Mrs. Thurza Epperson; P. O. Westfield; among the pioneers of Coles Co., who came in the year 1834, was Green Epperson, who was born in Madison Co., Ky., about the year 1800. He was married Dec. 22, 1829, to Miss Thirza Woods, a daughter of Adam and Mary Woods; she was also a native of Madison Co., Ky., born Dec. 6, 1807. After their marriage, they removed to Estill Co., Ky., thence to Clark Co., and from there to Coles Co., Ill., in 1834, where they settled on the farm still in the hands of the family, and which contains 200 acres in the home place, besides 80 acres in Clark Co. Mr. Epperson was a man of integrity of character, industrious and economical in his habits, and possessed of the requisite qualifications of success, and, had he lived, would undoubtedly have become one of the wealthiest citizens of the county; he died Jan. 29, 1850, leaving a wife, who still resides on the old homestead. Of a family of eleven children, nine are living, as follows: Brutus C., was born Oct. 27, 1830, in Estill Co., Ky., and is now a farmer in Bear Valley, Cal., to which State he removed in 1852; Cassius C., was born in Clark Co., Ky., June 24, 1834, and also removed to California in 1852, and is now a farmer in Sutter Co.; Sidney K., was born in Coles Co., Ill., Jan. 28, 1836, served in the late war, enlisting in Co. H, 59th I. V. I., was promoted to Quartermaster, and is now a Government Inspector at Omaha, Neb.; Rhodes was born April 4, 1838, was a member of Co. A, 123d I. V. I., was wounded in the battle of Selma, Ala, and is now a farmer in Edgar Co., Ill.; Green was born May 2, 1840, removed to California in 1877, and is now engaged in farming in Bear Valley; Mattie was born Jan. 25, 1842, and is now wife of J. F. Lawson, of Mattoon, Ill.; Joseph was born Oct. 8, 1844, married Sept. 2, 1869, to Miss Mattie Morris, a daughter of William Morris, of Edgar Co.; she was born in Kentucky Dec. 26, 1851, and died Dec. 3,1875, leaving three children -John F., Thurza I. and Alvy G.; Mr. Epperson resides on the homestead; Kate was born April 6, 1848, and resides at home; John C. was born in 1849, studied medicine, and went to California in 1875, graduated from the National Surgical Institute, in San Francisco, and is now a practicing physician in Weston, Oregon.
