where he obtained work with Mr. Sauers, father of the gentleman now conducting the Sauers Milling Company at Evansville, Illinois. Two years later he found employment with Mr. Conrad Eisenmayer in his water mill, located at Red Bud, Illinois, where he received wages at the rate of twelve dollars per month and board. From Red Bud he removed to a farm near Mascoutah, Illinois, but soon after entered the employ of Ph. H. Postel, with whom he remained until 1853. In that year, in partnership with Ph. H. Reither, he bought the saw and grist mill located at Nashville, Illinois. Being quite successful, in 1860 they built the present mill, which then had two hundred barrels capacity, and in 1871 Mr. Huegely purchased the interest of Mr. Reither. Prosperity continuing, the mill was enlarged and remodeled from time to time, so that it is now an up-to-date mill of over five hundred barrels capacity. In 1890 Mr. Huegely retired from the active management of the business and was succeeded by his sons, John Huegely, Jr., and Julius Huegely, and his son-in-law, Theodore L. Reuter, who are conducting the business along the lines established by Mr. Huegely and they also are meeting with his success in the undertaking.
Mr. Huegely served the county as associate judge, and was delegate to the Republican National Convention in Baltimore in the year 1864, which nominated Mr. Lincoln for his second term as president. For more than sixty years he has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Now past ninety-three years, he is still in comparitively good health, and is fond of reading and enjoys looking after his farms. He takes a lively interest in the events of the day, and bids fair to round out his century. Mr. Huegely is a man of rugged, sterling character, kind of heart, with an open hand for all needing assistance, and is respected and admired by all who know him and that means the entire population of Washington county, one of whose villages bears his name.
John Huegely, Jr., was aducated with the means at hand and pro-
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vided by the public and while his training was not extensive it has proved ample for the demand made upon him through subsequent years of business. When he was through school he entered the office of his father's mill as a bookkeeper and his talents have been employed in behalf of the industry since. When his father left the company as an active factor in its management John became one of the trio of new blood which has been responsible for the success of the plant for twenty-two years. As a citizen he has manifested a disposition to perform whatever public service to which his fellows called him, chief of which has been that of alderman of Nashville. He has reared his family under righteous influences as a Methodist, and has equipped his children with educations more liberal than his own. He follows the example of his venerable father in his political actions and has supported Republican policies at every opportunity.
On May 24, 1884, Mr. Huegely was united in marriage with Miss Annie S. Keller, who died September 1, 1892, having been the mother of two daughters: Ella C. and Florence. In September, 1894, Mr. Huegely was married to Miss Setta E. Weihe, daughter of Fred Weihe, and two children have been born to this union, namely: Olive and Homer.