Category Archives: M to O

Marion’s Prominent Citizens M to O

Monroe, Charles W. 1922-2012

Posted on by December 17, 2013

Charles W. Monroe 1922-2012
Charles W. Monroe 1922-2012
Charles W. Monroe 1922-2012
Charles W. Monroe 1922-2012

Charles Wood Monroe was born on Sunday, Nov. 5, 1922, at home on South Future Street in Marion as the son of Charles Raymond and Ethel LaRue (Wood) Monroe.

Charles was educated in the Marion school system and graduated from high school with the class of 1940. After high school graduation Charles enrolled at Southern Illinois Normal University at Carbondale. The following year his high school sweetheart, Jacqueline Rott, the lady destined to be Mrs. Monroe, graduated from high school and also enrolled at SINU. Continue reading →

McCoy, G.W. Chesley 1825-19xx, Gold Prospector

Posted on by June 3, 2014

McCoy GW ChesleyEvery city has its colorful characters with stories of adventures and travels far and wide. When the book “1905 Souvenir History of Williamson County” was being prepared in 1904 one of those Marion characters, George W. Chesley McCoy, was interviewed. The photo accompanying this post was taken of him on that day in 1904 sitting in the stairwell of the A.F. White building that used to occupy a spot on the south side of the public square on the west corner of S. Market in the 800 block, where the Marion Civic Center now sits.  Continue reading →

Morrison, Frank E. 1879-1957, Home Oil Company

Posted on by January 9, 2014

Home Oil Co 1951Frank E. Morrison was a native of Nokomis, Illinois, he was born February 23, 1879 the third of five children born to William Morrison and Ella Gale.

He received his education in the schools at Oconee, Illinois, and was married at Oconee on September 2, 1903 to Miss Classena Wilmer.

In 1903, soon after his marriage he came to Marion where he became a telegraph operator for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad at the depot just off West Main Street. In 1905, he became the local agent for the railroad. Continue reading →

Mitchell, J.C. 1925-2006, Mitchell Law Firm

Posted on by February 24, 2014

J.C. Mitchell was born in Marion on February 2, 1925, the son of Everett Edward and Margaret Helen (Hartman) Mitchell.

One of Mitchell’s great-grandfathers, William N. Mitchell, first moved to the Williamson County area near Corinth about the year 1830. He was a school teacher at the time. He later studied surveying and when Franklin County split in two and formed Williamson County in 1839, Mitchell ran the survey line between the south boundaries of Franklin County and the present north boundary of Williamson County. He also served in the Civil War as Captain in the Union Army. He was a postmaster and after service during the Civil War was County Clerk of Williamson County. Continue reading →