**************************************************************************** File contributed to the McLean County ILGenWeb Project Copyright 1999 to present, all rights reserved. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format without the written consent of the author, ilmcleanvcc@gmail.com. **************************************************************************** Source: History of McLean County, Illinois - The Biographical Record Contributed by: Elizabeth Del Grande, edelgrande@aol.com, on March 15, 1999 **************************************************************************** CHARLES E. MOOTS Biography CHARLES E. MOOTS, a progressive farmer and stock raiser of Money Creek township, resides on the old homestead of his father on section 18, where he is engaged in general farming and stock raising. He was born November 11, 1863, on the place where he now resides, and is the son of Charles M. and Adaline (Busick) Moots, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of McLean county, Illinois. Charles Moots, the grandfather of our subject, was also born in Ohio, and there his son, Charles M., spent the first eighteen years of his life, after which he came to McLean county, Illinois, and located in the village of McLean. He was a shoemaker by trade and followed that occupation for some years after coming to the county. It was not his intention, however, to make that his life work, and as soon as his means would permit he invested his earnings, purchasing eighty acres of the farm on which our subject now resides. From time to time he added to its area until he now owns three hundred and fifty acres. He began in a very early day to make a specialty of raising horses for the markets, and was one of the first to bring imported horses into the vicinity. In 1881 he moved to Hudson, and commenced the business of importing and handling draft and coach horses. He remained at Hudson for three years and then moved to Normal, where he still continues to live, and where until quite recently he was actively engaged in the horse business. In the family of Charles M. and Adaline Moots were nine children, seven of whom grew to maturity: Mary, wife of T.C. Jenkins, of Money Creek township; Frank, of Helena, Montana; Ida, wife of Wilbur Rogers, of Kansas; Charles E., our subject; Lincoln, who died at the age of nine years: Bunn C., a farmer of Money Creek township; Warren, deceased; Bert and Gertie, at home. The subject of this sketch was reared on the old homestead in Money Creek township, and in the public schools of the township he received a good common-school education. Since attaining his majority he has been carrying on the home farm with good success. In 1889 he purchased in Ohio the imported coach horse, Prince, and since that time has dealt quite extensively in thoroughbred stock. For the past five years he has made a specialty of handling and training saddle horses. He has now Noel Fox, a fine coach horse, which has won prizes at various local fairs, and also at the state fair at Springfield, Illinois. On the 10th of September, 1885, Mr. Moots was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca Michaels, daughter of Aaron and Martha (Blough) Michaels, the former a native of Germany who came to the United States a boy of nine years, and grew to manhood near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and the latter a native of Pennsylvania, where Mrs. Moots was also born. The later was one of a family of thirteen children, as follows: Amanda, who died in childhood; Albert, who resides in Richland county, Illinois; Benjamin, of Johnston county, Missouri; Noah, a farmer of Money Creek township; Peter now living in the state of Oregon; Sarah, wife of John Hedrick, of Money Creek township; Mary V., the deceased wife of John E. Gladheart, of Olney, Illinois; Rebecca, wife of our subject: Daniel, who died in childhood; John, who resides with his sister, Ira, a farmer of Hudson township; William and Willard, twins, both of whom died in infancy. To Mr. and Mrs. Moots six children have been born--Florence, Herbert Spencer, Hazel, Edna, Fern and Frank Dow. In politics, Mr. Moots is a Republican, but he is not a politician in the sense of office-seeking. The only official position held by him was that of road commissioner, an office which he filled for two years. Fraternally, he is a member of Towanda Lodge, No. 437, and religiously he and his wife are members of the United Brethren church, and in the work of which they are much interested. He is one of the members of the official board. They are both well known and are held in the highest esteem by all.