1925 Biography - O Harker
O. A. Harker was, for several years, a resident of this county, he was born in Wayne County, Ind., 1846, and was educated in the schools of Wheaton, Ill. He enlisted in Company D, 67th Illinois Infantry at the age of sixteen years, serving till the close of the war. He entered McKendree College at Labnon, Ill., graduating in 1866. He came to Vienna the following year as a teacher, edited the "Vienna Herald" for a short time and was admitted to the bar in 1869. He practiced law in this county for about ten years, serving the county as judge one term. He was appointed to the Circuit bench by Governor S. M. Cullom, 1878 and was later elected and served on the first Circuit bench until 1903, when he was appointed Dean of the Law School of the University of Illinois, which place he filled till recently he has been appointed attorney for that institution. He married Sidney A. (see Bain). They removed to Carbondale about 1778, later making their residence in Champaign where they still reside. Judge Harker is a member of the G. A. R. and I. O. O. F. the Fraternities Phi Delta Phi and Theta Kappa. He and wife have long been members of the M. E. Church and are republican in politics.
Extracted 06 Feb 2017 by Norma Hass from 1925 A History of Johnson County, Illinois, by Mrs. P. T. Chapman, pages 387-388.
