It's hard to say whether John or brother Elmer's name appeared most int he newspapers for the many activities they were involved in,including p olitical and social events.
Residences and events:
1870 Macon Co, IL. At age 7, he was not mentioned in the census withh is parents' family.
2/17/1898 "J. F. Van Gundy of Macon was in Mowequa today to attend as hooting bee."
4/1896 John was the first secretary of the Macon County AthleticAssoc iation.
Decatur, Macon Co, IL.
6/1896 From the newspaper:
"The undivided half interest of John W Walker in the Vangundy & Walkerg rain business property at Macon, was sold yesterday by DeputySheriff H olmes to John VanGundy for $591. The claim was in favor ofSarah Giles o f Macon. It was $1717."
John owned grain elevators at Macon and Walker, IL. In the countyatla s of 1896 was the following business advertisement:
J. F. VANGUNDY
Dealer in
GRAIN COAL
MEAL FEED
Macon, Illinois
11/4/1897 The Morning Herald Despatch carried this article:
"Fred Hubbard, the adjuster for the hanover insurance company,was i n the city yesterday to arrange the loss on the elevator of JohnVanGun dy & Son at Macon about a week ago. The elevator was almostcompletely d estroyed and the loss was placed at $10,000. Theadjuster last night r efused to give out the terms of the settlement.He said that it was en tirely satisfactory to Mr. VanGundy and thatwas all there was to say a bout it. The owners of the elevator alsohad insurance in the Connecti cut and the Phoenix of London.
VanGundy & Son will at once commence the work of rebuilding theire levator. They hope to have it in shape to do business within thenext m onth."
6/4/1900 South Macon, Macon Co, IL. The census recorded John at age2 7, Clara at 25, married for 6 years with 2 children, both living:Evert , 5, and Alta, 1. Living with them was John's brother Elmer H,35. Th e occupation of both John and Elmer was grain buyer.
5/1903 Both John and brother Elmer, as members os the MaconCommercial C lub, were honorary pallbearers at the funeral of a MrBaird who was kil led in TX after falling on an oil rig.
6/12/1903 The newspaper said Mrs Elijah Walker of Assumption was guesto f John and his family "last week." The same column also said John'swi fe had delivered a baby boy on June 6 so grandma probably came tohelp o ut.
6/30/1903 "Elijah Walker of Assumption, visited J. F. Van Gundy andfa mily Thursday."
3/22/1904 County treasurer's records say they approved $37.60 be paidt o J F Van Gundy for coal for poor and poor farm.
1908 He and his wife, along with brother, Elmer, attended the funeralo f Uncle Adam Van Gundy at Bluffs, IL.
4/15/1912 The following notice was in the paper under a Macon byline:
J F Van Gundy has sold his elevator in this city to a couple ofme n from Girard and Verden. Mr Van Gundy will give possession April15.
This elevator has been owned by Mr Van Gundy for a number ofyears . He still owns an interest in the Van Gundy & Andrews elevatorat Wal ker.
(A later article said one of the men was J W Bradway, a member of theJ W Bradway company.)
6/5/1912 J F Van Gundy and wife left Macon last week for a tripthroug h the west. They will be gone several weeks.
7/10/1912 J F VanGundy and wife, who have been spending a month inCal ifornia and other points, returned to their home in Macon lastweek.
MO. Some say son John was born there but that is incorrect so it isun clear whether they ever lived in MO.
Mid 1918 Decatur, Macon Co, IL. Son, Everett, wrote a letter to hism other living there in which he said he was glad his sisters likedtheir n ew home.
9/12/1918 Decatur, Macon Co, IL. He registered for the military andr ecorded his address as 155 Summitt Ave, Decatur. His occupation was"m anages farm property." Wife Clara was his nearest relative and hisdes cription was medium height, medium build, blue eyes and brownhair.
1920 Same place. The census that year recorded John at age 47,withou t occupation, wife, Clara was 43. They had children: Everett,24; Mab le, 21; Clarence, 19; Frederick, 17; Helen, 14; Dorothy, 9;and John F, 1 m o.
1921 In a full page ad for an upcoming auto show, the Cadillaccompany l isted their "Decatur territory clientele" which includedJohn and Elmer s o apparently they owned Cadillacs.
12/1927 2109 W Williams was their address when the newspaper ran anar ticle on daughter Dorothy.
1930 West Williams St, Decatur. In that census John was 57, Clara,43 , living had a home worth $12,000. Living with them were son Fred,26, D orothy, 19, and John Jr, 12. John's occupation was graindealer. Daugh ter Helen and Guy Matthews lived 3 doors down thestreet.
12/1941 Miami, FL, was his residence when brother, DW, died. Brother,E lmer, also resided there at that time. Apparently John traveledbetwee n Decatur and Florida as his obituary said he lived in Decaturboth bef ore and after his retirement, then moved to Venice.
1945 Venice, FL, was his retirement home.
Relatives said he was born in 1863 but his military registration has18 73 which is supported by every census record.
The funeral was held at Dawson & Wikoff Funeral Home in Macon, IL,with R ev Laren Spear officiating.
