Family

 

The Sutor family came to North America in the 1850's. After a short stay in New York they moved to Ontario Canada where they settled for 5 years. The family then moved to southern Knox County, Illinois. In 1864 they bought 80 acres in Sparta Township, Knox County, Illinois which remains in the family still. Within a few years they had purchased an adjoining 80 acres. My great great grandfather John Sutor and his wife Martha had brought the family here to make a new life. They had 4 sons William, Martin, Henry and John. Two other sons had died in 1862 during a diptheria epidemic. They were Samuel and Robert. My great great grandfather John Sutor died in 1874. His widow Martha and three sons John (my great grandfather), Martin and Henry decided to build a house.

 This is that house as it appeared in 1934. It stands today and is owned by my brother. His name? Come on take a guess. Yes, another John Sutor.

Eventually my great grandfather and his brothers Henry and Martin parted. Henry and Martin went to western Kansas and settled there taking up cattle ranching in the Palco, Kansas area. Our family still owns land in Kansas and the picture below is of a sod house which stood on one of the pieces of property. The picture below was taken in 1965. Carol and I were out and saw what remains of the sod house in 2009. There is very little left as they years have taken their toll. The sod house is the structure on the right.

The Sutor Brothers Ranch in Kansas would eventually grow to 16,800 acres spread over parts of five counties. 

This is the tombstone of Henry and Martin. I think if you are going to have a stone you could not ask for kinder words than those to be written on it.

 

I have always felt a kind of special kinship with Henry since I was born on what would have been his 93rd birthday. I am not, unfortunately, the man and citizen he was.

 

The family in Kansas now down to a distant cousin Darryl Sutor who is in his 90's and confined to a nursing home. Since my older brother had two daughters and my son has three daughters and all the family has moved away soon the Sutor name in the Galesburg area will be only on tombstones in Wataga, Henderson and Galesburg. None will have the glowing tribute given our western cousins.