man Jeremiah Mathis‏‎, son of John "The Carpenter" Mathis and Deborah Grant‏.
Born ‎ Nov 26, 1777 at Tuckerton, Burlington, NJ, died ‎ Apr 29, 1863 at New Bedford, Bureau, IL‎, 85 years. Occupation: Sheriff,Justice of Peace
Never remarried.
Came to Champaign Co. in 1816.. Moved to Bureau Co., IL in 1840, where he was a Sheriff. He and his nephew Caleb (or possibly his brother Caleb) moved to Livingston Co., IL where they were among the very first settlers, in 1852, in the town of Reading. There, Jeremiah was the first Justice of the Peace.

OBITUARY from Bureau County Republican [IL], May 28, 1863:

DIED at New Bedford, Ill, April 29th 1863, of bronchial pneumonia and typhoid fever, Mr. JEREMIAH MATHIS in the eighty-sixth year of his age.
The subject of this obituary was born in Tuckerton, New Jersey, Nov. 26 A.D. 1777, emigrated to Ohio at an early day where he lived many years of his life, and raised a large and respectable family. He came to Illinois in 1840, and settled in Bureau county where now his remains find a final resting place.
He was born and raised among the "Friends" and consistent with early education he lived a quiet, moral, useful life. He possessed a remarkably excellent physical constitution and almost unyielding powers of endurance. As a mechanic he had few superiors and he continued to work at his bench, and elsewhere until about a week before his decease. He also enjoyed the full possession of his mental faculties, and in the ripeness of his old age calmly passed to the "better land".
His career which commenced only a few months after the birth-day of American Independence, has run parallel with almost the entire history of our Government, and it is with satisfaction that we record his name among the veteran fathers who labored for and loved our country so long and well. But it is with sadness we note his death, now in this hour of our country's trial and danger.
Heaven grant that the sunshine of political peace which lighted his pathway through life may soon again return, long to cheer and bless his posterity.

Married ‎ May 31, 1801 at , Burlington, NJ (30 years married) to:

woman Esther Morse‏‎, daughter of Ephraim Morse Jr. and Elizabeth Lippincott‏.
Born ‎ Sep 29, 1780 at NJ, died ‎ Jan 24, 1832‎, 51 years, buried ‎ at New Philadelphia Cemetery, Union Township, Logan, OH
The list of Jeremiah and Esther's children is pieced together from a variety of sources, and in many cases, the information has not been verified.

Children:

1.
woman Elizabeth (Betsey) Mathis‏
Born ‎ Sep 4, 1803 at NJ, died ‎ Mar 28, 1892‎, 88 years, buried ‎ at New Philadelphia Cemetery, Union Township, Logan, OH. Occupation: Housewife
2.
man Charles Grant Mathis‏
Born ‎ Mar 26, 1807 at NJ, died ‎ Mar 30, 1883 at Muscatine,, IA‎, 76 years, buried ‎ at Greenwood Cemetery
3.
man John Mathis‏
Also known as: John Matthews, born ‎ CA CIR, 1810, baptized ‎ 1880 at , Logan, OH‎. Occupation: Carpenter
Living in Logan Co., OH in 1880 with his sister Elizabeth Brown and a daughter who was his rather than Elizabeth's. She had children every 1 or 2 years until 1846 and she would have been 53 when she? daughter was born, so must be daughter of John.
5.
man Allen Mathis‏
Born ‎ Dec 19, 1814 at NJ, died ‎after ER 1884‎, at least 70 years. Occupation: Blacksmith
Residing in Wayne Twp., Champaign Co. in 1840, Urbana Twp. in 1850. Later was a blacksmith in Spring Hills. Only Mathis remaining in Champaign Co. in 1880.
6.
man Ephraim Mathis‏
Born ‎ May 8, 1816 at NJ, baptized ‎ 1880 at , Van Wert, OH, died ‎ Apr 1, 1894‎, 77 years, buried ‎ at Wright Cemetery, Jennings Township, Van Wert, OH. Occupation: Carpenter, Farmer
Living in Goshen Twp. in 1840, Urbana in 1850, in Van Wert Co., 1870-1880.
7.
man Eli Ridgeway Mathis‏
Born ‎ Jan 11, 1823 at Urbana, Champaign, OH, died ‎ Sep 10, 1905 at IL‎, 82 years, buried ‎ at Oakland Cemetery, Princeton, Bureau, IL. Occupation: Carpenter, Grocer
From ELI R. MATHIS in Past and Present of Bureau County [IL] : Eli R. Mathis, numbered among the pioneer residents of Princeton, located there in 1840, when the city was a mere village, and was identified with its growth and development throughout his remaining days. He figured in business circles as a dealer in groceries and dry goods and he also worked at the carpenter's trade. He was widely recognized as a man of enterprise and unfaltering determination, whose business methods would ever bear the closest investigation and scrutiny.

A native of Ohio, Mr. Mathis was born in Urbana, Champaign county, on the 11th of January, 1823. His parents were Jeremiah and Esther (Morse) Mathis, the former a native of New Jersey and the latter of the Buckeye state. Jeremiah Mathis removed to Urbana, at an early period in its development and there worked at the carpenter's trade until he came to the west. His wife died in Urbana when their son Eli was but eight years and father and sons afterward came to Illinois together in 1840, settling in Princeton, where the former worked at the carpenter's trade until his death on the 30th of April, 1863.

At the time of his mother's demise Eli R. Mathis started out in life on his own account. He learned the carpenter's trade under the direction of his father and as opportunity afforded he pursued his education continuing as a pupil in the old log schoolhouse in West Bureau during the early period of his residence here. He afterward began work at his trade, being first employed on what is known as the old William Chamberlain home [this is a name in Jeremiah's NJ ancestry]. In 1855 he helped to finish the residence which his widow now occupies. All through life he was active and energetic, constantly watchful of opportunities, which he improved, making them a resultant factor in the acquirement of a gratifying pleasure of success. He continued to work, at the carpenter's trade for several years and he assisted in building some of the first business blocks of Princeton. He then turned his attention to the grocery and dry-goods business, opening a store in the old Templeton building, where he remained for several years. He afterward resumed building operations for a few years, but eventualy gave up all business cares and retired to private life. Mr. Mathis was twice married. He first wedded Miss Matilda Green, of Bureau township, Bureau County, who died in Princeton. Subsequently he married Miss Esther Phillips, also of Bureau Township and a daughter of John and Betsy (Templin) Phillips, both of whom were natives of Urbana, Ohio, whence in 1833 they came to Illinois, casting in their lot among the pioneer residents of Bureau county. They first lived in what was known here by the pioneers as the Squatters' log cabin in West Bureau, Bureau township, and there Mr. Phillips improved a farm and carried on general agricultural pursuits until 1856, when he removed to Livingston county, Illinois, and was engaged in farming until his death. His wife also passed away there. In their family were five children, namely: Mrs. Mathis; Mrs. E. J. Lemon, of Princeton; Levi T., a resident farmer of Princeton township; James E., who is living in St. Joseph, Missouri; and Mrs. Sarah Leonard of Livingston county, Illinois. There were four children born unto Mr. and Mrs. Mathis; Alice M., the wife of A. C. Best, of Princeton, who is engaged in the conduct of a monument business here; Leslie Eli, city salesman for the White Lead Company, of Kansas City, Missouri, who married Alice Fesler and after her death wedded Janna S. Scroggins; Leonard Templin, who resides in Chicago, where for five years he has occupied the position of clerk in the Victoria Hotel; and Guy Roy, who married Grace D. Boyd of Springfield, Illinois, where he is engaged in the real estate and automobile business.

Eli R. Mathis served as school treasurer in Princeton for over thirty years and was a warm champion of the cause of education. He took an active interest in politics and always voted the republican ticket and his effort extended to many measures and movements which he deemed would prove of value to the community in promoting its material, intellectual, social and moral progress. He was a charter member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Princeton, which he assisted in organizing in July, 1851. He always took much interest in temperance work and was an earnest Christian man, who gave liberally to the poor and needy and was widely known for his charitable work which, however, always was done in an unostentatious manner. In his business interests he prospered, becoming well-to-do as the years passed by and in his later life he lived retired, enjoying a well earned rest until he was called to the home beyond on the 10th of September, 1905.

Mrs. Mathis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and is identified with various fraternal and social organizations. She has been a member of the Woman's Club here since it was established and in fact assisted in organizaing it. She is also connected with the Daughters of Rebekah, the Sons of Temperance and the Women's Christian Temperance Union, all of Princeton - affiliations which indicate her deep interest in the temperance cause and her efforts for its promulgation and adoption. She now owns and occupies a nice home at No. 419 South Main street and she also has much other property here, including several store buildings on Main street, which return to her a good rental. The name of Mathis has for about two-thirds of a century been associated with Princeton and its interests and Eli R. Mathis is justly numbered among the honored pioneers.
Lived in Mechanicsburg before moving to IL in 1841.
8.
man Samuel B. Mathis‏
Born ‎ CA CIR, 1826 at OH‎. Occupation: Carpenter
At his residence in 1850 was his father, Jeremiah Mathis, listed as being born in NJ and working as a carpenter.