Peter Farny b. 16 Dec 1797 Bisping, Moselle, Lorraine, FR d. 15 Dec 1873 Woodford Co., IL: The Schrock-Birkey Connection
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Peter Farny

Male 1797 - 1873  (75 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All

  • Name Peter Farny  [1] 
    Birth 16 Dec 1797  Bisping, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Gender Male 
    CLER Y 
    Occupation Day laborer at Alzing farm at the time of his marriage  [1] 
    Residence 1822  Gosselming, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Alzing farm day laborer
    Residence 1835-1838  Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Between Goodfield and Congerville
    Death 15 Dec 1873  Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Burial 16 Dec 1873  Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 4] 
    • Slabtown Cemetery, next to first wife Anne Kempf
    Person ID I352  Schrock-Birkey Connection
    Last Modified 27 Jan 2023 

    Father Joseph Farny,   b. Abt 1748, Rhodes, Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1 Feb 1800, Bisping, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 52 years) 
    Mother Anne Risser,   b. 1761   d. 29 Apr 1808, Gosselming, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 47 years) 
    Marriage Bef 1792  [1] 
    Family ID F1759  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Anne Kempf,   b. 12 Oct 1805, Rhodes, Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1840, Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 34 years) 
    Marriage 23 Jul 1822  Bisping, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Notes 
    • At the time of his marriage Peter was a day laborer living on the farm Alzing, Gosselming, France.
    Children 
     1. Anna Farni,   b. 8 Jul 1827, Gosselming, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 9 Jul 1897 (Age 70 years)
     2. Catherine Farni,   b. 1 Nov 1828, Gosselming, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Mar 1868, Groveland, Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 39 years)
     3. Christian Farny,   b. 26 Apr 1830, Gosselming, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1909 (Age 78 years)
     4. Barbara Farny,   b. Aug 1831, PA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 9 May 1912 (Age ~ 80 years)
     5. Mary Farny,   b. 1 Jan 1832, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1906 (Age 73 years)
     6. Susanna Farney,   b. 20 Jan 1834, Wilmot, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Oct 1876, Montgomery Twp., Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 42 years)
     7. Peter A. Farney,   b. 3 Jun 1835, Wilmot, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 9 Jul 1903, Hutchinson, Reno Co., KS Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 68 years)
     8. Lydia Farny,   b. 4 Feb 1837, Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Oct 1901, McLean Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 64 years)
    Family ID F1752  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 4 Feb 2018 

    Family 2 Magdalena Oyer,   b. 31 Aug 1805, Niderhoff, Moselle, FR Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 15 Nov 1888, Milford, Seward Co., NE Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 83 years) 
    Marriage 20 Nov 1841  Tazewell Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    • by Michael Mosiman
    Children 
     1. Magdalena (Malinda/Lena) Farny (Forney),   b. 2 Dec 1846, Woodford Co., IL Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Feb 1913, Milford, Seward Co., NE Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 66 years)
    Family ID F156  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 4 Feb 2018 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 16 Dec 1797 - Bisping, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1822 - Gosselming, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 23 Jul 1822 - Bisping, Moselle, Lorraine, FR Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1835-1838 - Woodford Co., IL Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 20 Nov 1841 - Tazewell Co., IL Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 15 Dec 1873 - Woodford Co., IL Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - 16 Dec 1873 - Woodford Co., IL Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • Obit: Herald of Truth reported,
      “Died 15th, Woodford County, Illinois of the infirmities of age Peter Farny age 76 years, 10 days. Buried 16th in presence of many family and friends, at which time rewards appropriate to the occasion were made by Jacob Zehr and Joseph Stuckey.”

      Peter was orphaned at age ten and came to America for better opportunities. After a short stay in PA, Peter and brother Christian moved to Canada for a few years, then returned to the US and settled in central IL..

      Peter and Anne had 8 children. Three were born in France, one in PA, three more in Canada and the last child was born in 1837 in the Mackinaw Dells area of Montgomery Twp., Woodford Co., IL.

      “A note of explanation to avoid confusion in the following family grouping: The father, Peter/Pierre Farny, married Joseph Oyer's oldest child in 1841. This was his second marriage. Two of Peter's children also married children of Joseph Oyer (in 1844 and 1854), while two of Peter's children married children of Joseph Oyer's brother Jacob.
      Peter Farny was one of the “Amishmen who hired Lincoln.”
      ——————————
      He died at age: 77 years.

      Husband of Magdalane (born 1805 in France)
      Children: Christian, Susan, Mary, Peter, Barbara, Magdalane, & Annie.

      Peter was an Amish elder and he and his brother, Christian, opened a saw mill (and later added equipment to grind corn & grain) in the town that would be called Farnisville (later named Slabtown). They were Amish Mennonites form Lorraine, France.

      ** Though rather wealthy at one time from their saw mill business, they lost most of it when they went in on a distillery with 2 ST Louis French investors, Charles de Boutcant & Paul Carrey. They told the Farni brothers European money was coming but they needed local money to get started. In 1857 the distillery collapsed and the 2 Frenchmen left the country. It was then that everyone realized the huge amounts the 2 Frenchmen had borrowed before they "ran out".The Farni brothers were left liable for the debts and the loss of all the money they had invested. One court case mentions the final judgement of $34,000 against the brothers. Lawyer Abraham Lincoln even handled one part of their court case. They took it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court but still lost out, by then Peter was dead and Christian had moved to KS. [1, 4, 5]

  • Sources 
    1. [S197] Ardys Serpette, Peter and Christian Farny: From France to Illinois.

    2. [S398] Joseph Staker, Amish Mennonites in Tazewell Co., Day of birth 16th.

    3. [S197] Ardys Serpette, Peter and Christian Farny: From France to Illinois, 19th.

    4. [S1060] Find-A-Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40426813/peter-farni.

    5. [S398] Joseph Staker, Amish Mennonites in Tazewell Co.


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