One traveling through Jefferson Township will not fail to be attracted by the high state of cultivation and the admirably arranged buildings which have been erected on the 260-acre farm, on section 11, owned by the pioneer citizen whose life we will here sketch. The parents of Mr. Aurand were Henry and Susan Aurand, who were natives of Pennsylvania. They came to Stephenson County in 1844, when both the State of Illinois and this county were in their infancy. They settled in Jefferson Township, where they resided until his death, which occurred some years ago. The mother died in Freeport in February, 1868. Jacob was the oldest of a family of eight children, who lived to grow up. He was born in Union County, Pa., in 1829, and emigrated to the West with his parents in 1844. During the nearly half a century which has intervened he has been a resident of Stephenson County, and stands as one of the remaining landmarks of the primitive days of that section of the State. He has spent his life upon the farm and has been eminently successful. If he was ambitious to accumulate land, that ambition has certainly been satisfied, both in number of acres and the quality of the soil. The farm buildings, including residence and out-buildings, are of modern style and possess all the conveniences.

Mr. Aurand was married first, in Jefferson Township, in 1855, to Maria Phillips, and to them were born seven children, four of whom lived to grow up – George, Will, Jacob and Lizzie. George married a Miss Keiser, and resides in Jefferson Township; Will married Louisa Meyers, and resides in Jefferson Township; Jacob married Hester Betts and resides in Jefferson Township; his wife died in July 19, 1887. Mr. Aurand’s first wife died in Jefferson Township Feb. 14, 1868. He was again married in Freeport, Ill., March 17, 1870, to Rosinna Borries, who was born in Germany, Feb. 23, 1842. Her parents died in Germany. The children by the second marriage were Lettie, John A. and Daisy L. Mr. and Mrs. Aurand are members of the Evangelical Church.

Contributed by Carol Parrish from Portrait and Biographical Album of Stephenson County, Ill. (1888), p. 224