JAMES K. TROVILLION has preached in the Baptist Church for over twenty years, beginning soon after his graduation, and taking charge of the church at Harrisburgh, where he remained until 1884, at which time he removed to Columbus, and has since been pastor of the Baptist Church of this place. He owns a farm which is located on section 30, township 13, range 6, which he superintends, .and on which he carries on general farming and stock-raising.
Mr. Trovillion is a native of Pope County, having been born April 2, 1845. His father, James Y., was born in the Old Dominion, while his mother, whose maiden name was Betta A. Maddox, was a native of Tennessee. Our subject's paternal grandfather was a prominent man in Virginia in early life, and afterward removed to Tennessee, there wedding Miss Susan Carr. James Y. Trovillion emigrated to Illinois in 1835, making the journey by flatboat on the Tennessee River, the trip taking about six weeks, during all of which time they cooked and lived entirely on the boat. Landing at Golconda, he purchased land and located in Pope County. His property consisted of one hundred and twenty acres on section 29, township 13, range 6, where he devoted himself to general agriculture and stock-raising during the remainder of his life. He was an industrious and honorable man, one who attended strictly to his own business and reared his children, giving them as many advantages as were in his power. He departed this life on the 15th of October, 1881, a man who was thoroughly respected by his friends and neighbors.
The subject of this sketch assisted his father in caring for the homestead until he reached the age of twenty-six years. His educational privileges were those afforded by the district schools of the old-fashioned type, the building being made of logs, with a puncheon floor, and desks made of roughly-hewn planks built against the side of the wall. Mr. Trovillion attended school until the breaking out of the war, and with youthful patriotism and zeal was hardly able to control his impatience to go to the assistance of his country until he had arrived at the age at which he could be admitted to the service, according to army regulations. He was only eighteen when he enlisted as a member of Company F, Twenty-ninth Illinois Infantry, at Columbus, in the year 1864. He participated in the battle of Mobile, and faithfully served until the close of the conflict, receiving an honorable discharge at New Orleans June 30, 1865. Returning home, he assumed the charge of his father's farm, which he carried on until 1872; then, purchasing sixty acres of land in the same township, he devoted himself to its development and improvement for the following seven years. He then sold the farm and removed to Harrisburgh, since which he has given his time more especially to the ministry, though he has not, however, entirely given up the peaceful vocation of a farmer.
In 1870 and 1871 Mr. Trovillion began studying for the ministry, attending the Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago one term. From that time he preached considerably in different parts of the county, and on his removal to Harrisburgh he was made the regular pastor of the Baptist Church at that place, remaining in charge of the same for about four years. He is an unostentatious shepherd of his flock, one who is thoroughly conscientious, and who feels the high sense of responsibility devolving upon him. For the past eight years, as previously mentioned, he has been in charge of the church at Columbus, and has largely increased the membership and strengthened the various relations, financial and otherwise, of the congregation.
On April 27, 1870, occurred the marriage of Mr. Trovillion and Ilanna L.
Hillerman, who was born in Missouri, March 31, 1846. She was called to the
home beyond December 16, 1883, leaving two children: Marie and Josiah C. On
April 26, 1885, our subject was again married, the lady of his choice being
Miss Missouri Jones, a native of Jackson County, Ill. Their union has been
blessed with two children: William B. and Millie Elsie Alice. The family are
attendants of the Baptist Church, of which the older ones are members. Our
subject is a straightforward Republican, and his influence is ever found on
the side of right and justice.
Extracted 05 Nov 2016 by Norma Hass from Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope, and Hardin Counties, Illinois, published in 1893, pages 224-225.