Trimmer, Rev. David

Rev. David TRIMMER
Born - 1811 NJ
Died - 1881 IL
Bur. - 1881 Hudson, Mc Lean Co., IL, West Hudson Cemetery
Son of John D. TRIMMER & Elizabeth LANTERMAN

Note - David Trimmer

BIOGRAPHY:
David Trimmer was born in 1811 in New Jersey, probably a son of John Trimmer.

He came to Havens Grove some time in the 1820's where he married Margaret Havens, born in 1812 in Ohio, a daughter of Jesse and Rebecca (Hinthorn) Havens. They were the parents of John Anderson, born 1834; Mary E., born 1836; Havens C., born 1839; and Charles M., born 1845. Margaret Trimmer died in 1862 and the Rev. David Trimmer died in 1881. Both are buried in West Hudson Cemetery.

The David Trimmer house, constructed of black walnut, without the use of nails, was located on the west side of Route 51, just south of Hudson, IL. The small, two story structure burned in the 1940's. David Trimmer was a blacksmith, probably the first in the area. On January 7, 1833, he entered 40 acres in Section 20 and 40 acres in Section 28. On December 18, 1835, he entered 80 acres in the east one-half of the northwest quarter of Section 28, and it is probably on this land that the first Methodist church was built.

In 1850 some of the leading citizens of Bloomington began working for a university, which they wished placed under the control of the Methodist church, which they felt would assure good management. On December 2, 1850, the first Board of Trustees of Illinois Wesleyan University was organized under the general laws of the state. David Trimmer was one of the Trustees.

The first Quarterly Meeting Conference for Hudson Circuit was held in the M.E. Church on November 19, 1853 and David Trimmer was listed as a Local Preacher who was present. He was elected to a Board of Stewards, and to the Missionary Committee, and to a committee to investigate the building of a parsonage, and to a committee appointed "to estimate the Probably amount of Table Expenses for the Present year." On June 18, 1858, Horatio N. Pettit and his wife Harriet N. Pettit deeded Lot one, Block thirteen to the Trustees of the Methodist Church, one of whom was David Trimmer. The new church was constructed on this lot.
(Source: The Hudson Colony by Ruth Bitting Hamm, Hudson, IL 1976, p. 323)