In 1850, the Cline family packed up and moved From Allen County, Kentucky to Williamson County, settling in Crab Orchard Township east of Marion, Illinois. Albert Cline’s father was Thomas Jefferson Cline, who followed farming and died in 1897. His mother’s name was Sarilda Jane Absher, known to many Marion citizens in her days as “Grandma Cline”.
Albert L. Cline was born in Williamson County September 20, 1851. He was reared on a farm in Crab Orchard Township and received his education in the common schools.
In 1862, his father, Thomas Jefferson enlisted in the 110th Illinois Infantry and served the Union till he was mustered out in June, 1865, at the end of the Civil War.
In 1867, Albert’s parents, Jefferson and Sarilda, divorced in Williamson County and two years later Jefferson remarried to Rebecca Weaver. After the divorce, perhaps to regroup, Sarilda took her two sons John and Albert and her youngest daughter Minnie back to Allen County, Kentucky.
It is unknown exactly how long they remained in Kentucky, but they were present there during the 1870 census and appear to have returned shortly thereafter, because on February 8, 1874, Albert married Florence McCown, daughter of the late Major W. D. McCown and his wife, Cena A. Norris. Albert’s brother, John, married Samuel S. Vick’s daughter, Mary Alice Vick, in early 1876 so I assume that the entire family has returned prior to 1874.
Decades later, in the 1920’s, descendants of John M. Cline and Samuel S. Vick would partner up to form the Cline-Vick Drug Store chain.
Florence got pregnant immediately with their first child. An unnamed infant died in December, 1874, and is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Cline entered the grocery trade in July, 1878, and continued to follow the business. The location of this business is currently unknown, but was almost assuredly located on the square or just off the square.
In the 1880 federal census, which was taken at their home on June 30th, confirms that the Cline’s are living in Marion, but the location is not disclosed in that census. It is known, however, that the entire family centered early on S. Market Street. Albert is 28, Florence is 24 and they have one child, a son named Otto, aged 1, born in October of 1878. Albert noted that he keeps a family grocery in the census. The couple has a single, 32 year old, live in domestic named Josephine Knight.
He and his wife were active members of the M. E. Church, South for decades. In 1892, he and his brother, John M. Cline, selected the site of the beautiful church building on South Market Street, bought the ground and helped erect the structure. He was one of the stewards of the organization and its treasurer for many years. The old M.E. church, South is long gone but lives on in the current Aldersgate Methodist Church today.
Around July 1894, the couple had a child named Minnie Ethel Cline, but she died in January 1898 at the age of 3 ½ years old. Somewhere along the line, they had another child named Albert Elmose Cline who died in childhood, but so far no records have turned up on him.
A fire in September of 1899 that damaged the Denison building in the 300 block of the square at the corner of the square and N. Market broke the windows on A.L. Cline’s store, but the report fails to give his store a location. This building is where the Bank of Marion now stands today.
When the 1900 census was taken on June 20th, Albert was then 48 years old and Florence was 44. The couple was then living in a new home at 208 S. Market Street, where the Marion Carnegie Library is located today. They owned the home but had a mortgage on it and Albert is listed as a merchant. Children in the home are Otto, now 21, Earl aged 18, and Lawrence aged 8. Florence noted that she has had six children and that the three alive now are all that is left. The family has a live in female, 29 year old domestic named Vicki Mayhew.
In May 1903, he was one of the original promoters, organizers and stockholders of the Marion Pressed Brick Company, located at the west edge of Marion, and in 1904 was its President.
By 1907, the couple has sold their home at 208 S. Market Street to his brother John M. Cline and they have purchased a new home at 507 S. Market Street. His mother Sarilda was then living next door to John at 206 S. Market Street. Albert’s business had by this time switched over to dry goods and his store was listed as being located at 500 Public Square, which is where Zwick’s Shoes was located for decades in the north west corner of the square.
When the Citizens Trust and Savings Bank opened on January 2, 1907, at 805 Public Square, Albert Cline was among the directors, which confirms that he was doing well financially in these times. It is known that in 1913 he was serving as the bank’s Vice President prior to its later move into the Goodall Hotel building in the 1100 block of the square.
In September of 1908, his wife, Florence, passed away and was interred in Rose Hill Cemetery with most of her children who died before her.
In the federal census of 1910 taken on April 29th, Albert was 59 and widowed. His sons Earl, 28 and Lawrence, 18, were living with him in the home. Earl worked as a book keeper for his father’s business on the square and Lawrence was still a student in school. The family had a single, 31 year old, domestic, live in, named Mary Farrar.
Albert’s mother’s home at 206 S. Market was acquired in 1914 by the city of Marion, Illinois for the sum of $5,003.17 from Sarilda Cline and her heirs. The Marion Carnegie Library building was constructed in 1915 with a grant of $18,000 from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.
Sarilda Cline passed away on March 3, 1917 and was interred in the Cline family plot at Rose Hill.
Albert was a Democrat politically, but too busy a man to be active in politics, although he was for two years the City Treasurer, and was a member of the Merchants’ Association of Marion. So far, the dates that Albert served as City Treasurer are unknown.
Shortly after his mother’s death, Albert retired and moved to Van Nuys, California where he died suddenly at his home on February 27, 1922. His death was followed in October by his brother John.
The body arrived in Marion, March 5th, at 9:05 Sunday night and was taken to the Elks Home where it rested in state until 2 o’clock on Monday afternoon. It was then taken to Goddard chapel where funeral services were conducted by the Rev. M. A, Stickney, pastor of the M.E. church South, of which Mr. Cline had been an active member during his long residence in Marion. The body was laid to rest in the Cline family plot in Rose Hill Cemetery.
The pall bearers were Judge W. W. Duncan, George Goodall, Frank Morrison, George C. Campbell, Samuel K. Casey and W.L. Dunston and the flower bearers were Mesdames George C. Campbell, D. Pride, Cline Cunningham, Frank Morrison, Ed Jeter and Robert Boatright.
Albert’s obit states,”The couple had six children, three of whom survived Albert. Their names in the order of their births are Albert Elmose, Earl D. and Lawrence. The dead are a daughter, who died in infancy; Otto, who died at the age of one year, and Minnie Ethel, at three and a half years. Earl followed the grocery business with his father.” I am certain that the names of Albert Elmose and Otto have been switched erroneously due to the fact that Otto was alive at the age of 21 in the 1900 census and Albert never showed up on a census record.
A Tribute to Albert Cline from John H. Duncan, March 6, 1922, Marion Daily Republican
Permit me to say a word in appreciation of the life of Honorable A.L. Cline, whose death you announced in Wednesday’s Republican.
I have known him for more than forty years as a business man, in public life and as a private citizen and I always found him to be a man of sterling worth. In business he was progressive and popular. He belonged to that school of pioneer Marion merchants that embraced such men of standing and character as J.M. Burkhart, Charles Kern, Campbell Bros., John M. Cline and other of like caliber.
In all his business relations, honestly and a square deal was exemplified in a striking way. He could be trusted and no customer left his store dissatisfied or in doubt. The customer knew that Albert Cline would right the wrongs and correct mistakes.
His broad gauged spirit made him many fast friends and his popularity was maintained throughout his whole business career. He served the public as a member of the city council and also as a member of the State Board of Equalization, and he carried with him into public life the same modesty and integrity, that were so pronounced in his business career.
In a personal and social sense, Mr. Cline was considerate, clear and anxious to please. It was my privilege to be in his society a great deal after he retired from an active business life. I found him always to be a Christian gentleman, full of human sympathy, ready to share his last dime or his last meal with those who were less fortunate.
He had withal such a pleasing and cheerful personality, that he inspired within you a sense of trust and confidence. Mr. Cline loved Marion and Marion people.
In a recent letter, he expressed the hope that he could return from his western home and spend the coming summer with his old time friends and associates.
His death removes a popular and worthy citizen and leaves an aching void in many hearts. To the writer, it means a deep personal loss.
Very truly yours, John H. Duncan, written from Biloxi, Mississippi on March 3, 1922.
(Data extracted from the 1905 Souvenir History; Williamson County in the War, 1919; Marion, Illinois, Opportunity City, 1913; Federal Census Records; Marion City Cemetery Records; Marion City Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 09/10/2013)