My Genealogy Hound

Levi J. Wilkinson, farmer, merchant and philanthropist, was reared on his father’s farm in Gibson county, received his education in the district schools and engaged in farming, an occupation he followed until 1855 — in Gibson county until 1851 and in Posey county until 1855. In the last named year he engaged in the general merchandise business in Cynthiana under the firm style of Wilkinson & Putnam, having as an associate James Putnam. The latter’s interest was purchased by Mr. Wilkinson shortly afterward and J. H. C. Lowe became his partner. Two others were admitted to the firm and its style became Wilkinson, Lowe & Co. Mr. Wilkinson retired from the firm within a few months, however, and engaged in the business without associates. As a merchant he was successful. His business was the leading one in Cynthiana, his stock the largest, offering the most in the way of selection, and was as well the best kept and arranged of any in the city. Posey county has never had a merchant who in his dealings with all has been more fair, more honest or more charitable than was Mr. Wilkinson during an active commercial life of fifty years, and which in respect to length has seldom been equaled in the State. During his active commercial life he was a purchaser of choice farm lands and became the owner of several hundred acres in Posey county. As a citizen he has always taken an active interest in those enterprises which have had for their object the development and betterment of the community. He made a donation of one thousand dollars toward the building of the Evansville & Terre Haute railroad, in addition to paying his proportion of the bonds. In 1901 the Christian church and parsonage at Cynthiana were erected at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars, the fund for this undertaking being the gift of Mr. Wilkinson to the congregation. He also deeded to the congregation one hundred and fifty-eight acres of land as an endowment for maintenance. His gifts to the Christian College at Merom to date are two hundred and seventy acres of land and seven thousand dollars in money. To Jireh College, at Jireh, Wyo., he has given sixty-two acres of land and five thousand two hundred dollars in money. It is the intention of him and his wife to leave to the mission board of the Christian church that part of their fortune which remains upon their departure from this life. Mr. Wilkinson married, in 1845, Miss Elizabeth Smith, a daughter of Daniel and Nancy (Spain) Smith, who died in 1870. Of this union two children were born, both of whom died in infancy. On March 16, 1871, Mr. Wilkinson married Miss Julia E. Wilkinson, a daughter of Isaiah and Mary (Pruett) Wilkinson. She was born in Johnson township, Gibson county, Indiana, on December 4, 1840. They have been members of the Christian church since childhood and have always been leaders in the work of building up their denomination. The sunset years of their lives have been given over to the work of the Master, while the fruits of their labor are being expended in furthering the work of their church. Mr. Wilkinson, now in his eighty-ninth year, is remarkably vigorous, his health remarkably good for one of his age, while his mental powers are practically unimpaired. Mrs. Wilkinson, who has been a willing helpmeet for over forty years, is now in her seventy-third year. She is a woman of fine intellectuality and her influence has been of potent value in the community. Their home life has been ideal. What may be termed their life work is nearly finished. It has met to a great extent the fullness of their ambition, but, infinitely more precious to them is the fact that they are rich in the possession of the affection which slowly develops only from unselfish works and the esteem which conies from honorable living.