According to his grandchildren, John had a wild streak in his youngerdays and often got drunk. His second wife managed to straightened himup.
Residences:
6/16/1900 N Okaw Twp, Coles Co, IL. At census time he was a 27 yearold farmer, married 3 years to Hattie, 21, with only 2 children, bothliving: Harold, 2, and Gladdis, 1.
5/3/1910 N Okaw Twp. That year John W was 39, married 13 years toHattie, 31, with 6 children, all surviving: Harold, 12, Gladys, 10,Cecil , 9, Clyde, 8, Gretta, 6, and Cleo, 4. John was a generalfarmer. A few doors down were other Daily families, Uncle James andhis 2 sons John F and Charles.
In the 1918 Coles County, IL Farmers Directory is:
Daily, John (Hattie Guy) Ch Harold, Gladys, Cecil, Clyde, Gretta,Cleo; Mattoon R3 Lafayette Sec30 T96a John Voigt (1870) Tel. Mattoon(He was a tenant farmer of the John Voight farm of 96 acres andarrived in the county in 1870 when he was born.)
1920 Lafayette Twp, Coles Co, IL. At census time John Daily, 49, was5 doors from Aaron Arthur. Wife Hattie was 42 and children at homeincluded Harold, 21; Cecilia (Cecil), 19; Elide (Clyde), 17; Cleo, 14;and Harold's wife Florence, 22. John was a farmer on his own accountand rented the home, Harold was listed as John's partner in generalfarming operation.
4/4/1930 Lafayette Ave, Mattoon, Coles Co, IL. At age 59, John Dailyhad given up farming and worked as a laborer in an auto garage. Thequestion of his age when he first married was answered age 26 but thatwas when he married Hattie, who was 18 at the time. Her current agewas 51 and she owned the home valued at $4000. Living with them wasson Harold, 32, married at 20. (Where was Florence?) Harold'soccupation was air brake tester on the IC railroad.
In honor of John's 83rd birthday, the newspaper ran a picture of him.The caption read: "John Daily, observing his 83rd birthday Friday byhauling oats to the Farmer's Grain Company Elevator here, offered torun a foot race with anyone at the elevator office and said he'd givethem a head start. The veteran farmer was born and reared in North
Okaw township. He makes his home with his son-in-law and daughter,Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Honn of Rural Route 1, Mattoon. Mr. Daily alwayshelps at harvest time and drives a tractor with the best of them."
In his nineties, he became deaf and blind.
The 1900 census recorded his birth date as 7/1872.
Social Security records have his death month as February.
