BOOK, JOHN FAMILY

Jean Bouc (John Book) was born August 25, 1803 in Kleinvillars, Germany. Kleinvillars is a colony of emigrants from south France and the Italian Alps, established in 1699 on the boundary of Oelbronn. In 1847, John and his second wife, Margaretha, came to the United States. John’s first wife, Margarethe Catharine, had died in 1841. Accompanying them were John’s children from his first marriage: Johann Peter (Jean Pierre and later John Peter). Age 16, Frederica Marie, age 14, Johann Jacob, age 12, and Peter, age 8. Also with them were Catharina, age 4, and Rosina, age 1 who were children from second wife, Margaretha.

John farmed in Wheatland township on land described in Joliet courthouse records as being the north 2/3 of west half of NW ¼ of section 3, township 37 north-9 last of 1/3 principal meridian. The land was sold by John P., the executor of the estate, to one John Jacob Jouvenal, September 1886 for $1168.44, payable over 5 ears with a $1.00 down payment.

John, Margaretha and Jacob are all buried in the Vermont Cemetery, Wheatland twp. Peter died in 1937 and is buried at Plainfield, IL but the fates of Fredrica, Catharina and Rosina are unknown.
John Peter, the eldest, purchased 3 pieces of land, circa 1856. They appear on a map from 1904. The first was 60 acres along 75th Street and what is now Rt. 59. At one time there was a small orchard there indicating the original homestead was on this property and later a house was built on the west side of what is now called Rickert Drive, but was once Book Rd. The third piece of property was directly across the street on the east side of the road.

John P. married Anna Sophia Burkhart on July 9, 1868. Sophia was born in Birkath Baviery, Germany in 1840. They had seven children: Levi, Emma, John Jacob, Henry, Amelia, Edward, and Clara.

As each child married, John P. gave it $500, quite a sum in those days! Levi moved to Iowa and farmed; Emma never married; John Jacob bought two of the three farms from his father when they retired and moved to town; Henry bought the remaining farm on the east side of the road. There were bad feelings for a time between these two brothers, reportedly over which seed corn was the best to use.

Amelia married Clint Fey and Farmed north of Naperville on land that today has Mill Street running through it. Edward married Mary Hawbecker and also farmed north of town on the “old” Mill Rd. They later moved to Harvard, IL around 1927 along with Clara and her husband, William Wendling. While in the Naperville area, Clara and Will owned a small farm where Mayneland farm is today. 

On January 1, 1902, John Jacob married the girl around the corner, Adrienne Rickert. They had seven children and lived on the home farm on Book Rd. (now Rickert Dr.) Ada was the second of three daughters and when the estate of her father was settled, her remaining sister, Grace, took the house in town and Ada received the farm. Since the farm was of more value John J. augmented the difference.

John and Ada’s children were Glenn, who lived on the farm his entire 82 years; Vernon, who wanted no part of farming and worked for Kroehler’s; Homer; Grace; John D.; Allan; and Audrey.

John was considered a progressive farmer as well as being active in local affairs. He served as a director of the Plainfield Grain Co., secretary of School Board District #90, and helped to organize and build Granger School. He helped organize the Naperville National Bank and The Naperville Farmer’s Fire Department, served as highway commissioner for Naperville Township and helped organize the Naperville Rural Life Progressive Club. He died in 1935.

About 1937, Ada and Jon’s son, Allan, had an opportunity to purchase the Greenwalt farm on Rt. 65 (New York St.) west of where Fox Valley Shopping Center is located today. His mother was in California at the time, but knowing she trusted his judgment and would approve of the transaction, he bought the farm for the family. It was the kind of venture his father before him would have taken.

The surviving sons of John and Ada worked the farms, and today some of the land has been sold. After Homer’s death in 1990, his son, Bryan Rickert Book, has continued to farm on a smaller scale, but soon the cost and difficulty of farming in an urban setting will lead to the land’s eventual development. 

11/01

 
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