Edward Groves Sullivan was born May 27, 1868 near Thompsonville, Illinois in Franklin County to Thomas Sullivan and Mary Forester. The 1880 federal census recorded Thomas as a farmer who had 8 children including 11 year old Edward who was attending school.
On September 24, 1891, Edward married Sarah Melvina Pyle in Franklin County. Nine years later when the 1900 census was taken, Edward was listed as a 32 year old salesman of general merchandise in a store in Thompsonville village. The coupled reported that they had had four children and all of them were living including Roy 7, Lee 4, Stanley 2 and daughter Alma aged 3 months. The owned their home free of mortgage.
Shortly after the turn of the century, Edward’s family made the move to Marion to live. An article in a local newspaper said that Edward was remembered as having been seen in Marion driving his red 1903 Oldsmobile.
The Sullivan’s were found listed in a 1907 Marion Street directory as living at 409 E. Boulevard St. with a produce business located at 520 N. Van Buren St. This means that in the first few years of the 1900’s Edward had begun operating his wholesale produce and poultry business in the building that was on N. Van Buren, just west of the Illinois Central Railroad depot. The building itself was built in 1881 by Goodall and Campbell as a tobacco drying barn and was occupied around 1900 by the Armour Packing Company as a poultry house prior to Sullivan.
Business must have been good for Edward because he opened another wholesale poultry market in Vergennes, Illinoi on March 2, 1909 and appears to have operated another market in Johnston City on Broadway across from Jefferson Street around 1915.
In 1909 and 1910, Edward served as alderman for the city of Marion under Mayor J.C. Mitchell and the served again in 1913 and 1914 under Mayor George B. Calhoun.
In the 1910 census, Edward 43 and Sarah 38 were still living at 409 E. Boulevard St. and had five children in the home. Sarah reported that they had had 6 children, meaning they had lost a child since the 1900 census. Children in the home were Roy 17, Lee 14, Stanley 12, Alma 10 and Bessie 7. Edward was listed as a wholesale poultry dealer.
Between 1905 and 1917, Edward purchased 13 properties, ten in Marion and three in Johnston City.
Edward passed away on May 11, 1919 after an illness that extended over five years. Burial was in the family cemetery at Mt. Etna Methodist Church Cemetery in Thompsonville. Those surviving him were Roy Sullivan of W. Frankfort, Lieut. Lee Sullivan of Marion, Stanley of West Frankfort, and Virginia Leroy, daughter of Lee Sullivan.
Sarah went on to live to the age of 82 and passed away in her home at 307 E. Thorne Street on November 2, 1954. Burial was in Rosehill Cemetery. Sarah left two sons, Lee of Paris and Stanley of RFD, Creal Springs, two daughters, Alma and Bess Sullivan, both at home.
Notes on children:
Roy Edward Sullivan, 1892-1953, married Vida Randolph, enlisted in Army July 26, 1918, discharged Jan 12, 1919 at Camp Grant, Illinois
James Lee Sullivan, 1896-1958, managed a produce company, enlisted in Army, Sept. 6, 1917 and honorably discharged, married Verna Church in January 1925, attended Northwestern University of Chicago. Practiced law in Chicago.
Stanley Andrew Sullivan, 1897-1965
Alma Mary Sullivan, 1900-1992
Beulah Mary Sullivan, 1902-1902
Elizabeth “Bessie” Sullivan, 1908-1976
(Sources: Federal Census records, Marion Daily Republican and Daily Free Press newspapers, FindaGrave.com, Williamson County Deed Records, Franklin County Marriage records, Marion Street Directories, Glimpses of the Past (Johnston City), Marion (Opportunity City) 1913, S.S. Death Records. Compiled by Sam Lattuca 3/8/2024)