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Thomas Downing, deceased, was born in Pike County, Ohio, is a son of Samuel and Margaret (Matthews) Downing, both Pike County people. Samuel Downing married twice, the second wife being Mary Matthews, sister of his first wife. The family came to Illinois in 1846, settling on Salt Creek, Logan County; where Samuel Downing died in 1865, aged seventy-two years. He had seven children, all born in Pike County, Ohio. The subject this sketch, Thomas Downing, married, in 1863, Miss Melita, a daughter of Robert Downing, a pioneer settler of Logan County, whom a sketch can be found elsewhere in this volume. Thomas Downing was a life-long farmer, and located on the farm where his widow now lives in 1870. He died November 14, 1877, leaving children - Mary, Melissa, Frances, George, Nelson and Lorenzo, all born in Logan County, Illinois. One daughter, Sarah, died at the age of eighteen, and four young children died before the father. Mr. Downing was an honorable man, a good citizen, and his death was regretted by all his friends. He was not a political though taking part in elections, and was in political faith a Democrat.

Source: History of Logan County, Illinois. Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Company [1886]. p. 787-88.