Raymond Rolfe was born on February 28, 1835 in Ickford, England. He trained as a stonemason and moved to the United States in 1855. He lived in DeKalb for ten years then moved to Malta in 1865 where he lived for fourteen years. In 1879 he moved back to DeKalb. Rolfe was active in the Baptist denomination serving as a deacon. He was a prohibitionist and believed in the temperance cause. As a mason contractor, he built such notable structures as the Wells Shoe Factory, the Chronicle Building, the Ronan Building, and the first factory for the DeKalb Fence Company. According to Rolfe’s diaries he worked on the Glidden and Ellwood houses, the Gurler farm, and the DeKalb County Poor Farm.
Rolfe married Delpha E. Munger in Earlville on December 22, 1864. She was born in Blaine, Boone County, Illinois on December 8, 1843. Raymond died on April 27, 1918 of an enlarged prostate gland and Delpha died March 17, 1915 of anemia. Both are buried in Fairview Cemetery in DeKalb.
Raymond and Delpha had six children: Henry Edwin, Frances, Salena, Frank Albert, Ellen Irene, and George Raymond. All were born in Malta except George Raymond who was born in DeKalb. Henry was born October 16, 1865, married Nellie G. Thompson on December 23, 1891 in Sterling, and had one son named Burton Thompson on July 21, 1896. Burton died of tuberculosis on June 21, 1915, Henry died on December 6, 1949, and Nellie in 1966. Frances was born on September 11, 1869 and Salena was born on September 1, 1870. Both died in infancy. Frank was born May 7, 1873 and died in 1956. He married Jennie who was born in August 1877. According to the 1910 Federal Census, the couple had five children: Dorothy F., Hazel E., Charles A., Perry E., and John H. Ellen, also referred to as Nellie, was born on November 14, 1875 and married John Cook on July 15, 1896. George Raymond was born on March 25, 1881.
[The Historical Sketch is by no means complete. Biographical information came from an article found in the county history entitled, Past and Present of DeKalb County, Illinois by Lewis M. Gross, census, and cemetery records.]
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