I ▁don ' t ▁want ▁to ▁write ▁my ▁aut obi ography ▁and ▁have ▁it ▁appear ▁while ▁I ▁am ▁alive . ▁It ▁doesn ' t ▁seem ▁the ▁thing ▁to ▁do . ▁You ▁are ▁the ▁one ▁to ▁write ▁my ▁bi ography ▁from ▁all ▁the ▁data ▁that ▁I ▁shall ▁leave , ▁but ▁it ▁will ▁be ▁done ▁after ▁I ▁have ▁left ▁them ." ▁( The ▁" data " ▁sign ified ▁the ▁di aries . ▁The ▁above ▁ital ics ▁are ▁in ▁Dr . ▁Ward ' s ▁letter .) ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁L ester ▁Frank ▁Ward ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁J ol iet , ▁Illinois , ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁ 1 0 ▁children ▁born ▁to ▁Just us ▁Ward ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Sil ence ▁Rol ph ▁Ward . ▁Just us ▁Ward ▁( d . 1 8 5 8 ) ▁was ▁of ▁old ▁New ▁England ▁colonial ▁stock , ▁but ▁he ▁wasn ' t ▁rich , ▁and ▁far med ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁living . ▁Sil ence ▁Ward ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁cl erg yman ; ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁tal ented ▁per fection ist , ▁educated ▁and ▁fond ▁of ▁literature . ▁ ▁When ▁L ester ▁Frank ▁was ▁one ▁year ▁of ▁age ▁the ▁family ▁moved ▁closer ▁to ▁Chicago , ▁to ▁a ▁place ▁called ▁Cass , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁Down ers ▁Gro ve , ▁Illinois ▁about ▁twenty - three ▁miles ▁from ▁Lake ▁Michigan . ▁The ▁family ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁a ▁hom est ead ▁in ▁nearby ▁St . ▁Charles , ▁Illinois ▁where ▁his ▁father ▁built ▁a ▁saw ▁mill ▁business ▁making ▁rail road ▁t ies