William Alexander Furr ²

   FamilySearch ID: 9ZDR-4TJ.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Newspaper: Indianapolis Journal: Terre Haute, June 8 -- The graduating class at the State Normal this year is comosed of the following members: <snip> W. A. Furr [note: State Normal University is now named Indiana State University, 9 Jun 1891, Indianapolis, Marion, IN. ³

2. Newspaper: Streator Free Press, 12 May 1899, Streator, La Salle, IL. ⁴ Prof. W. A. Furr now principal of the Lincoln school in West Ottawa, has been elected superintendent of the Ottawa city schools to succeed Prof. Heidler, who resigned recently. Prof. Furr came to Ottawa two years ago from Bloomington, Indiana, and has made a splendid record. Other teachters will be selected at the meeting in June.

3. Census in 1900 in Ottawa, La Salle, IL. ⁵ The 1900 census recorded on the 4th of June renting at 712 Main Street: Wím A. Furr, widowed, school teacher, 37, born Oct 1863, living with daughter Coral, 11, Dec 1889; Paul, 8, Dec 1892; Homer N., 6, Dec 1894; Clarence, 1, Jun 1899; mother-in-law Jonanh Austin, widowed, 56, Mar 1844; and servant Helen Nitschlem, 43, Mar 1857. Everyone was born in Indiana except Clarence and Helen in Illinois. William's parents were born in Indiana. Jonanh's parents were born in Ohio. Coral, Paul, Homer, and Clarence's father was born in Indiana and mother in Illinois. Helen's parents were born in France.

4. Book: Educational history of Illinois: growth and progress in educational affairs of the state from the earliest day to the present, with portraits and biographies, 1912. ¹
William Alexander Furr

FOR more than twenty-two years the subject of this
sketch has been identified with public school work,
and as an educationalist he has won deserved
commendation for his conscientious efforts and the
thoroughness of his methods.

Mr. Furr was born October 2, 1863, in Fountain
County, Indiana, his parents also being natives of that
State. His father, Marcus Furr, is still living, while



his mother, Sarah Justus Furr, deceased at Hillsboro,
Fountain County, Indiana, in 1875. He was educated
in the country schools of his birthplace, the Indiana
State Normal School, from which he graduated in
1891, and the Indiana State University, graduating
from the latter in 1896 with the degree of Bachelor of
Arts, and in 1897 he received the degree' of Master of
Arts from the same institution. His special branches
of study were history and pedagogy.

Mr. Furr first taught in country schools for four
years, next in Veedersburg, Indiana, for five years,
then at Ottawa, Illinois, from 1897 to 1905, and since
then has been superintendent of schools at Jackson-
ville, Illinois. Under his control are six schools,
seventy-seven teachers and twenty-three hundred pupils,
and the most harmonious relations exist between him,



his colleagues and his scholars. He has also acted in
the capacity of institute instructor for fifteen years in
Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, and has just accepted the
position of Lecturer on Education in Illinois College.

Mr. Furr is a member of the' National Education
Association, the Illinois State Teachers' Association,
the Illinois State Teachers' Reading Circle, the Cen-
tral Illinois Teachers' Association, and the Congrega-
tional Church. In 1889 he was married to Miss Al-
pharetta Brown, and after her decease, was, in 1902,
married to Miss Lucie J. Rigden. He has five children,
Coral, Paul, Homer, Clarence Lee and Dorothy Alice.

William married Alpharetta B. Brown, daughter of Noah Brown and Joanna Osborn, on 6 Sep 1888 in Veedersburg, Fountain, Indiana, USA. (Alpharetta B. Brown was born in 1868 in Grant Twp., Hancock, WV,⁶ died in 1900 in Ottawa, La Salle, IL ⁶ and was buried in Ottawa: Ottawa Avenue Cemetery, La Salle, IL ⁶.)

William next married Lucie J. Rigden in 1902 in , , IL.¹ (Lucie J. Rigden was born in Apr 1876 in Ottawa, La Salle, IL,⁷ died on 12 Nov 1958 in Carbondale, Jackson, IL ⁷ and was buried in Carbondale, Jackson, IL ⁷.)