- Date Of Birth: October 31, 1926
- Date Of Death: October 7, 2017
- State: Illinois
Harlin Hamilton, 90, of Jacksonville, passed away Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at Passavant Area Hospital following a lingering illness.
Mr. Hamilton was born Oct. 31, 1926, in the Shiloh area west of Virginia. At the age of three his family moved to the Dr. Black farm southeast of Virginia. He attended Walnut Grove School, a one room schoolhouse located on the family farm. In 1944, he graduated from Virginia High School where he studied agriculture along with all the required subjects, and earned his State Farmer degree.
He married his implement dealer’s daughter, Mary E. Watkins on Jan. 26, 1946. Harlin farmed with his father as a young man. He and his bride moved to Macoupin County and rented a large farm. Three years later he purchased a farm east of Chapin. He and his family spent 34 years on that farm. During that time, he became a joint owner of the Massey-Harris Implement Dealership in Jacksonville and Virginia.
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton moved to Jacksonville in 1984. Retirement filled the next years. Over the years, Mr. Hamilton bought and sold farm land for his use and small acreage for home sites. Mr. Hamilton stayed active through his 80’s, traveling through Europe as well as Alaska, Russia, Ireland and Greece.
Harlin was preceded in death by his father, Frank R. Hamilton, his mother, Virginia Shive Hamilton, and his only sibling, James Hamilton. He is survived by his wife; one son and three daughters, Donald Hamilton of Chapin, Judy Hamilton of West Lafayette, IN, Vickie Cochran of Swansea, and Diana H. (David) Jackson of Jacksonville; eight grandchildren, Bethany Hamilton, Ginny L. Hamilton, David L. Hamilton, Jeanine (Brian) Cohoon, Nathan Cochran, Joseph (Jen) Kozma III, Matthew Jackson and Sarah Jackson; and four great grandchildren, Lucas Hill, Steven Cohoon, Phoebe Cohoon and Deckard Kozma.
