"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Chicago:
Chapman Publishing Company, 1903. p. 496.
 
WILLIAM M. HILLEARY

     one of the influential and public-spirited farmers of the vicinity of
Turner, Marion county, was born in Des Moines county, Iowa, February 21, 1840,
and was reared on a typical middle west farm. His father, James Hilleary, was
born near Winchester, Va., in 1814, and was reared principally in Kentucky, to
which state his father, Francis, removed from his native state of Maryland at a
very early day. When eighteen years of age, James Hilleary removed with his
parents to Sangamon county, Ill., settling on a farm, from which they removed
the next year, in 1833, locating near Burlington, Iowa. There the grandfather
took up government land, and spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1844. In
1837, James Hilleary married Nancy Morris, who was born in North Carolina
January 1, 1819, and who is still living on the old farm near Burlington. Twelve
children were born to this couple, the order of their birth being as follows:
James L., of Des Moines county, Iowa; William M., of Oregon; Mary J., wife of W.
P. Perry, residing in the vicinity of Burlington, Iowa; George, living in Des
Moines county, Iowa; Thomas, deceased; Sarah, who died when young; Lydia, also
deceased; Irene, the wife of James O. Beebe, of Des Moines county, Iowa;
Margaret E., living with her mother; Roger W., living on a farm near London,
Iowa; Etta, the deceased wife of Charles Moffit, of Los Angeles, Cal., and Henry
M., who carries on farming near the old home in Iowa. Mr. Hilleary was
seventy-five years old at the time of his death, and for many years he had been a
member of the Baptist Church, contributing liberally towards its support.
 
      In his youth William M. Hilleary worked hard on the paternal farm, yet
managed to acquire a fair common school education. That he started out in life
practically without means was evident from the fact that he worked his way
across the plains in 1861, driving ox teams and making himself generally useful.
Arriving in Nevada, he went from there to California, reaching Oregon in the
fall of 1861. In the meantime his uncle, William Morris, had located on a farm
near Turner, Marion county, and hither the youth repaired and remained for the
winter, assisting his relative with the work around the farm. In the spring of
1862 he went to the mines around Florence, Idaho, returning to Marion county in
August, 1862. The following year he rented his uncle’s ranch near Turner, and in
1863 helped to build a flouring mill at Aumsville. Realizing his lack of
educational opportunity in the earlier days, he began to study and improve
himself generally, and after taking a course at the Santiam Academy at Lebanon,
engaged in school teaching in Linn county in the summer of 1864.
 
      In December, 1864, Mr. Hilleary enlisted in Company F, First Oregon
Infantry, for frontier service, and after six months spent at Camp Hoskins, was
ordered to Vancouver, Wash and was afterward stationed in the barracks at Walla
Walla, Wash., and Boise City, Idaho. In May, 1866, he returned to Walla Walla,
and was discharged at Vancouver, July 21, 1866, having been in the service
nineteen months, and having attained to the rank of corporal. Returning to Linn
county, Ore., he taught school until the spring of 1868, and that year bought
the farm upon which he has since lived. In August, 1867, he was united in
marriage with Irene L. Cornelius, who was born November 13, 1847, a daughter of
George Cornelius, one of the early pioneers of Oregon. The father of the latter,
Absalom Cornelius, had a good common school education, was of a progressive
mind, and was noted for his honesty and uprightness of character. He was chosen
by the Indians as arbitrator in their difficulties in Oregon, and his decision
was always abided by. He never had an enemy, and was temperate in his habits.
Owning a good farm, and meeting with success in his undertakings, he was enabled
to give all his children a start in life. Three children have been born to Mr.
and Mrs. Hilleary, of whom Clara A., born August 24, 1868, became the wife of H.
L. Earl, a hardware merchant of Turner. Mrs. Earl, who died May 14, 1903, was an
influential member of the local Grange and of the Presbyterian Church, and was an
artist of no mean merit. She was universally beloved and her death was deeply
mourned. Homer E., born July 14, 1870, is a locomotive engineer of the Southern
Pacific Railway, and a resident of Ashland, Ore.; and Lloyd E., born April 12,
1885, is living at home. For four years Mrs. Hilleary was editor of the Oregon
department of the Pacific Rural Press, the official organ of the Grange, and was
the first to memorize the master’s work and lectures of the local Grange. For
several years she served as an officer in the State Grange, as well as in the
local organization. Her religious affiliation is with the Christian Scientists.
 
      The Hilleary farm consists of two hundred acres of bottom land, splendidly
improved, and adapted to various purposes. An extensive general farming,
stock-raising and dairy business is carried on, all of which departments net
their enterprising owner a good yearly income. As a promoter of Republican
politics in Marion county Mr. Hilleary has had few more active contemporaries.
He has been on the school board for many years, has served as justice of the
peace for twelve years, and has been judge of elections. The present prosperity
of the Turner Grange is largely due to his interest in its welfare in the early
days, and to his continued effort to enlarge its sphere of usefulness since he
became a charter member in 1873. At present he is identified with Surprise Grange
No. 233, and was master of the State Grange from 1896 until 1900, having
previously served as assistant steward of the same, as steward, master and
secretary. He was also a member of the state legislative committee of the State
Grange. In his official capacity with the State Grange, he and his wife have
visited all parts of the country, as delegates to the national body. He served
as regent of Oregon Agricultural College of Corvallis four years. He is also a
member of Sedgwick Post No. 10, G. A. R., of Salem.
 
     The entire career of Mr. Hilleary has been characterized by strict
attention to the many duties which have entered into his daily life, and his
success is due to his unflagging energy, enterprise and integrity. Those who know
him best acknowledge him to possess a character above reproach. On numerous
occasions he has exhibited a high public spirit and an earnest desire to do all
in his power for the promotion of those movements calculated to advance the best
interests of Marion county. He takes broad views of affairs in general, and has
become firmly established as a useful and progressive man of affairs The record
of his life should prove a source of inspiration to the youth of the present
generation who start upon their careers no better equipped than he, as well as a
source of great pride to the members of his family.

     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2012 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.