USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume II > Part 88
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his death. Dr. Stack passed from this life on February 10, 1902, and his departure from the scenes of his strenuous endeavors was lamented by hosts of admiring friends, who loved him for his honorable, candid and kindly nature, and his intense devotion to his pro- fessional work. He was prominently identified
with the Knights of Columbus in East St. Louis, and was the first member of the order in that city in whose behalf memorial services were held in the quarters of its local lodge.
Dr. Stack was a physician by natural apti- tude. His innate qualities made the healing art his rightful vocation. As a prerequisite to the utmost usefulness in this profession, he was a genuine philanthropist, and a broad humanitarian. With him the assuagement of bodily anguish was a solemn duty, and his suc- cess in curing disease gave him a feeling of profound pleasure. He carried his patients on his conscience, and their confidence in his faith- fulness endeared him to them in a rare degree. He would rather heal the wounds of the in- jured, and ease the pain of the sick without expectation of reward, than to pile up riches by the exercise of his superior ability in any purely selfish occupation. The simple, grate- ful, "Thank you" from a poor patient, relieved by his care, was more to him than the lavish fee of the affluent patron. He died a martyr to his profession.
STAEHLE, August, a mine manager, living in Belleville, this county, was born in that place in 1867, and in its public schools received his early education. He has been engaged from early youth in the occupation of mining, and was manager of the Humboldt Mine for four years. Since 1902 he has managed the oper- ation of Crown Mine No. 5. In 1891, Mr. Staehle was married to Elizabeth Weber, a native of Belleville. Their union has resulted in two children-Eleanora and Elmer. Fra- ternally, Mr. Staehle is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Honor, and the West Belleville Workingmen's Society.
STARK, John & Peter, liquor dealers and native sons of Belleville, were born in 1878 and 1876 respectively, and until 1892, when they engaged in their present business, fol- lowed the trades of carpentry and painting. Their father, George Stark, was born in Ger- many, learned the brick layer's trade in his native land, and followed the same after com- ing to Belleville about fifty years ago.
STARKEL, Dr. Louis C., father of Dr. Charles H. Starkel, of Belleville, and a former prac- ticing physician and county official of St. Clair
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
County, died in Chicago, October 30, 1906. Dr. Starkel, Sr., who was formerly one of the most widely known residents and practicing physi- cians in Southern Illinois, was born in Prague, Bohemia, Prussia, September 1, 1839. Coming to America in 1850, he settled in Ohio, where, in Fayette County, of that State, on January 18, 1859, he married Miss Anna Bryant, who died in Chicago in 1899 and was brought to Belleville and buried in Walnut Hill Ceme- tery. After his location in Belleville he prac- ticed medicine at intervals in Belleville and St. Libory until 1869, when he was compelled to abandon his profession on account of ill health. Later he entered as a deputy in the office of the County Clerk of St. Clair County, and, in 1872, was elected County Clerk on the Demo- cratic ticket, being re-elected in 1876. In 1882 he was elected Representative in the General Assembly on the Democratic ticket, serving one term, and in 1880 was the Democratic nominee for State Auditor, but failed of election, in the face of a large Republican majority on the general State ticket. Later he was appointed by President Cleveland chemist in the Internal Revenue office, serving during Cleveland's first term. After retiring to private life he became manager of the Germania Life Insurance Com- pany in Chicago, in which he spent the latter years of his life.
The deceased was high in the ranks of the Masonic fraternity of the country. He was a member of the Chicago Lodge, .A F. & A. M. and the Royal Arch Masons. He was also a member of the Oriental Consistory and Lincoln Park Commandery, K. T., of Chicago, and was formerly Eminent Commander of Tancred Com- mandery, Belleville. Dr. Starkel is survived by four sons: Dr. Charles H. Starkel, of Belleville, and Louis, Edgar and Ferdinand, of Chicago, and also by one sister, Mrs. C. H. Sager, of Lebanon.
STAUB, Theodore, liveryman of Belleville since October, 1902, is a native of St. Clair County, and was born September 7, 1879. His parents, Nicholas and Mary (Bieble) Staub, were natives of Germany and St. Clair County respectively, his father being an early settler in this section of the State. Remaining on the paternal farm several years after completing his education, Mr. Staub came to Belleville at the age of twenty-five and purchased the livery
stable of Bieble Brothers on East A Street, which he has conducted with gratifying suc- cess. In his boarding department, the most im- portant of his business, he has about twenty- five horses, and he uses about six for his gen- eral delivery. Mr. Staub is a Democrat in pol- itics. On January 27, 1904, he married Alma Kunze, a native of this county.
STAUFFER, Abraham, a blacksmith of O'Fal- lon, St. Clair County, where he opened a shop in 1897, was born in Pennsylvania in 1854. He came to the county in 1893, and worked at his trade in Caseyville for three years. He is en- gaged in horseshoeing and general repairing. Since 1891 he has been local agent for the Buck- eye Harvester Company. On June 11, 1901, Mr. Stauffer was married to Elizabeth Schmidt, a native of St. Clair County, and they have two children-Andrew C. and Bearey.
STEIN, Henry C., a retired farmer, Mascoutah, this county, was born August 17, 1850, in Smithton Township, St. Clair County, son of Louis Stein, a native of Germany. Henry at- tended the district schools of Smithton Town- ship and worked on a farm there until he was seventeen years of age, and then went to De- catur, Ill., where for the following fifteen years he also engaged in agricultural pursuits. He purchased a farm of 150 acres and to this, in 1887, he added a tract of 115 acres, located one and a half miles north of Mascoutah. He moved into that city and resided there two years when, in 1889, he went to live on his farm. His homestead consisted of a highly cultivated piece of land, on which is a com- fortable residence which is equipped with all modern improvements, Mr. Stein devoting most of his attention to the raising of corn and wheat. In March, 1905, he removed again to Mascoutah, where he is now living in retire- ment. In religion, he is an Evangelical church- man, and in politics, a stanch Democrat. On February 26, 1875, Mr. Stein was united in mar- riage to Elizabeth Seibert, a native of St. Clair County, and to them have been born the fol- lowing children: Emel, who was married, on January 30, 1895, to Henry F. Waigand, and resides on Mr. Stein's farm north of Mas- coutah; Augusta, who was married June 22, 1905, to Henry J. Liebig, and resides in Mas- coutah; Bertha and Alma, living at home.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
STEPHENS, Malbern Monroe, for thirty-five years a conspicuous factor in the social, indus- trial and civic development of East St. Louis, St. Clair County, and a citizen whose career has been inseparably interwoven with the fabric of the county's wholesome and substan- tial growth, was born in Abington Centre, Lu- zerne County, Pa., February 7, 1847. He is a son of Ziba and Mary (Travis) Stephens, na- tives of Pennsylvania. His father was born in Wyoming County, in that State, May 15, 1822, and his mother, in Luzerne County, June 5, 1824. Ziba Stephens, successively a farmer, merchant and contractor by occupation, was a man of much force of character, sound intelli- gence and excellent reputation, and his and his wife's families were among the early set- tlers of Pennsylvania and New York, respect- ively.
In boyhood, Malbern M. Stephens attended the public schools of Providence, Pa., finish- ing his regular schooling at the age of twelve years. He then secured employment in a bolt factory at Fort Chester, N. Y., and subsequently in a grocery store in the same place, mean- while devoting his intervals of leisure to the study of mechanics, for which line of work he had a strong inclination. When sixteen years old he obtained a position as brakeman on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, and was also employed in the machinery de- partment of the Delaware & Hudson Canal and Railroad Company. He then worked one year as fireman on the road, and between three and four years as engineer. In September, 1866, he located at Murphysboro, Jackson County, Ill., and was for about three years engaged in su- perintending the installation of mine engines in the Big Muddy coal fields of Southern Illi- nois. In 1869 he became a locomotive engineer on the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad (now the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad), and at the same time established his residence in East St. Louis. He relinquished the pursuit of railroad- ing in 1875, and purchased a hotel on the corner of Collinsville and Summit Avenues, in that city. On July 1, 1902, he leased his hotel property, moved to his present residence, No. 1010 Penn Avenue, and has since been en- gaged in dealing in real estate, stocks and bonds. Toward the close of the Civil War (in the fall of 1863), Mr. Stephens offered his serv- ice in defense of his country, but was rejected for the reason that he was too young.
Malbern M. Stephens was a Director in the East St. Louis Bank, and was instrumental in the reorganization of that institution when it became the First National Bank of East St. Louis, still remaining in the directorate. He organized, and was President of, the East St. Louis Trust and Savings Bank, and is Vice- President of the State Savings and Loan Asso- ciation. He constructed the Belleville & East St. Louis, and Collinsville, Caseyville & East St. Louis electric railways. He was the or- ganizer, and is President of, the East St. Louis Locomotive Machine Shop Co., and is a mem- ber of the Board of Directors of the St. Louis & Cairo Railroad Company. He holds the po- sitions of President of the Marlborough Build- ing and Realty Association of St. Louis, and of the "Four C." Coal Co., and is a Director in the Southern Coal and Mining Co. of Illinois, and in several gas and electric companies. Mr. Stephens secured the charter from Con- gress for the third bridge across the Mississippi River, and is President of the constriction com- pany. It is but simple justice to him to record the fact that he has been prominently identi- fied with more important industrial enterprises involving the progress and prosperity of East St. Louis and St. Clair County than any other resident of that section of the State.
Mr. Stephens has been twice married. On June 8, 1872, he was united with Mary E. Bean, of French nativity, who departed this life Sep- tember 2, 1894. His second marriage occurred January 8, 1896, when Sarah J. Bolt, whose birthplace was Duquoin, Ill., became his wife. Two sons and a daughter resulted from the first union, namely : William Romain, who was born July 21, 1873, and died March 23, 1879; Ziba Jennings, born November 16, 1880, who died June 19, 1881; and Leonora Frances, born June 27, 1882.
In politics, Mr. Stephens is a steadfast and influential Democrat, although he dissented from the free silver theories of William J. Bryan during the latter's candidacy for the presidency. In 1878 he was elected Alderman in East St. Louis on the Citizens' ticket, and was again elected to that position in 1884, serving in all four years. He became Mayor of East St. Louis in 1887, and was re-elected in 1889, 1891 and 1893, discharging the duties of the mayoralty for eight years with marked efficiency and unswerving fidelity to the trust thus repeatedly imposed upon him by the peo-
II3I
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
ple of that city. After serving as Postmaster of East St. Louis for one term by appointment of President Cleveland, he was again elected Mayor for three consecutive terms. The fact of his fourteen years' incumbency of this office is a signal attestation of the high estimation in which he is held by his fellow citizens, and their unreserved confidence in his ability and faithfulness. During his municipal administra- tion, he settled the large indebtedness that placed the city on a solid financial basis; the city streets were raised from five to fifteen feet, and were sewered and paved; the Public Li- brary and City Hall were erected; and ten pub- lic schools were built. In fraternal circles, Mr. Stephens is affiliated with the A. F. & A. M., being a member of the Mystic Shrine and of other societies in that order. He is also con- nected with the B. P. O. E .; K. of P .; Brother- hood of Locomotive Engineers, and various benevolent organizations.
STERNKOPF, Henry, of H. Sternkopf's Sons (Henry and Alfred), Eighth Street and Wal- nut Avenue, East St. Louis, proprietors of one of the largest planing mills in the county, was born in St. Louis, Mo., September 7, 1867, a son of Henry and Margaret (Renz) Sternkopf. The elder Sternkopf established the planing mill about 1875, but died in 1899. The son, Henry, was educated in the East St. Louis pub- lic schools, and has ever since been connected with the manufacturing enterprise. Mr. Stern- kopf married Lena Adolph, a native of Mill- stadt, St. Clair County, and she has borne him a son, Henry, the third of his name in direct descent. Mr. Sternkopf is a Republican and a member of the German Evangelical Church. He is a member of the Order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, and also belongs to the East St. Louis Liederkranz, a German singing society.
STOLBERG, John M., a retired farmer and coal operator, was born April 24, 1829, in Sax- ony, Germany, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Hesse) Stolberg, natives also of that king- dom. In 1844 his parents emigrated to the United States, locating in St. Louis, where in the following spring, the father purchased a farm south of Belleville, on which he followed agriculture until his death in 1849. Mr. Stol- berg resided on the home place for the succeed-
ing eighteen years and then purchased 320 acres four miles south of Belleville, where he resided until 1891, and then removed to the city, his residence now being at No. 600 East B Street. In 1858, in partnership with his brother, Andrew, he opened a mine on his farm, but five years later disposed of his interest to Andrew. He is a Lutheran in religion, and politically, casts his vote for the Democratic party. On March 24, 1851, Mr. Stolberg was united in marriage to Elizabeth Kremer, who was born in Byran, Germany, and there ac- quired her education in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Stolberg are the parents of the fol- lowing children: Martin, Helene, Henry, John, Andrew, Liese and George.
STOLTZ, William J., was born in Belleville, this county, February 23, 1864, a son of Wil- liam and Elizabeth (Demmerle) Stoltz, the former a native of New Swansea, Wales. He completed his education in the Belleville schools at the age of eighteen, after which time he became a molder, learning the trade with Guys & Broches, and working at it for nine years. He also mastered the various kinds of cement work, and followed this industry for seven years. For a time he traveled through the country selling health products, but since 1901 has resided in St. Louis, Mo. In his po- litical views Mr. Stoltz affiliates with the Dem- ocratic party, and in his religious belief, is con- nected with the Catholic Church. On May 24, . 1888, he was united in marriage to Sarah Jones, a native of Wales, who received her education in St. Clair County. The three chil- dren born of this union are Lulu, Mamie and Lillie.
STOOKEY, John D. (deceased), a resident of St. Clair Township, from his birth here, on November 22, 1835, until his death, May 10, 1906, was one of the best authorities of his time on the early history of this sec- tion, as well as one of the most successful and substantial of the men who developed its agricultural resources. Of old Virginia an- cestry on the paternal side, his father, Moses, was born in the Old Dominion in 1779, his grandfather, Daniel, and his grandmother, Barbara (Whetstone) Stookey, being natives of the same State. His mother, Elizabeth (An- derson) Stookey, was born in Pennsylvania in
II32
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
1784, her father, John Anderson, having been born and reared in the Quaker community which continued his home for his entire life. Evidently, Moses Stookey was not overbur- dened with worldly goods, for his son, John, abandoned school at the age of thirteen and learned the brick mason's trade, at which he worked for four years. Resigning his position on account of an accident to his father, the youth returned to the home farm, faithfully attended to its management, and remained there until his marriage, February 21, 1861, to Mary C. Carr, a native also of St. Clair Town- ship, who survives him. The Carrs were early settlers of Illinois, both the parents of Mrs. Stookey, Jacob and Nancy (Wildermann) Carr, and her grandfather, Abner Carr, owning farms there, as did also her maternal grandparents, James and Sarah (Jarvis) Wildermann. Short- ly after his marriage Mr. Stookey settled on the 160 acres of land, of which, until his death, he retained eighty-six acres, and which, at that time, was mostly covered with timber and a stranger to plow or harrow. He utilized his land for general farming and stock-raising pur- poses, gaining wealth and influence as work and years proved his mettle, finally giving away or selling all but his home property, two miles southwest of Belleville. The years dealt kindly with him in many respects, for he was a model of industry and had the sound constitution of one accustomed to live and think sanely and moderately. In politics, he was a Democrat, but always avoided the disturbing side of party affairs. Five children were born to him, all of whom are well settled in life: Walter C., Mrs. Josephine Eyman, Mrs. Ida C. Bevirt, Mrs. Mary, E. Phillips and Mrs. N. Emma Bevirt.
On the Moses Stookey homestead one of the pioneer log school-houses was built, with puncheon floor, slab seats and desks, and a hole in the wall for a window. There the "three R's" were taught and the three cardinal virtues -truth, honor and industry, the foundation of all true happiness-were inculcated in the minds of the youth, and proved a blessing to them and to the community.
STOOKEY, Moses Monroe .- A lesson in farm- ing thrift and success is found in the career of Moses M. Stookey, owner of his home place of eighty acres in St. Clair Township, and of forty acres in Smithton Township, this county.
Mr. Stookey has worked his way up from an humble beginning, for his parents, Moses and Elizabeth ( Anderson) Stookey (who were born, respectively, in Hardy County, Va., in 1799, and in Pennsylvania in 1805), were in moderate cir- cumstances, and much work and little recrea- tion fell to the lot of their children. Grand- father Daniel Stookey and his wife, Barbara, settled in St. Clair County in 1802, and a part of their first log house is still standing on the old Stookey homestead near Belleville. Moses M. attended the public schools irregularly, re- maining on the old homestead after the death of his father in 1858, and until his own mar- riage, March 1, 1862, to Mary Adams, a native also of St. Clair County, who was the mother of two children-Alonzo M., of Belleville, and Ella, wife of C. M. Hamill, of Coulterville, Ill. He then located on the eighty acres which had been left him by his father, placing a tenent on the forty acres which he inherited in Smith- ton Township. His first wife dying February 29, 1874, he married for a second wife, in Jan- uary, 1877, Mahala Little. She is a native of St. Clair County, and the mother of a son, Loren Monroe, born in December, 1893. Her parents were John and Nancy (Atchison) Lit- tle, the father born in Kentucky, and the mother, in Arkansas. Mr. Stookey is a careful and painstaking farmer, a kind and obliging neighbor, and a man who delights in the pleas- ures, comforts and sympathies to be found in his home circle. He is a Democrat in national politics, but his way has always been far from the turmoil of general political agitation. Lo- cally, he has represented the people as Super- visor and Overseer of the Poor for a period of ten years, and served on all the important com- mittees, making an honorable record as a faith- ful public servant.
STOOKEY, Samuel Thomas, Assistant Post- master of Belleville, St. Clair County, was born June 14, 1861, on the old Stookey homestead, one and a half miles southwest of Belleville. He attended the district school until he was twelve years old, then went to the public schools of Belleville until sixteen years of age, and a year later entered Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College, St. Louis. After complet- ing the course there, he accepted a position as Clerk in the Union Depot freight office, re- maining thus employed about three and a half
II33
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
years; then, in 1883, he returned to the farm and followed agricultural pursuits for the next four years, in 1886 moving to Caseyville, Ill., with his brothers. In 1888 he came to Belle- ville, and in 1889 was appointed Assistant Post- master by President Harrison (under J. A. Wil- loughby, Postmaster), and served in that ca- pacity for four years. He was then appointed ticket agent of the Air Line Railroad at Belle- ville, where he remained but a short time, re- signing to accept a position in the County Clerk's office, where he served one and a half years. He was then appointed agent at Belle- ville of the Belleville & Southern Railroad, which subsequently was sold to the Illinois Central Railroad Company, and the agent's of- fice discontinued. On September 19, 1898, he was appointed Assistant Postmaster by Presi- dent Mckinley (under J. E. Thomas, Post- master), and continues to hold that position.
In religion, Mr. Stookey is a consistent mem- ber of the Catholic Church, and politically, he has always supported the Republican party. On January 17, 1899, he was married to Sarah J. White, who was born and educated in Belle- ville, and they have one child, Dorothy Win- stanley. The paternal grandparents of Samuel T. Stookey were Daniel and Barbara (Whet- stone) Stookcy, both natives of Virginia, while on the maternal side of the family the grand- parents were Captain and Katherine (O'Hara) Winstanley, the former of whom was born in England and the latter in Monroe County, Ill. The parents of Samuel T. are George W. and Margaret (Winstanley) Stookey, the birth- place of the former being Belleville, and of the latter, Monroe County.
STRAUSS, William .- Rarely are railroad men interested in so many projects as is Wil- liam Strauss, for the past twelve years engineer of a train running between Columbia and Mill- stadt, this county, and who is a native of the latter place, having been born there December 9, 1859. The undertaking business now owned and operated by Mr. Strauss, and to which he succeeded upon the death of his father, Peter Strauss, was established in Millstadt by the older man in 1866, and operated by him contin- uously for the remainder of his life. Peter Strauss was born at Niedermoor, near Leipzig, Bavaria, Germany, and there married Kather- ine Vogt, daughter of Peter Vogt, coming to
Illinois in 1844. In 1902 William Strauss took his brother-in-law, Fred Alberter, into the un- dertaking business, and thus has a manager upon whom he can rely while absent on his engineering runs.
On the maternal side Mr. Strauss comes of a long-lived family, for Grandmother Vogt lived to be ninety-nine years and six months old, being the mother of eight children, and having thirty-eight grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren. Mr. Strauss was educated in the public schools, and at the age of fifteen left home, went to the western country, and after trying various occupations, drifted into engineering, which he followed several years. Returning to Millstadt, he followed carpenter- ing and building for two years, after which he was employed as fireman by the Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company for five years. He then as- sumed nis present position on the road between Millstadt and Columbia, making himself inval- uable as a cautious and painstaking engineer. In May, 1901, Mr. Strauss became one of the organizers of the Millstadt Brewing Company, of which he has since been President, and of which William Pistore is Vice-President, A. C. Kern, Secretary, and Fred Baltz, Treasurer. There are twenty-six stockholders of this com- pany, and the brewery has a capacity of from 9,000 to 12,000 barrels a year. Mr. Strauss is also President of the Diamond Joe Coal Company.
On April 3, 1889, William Strauss married Barbara Marxen, a native of Millstadt, who died April 13, 1894, leaving two children, Joseph and Isabelle. On September 27, 1896, he married Barbara Alberter, also born in Mill- stadt, who is the mother of Nellie, Dailey and Venterlin. Mr. Strauss is not only prominent in the business world as an undertaker and brewer, and well known for his faithfulness and caution as a locomotive engineer, but is foremost in fraternal circles, being a Mason in high standing (having taken the thirty- second degree), and a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is also a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
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