USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume II > Part 100
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On April 4, 1888, John M. Palmer was mar- ried a second time, to Mrs. Hannah L. Kim-
ball, daughter of Mr. James L. Lamb, an old resident of Springfield; in May of the same year Mr. Palmer became a candidate for gov- ernor, allowing his name to be used by the Democracy, well knowing that there was small prospect of his election ; during the canvass, however, he visited over sixty counties and was defeated by only 12,547 votes. In 1890 Mr. Palmer was nominated by the Democrats of the state for the senate of the L'nited States, and in January, 1891, the legislature assembled and cast one hundred and fifty-three ballots for senator, and on the one hundred and fifty- fourth ballot he was elected, March 11, 1891. In 1896 Senator Palmer was nominated by the national Democratic convention, assembled at Indianapolis, for president of the United States, and General Simon Bolivar Buckner, of Kentucky, for vice president. In October, 1896, Senator Palmer was invited to deliver an address at Galesburg, Illinois, commemora- tive of the great debate between Lincoln and Douglas, which occurred on the same plat- form and same day in 1858.
At the expiration of his term in the senate Mr. Palmer resumed his quiet home-life in Springfield, engaged in the preparation of the story of his life. On the twenty-fifth day of September, 1900, his long and useful life ended, just in the manner he had most desired, with every "faculty bright from use," and "with the harness on"; God granted his desire. He rests in the small cemetery at his old home in Carlinville, Illinois.
AUGUST JOHANNIGMEIR. The German- Americans of this country are regarded as among the most reliable and esteemed citi- zens of the land, and where they live, there is sure to be found a number of substantial homes. They usually take great interest in the development of the resources of a community and make for good government. and among this class may be mentioned August Johannigmeir, the founder of East Granite City, Illinois, and one of Madison county's old and honored pioneers. MIr. Jo- hannigmeir was born in 1846, in Germany, and is a son of Casper and Elizabeth (In- stall) Johannigmeir., Their children, Henry, Kate, Mary, Elizabeth, Louisa, Lena and August, were all educated in the schools of Germany.
August Johannigmeir, like many others of his countrymen, saw only a life of hard toil and little remuneration as his prospect of life in the Fatherland, and when he was twenty years of age decided to change his
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residence to the new world, of which he had heard such wonderful tales as to the opportunities offered young men of indus- try and enterprise. With his brothers, he came to the United States, landing at New York, and making his way thence to Iowa, where the youths obtained work on a farm until 1866, and then removed to St. Louis. In 1868, Mr. Johannigmeir was married in that city, to Miss Kate Barmeyer, who was born in Germany in 1842, daughter of Gott- lieb and Isabine Barmeyer, who had immi- grated to St. Louis at an early day from Germany, sending for their daughters three years later. They had five children, Charlie, Frederick, Mary, Ricka and Kate, all of whom received confirmation in the German Evangelical church, of which the parents were both members.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Jo- hannigmeir began their wedded life in St. Louis, where they resided for about five years, then coming to Nameoki township and settling on a tract of one hundred and ten acres of farming land, part of which she had inherited and part purchased by Mr. Johannigmeir. Here has was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1904, in which year, seeing the necessity for an addition to Granite City, he platted out his farm into city lots and became the founder of East Granite City, a village that has grown rapidly and justified his belief in its future. It already has a population of from 400 to 500, its streets are well laid out and nicely paved, a good street car service has been installed, and in 1912 a high school was erected. Mr. Johannigmeir's successful ca- reer proves what may be accomplished by the man who has force of character, busi- ness integrity and honesty, no matter how humble his start. The position he has gained in the financial world is only the just reward that comes after many years of hard labor, well-directed, while the esteem and respect in which he is held by his fel- low citizens testifies to his honorable deal- ings in all matters.
Mr. and Mrs. Johannigmeir have been the parents of seven children, of whom two are deceased, the survivors being : Henry, Charlie, August, Ida and Bertha. They have given their children excellent educational advantages, sending them to the public and German schools, and fitting them for what- ever positions they are called upon to fill in life. Henry married Caroline Schrader,
is a bricklayer by occupation, residing in East Granite, near the home of his parents, and has three children, Otto, Alma and George. August, who is employed in a roll- ing mill in East Granite, married Mary Peip- per, and has two children, Ella and How- ard. Ida married August Ruwisch, a farmer of East Granite, and they have five children, Olinda, Alma, Edward, Alfred and Walter. Bertha is the wife of Emil Ramer, a farmer of Nameoki township.
In the thirty-eight years that Mr. and Mrs. Johannigmeir have resided in this township they have lived to see the country develop from a raw prairie land to a smil- ing, prosperous farming section and flour- ishing commercial community, and they have done their share in bringing this mar- velous development about. They have as- sisted in the work of the German Evangel- ical church, and helped to build the pres- ent home of that denomination, a handsome granite structure that does credit to Ger- man industry and taste. Politically Mr. Jo- hannigmeir is a Republican, but he is apt to cast aside party ties when his judgment tells him that another party's candidate is best fitted to look after the public's inter- ests. All in all, he is a citizen of whom his community is justly proud, and one in whom they have the utmost confidence, jus- tified by his past record for giving his in- fluence to the cause of right in every walk of life.
FRED G. LUEDERS. To the man of indus- try and enterprise a life of retirement, after many years spent in hard and faithful toil, seems repellant, and not until he feels abso- lutely convinced that he has done his share in developing the community will the av- erage Illinois farmer relinquish his hold upon active operations. Then, when he fin- ally does settle down in his home in a near- by city or village, he invariably proves a valuable asset to his community, and as · such is welcomed by his fellow townsmen. Fred G. Lueders, who is now living a re- tired life at Granite City, Illinois, was for many years engaged in agricultural pur- suits in Nameoki township, and during a long and successful career built up a repu- tation for business integrity and honesty of character. He was born in Madison county, Illinois, in 1859, a son of Henry and Mary (Stockhaus) Lueders, natives of Germany.
Henry Lueders came to the United States alone in about 1849, and two years later his
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first wife followed him to this country, bringing with her a daughter, Sophia, who is now Mrs. Zimmermann of St. Louis. With her also came Henry Lueders' par- ents and others of the family, making four- teen persons in all, and this little colony settled on a rented farm in Nameoki town- ship, near the present site of Granite City, on which there was a small log cabin, with one room and a little attic. The finances of the family totaled about $1,000 at that time, and with that capital they started out to make a home for themselves on the raw prairie. One year later, the grandparents of Fred G. Lueders died here, within an hour of each other, and the year following Mrs. Lueders passed away. Shortly after the latter event Henry Lueders was married (second) to Mary Stockhaus, a native of Germany, and to that union there were four children born: Julia, Anna, Fred G. and a child that died in infancy. Mr. Lueders continued to operate the rented farm until 1864, when he was able to purchase a tract of sixty-five acres situated about four miles from East St. Louis, on the Belleville road, opposite the old toll gate. About this time his second wife died, and six weeks later he met an accidental death, when a neigh- bor's wagon, which had become stuck in the ice and snow, suddenly overturned on him when he was assisting the neighbor to extricate it from its position.
Mr. Lueders had not been dead for any great length of time when his daughters, Julia and Anna, also passed away, and thus left alone, Fred G. went to live with his uncle, Conrad Lueders, who had been reared by his brother Henry, and saw this way of repaying the service. Fred G. Lueders re- mained with his uncle until he was twenty years of age, at which time he commenced working for sixteen dollars per month as a farm hand in Nameoki township, but being desirous of bettering his condition in life, he rented a farm, and with a companion of about his own age operated it for two years. They then rented the farm of Mr. Fehling, on the present site of Granite City, and continued thereon for eight years. On Oc- tober 8, 1885, Mr. Lueders was married to Miss Lydia Fehling, daughter of Henry and Fredericka (Hildebrandt) Fehling, prosperous farming people of Nameoki township, and whose children were Min- nie, Tillie, Louise, Anna, Sophia, Ida,
Freda, Eddie, William and Lydia. William, Minnie, Freda and Lydia now survive. Mrs. Lueders was born in Madison county in 1866, and received her education in the district school No. 13, Nameoki township.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Luc- ders began life on the Fehling farm, but in 1889 he purchased a Nameoki township farm, a tract of ninety acres with but few improvements and only a small house. Here, with the progressiveness and industry that he had inherited from his German par- ents, he started to carry on farming, adding to his stock and equipment year by year, and gradually erecting buildings, planting shade trees and laying out lawns. A hand- some residence was put up, and the years of steady, unremitting toil were rewarded by the development of one of the finest properties in the township, which for years will stand as a monument to this estimable couple's thrift and industry. In 1904, feel - ing that he had done his share in developing the country and advancing its interests, he retired, and he and Mrs. Lueders are now residents of Granite City, where they are esteemed and respected by all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance.
Mr. and Mrs. Lueders have had seven children, namely : Charlie, Alfred, William, Louis, Henry, Wesley and Conrad, of whom the first four are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lueders have given their children excellent educational advantages. Henry first at- tended the public and high schools of Gran- ite City, and completed his education in Draughon's Business College, St. Louis, and is now employed as a stenographer in the office of the Wabash Railroad, at St. Louis. Wesley, who is aged fifteen years, is a stu- dent in the Granite City high school, and Conrad attends the East Granite public schools.
Politically a Republican, Mr. Lueders is not bigoted in his views, and reserves the right to vote independently when he feels that another party's candidate can better fill the position at stake. He and Mrs. Lue- ders are consistent members of the German Evangelical church, and have been active in its work. Mr. Lueders' record as an ag- riculturist was excellent, and his record as a private citizen, striving to maintain the high standard of his community, is no less meritorious. The example set by his actions may well be used as a pattern for the generation now growing up.
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HENRY RATH. A useful and respected farmer-citizen of Nameoki township, Madi- son county, is Henry Rath, who is one of the county's native sons who has paid it the compliment of remaining within its bor- ders. He was born in 1860, and is the son of Joseph and Anna Rath, both natives of Germany, who immigrated to this country previous to their marriage. The father was a farmer by occupation and came early enough to be numbered among the pioneers, and it was his pleasant portion to assist in founding the splendid prosperity of this section. The family consisted of Conrad Rath and Fritz Harbing, half-brothers of the subject; William, Alvina, Minnie and Henry. The young people acquired their education in Braden school.
When Henry Rath was five years of age he was deprived of his father by death, and as he grew to manhood much of the care and responsibility of the family fell upon his young shoulders. In 1886 he left the home roof to found a home of his own, be- ing united in marriage to Louisa Allers, born in Madison county in 1863, the daugh- ter of William and Minnie (Urland) Allers. natives of Germany. Mrs. Rath's parents crossed the Atlantic in youth and were mar- ried in this country. The family consisted of but two daughters,-Louisa, the elder ; and Minnie, who is now Mrs. August Si- mons, of Nameoki township.
Mr. and Mrs. Rath began their happy married life in Madison county, at the bend south of Horseshoe Lake, on a rented farm and there resided for about eight years. The estimable, mutually helpful young couple began upon their task of home-mak- ing with characteristic German industry, and their reward has been successful pros- perity. They rented land for about eight years and then removed to a farm of five hundred acres in Nameoki township which Mr. Rath and his mother purchased. Upon this fine estate they erected a fine house and improved and beautified it in every way, among other things putting out many choice varieties of fruit and shade trees and build- ing substantial barns and out-buildings. Today they own one of the handsomest and most comfortable country residences in this part of Madison county.
The union of Mr. Rath and his wife has been blessed by the birth of five children : The eldest died in infancy; Fritzie is de- ceased and Henry passed away at the age
of nine years. Amelia and August survive, and are the chief treasures of the house- hold.
Mr. Rath has ever manifested principles of such honesty and stanchness that the community asked him to act as school di- rector, an office he has filled in satisfactory manner. In politics he is independent, sup- porting whoever and whatever he believes to be the best man and the best measure, ir- respective of politics. He and his wife are zealous members of the German Evangelical church of Nameoki, and are interested in every good work advanced by the same.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Rath are receiving their education in the Granite City school. Amelia, aged sixteen, is a Sopho- more student in high school (Mckinley) and is an interesting and amiable girl : Au- gust, aged twelve, a typical American boy, is an eighth grade student. The . Rath family is to be numbered among the hon- ored and representative families of Madi- son county, an opinion shared by an approv- ing community, and no history of the county would be complete without incor- poration of the record of their lives and achievements.
MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE MOORE. In the true histories of many of the old families of many communities may be found facts that are more thrilling than romances, and when these connect the past with the present they must command attention and may give both instruction and pleasure to those who read, and undoubtedly should be preserved for fu- ture generations. Madison county, Illinois, has many such families, and the present record is interested in two of the most prominent. Marquis De Lafayette Moore, who now fills the office of postmaster at Stallings, Madison county, was named in honor of the distin- guished French soldier and diplomat whose services were so generously given the Amer- ican colonies when they were in their struggle for freedom. From France came also the early ancestors of Mr. Moore's mother. He was born at New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1834, and is a son of Walker and Jane (Davis) Moore.
Walker Moore was born in Lincoln county, Kentucky. Later he acquired a plantation in Louisiana near New Orleans, where the win- ter home of the family was maintained, and also 750 acres in Morgan county, Missouri, sixteen miles south of Versailles, to which the family retired during the summers. He owned
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160 slaves and with these operated both plan- tations. He was united in marriage to Jane Davis, who was born in what was then Maury county, but is now Marshall county, Ten- nessee, a daughter of James Davis, who was general wagonmaster under General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. To Walker and Jane Moore the following children were born : James W., Jonathan N., Berry J., Lucretia Victoria and Marquis De Lafayette. The father was concerned in the welfare of his children and afforded them educational ad- vantages in both Louisiana and Missouri. During the Civil war he lost heavily, especial- ly in Missouri, where, in 1862, 13,000 Con- federate troops located on his farm, making his residence headquarters, and after subsist- ing on his bounty for one week passed on, taking with them stock to the value of $7,000.
In 1849, when Marquis Moore was sixteen years old, came the great excitement pertain- ing to the discovery of gold in California, and going in search of it was an adventure just suited to his age and the spirit of the times. Accompanied by his brother, James W., he went to an eastern seaport and there em- barked on one of the old and often unsea- worthy vessels that sailed for the western coast around Cape Horn, and finally was safely landed in California. He joined many hundred others in the voyage up the Ameri- can river to Sutter's mill, where the early dis- covery of gold was made, and in this region he engaged in mining until 1852, when with his earnings of $15,000 he returned to Louis- iana by way of the Isthmus of Panama, little dreaming of the great engineering feats that are being carried on there at the present day. Like others who has tasted of the adventurous life of the west, within a few months Mr. Moore resolved to return to California and wrest further wealth from the golden waters and mines of that rich land. In 1853 he started on his second visit with two ponies, and made the trip across the plains from Inde- pendence, Missouri, to California, in sixty days. He remained in the mining regions until 1859 and was again successful, returning with the sum of $10,000. Mr. Moore's vivid recollections of those days of such vital im- portance to this country are interesting in the extreme.
He remained in his home at New Orleans until 1860, when arose the great contest be- tween the North and South. By birth and rearing he was a Southerner, but he held an open mind and during the next year he trav-
eled through the North, listening to debates on the agitating public questions and attend- ing meetings where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas discussed politics. In 1861 he returned to New Orleans and shortly afterward entered the Confederate army, be- coming captain of a company of the Third Regiment, Louisiana Infantry, which was sent to Virginia under command of General Long- street. He participated in the first battle of Bull Run, the seven days of fighting around Richmond, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chan- cellorsville, Knoxville, Gettysburg (where he witnessed the charge of General Pickett who went out with 5,000 men and the next morn- ing there remained only 2,400) and the Wil- dlerness, and was severely wounded at Chicka- mauga. After serving four years and eigh- teen days he was one of the brave 16,000 men who surrendered to General Grant at Appo- matox Court House, April 9, 1865. He was paroled by General Grant, who returned him his side arms and gave him transportation to any point he desired, the same courtesy being extended to all officers. He returned to St. Louis, Missouri, poorer by $30,000 worth of slave property than when the war began. From St. Louis he later came to Madison county, Illinois, as a land agent. beginning his business life here in 1866.
In the above year Mr. Moore was married to Mrs. Barbara Segar, who was a native of Madison county, widow of John Segar, and for seventeen years afterward he engaged in farming eight miles north of where Granite City now stands. Four children were born to this marriage, one of whom died in infancy and three survive: Warren W., who is en- gaged with a railroad company at Denver. Colorado, and who married there; Alice, who married William Brown, a moulder in the steel foundry at Granite City, and they have had the following children: Roy, Charles, Viola, William Marquis, Mattie, Nona, Jessie and Bessie, twins, and Marquerite; and Charles W., who is an electrician in business at St. Louis, who married Cora Morrison. In 1870 death entered the home of Mr. Moore and his wife passed away. She was an estima- ble woman and had a large circle of friends. On October 24, 1882, Mr. Moore contracted a second marriage, being united with Miss Rosannah Stallings. She was born December 7, 1838, in Nameoki township, Madison coun- tv, a daughter of Henry and Rosannah (Emert) Stallings, the former of whom was born at Falling Springs, Illinois, and the latter
O
I. G. Maltfleisch
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in Virginia. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Moore were: John, Andrew, Harrison, Eliza- beth Ann, Mary Catherine, William, Allan, Henry, Thomas, Jacob, Sarah and Lucy, Mrs. Moore being the youngest.
Abram Stallings, the paternal grandfather of Mrs. Moore was one of a company of pioneers that came from Virginia in 1796 to Illinois, down the Ohio river, and during the War of 1812 he was captain of a company. His wife was a daughter of Captain Samuel Judy, a noted Indian fighter in early days and who is said to have built the first brick resi- dence in Madison county. Henry Stallings acquired extensive tracts of land in Madison county and was one of the largest stock grow- ers in that section, sometimes sending a drove of 2,600 hogs to the St. Louis market at one time. He built a large dwelling on his farm in Nameoki township and for years kept a road-house, where cattlemen in particular stopped and his hostelry had a reputation for good cheer from New York to St. Louis. He was a man of acknowledged public spirit and one way in which he showed interest was to provide for the educating of his own and his neighbors' children. He gave an acre of land in Nameoki township for school purposes, on which a log structure was erected, and there the neighborhood children with his own were given school advantages. Mrs. Moore was one of the pupils, but her education was com- pleted at Alton, Illinois. In spite of the many achievements of his busy life he died at a comparatively early age, passing away August 6, 1856. His widow survived him many years, her death occurring January 1I, 1889. They were people of such solid worth that in their deaths Madison county lost heavily and their memory has been preserved not only by their descendants but by those who can still recall their many virtues. .Their declining years were made comfortable by the tender ministra- tions of Mrs. Moore, who remained with them to the close of their lives. Mr. Stallings, who settled here in 1833, left a large estate, includ- ing 1,500 acres of land and town property and securities, all of which had been accumulated by a life of industry and reasonable frugality, as he started wedded life with one horse and one yoke of oxen. In his earlier days he was a great hunter and frequently filled the larder the winter through with wild game. His daughter has in her possession her father's old deer horn-bowie knives, with which he used to skin the deer which his trusty musket
brought down. Another of the historic family relics in her possession is the rifle that was owned by her grandfather, Abram Stallings, which was used by him in the War of 1812.
· After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moore lived at Mitchell, Illinois, for one year, and then settled on the old Stallings homestead, where they yet live. In their early days the country roundabout was but sparsely settled and Mrs. Moore relates how she managed about many necessary household matters and an unusual story is the following. The family experienced many thrilling experiences when the Missis- sippi overflowed its banks and on one occa- sion the lives of the family were saved by a pet deer. She had fed the wild creature and made it tame, but it still roamed at will and frequently would bring wild deer to the farm when it came back. On the occasion of high water alluded to the family had to embark in a skiff and she took the pet deer, who swam across the angry waters and landed the fam- ily safely on the opposite bluffs.
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