Pvt. Rueben W. Tuck

Pvt. Rueben W. Tuck

     Emigrated from England.

   Settled in Plato, Ill's. in 1845.

       From the 1850 Census #122/964
Name - Rueben Tuck
Aged - 31 Years
Born - England
Home in 1850 - Plato Township, Kane Co., Ill.
Occupation - Farmer

       From the 1860 Census #730/4894
Name - Rueben Tuck
Aged - 42 Years
Born - England
Home in 1860 - Plato Township, Kane Co., Ill.
Occupation - Farmer

       From the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois

K Co.        52d Ill. Vol. Inft.

The Lincoln Regiment

   Issued .58 Rifled musket.

   Moved to Elgin, Ill. in 1864 into a house on Division St..

   Elgin Registered Voter in 1866.

   Opened a merchandising business at 36 Douglas Ave. R. Tuck & Son dealing in Coal, Wood, and Building supplies.

   Resided at 118 Tenryson Court.

   As recorded on the Elgin Sexton's ledger
Occupation, Retired Merchant.  Nationality, English.  Died June 23, 1902 at 118 Tennysain Ct.  Aged 83/6/6.  Cause of death listed as Senile Asthemia for 2 months with Cardiac Weakness for 2 years, 3 months.  Undertaker retained Wait & Ross.  Physician, W. C. Bridges.  Permit #8781.

   Obit; June 23, 1902 issue of The Elgin Daily News and June 28, 1902 issue of The Elgin Advocate.
   Reuben Tuck, one of Elgin's pioneer business men, who came to Kane county over a half a century ago, died about 10:30 o'clock this morning, after a lingering illness.  For the past months he failed rapidly, being unable to receive proper nourishment.
   Mr. tuck was born in England De. 13, 1818.  He was the only survivor of a family of ten children.  Reuben's father died when the deceased was only two years old and the mother passed away in 1848.  At the age of 19 years Mr. Tuck left England and came to America, settling in Luzeerne county, Pa. where he engaged in tailoring and later took up farming.  In 1841 he returned to England for a visit.
   It was in 1845 that Mr. Tuck emigrated to Kane county by wagon and the journey of eight hundred miles occupied over a month.
   Plato township offered some inducements at that time so Mr. Tuck took up one hundred and sixty acres of government land to which he subsequently added until he had three hundred and sixty acres of valuable prairie land and forty acres of timber.  This he sold on coming to Elgin in 1865.  He embarked in the coal business the following year being the first coal dealer in Elgin.  He retired from active life in 1883 and since that time has been enjoying the fruits of his labor.
   Decedent was married three times.  His present wife, Mrs. lucinda B. Rose widow of P. T. Rose of lake county, Ill. survives Mr. Tuck.  Deceased was an earnest and faithful worker in the First Methodist Episcopal church.  Socially he was at one time affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while politically he was a whig and later was identified with the republican party.
   Mrs. James Tuttle of this city is an only daughter of the deceased.  Mrs. Carrie Rose Girard, Mrs. Locke and Grant Rose, all of Detroit, Mich., are step children.
   The funeral will be held Wednesday at 1:30 from the house, No. 118 Tennyson court; at 2 o'clock from the First M. E. church.

   Obit; June 28, 1902 issue The Elgin Weekly Courier.
   Rueben Tuck, a retired coal merchant and one of the early settlers of this county, died at 10 o'clock Monday morning after a protracted illness.  He had been failing for twelve weeks, of old age.
   Deceased was born in England December 13, 1818.  in 1837 he came to this country and located in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in mercantile tailoring.  In 1845 he came west and took up 100 acres of land in what is now Plato township.  The journey of 800 miles was made in a wagon and occupied 31 days.  To his original 100 acres he added, until in 1865 he owned 400 acres.  In that year he sold out and moved to Elgin, and the year following he engaged in the coal business which he continued until selling out to John S. Wilcox in 1884.  Since then he had been retired from active life.
   Mr. Tuck was three times married.  In 1838 he wedded Miss Ellen Fletcher who died in 1881.  Seven children were born to them of whom three died in infancy.  Mrs. J. G. Tuttle is the only surviving daughter.  Mrs. George E. Tuck is the daughter-in-law.  A daughter Elizabeth died in 1875, William, a son, died in the army and George E. died in Elgin in 1883, having been engaged in the coal business with his father.
   In 1883 Mr. Tuck was married to Miss Ann Gilbert and after her death in 1886, he married Mrs. Lucinda Rose of Lake county, who survives him.
   Mr. Tuck was a devout member of the first M. E. Church and earlier in life took an active part in supporting it.
   Without any early advantages whatever and with no assistance from relatives, he carved out his own fortune by honest work and business judgment and became one of the city's most esteemed citizens.

   Notice; July 3, 1902 issue of The Elgin Daily News.

WILL OF REUBEN TUCK

   In the county court at Geneva this week the will of Reuben Tuck was filed for probate.  According to the terms of the document a double brick house and a lot on Tennyson court is left to his widow, as is $2,000 in cash.  She is to be paid an annuity of $25 a month during her life time, in lieu of dower and homestead rights.  The homestead is left to Bertha Tuck Bauman, a grand-daughter.  Bertie Tuck Walker, a grand daughter, is left a half interest in certain property in S. Newton D***er's addition to Elgin, owned by the deceased, and Sarah E. Tuck is to receive a double brick house and lot on Tennyson court.  The residue of the property, if any, is to be divided among the heirs at the death of his widow.  the will was drawn January 23, 1901, and Alfred S. Goddard is named as executor.  The estate is valued at $15,000. of which $3,000 is in personal property.

       From the 1956 Kane Co. Honor Roll
Interred at - Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin, Ill.
Location - Lot 48, Section 6
 

Used with permission Elgin Area Hist. Soc.

From the collection of Ken Gough

Model 1861 Springfield