THOMAS F. RHEA, farmer and stock-raiser, post office, New Berlin, is a brother of the preceding, and was born in Jefferson county, Illinois, July 27, 1824; son of James Rhea, born June 3, 1780, and Rachel (Jolleff) Rhea, born November 16, 1783; were married in Virginia, November 20, 1801, and in an early day emigrated to Boone county, Kentucky. In 1812, he enlisted in the war and was with Commodore Perry, at the battle of Lake Erie. After the close of the war he returned to Kentucky, where he remained until 1820, when he left his Kentucky home for the far west, or the Sangamo country, as it was called at that time. He located in what is now Jefferson county, Illinois, where he remained until 1827, when he came to Sangamon county, where he bought and improved eighty acres of land, with a log cabin into which the family moved, and remained until he could build a more commodious one. He remained here until his death, which occurred February 12, 1843. They were members of the Emancipation Baptist Church, and were instrumental in organizing the first Sabbath school in Berlin township. They died as they had lived, sincere Christians. The subject of this sketch came to this county when he was three years old; was reared on a farm, and received his education in the pioneer school house. He married Miss Lucinda Wilcox. She was the daughter of Ellis Wilcox, a native of Kentucky, and was born February 15, 1825. They had five children, viz: Annie L., born August 17, 1845; Clarinda, born August 1, 1850; Eliza E., born April 3, 1852, and died in childhood; Rebecca, born December 2, 1856, and died December 20, 1865; Lou, born December 7, 1859. Mrs. Lucinda Rhea died December 7, 1877, a member of the Missionary Baptist Church; was respected by all who knew her. For his second wife Mr. Rhea married Mrs. Louisa Yates, a widow of Henry Yates, deceased, who died October 3, 1871, leaving four children: Henrietta, Minnie L., Grace, who died July 20, 1872, and Laura. Mrs. Rhea was the daughter of Francis Arnz, who figured prominently in the political arena, in Cass county; held several local offices in the gift of the people, representing his district in the legislature; also was appointed Minister to Austria and Germany. Mr. Rhea came to the county in an early day; has seen it from its infancy to one of the most flourishing counties in the State. He has five hundred and five acres of beautiful land, all under a high state of cultivation, valued at $50 per acre, and is one of the large and prosperous farmers of the county; has held several local offices, and represented his people as supervisor.