According to the vertical file on Illges in the CSU Archives, Abraham Illges was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on April 7, 1830 and died in Columbus, Georgia on April 23, 1915. He was the son of Paul Illges, a native of German who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early part of 1800. A. Illges left school at age 13 and five years later came to Columbus and clerked for his brother, Jacob P. Illges, a grocery man. He left the grocery business in 1859 and traveled for two years for health and pleasure. During most of the Civil War he served as an agent in intelligence rather than as a combat soldier, a role he chose believing it likely that some of his brothers were bearing arms for the Union. In 1864, however, he joined the Confederate service as a member of the state troops and was present at the fall of Savanna. In 1867 he again entered the grocery business in Columbus, adding a cotton business two years later. Nine years later he went into the manufacture of jute bagging. In 1889 Mr. Illges became president of the Golden Foundry and Machine Company. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Muscogee Mills, of the Chattahoochee National Bank, of the Georgia Midland & Gulf Railroad and of the Chattahoochee Brewing Company. He also owned interests in rolling mills in Birmingham, Alabama. He married Mary Lou Barnett (July 9, 1857-July 1, 1936) in 1879. They had 7 children.