Charles M. Kern of Marion was born in Monongalia County, West Virginia on July 18, 1837, the son of James and Mary Goosman Kern, natives of West Virginia, of German and French stock respectively.
In 1860 Charles was living in Monongalia County, West Virginia near Morgantown. His parents, James and Mary Kern had five children at home: Charles, 23; Margaret, 21; Francis, 17; Caroline, 14 and George, 11.
Charles was reared in his native county, and was married and engaged in milling there. In 1863 he went west, located at Marion, Illinois and engaged in mercantile pursuits.
In the 1870 census, he was living in Amanda Pulley’s hotel or boarding house.
Charles formed a partnership with John M. Young and beginning with small capital, the firm, Young and Kern set up dry goods store in the northwest corner of the public square in Marion.
In October of 1874, Charles was seriously hurt when his team of horses ran away and he jumped out of the buggy. He broke his leg between the knee and ankle.
His first wife had died in West Virginia and on October 23, 1875 he married Samantha Catherine “Kate” Mitchell, daughter of Sion Mitchell of Northern Precinct in Williamson County.
After the county courthouse in the southeast corner of the square burned down in 1875, the following year, in December of 1876, Charles bought the lot on which the court house had stood for $875.
A local paper noted that on December 28, 1876 two men entered the home of Charley Kern, demanded money of Mrs. Kern and the keys to her husband’s safe. They asked which way her husband came home from the store each night. They bound her with cords, her hands behind her, and gagged her with a paper and muffled her face with a scarf. They then left her lying on the floor where her husband released her about 15 minutes later.
In February of 1877, Charles’ business partner John M. Young died of consumption and pneumonia at the age of 41. The firm then became Kern & Mitchell for a year, when Mr. Mitchell withdrew, and Charles carried on alone.
In 1878, at a sheriff’s sale, judgment against William N. Mitchell, Charles M. Kern, J. M. Burkhart, R. M. Allen, R. M. Hundley and Zack Hudgens was settled in favor of the People of the State of Illinois for the use of Trustees of the Southern Illinois Hospital for the Insane at Anna.
A notice appeared on July 1, 1880 in the Marion Monitor, “Mrs. Kate Kern, 25, wife of C. M. Kern, died at home . . . sickness was long and severe. She was the daughter of S. F. Mitchell of the eastern part of the county. She was buried at Corinth. Their only child was Eva K. was born December 12, 1879 in Marion Illinois and died in 1951 in Atlanta, Georgia. She married John W. Faupell.
In 1879, 1880, and 1881 Charles was a member of the city board under Mayor Leroy A. Goddard. Other aldermen were: 1879—, Robert M. Hundley, T.J. Goodall, M.W. Barham, Charles M. Edwards, J.M. Campbell; 1880—Thomas Davis, J.M. Campbell, T.J. Goodall, Joseph L. Calvert, Charles M. Edwards; 1881—J.M. Campbell, Charles M. Edwards, Joseph L. Calvert, Thomas Davis, T. J. Goodall.
In Goodspeed’s History of the county published in 1887, Kern was described thusly, “His fine brick building arose Phoenix like, from the ashes of his former store, which he lost by fire, and its easy entrance, finished style and lightness arose from changes of his own. It was 25 X 72 feet and two stories. Nearby were his warerooms, where he dealt in farm supplies, and he was a very large clover seed shipper, handling over 8,000 bushels in one season, aggregating over $16,000.” (about $380,000 in 2013 prices.)
On December 3, 1882 he married Mrs. Mary C. (McCowen) Dunaway, widow of William A. Dunaway. They had a child named Annie. Mary’s parents were James Drayton McCowan and Cena A. Norris.
Charles was the treasurer of the fair board in 1886 and continued to serve as treasurer of the Williamson County Agricultural Society for almost 25 years. The primary responsibility of the Ag society being, to put on the Williamson County Fair annually which was the social highlight of the county for over 150 years and still continues today.
Early in the morning of August 27, 1906 on his way to his store, Charles fell dead on the square in Marion. His obituary said he was “a pioneer citizen, veteran business man and highly respected citizen of Marion”. He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.
In 1923, his wife, Mary C. Kern, was living at 306 S. Van Buren St.
A monument was unveiled in Lake Front Park, Chicago, Illinois, in honor of General John A. Logan. The survivors of the 31st Illinois Regiment which Logan lead had a special invitation to be present. Mrs. C. M. Kern attended as did 25 other veterans or their widows. Charles M. Kern’s name, however, does not appear on the muster roll of the 31st.
An article noting that a fire had damaged the Cline-Vick building on the north east side of the square in 1923 also noted that the drug store was temporarily operating out of the Kern building in the northwest corner. This would imply that the Kern’s still held ownership of the building at this date.
Notes on the Children:
Eva Kern Faupell was born Dec. 12, 1879 in Marion Illinois and died in 1951 in Atlanta, Georgia. She married John W. Faupell.
Annie Kern was born about 1885. She was a 25 year old woman living with her mother in the 1910 census. No other reference to her has been found.
(Sources: Illinois Regional Archives Depository; Federal Census Records; 1905 Souvenir History of Williamson County; Events in Egypt; Marion City Directories; compiled by Colleen Norman)