DW carried our ancestral lineage down one more generation.
Residences & events in DW's life:
10/20/1887 Macon Co, IL. Daniel's name was listed in the newspaperam ong the jury pool for the petit jury to convene in 4 days.
4/21/1887 Milam Twp, Macon Co, IL. The Decatur Republican newspaperre ported DW Vangundy was assessed $39.02 for 3 plots of land totaling153 .5 acres there along with his father and Uncle EM Merris.
3/7/1890 Under Sales of Real Estate, the newspaper said Daniel WVangu ndy sold 143.5 acres in Milam Twp, to Charley M Farnhum for$7200.
9/17/1891 "Daniel W. Van Gundy to Charles M. Farnham, deed to 143 1/2a cres in Milam township, $7,200."
3/12/1892 The Herald Despatch of Decatur reported that "Daniel WVanGu ndy and family have moved to Kansas." No mention of the countyor town t here.
1892 Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL. He sold 2 lots, 11 and 12 in blk 4,i n Campfield's addition to his mother-in-law for $200.
Moultrie Co, IL. Apparently they didn't like KS as they didn't staylo ng before returning home. He amassed hundreds of acres of landover th e years as shown by the many entries in the county landrecords, the to tal amount is not known. He bought from his in-laws,siblings, childre n, parents, and ordinary citizens of the county.
11/3/1894 According to the newspaper, Daniel sold some land to C.Lane f or $8,400, described as "west half of the northwest quarter ofsection 2 2, and the east half of the east half of the northeastquarter of secti on 21 in town 14, in range 5, east."
2/25/1896 The following item appeared in the newspaper:
"The following persons and their families who have purchased land inIo wa through the agency of C Lane & Co of sullivan, Ill, will leaveSulli van for their new homes on Wednesday, Feb 26. The are to betaken by a s pecial emigrant train via the Wabash and L O railroadthrought Decatur. T he train will consist of 14 emigrant cars and onecoach for the emigran f amilies. There will be about 30 passenger inall. The following is th e names of the families going, and theirdestination:
D. W. VanGundy.....Storm Lake, IA......"
6/2/1900 Sullivan Twp, Moultrie Co, IL. According to the census hisb irthdate was 2/1860, not 1859 as family records state. He waslisted a s a 40 year old farmer, married 15 years to Laura B, 34, whohad birthe d 6 children but only 5 still survived: Stella, 14,Robert, 13, Carrie , 10, John, 9, and Dewy Schley, 1.
Deed transfers were recorded in the newspapers:
3/4/1904 "Martha A Bragg to Dan W. Van Gundy, 40 acres, section 27,to wn 15, 5; $4,000."
Same date "A.B. McDavid to Dan W. Van Gundy, 40 acres, section 27,town 1 5, 5;
$2,300."
12/8/1909 "D W Van Gundy and wife to Amos Ross, lot 4 in block 8 ofth e original town now called City of Sullivan. Consideration $8,000."
2/4/1910 The following was also in the paper:
FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY
Dan W VanGundy was given a surprise at his handsome home in thecou nry northwest of this city Thursday night in honor of his fiftiethbirt hday. About 125 were present to remind him of the occasion. Thehouse w as very beaurifully decorated and one of the most beautifulfeasts one h ad ever laid eyes on, composed of meats of every kind,with everything t hat goes with them to make a good feast. MrVanGundy was presented wit h several beautiful gifts, among which wasa handsome leather chair. T he guests departed at a late hour,wishing him many happy returns of th e day. E R King's bakery baked afifty-layer birthday cake for the occ asion beautifully decorated.Charles Hallis did the baking.
4/28/1910 Same place. That year Daniel was 50 and wife "Lura" B, was4 6. Living with them were sons John O, 19, and Dewey, 12. Daniel'socc upation was general farmer.
10/19/1912 Brother, Elmer, sued DW and Laura for the sum of $2182.66and won. The court appointed 3 commissioners to appraise 40 acresconta ining the house "for the purpose of having a homestead of thevalue of O ne Thousand Dollars, including the dwelling house set offto you (DW an d Laura) and for your benefit as a homestead, if thesame could be done w ithout injury to the interest of the partiestherein." The appraisel ca me back stating it could not be divided andset the valuation at $11,00 0. Details of the suit are not stated butfrom a later letter to Laura , one concludes that DW and Laura boughtland from her brother, Chenny, f or which Elmer must have loaned themthe money but they never paid Chen ny in full or paid Elmer back.
Bef 12/1913 Marion Co, IL. DW owned a farm near Salem which son,Robe rt, operated for about a year, having a daughter this date whileliving t here.
Abt 1919 He built a grand home which was known throughout the countya s the Van Gundy mansion. The Van Gundy Curve, on the northwest sideof S ullivan, is so known, because of the house's location. Thehouse was t wo story with a wraparound porch and lots of gingerbread.It was the f irst in the county with indoor plumbing and bathroom, andit had a base ment with outside access so farm hands could shower andclean up before e ntering the house.
To this day local residents always mention the "mansion" whenever theym eet someone with the Van Gundy name.
4/19/1928 The Decatur (IL) paper carried the following blurb:
"Judge Baldwin announced that he will give his decision in the case ofW . C. Neaves et al vs D. W. Van Gundy et al, early in the May term.The c ase involves title to eighty acres of land near Mt. Zion." Thatwas pr obably in reference to the letter to Laura from Rufus Huff onbehalf of C heney Neaves.
11/5/1922 The Decatur paper carried the story of the completion ofsur vey for Rte 32, the Sullivan-Lovington road, and how it will cutdiagon ally through 80 acres of DW's land.
4/1924 DW took bankruptcy, the "report shows no property fordistribut ion among the creditors..." In view of all the assetsabove, this see ms odd.
4/16/1930 Sullivan Twp, Moultrie Co, IL. The census taker recordedDa n at 70 years of age, Laura at 65. Living with them was grandson,Fran cis, 12. Dan's occupation was farmer on his own farm.
4/8/1940 Marion Co, IL. DW sold the property that he had owned theref or at least the past 27 years, selling it by quit claim deed on thisda te to his 4 children for $1.00.
Descendants told of a competition between DW and the local banker,each h aving extreme dislike for the other, each always trying tooutdo the ot her. Following DW's death, the banker bought DW's landand razed the m ansion.
Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947
Name: Daniel William Van Gundy
Birth Date: 3 Feb 1860
Birth Place: Scott Co , Ill
Death Date: 11 Mar 1941
Death Place: Mattoon, Coles, Illinois
Burial Date: 14 Mar 1941
Burial Place: Sullivan, Moultrie, Ill.
Cemetery Name: Greenhill
Death Age: 81
Occupation: Retired Farmer
Race: White
Marital Status: W
Gender: Male
Residence: Mattoon, Mattoon Twp., Coles, Ill.
Father Name: John
Father Birth Place: Ill.
Mother Name: Sarah Scoby
Mother Birth Place: Ill.
FHL Film Number: 1832579
He died of a heart attack on the street at 16th & Broadway in Mattoon.H is funeral was held at the Christian Church in Sullivan, IL.
His will, dated 1/29/1941, bequeathed $2250.00 each to sons, Robertand J ohn. The balance of the estate was to be sold and dividedequally amon g the four children. Some of the children, beingdisatisfied with the t erms of the will, threatened to break it incourt by having their fathe r declared incompetent. An agreement wasnegotiated by their uncle, El mer Van Gundy, to split the estateequally in exchange for his promise t o make up the difference toRobert and John in his own will. However, E lmer never carriedthrough with that promise. Other family members sai d DWintentionally tried to make up for unpaid loans by giving a lump s umto the children who did not owe him money. Cancelled checks verifie dthe children borrowed from their father regularly.
Sons, Dewey and Robert, were co-executors of his estate.
