Isaac Funk
| Isaac Funk | |
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| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 10th district |
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In office 1862 – 1865 |
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| Preceded by | William Berry |
| Succeeded by | William H. Cheney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 17, 1797 Clark County, Kentucky |
| Died | January 29, 1865 (aged 67) Bloomington, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Funks Grove, Illinois |
| Profession | Rancher |
Isaac Funk (November 17, 1797 – January 29, 1865) was an American rancher and politician, originally from Kentucky. In the 1820s, he founded Funks Grove, Illinois in McLean County, Illinois with his brother and became a prominent cattle trader. Funk was elected to one term in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1840. Despite several financial setbacks, Funk remained one of the wealthiest settlers in the area. He served in the Illinois Senate in the 1860s and died before his second term was complete. He was the patriarch of the Funk family and co-founded Illinois Wesleyan University.
Isaac Funk was born on November 17, 1797 in Clark County, Kentucky to Adam and Sarah (Moore) Funk. He was one of nine children and received little schooling. In 1807, he moved with his family to Fayette County, Ohio. In 1821, Funk left his family to work at the Kanawha Salt Works in Virginia for a year. He then returned to Ohio, working as a laborer on a farm. In April 1824, Funk moved to Sangamon County, Illinois. His stay was brief, and he moved to McLean County, becoming one of the county's first settlers. There, he established Funks Grove, Illinois with his brother Absalom. He and his brother began a successful business raising cattle and farming.
By the 1830s, the Funks were among the richest settlers in the area. However, they lost half of their fortune in the Panic of 1837. The brothers dissolved their partnership the next year. Funk continued to rear cattle and slowly rebuilt his fortune. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1840, ostensibly as a Whig, serving one two-year term. He again met financial hardship during the Great Flood of 1844, when many of his cattle died. He was named to the Board of Trustees of Illinois Wesleyan University in 1850 as one of its original founders.
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