Robert E. Stanley Jr.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Served: in the military during the civil war.

• Family Origin. Robert tells us that while he was growing up their closest neighbors were indians. the indians taught them how to make holes in the ice to fish. The children fished and their father sold the fish in Chicago. It was a three day trip by sled to Chicago. They were so poor the children would put straw on the ice to keep their bare feet from freezing while they fished.

Robert E. Stanley resides on Nippersink Point, section 4, Grant Township, Lake County, Illinois, and is engaged in farming and keeping summer boarders. He is a native of Oneida County, N.Y., born May 6, 1834, but spent only two years of his life in that State. His parents emigrated Westward, locating in Goodale, now Grant Township. He attended school in Chicago for a time. He grew up on a new farm on the banks of Fox Lake and helped open up a farm, giving his services to his father until fifteen years of age when he began life for himself. Since that time, he has been dependent upon his own resources and whatever success he has met with the whole credit is due to his efforts alone. When he was twenty-three years of age, his father went to Missouri and Robert and his wife and child accompanied him, where they spent about fifteen months. He then returned to Illinois just subsequent to the breaking out of the late war. On the 7th of August, 1862, he offered his services to the Government, enlisting as a member of Company D, Ninety-Sixth Illinois Regiment, and was mustered out of the United States service June 15, 1865. He participated in all the engagements of his regiment, including seventeen regular battles. He was a faithful soldier, always found at his post of duty, and when the war was over he was honorably discharged at Nashville, Tenn. He escaped injury, but for seven weeks was off duty, that time lying sick in the hospital at Harrisburg. When discharged at Nashville, Tenn., he was also lying sick at Camp Harker. The war at length being over, he returned to his home and family after having faithfully served his country as a loyal soldier in her hour of peril. Mr. Stanley was married in Lake County, IL., December 31, 1854, Miss Mary A. Rix becoming his wife. She is a native of England and a daughter of Samuel Rix, who was born and reared in Norfolkshire, England. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, have been born eight children, four of whom are now living: Emma, became the wife of Melvin Little, and both are now deceased; Belle, married Charles Neal and died in Rockford; George, died when his father was in the army; George D. is also deceased; Harry W., Bert, and John E. are all at home. With the exception of the eldest, all of the children were born and reared in Grant Township . For fifteen years after the war, Mr. Stanley engaged in carpentering, but now follows farming and for the past ten years has been keeping summer boarders, being able to accommodate from twenty to twenty-five. His home is pleasantly situated for this purpose, as it borders on Nippersink Lake. Socially, Mr. Stanley is an Odd Fellow, belonging to the lodge of Antioch, and in politics has been a Republican since the time when he cast his first vote for Fremont. His wife has been a member of the Baptist Church for about twenty years, and is a lady highly esteemed for her many excellencies of character. Both are widely and favorably known in this community and are numbered among the honored pioneers. Few have as long been residents of the county as Mr. Stanley, and many interesting experiences of those pioneer days does he relate, telling of the time when the Indians still visited the neighborhood, when the settlers had to drive miles to market, when the nearest neighbors were long distances apart and their homes were mostly log cabins. Another feature of those days was the ample opportunity afforded one to indulge in a love of hunting. When only seven years old, our subject fired his first gun and from that time he has been a great lover of the sport. He can remember to have seen seventy- five deer cross Fox Lake upon the ice, and all kinds of water fowl were to be had in abundance. Portrait and Biographical Album of Lake County, Illinois Lake City Publishing Company, (1891)

• Biography. Robert E. Stanley resides on Nippersink Point, section 4,
Grant Township, Lake County, Illinois, and is engaged in farming and
keeping summer boarders. He is a native of Oneida County, N.Y., born
May 6, 1834, but spent only two years of his life in that State. His
parents emigrated Westward, locating in Goodale, now Grant Township. He
attended school in Chicago for a time. He grew up on a new farm on the
banks of Fox Lake and helped open up a farm, giving his services to his
father until fifteen years of age when he began life for himself.
Since that time, he has been dependent upon his own resources and
whatever success he has met with the whole credit is due to his efforts
alone. When he was twenty-three years of age, his father went to
Missouri and Robert and his wife and child accompanied him, where they
spent about fifteen months. He then returned to Illinois just
subsequent to the breaking out of the late war. On the 7th of August,
1862, he offered his services to the Government, enlisting as a member
of Company D, Ninety-Sixth Illinois Regiment, and was mustered out of
the United States service June 15, 1865. He participated in all the
engagements of his regiment, including seventeen regular battles. He
was a faithful soldier, always found at his post of duty, and when the
war was over he was honorably discharged at Nashville, Tenn. He
escaped injury, but for seven weeks was off duty, that time lying sick
in the hospital at Harrisburg. When discharged at Nashville, Tenn., he
was also lying sick at Camp Harker. The war at length being over, he
returned to his home and family after having faithfully served his
country as a loyal soldier in her hour of peril. Mr. Stanley was
married in Lake County, IL., December 31, 1854, Miss Mary A. Rix
becoming his wife. She is a native of England and a daughter of Samuel
Rix, who was born and reared in Norfolkshire, England. Unto Mr. and
Mrs. Stanley, have been born eight children, four of whom are now
living: Emma, became the wife of Melvin Little, and both are now
deceased; Belle, married Charles Neal and died in Rockford; George,
died when his father was in the army; George D. is also deceased; Harry
W., Bert, and John E. are all at home. With the exception of the
eldest, all of the children were born and reared in Grant Township .
For fifteen years after the war, Mr. Stanley engaged in carpentering,
but now follows farming and for the past ten years has been keeping
summer boarders, being able to accommodate from twenty to twenty-five.
His home is pleasantly situated for this purpose, as it borders on
Nippersink Lake. Socially, Mr. Stanley is an Odd Fellow, belonging to
the lodge of Antioch, and in politics has been a Republican since the
time when he cast his first vote for Fremont. His wife has been a
member of the Baptist Church for about twenty years, and is a lady
highly esteemed for her many excellencies of character. Both are
widely and favorably known in this community and are numbered among the
honored pioneers. Few have as long been residents of the county as Mr.
Stanley, and many interesting experiences of those pioneer days does he
relate, telling of the time when the Indians still visited the
neighborhood, when the settlers had to drive miles to market, when the
nearest neighbors were long distances apart and their homes were mostly
log cabins. Another feature of those days was the ample opportunity
afforded one to indulge in a love of hunting. When only seven years
old, our subject fired his first gun and from that time he has been a
great lover of the sport. He can remember to have seen seventy- five
deer cross Fox Lake upon the ice, and all kinds of water fowl were to
be had in abundance. Portrait and Biographical Album of Lake County,
Illinois Lake City Publishing Company, (1891)

Robert married Mary Rix on 7 Dec 1854 in Lake County, Illinois. (Mary Rix was born in Aug 1837 in England, died on 1 Apr 1903 in McHenry, McHenry, Illinois and was buried in Woodland Cemetery, Mchenry, Mchenry, Illinois.)