From: "Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and
Brown Counties, Illinois 1892", by Biographical Review Publishing
Company, Chicago, Illinois; pages 465-466, a reprinted by
Stevens Publishing Co., Astoria, Ill., 1971, is sold by the Schuyler
County Historical Society, Rushville, Illinois.
Frans H. D. Kruse was born in East Friesland, Germany, in
1821. His father Dierk Kruse, son of George Kruse, was born in
the same place. The father of the present subject learned the
trade of millwright and followed it in his native land. He bought
several important mill-sites erected mills and set them in successful
operations, and sold them. In 1835, he came to America, in
the Virginia, a ship sailing from Bremen, bringing with him his sons,
Frans H. D. and Sunke M., and landed in New York, July 4.
From there he went to Albany, by way of the Hudson river, thence
across to Schenectady, and by Erie canal to Buffalo, thence by lake to
Cleveland and from there by land and the Ohio river to
Cincinnati. He afterward went West into Illinois to Beardstown,
and a few months afterward bought a mill on Sugar creek, ten miles east
of Rushville. Six months later he sold the mill and bought a
small farm two and one half miles east of Rushville and turned his
attention to farming. Here he resided for eight years, when he
returned to the old country. Some years afterward he returned to
America and settled in Texas, remaining there five years. He
afterward came to Illinois and bought a farm in McDonough county.
This farm was exchanged for a farm five miles southwest of Rushville in
Woodstock township, where he lived until his death in 1860.
The mother of the subject of this sketch was Hiske J.
Miller. She was a native of the same country as he husband, and
spent her entire life there. She had five children. All of whom
grew to manhood, the present subject being the youngest, who was in his
fourteenth year when he came to Illinois with his father. The
country was but sparsely settled at the time, and some of the land was
still owned by the Government. Frans assisted his father at the
mill and afterward in clearing out the farm. As the land was
heavily timbered they were able to build a small frame house on
it. In 1843 he bought the farm of his father and has had his
residence here ever since. Good, substantial buildings have since
been erected upon it, and the farm is in a high state of cultivation.
He married, in December, 1843, Elizabeth C. Garrett, who was
born in Georgetown, Scott county, Kentucky, in April, 1824. Her
father, Thomas Garrett, was born in Delaware and was the son of David
Garrett, who lived for many years on the line between that State and
Pennsylvania and spent his last days there. The father of Mrs.
Kruse went to Kentucky when a young man, and married in Lexington,
Susanah Wigert, who was born in Maryland and went with her parents to
Kentucky, while she was an infant. After her marriage she removed
to Georgetown with her husband, and some years later again removed with
him to Illinois by way of the Cumberland, Ohio and Mississippi
rivers. Mr. Garrett made several removals in Illinois and spent
the last few years of his life near Browning, Schuyler county.
The mother of Mrs. Kruse survived her husband for many years, and died
at the residence of a younger daughter, who was a resident of Nebraska,
at the advanced age of ninety-one years. 1861 Militia Roll
