| 382 cont'd | HISTORY OF ALLEN AND |
M. J. CHOLLETTE.
MR. CHOLLETTE.—The late Cornelius M. Chollette, of Iola, who will be remembered with pleasure by the old settlers of this city, was born in the state of New York March 12, 1834. He was the last of seven children, four sons and three daughters, and was a son of Henry Chollette, whose ancestors were French. The identity of five of Henry Chollette's heirs is as follows; Jonathan, who died in Wahoo, Nebraska, in 1896, William, Henrietta, Anna and Frances are residents of Galva, Illinois.
At the age of thirteen years Cornelius Chollette went into New York City and there learned the cabinet makers trade with his brother Jonathan. He remained there five years and came west to Henry county, Illinois. He followed his trade in that state till the latter part of the fifties when he returned to his native heath in New York, remaining till 1860. The year before the outbreak of the war he went into Pennsylvania and the next year enlisted in the Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, three months' service. He re-enlisted in the Fourth or Fifth United States Artillery and in the battle of Gettysburg fought near General Hancock's headquarters. He reached the rank of First Lieutenant and was for a time in command of his battery. He was in Sheridan's Shenandoah campaign and in the famous battle of Cedar Creek. At the expiration of his term of enlistment in the artillery he rejoined the army, this time becoming a member of Company E, Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania. He was discharged in the autumn of 1865, having completed in all, fifty-four months of active service.
Mr. Chollette returned to Henry county, Illinois, after the war, to which point his mother had moved, and he took care of her till her death. March 6, 1871, he came to Iola. He engaged in the lumber and furniture
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business with Mr. White and continued it some years. He sold his business to S. A. Brown, who was establishing yards all over eastern Kansas, and retired permanently from active business.
May 4, 1872, Mr. Chollette was married at Geneva, by Rev. S. M. Irwin, to Mary J. Hopkins, a daughter of William and Louisa Searles. Mrs. Searles homesteaded the place in Geneva township owned by Loftus Searles and died in Iola in 1872. The Searles went from LaGrange county, Indiana, to Springfield and in 1867 settled on the homestead in Geneva township. Mrs. Searles' children are: Charles W., in Iola; Loftus, Oscar, Orin Adelbert and John.
Mr. Chollette was a staunch Republican and was an enthusiastic Grand Army man. He attended many of their encampments and was foremost in many things tending to awaken an interest in the local post. He died February 28, 1889.
Pages 382-383, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.
