USA > Iowa > Clayton County > History of Clayton County, Iowa : from the earliest historical times down to the present : including a genealogical and biographical record of many representative families, prepared from data obtained from original sources of information, Volume I > Part 90
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Conrad Schnepf has proved himself possessed of those at- tributes of character that make possible the achieving of large and worthy success and that beget unqualified popular confidence and esteem. He has been a resident of Iowa since his early youth, has been industrious, energetic and purposeful, and has won a secure place as one of the representative business men and influential citi- zens of Clayton county. When a mere lad he became virtually dependent upon his own resources, and he pressed forward bravely and earnestly toward the goal of success, with the result that he has been in the most significant sense the architect of his own fortunes. In the village of Garber he owns and controls a large and
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He is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Modern Brotherhood of America and the I. O. O. F., and he and his wife are zealous com- municants of the German Lutheran church. In the year 1881 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Schnepf to Miss Malinda Steifel, who was born in the state of Pennsylvania and who is a daughter of Christian and Mary (Miller) Steifel. Mrs. Schnepf was the first in order of birth in a family of six daughters and was about three years of age at the time of her parents' removal from the old Keystone state to Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Schnepf became the parents of seven children: Henry is in- dividually mentioned on other pages of this work; Edward is de- ceased; Alma remains at the parental home; Lizzie is the wife of Harold Gayner, of Oelwein, Fayette county, and has two children, George and Carl; Arthur, who is associated with his father's busi- ness, married Miss Laura Waterman and they have one child, Vir- ginia ; Elsie is a graduate nurse from the Iowa City school; and George is attending school at Vinton, this state, a school for the blind, he having met with an accident at the age of four years that left him totally blind.
Henry C. Schnepf is one of the representative business men of the younger generation in his native county, and is giving most efficient service in the position of cashier of the Farmers' Savings Bank of Garber. He was born at Garber, Clayton county, on the 25th of January, 1882, and is a son of Conrad Schnepf, an honored and influential citizen of whom specific mention is made on other pages of this publication. After making good use of the advantages afforded in the excellent public schools of Clayton county, Henry C. Schnepf further fortified himself by completing an effective course in a business college in the city of La Crosse, Wis. For the ensuing ten years he served as bookkeeper in his father's mercantile estab- lishment, at Garber, and in 1909 he became one of the organizers of the Farmers' Savings Bank of this village, of which he has since been the able and popular cashier. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party and he is affiliated with the Masonic frater- nity, including the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and is also with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, in which he passed various official chairs in the lodge at Elk- port. In 1904 Mr. Schnepf wedded Miss Ina Purman, who was born and reared in this county, a daughter of the late Andrew and Marinda Purman. Mrs. Schnepf was summoned to the life eternal on the 14th of June, 1911, and is survived by one son, Kenneth K., who was born September 14, 1905. On the 15th of April, 1914, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Schnepf to Miss Hattie McDonald, who likewise was born and reared in this county, and who is a daughter of George and Ella (Schmidt) McDonald, the latter of whom is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Schnepf are popular factors in the social life of their home community and are representatives of old and honored families of Clayton county.
Sigmund Schoentag has been a resident of Clayton county from the time of his birth, was but eleven years of age when he became
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the sterling and honored citizens of Clayton county, though both were born in Germany. The subject of this review is the youngest in a fine family of ten children, and concerning the others the fol- lowing brief record is consistently entered at this juncture: Her- man is a resident of the city of Dubuque; Anna is the wife of George Deuce, of Chicago, Ill .; Charles still remains at Guttenberg; Wil- liam is a resident of Cresco, Howard county ; Robert maintains his home at Guttenberg; Paulina is the wife of Otto Aulwes, of Han- nibal, Wis .; George resides at Alta Vista, Iowa; Fred remains at Guttenberg ; and Henry now lives at Madison, Wis. Otto F. Scholz continued his studied in the public schools of Guttenberg until he had duly profited by the advantages of the high school, and in February, 1913, he was graduated in the Babcock Institution of Pharmacy, in the city of Des Moines. Thereafter he was employed as clerk and pharmacist in a drug store in the city of Dubuque until August, 1915, when he purchased the drug store and business of C. F. Stagg, of Guttenberg, where he has since continued to conduct a prosperous enterprise in the handling of drugs, medicines, toilet articles, rubber goods, cameras and all other general lines custo- marily found in a first-class drug store. As a skilled and registered pharmacist he gives special attention to the careful compounding of physicians' prescriptions, and in this department his establish- ment has high reputation. Mr. Scholz gives his political allegiance to the Republican party, is progressive and public-spirited as a citi- zen, and he is affiliated with the local lodge of the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. June 21, 1913, recorded the marriage of Mr. Scholz to Miss Edna Hedgemann, who was born and reared in this county and who is a daughter of Frederick N. and Marcia (Jenkins) Hedgemann, of Guttenberg. Mr. and Mrs. Scholz have a little daughter, Helene Marcia, who was born September 29, 1914, and who lends definite charm to their pleasant and hospitable home.
Fred C. Schultz is junior member of the firm of Lindroth & Schultz, which owns and conducts a thoroughly modern automobile garage in the village of Luana, and is one of the aggressive and enterprising young business men of Clayton county. The firm erected for the proper accommodation of its substantial business the garage building which it occupies and which has the best of facili- ties throughout, including a well-equipped repair department, and here is maintained by the concern the local agency for the celebrated Studebaker and Chevrelot automobiles. Of the senior member of the firm, George F. Lindroth, is made the subject of individual mention on other pages of this work. Mr. Schultz was born in Grand Meadow township, this county, on the 2d of September, 1891, and is a son of Charles and Mary (Krochman) Schultz, both natives of Germany and both young folk when they came to the United States, their marriage having been solemnized in Iowa. As a young man Charles Schultz severed the ties that bound him to home and Fatherland and set forth, with all of courage and ambi- tion, to seek his fortunes in America. Upon coming to Clayton county he purchased a farm in Grand Meadow township, where he caused the earth to bring forth its increase from year to year and
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the busy little city and not to influence the political judgment of the people. In this he has been singularly successful and the Tribune has the friendship and support of all, regardless of political affilia- tions. Socially Mr. Schumacher is interested in all the life of the community and he is a respected member of Garnavillo Lodge No. 90, A. F. & A. M., and also of the Modern Brotherhood of America, and the Garnavillo Social Turnverein. He is a consistent member of St. Paul's Lutheran church of Garnavillo. Mr. Schumacher has been particularly happy in his home life. On June 15, 1909, he was married to Miss Clara M. Roebken, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Roebken of Garnavillo, and their home has been brightened by the advent of two charming daughters, Margery, aged three, and Wini- fred, aged eighteen months.
William Schumacher has gained through his own ability and well-ordered efforts a secure place as one of the representative busi- ness men and honored and influential citizens of Garnavillo, and is another of the sterling contributions that the great empire of Ger- many has made to Clayton county. He was born in Germany on the 4th of April, 1850, and is a son of Andrew and Christina Schumacher, both of whom passed their entire lives in Germany and of whose five children only two are now living. William Schumacher is indebted to the excellent schools of his native land for his early educational discipline and at the age of fourteen years he there entered upon an active apprenticeship to the tinner's trade, in which he became a skilled workman. In 1867, after the comple- tion of his thorough apprenticeship, his ambition and self-reliance led him to come to the United States, where he felt assured better opportunities would be afforded him for gaining definite independ- ence and prosperity through his own endeavors. Soon after landing in the port of New York City he made his way to Wisconsin, where he found employment at his trade and where he continued his resi- dence three years. He then, in 1870, came to Iowa and established his permanent home in Clayton county. For the first year he was employed at his trade in the village of Guttenberg, and during the ensuing year he was similarly engaged at Garnavillo. Here, in 1873, he showed his resourcefulness and well-ordered ambition by inde- pendently engaging in the hardware business upon a modest scale, commensurate with his financial resources. During the long inter- vening years he has continued his activities in this business and fair and honorable dealings, progressive policies and effective serv- ice have enabled him to build up a large and substantial business and to achieve well-merited success. His establishment, which he owns, is one of the excellent business buildings of Garnavillo and his is one of the best equipped hardware stores in the county, with all departments kept up to the best modern standard, including that devoted to agricultural implements and machinery. In addition to his store building Mr. Schumacher owns his attractive residence property in Garnavillo and also some village property in Buchanan county. He is one of the loyal and valued citizens of Clayton county, has served for the past thirty-five years as treasurer of the board of education and his political allegiance is given to the Demo-
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Gustav Seeman is the owner of one of the fine farms of Clayton county, and stands forth as one of the vigorous and effective rep- resentatives of agricultural and live-stock enterprise in his native county, his also being the prestige of being a representative of a sterling pioneer family of this section of the Hawkeye state. Mr. Seeman was born at Guttenberg, this county, on the 2d of August, 1862, and is a son of Gottfried and Mary (Voss) Seeman, the former a native of Prussia and the latter of the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. Gottfried Seeman was reared and educated in his native land and upon coming to America he became one of the pioneer settlers at Guttenberg, Clayton county, where he engaged in the work of his trade, that of carpenter. His deep loyalty to the land of his adop- tion was significantly shown at the time of the Civil war, and he sacrificed his life in defense of the cause of the Union. He enlisted as a member of the Twenty-seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and continued actively in its ranks until he met his death on the field of battle, leaving his young widow with two small children, of whom the subject of this review is the elder, the younger being Louise, who is the wife of Frederick Groth, of Guttenberg. The parents were earnest communicants of the Lutheran church and the mother long survived the husband of her youth, she having continued her residence in Clayton county until her death. Gustav Seeman acquired his early education in the schools of Jefferson township and as a youth he was employed by the month as a farm hand, his service in this capacity having continued two years, after which he was for an equal period employed at work on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. For the ensuing four years he operated a rented farm in Delaware county, and in 1895 he pur- chased a farm of two hundred and eleven acres, in Millville town- ship, Clayton county. Of this property he has since disposed of all save his fine homestead place of one hundred and twenty-eight acres, and the excellent buildings and other permanent improve- ments on the place stand in evidence of his progressiveness and the success that has attended his well ordered enterprise. In con- nection with diversified agriculture he gives special attention to the raising of excellent grades of cattle and also the Jersey Red swine. In politics he holds aloof from strict partisan lines and gives his support to the men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment. Both he and his wife are communicants of the German Lutheran church. On the 6th of May, 1886, was solem- nized the marriage of Mr. Seeman to Miss Bertha Kobernusz, who was born in Prussia, on the 19th of June, 1867, and who was seven years of age at the time when her parents immigrated to America and established their home in the city of Chicago, whence they came within a short time thereafter to Clayton county, where they established their home on a farm in Jefferson township. Mrs. Seeman is a daughter of Frederick and Frederica (Hulz) Kober- nusz, and her father was one of the representative farmers of Jef- ferson township at the time of his death, his widow being now a resident of Manly, this state. Mr. Kobernusz was a lifelong com- municant of the German Lutheran church, of which his venerable
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Among several hundred studies in oil and in water colors, as well as various mediums of black and white, are a few copies from the old masters, and many of her own studies from nature: In land- scape there are sketches made in various places from Maine to Alaska, and among her latest works are studies from living birds. Some of these have already been published, while others are ready for publication as illustrations for her writings on birds. Two books are now being written, chapters from which have appeared in ornithological magazines: One of them deals with the birds of her dooryard, the other is now appearing in serial form in the Wilson Bulletin under the title "Birds by the Wayside: In Europe, Asia, and Africa." It describes the birds she saw on a journey of 33,000 miles, and in twenty countries of the Old World. For several years it has been her annual custom to read a paper before some one of the leading scientific societies of America. These papers, setting forth the results of research work in the study of bird life, have been given a very hearty reception by scientists. The stamp of their approval may be seen in her election to the class of "Mem- bers" in the American Ornithologists' Union. Only three other women have ever been raised to this class, which is limited to one hundred persons. Another token of approbation was given by Smithsonian Institution, when it chose her paper on the feeding of hummingbirds to embody in its annual report to Congress. It sets forth that its aim is "to enrich the annual report required of them by law with memoirs illustrating the more remarkable and important developments in physical and biological discovery," and for this purpose about three dozen papers are chosen from all parts of the world. Of these the hummingbird paper was one in the report for 1913. Favorable notice has been taken of this paper in foreign countries and it has been republished in a British ornitho- logical magazine. Another mark of appreciation has been given by the editor of "Biographic Directory of American Men of Science," when he enrolled Miss Sherman among the very few women whose histories are given in this volume. She names some seven or eight scientific societies in which she has membership, and in several of which she takes an active part. Besides the study of birds she is carrying on a series of observations on bats. All about the place are evidences of the preparations she has made to attract the birds : There are boxes for nesting, brush-piles and refuges of various sorts, besides two buildings built especially for bird study, and in addition to these the barn has been the natal home of a half dozen species of birds. Nesting boxes are placed in it, that are so ar- ranged that the bird life within can be watched by unseen observers. It is thought that this is the only place in America in which the visitor may thus view the mysteries of the home life of four hole- nesting species of birds. At the time of our visit a screech owl in one of these boxes was brooding her snow-white, downy young, and a few rods away in an open lot a killdeer had placed her nest, while many of the common birds of village and orchard were busy at nest-building.
E. Amelia Sherman .- A few simple facts concerning the life
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the first summer the family occupied a temporary cabin, pending the construction of a more comfortable home. This house was most substantially built by David Clark, having been planned to with- stand the high winds which the other early settlers believed would wreck it. In accordance with their belief all of them had built their own homes within the shelter of the woods. Thus it happened that not only was this one of the first frame houses erected in Clay- ton county, but also it was one of the first houses to be built on the prairie. It was occupied as a residence for sixty years and in 1916 it is still standing. At the close of the Mexican war the United States government gave land warrants to its discharged soldiers; each one of which was good for a quarter section of land and was transferable. There was plenty of public land to be had at $1.25 per acre, in consequence of which the soldier, wishing to sell his warrant, did so at a discount. One of these warrants, bought for seventy-nine cents an acre, was laid by Mr. Sherman on a portion of the farm now owned by Mr. Louis Matt. To young men of re- cent years, who thought the pioneers had superior advantages be- cause they bought their land for a small sum, Mrs. Sherman would explain that the pioneer had much harder times. There was a very poor market for his very laboriously raised crops, and the things he bought came high. This she illustrated with an instance trom her own experience: She once traded a washtubful of eggs for a pound of tea ; eggs were three cents per dozen, and tea was a dollar per pound. Mrs. Sherman, ever eager for learning, acquired an excellent education for a girl of her period, but was ambitious for more schooling than she received, and declared her willingness to work her fingers to the bone in order to provide better opportuni- ties for her children than she had enjoyed. That her desires were realized is indicated by the college and university work done by her children. The oldest child in this family, Emma Maria, was born in Prairie du Chien, Wis., March 22, 1844, and died near Schaller, Iowa, August 9, 1881. She married Elihu F. Chase, September 15, 1859, by whom she had six children, viz., Beecher, Burritt, Russell, Althea, Martha and Bertha. Russell became a civil engineer and for several years has held a responsible position as chief field engineer on the Southern Pacific railroad; Althea is an artist, having studied her chosen art for many years in this country and in Europe; Martha is a successful teacher. The succeeding children of Mr. and Mrs. Sherman were born on their farm in Farmersburg township, two miles from National. Julia Adelaide, the second child, born May 6, 1847, was graduated from Upper Iowa Univer- sity with the degree of B. S .; from Oberlin College she received A. B. and A. M. degrees, and her M. D. from Michigan University. She married Philo D. St. John on June 30, 1880. Of her three children, Della is a musician and Burton is a chemist who holds high rank in his profession ; another son died in infancy. Ellen Amelia Sherman, born November 29, 1849, received her A. B. de- gree from; Oberlin College and her M. D. degree from Michigan University. Althea Rosina Sherman, born October 10, 1853, re- ceived both her A. B. and A. M. degrees from Oberlin College.
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incumbent until the spring of 1916, when he was elected cashier of the Luana Savings Bank, of whose directorate he had become a member at the time of its incorporation. In addition to his effec- tive services as cashier of this representative financial institution, Mr. Splies is treasurer of the Co-operative Creamery Company pre- viously mentioned, is secretary of the Luana Opera House As- sociation and is serving as treasurer of the consolidated independ- ent school district and secretary and treasurer of Luana Farmers Co-operative Society. It thus becomes evident that he is emphati- cally one of the alert and public-spirited young business men of his native county, and that he is distinctly influential in community affairs. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party and he and his wife are communicants of the German Lutheran church in their home village, besides which they are popular factors in the leading social activities of the community. February 21, 1906, recorded the marriage of Mr. Splies to Miss Maude E. Tru- man, who was born and reared in Clayton county, and who is a daughter of John and Helen (Burgess) Truman, the former of whom was born in Vermont, near beautiful Lake Champlain, and the latter of whom was born in the city of Detroit, Mich. Upon coming to Iowa, in the pioneer days, John Truman established his residence in Clayton county and became the owner and operator of a grain elevator at Luana. When the Civil war was precipitated on the nation he promptly tendered his services in defense of the Union, by enlisting early in 1861, as a member of an Iowa volunteer regiment, with which he proceeded to the front and with which he. continued in active and valiant service until the close of the war. He then resumed his active operations in the buying and shipping of grain and continued his residence at Luana until his death, which occurred December 23, 1874. His widow survived him by nearly twenty years and was summoned to eternal rest on the 29th of June, 1893, both having been earnest members of the. Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Truman having been a stalwart sup- porter of the cause of the Republican party. Of their children, Maude Ellen, wife of Mr. Splies, is the second; the first born, Hat- tie Helen, is deceased. Mrs. Splies was born May 31, 1872, and thus was not yet three years of age at the time of her father's death. She gained her early education in the public schools of Luana and supplemented this by a course of study in St. Mary's Academy at Prairie du Chien, Wis. Her only brother, John W., is now a pros- perous agriculturist near Oacoma, Lyman county, S. D. Mr. and Mrs. Splies have no children.
Arthur H. Staack is an enterprising and progressive young man who has been the able coadjutor of Arthur Hamann in the de- velopment of the substantial and thriving automobile and general garage business which they now control, under the firm name of Hamann & Staack, and of the senior member of this representative business firm of the city of Guttenberg, specific mention is made on other pages of this volume, together with adequate information con- cerning the upbuilding of the prosperous business of this popular firm. Mr. Staack was born at Clayton Center, this county, on the
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ceased; Minnie is the wife of Thomas Lendman, of Volga, this county ; Mary is the wife of William Goodin, of Volga; George re- sides at Oelwein, Fayette county ; and Otto is deceased. John Stahl, the immediate subject of this sketch, gained his early educa- tion in the public schools of Clayton county and continued his as- sociation with the work of the home farm from his boyhood until he had attained to his legal majority. He then accompanied his brother Charles on a trip to the far west, but he was soon attacked with severe illness and was compelled to return to the parental home. After recuperating he was again associated with the affairs of the home farm for three years, and during the following two and one-half years he was employed in driving a stage between Elkader and the village of Clayton. The following year he passed on his father's farm and he then went to Fenton, where he was identified with the hardware business for two and one-half years. He then located at Elkader, judical center of his native county, where he learned the jeweler's trade, and in June, 1908, he established at Volga the thriving business enterprise to which he has since given his attention. He is a loyal and public-spirited citizen, but has had no desire for political office or activity, though he gives his al- legiance and active support to the cause of the Democratic party. Mr. Stahl still permits his name to appear on the list of eligible bachelors in his native county.
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