Jesse R. Glascock. Champaign County as a whole attests the truth of the observation that “Our civilization rests at bottom on the wholesomeness, the attractiveness and the completeness, as well as the prosperity of life in the country.” It is surely the men of the open country who compose the stay and strength of the nation in time of war and its guiding and controlling spirit in time of peace.
This county has a number of men who measure up to the standards set in these words, and one of them is Mr. J. R. Glascock of St. Joseph Township. Mr. Glascock was born in that township, a son of Mahlon and Mary (Strong) Glascock, his father a native of Virginia and his mother of Illinois. His father was a pioneer farmer in Champaign County and went through many trials and privations to establish a home here in the early days. Mahlon Glascock was three times married, and his wife, Mary Strong, had four children, two sons and two daughters, Jesse being the youngest son.
With his brothers and sisters he received his education in the local schools, and on April 12, 1899, married Miss Myrta Curry. Mrs. Glascock was born in Edgar County, Illinois, a daughter of Joseph W. and Alice (Hickman) Curry. Her father was born in Indiana and her mother in Virginia, but they were married in Illinois, and Mrs. Glascock was one of their family of six children, three sons and three daughters.
After his marriage Mr. Glascock settled on part of his father’s estate, having been given 115 acres. Later he bought fifty-three acres more, of unimproved land, and all of this has since responded to his faithful and intelligent endeavors as an agriculturist. Good buildings have been erected and Mr. and Mrs. Glascock have one of the most complete and attractive country homes of the township.
In the files of the St. Joseph village paper of eighteen years ago is found the following account of their marriage: “Mr. Jesse Glascock and Miss Myrta Curry surprised friends from the city by going to the parsonage after prayer meeting, where their wedding was solemnized by Rev. Eninger. Mr. and Mrs. Glascock are two highly respected young people of this community and have a large circle of acquaintances and scores of friends who wish them unbounded happiness. They start out in life under favorable circumstances, as the groom is possessed of a good farm three miles southeast of here and has just completed a beautiful modern residence, already furnished, to receive his lovely bride. Miss Curry, the bride, is a daughter of Joseph Curry and wife. She was a popular teacher in Champaign County for a number of years and possesses the accomplishments that elicit the love and admiration of a host of friends, who unite in wishing her an exceedingly happy voyage.”
Mrs. Glascock was educated in the district schools and fitted herself for teaching, which she followed most successfully, her field of labor embracing the Bowers School, Districts No. 7 and No. 9, Hunt School, Pleasant Ridge and Science Point School. She was teaching at the latter place when she married. If the number of her students could all be gathered together and could relate the most impressive lessons they learned from her it would make a large assemblage and would be an occasion worth hearing and recording. One of Mrs. Glascock’s former students was Elmer Eckblau, who gained fame for himself in the noted Alaskan expedition. He always said that he owed his early success to Miss Curry’s careful training.
Mr. Glascock has proved himself one of Champaign County’s most progressive farmers. He has interested himself extensively in grain and stock, for ten years kept a number of Holstein cattle and managed a fine dairy, handling only registered stock and shipping cream to market. He now specializes chiefly in the Duroc Jersey hogs and has also raised many Berkshires.
To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Glascock was born one son, Harold B. Glascock. He has attended the district schools, the St. Joseph High School, took a course in Brown’s Business College at Urbana and graduated there from, and is a student for the year 1917-18 in the Urbana High School, preparatory to entering the University of Illinois. He is a good student and a popular young man.
Mr. and Mrs. Glascock are attentive members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at St. Joseph and have contributed liberally of their means to its various causes. In politics Mr. Glascock was born a Republican and has always found that party the most reliable expression of his views on political and economic questions.
Even to the casual observer the Glascock farm indicates the industry and intelligent care that has been expended upon its broad and rich acres. The home is set in an attractive grove of fruit and shade trees, and one might travel far and never find a better managed farm in this part of Illinois. Recently Mr. Glascock threshed from a field of oats eighty-six bushels to the acre. His home is lighted with acetylene light, he has Uncle Sam’s mail service every day in the week, telephone, and he and his wife enjoy life with a fine Hupmobile car. Mr. Glascock generously awards his wife much praise for their success, since she has always been by his side as a Christian counselor and good home maker, and her former experience as a teacher has spread an atmosphere of culture over all their undertakings. Mr. Glascock finds many ties that bind him to his present home, since it was the place where he grew up as a boy, and the associations of the Glascock family have centered there for two generations.
Mr. and Mrs. Glascock have been factors in the improvement of the standards of country life, and in 1913 Mrs. Glascock organized the Country Improvement Club of her neighborhood. The object of this is to promote culture, intellectual and social commingling and an interchange of ideas which will go far to enrich the lives of all participants. Beginning in the month of September, the association holds meetings every two weeks until spring. Once a month there is a special social feature, and at other times during the year papers are read and vital matters and current events are discussed. There are seventeen members in the organization, and it has already done much to promote mutual interest and good will in the rural district.