Biography - JAMES M. GOODSPEED
James
M. Goodspeed, a resident of Tuscola, Illinois, and who has for many years
been a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church, was born in the city of
Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, June 22, 1845. His parents were S. S. and Anna
(Fish) Goodspeed. The former was born in Essex county, New York, and his
mother in Vermont. His grandfather Goodspeed was a soldier in the war of
1812 and for his services drew a pension from the government up to the time
of his death.
During the Civil war the subject of this sketch enlisted in the services of
his country four times. On June 4, 1862, he enlisted in the Sixty-ninth
Regiment Illinois Volunteers and served four months. After being honorably
discharged he enlisted in the Twenty-sixth Illinois Volunteers, but was
rejected. On March 4, 1864, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth
Illinois Regiment and became sergeant in Company A. After serving four
months and twenty-four days he was honorably discharged. When the government
called for men to serve for one year, he enlisted again, but was rejected on
account of a disabled arm. He is now a member of the Grand Army of the
Republic.
Rev. Goodspeed was reared and educated at Urbana. Illinois, and after
leaving the schools of that city he entered the University of Illinois,
where he attended as a student for two years. He taught school near Urbana
in 1869 and 1870, and then entered Garrett Biblical Institute, at Evanston,
Illinois, where he prepared himself for the duties of the ministry. He
joined the Illinois conference of the Methodist Episcopal church September
30, 1873, and served the following charges: Tuscola circuit, two years;
Ludlow, two years; Catlin, two years; Camargo, three years; Fairmount, two
years; Georgetown, three years; Homer, three years, and was sent from Homer
to Arcola. After serving the church here for one year, he, in 1892, located
at Tuscola. From that date until the present he has continued in the active
ministry, serving such charges as he could and live at Tuscola.
April 14, 1875, he was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca, a daughter of D.
H. Jessee, who is an enterprising stock raiser and shipper residing near
Villa Grove. They have two children: Wilbur F., who is a graduate of the
Tuscola High School, and Edith, ten years of age. Rev. Goodspeed owns a
valuable farm of two hundred acres in Douglas county and other property. He
has preached twenty-six years in this state, is an earnest and able speaker
and is highly respected by his neighbors and friends.
Extracted 08 Sep 2018 by Norma Hass from the Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois, published in 1900, pages 170-171.
