USA > Illinois > Will County > Past and present of Will County, Illinois, V. 2 > Part 25
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On the 18th of December. 1870, Mr. Freese was united in marriage to Miss Helena Fecht- mann, who was born in Germany in 1847, and was brought to the United States by her parents, John and Magdalena Fechtmann, in 1850, the family home being established in Green Garden township, this county, whence they removed to Monee. Her father was a cooper by trade and followed that pursuit in Monee. In his family
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were four children: Elmina: Christiana, de- ceased : Mrs. Freese: and Henrietta, the widow of Frank Kerskey, of Chicago. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Freese have been born four children, as fol- lows: John H., who is with his parents; Rhein- hart M., a carrier on the rural mail route; and Anna and Frederika, both deceased.
The parents are members of the Evangelical Lutheran church and for many years Mr. Freese has been president of its board of trustees and in its work takes a most active and helpful part. He belongs to Peotone lodge, No. 636, A. F. & A. M .: to Monee lodge, No. 60, [. O. O. F .: and to Coon Grove camp, No. 1556, M. W. A. In politics he is a democrat, recognized as one of the stalwart champions of the party in his locality. He has served as school director for many years, has been town clerk seventeen years, village clerk for twenty-six years, justice of the peace for eight years, and was postmaster of Monee during Presi- dent Cleveland's second administration. He was first elected supervisor of Monce township in the spring of 1902 and is now serving for the third term in that office. His public duties have ever been discharged in a most capable, prompt and efficient manner, and his value as a citizen is widely acknowledged, while in business circles he has made a most creditable and enviable record, winning an honorable name and a large measure of success.
FRED D. MATEER.
Fred D. Mateer, president of the Joliet Steel Construction Company. is in this connection known as one of the representative business men of the city, displaying those qualities which are essential to success and in fact constitute the basis of all development and prosperity in the commercial world. He is a son of Samuel A. and Mary A. (Butler) Mateer, the latter a daugh- ter of John Butler, who is now eighty-four years of age. He was one of the early settlers of Will county and is a veteran of the Civil war. He removed to the middle west from Lockport, New York, and has since lived in this part of the state. Samuel Mateer and his wife were married in Will county, the family having come to Illinois
from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. At Joliet he first engaged in the shoe business, devoting several years to that trade on Jefferson street. Later he was for several years with the Hobbs grocery house. He, too, is a veteran of the Civil war. having served with a Pennsylvania regiment and he is now a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He is also connected with the Masonic fraternity and has reached the age of sixty-four years.
Fred D. Mateer is one of a family of nine chil- dren, eight of whom are yet living. He and his brothers attended the Joliet schools and have educated themselves in their line of business. The Joliet Steel Construction Company was or- ganized in January, 1904, by four of the brothers, and the present officers are: F. D. Mateer, presi- dent; Frank Mateer, vice president; Don L. Mateer, secretary; and Charles B. Mateer, engineer. Three of the brothers are practical engineers. Fred D. Mateer was for ten years with the Joliet Bridge & Iron Company, thus se- curing a broad and practical experience. The company is prepared to erect steel buildings, also steel bridges and all kinds of concrete work and is qualified to make designs for thesc. Notably among the local construction work which they have executed are steel auditoriums at Electric Park and at Delwood Park. They designed and have the twenty-one thousand dollar contract for the building of a bridge for the Joliet & South Traction Company at River street. They also built the bridge at Channahon across the DuPage river, which includes two concrete spans each eighty feet long. They employ eight gangs of men and the brothers all give their personal attention to handling the affairs of the company. The main offices are located in the Braun-Kiep Building, in Joliet, and the business of the company is con- tinually increasing in volume and importance un- til the firm is one of the most prominent in con- crete and steel construction in this part of the state and carries on contracts in all parts of the United States.
Fred D. Mateer was married in September, 1902, to Miss Blanche Ridenour, a native of Iowa, and they have two children, Marjorie and Doro- thy. The father is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the Knight Templar degree. He and his brother, Don, have
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built fine homes on Whitney avenue, and the fam- ilies are well known socially. The name of Mateer has become a synonym for business in- tegrity and enterprise in Joliet, Will county, and other parts of the state, and the brothers have made themselves a creditable place in industrial cireles through their mastery of a business with which they were unacquainted a few years ago, and by the straightforward methods which they have always followed in the execution of their con- tracts.
CAPTAIN ROBERT J. MORRISON.
One by one the soldiers of the Civil war are responding to the last roll call and the ranks are fast becoming decimated. It behooves us, then, while they are yet among us, to pay our tribute of respect and honor to those who fought for the Union and maintained its integrity in the dark hours of the Civil war. More and more we real- ize our debt of gratitude to them and even at the time of the Civil war the country's obligation to her warriors found recognition in a banner which swung across Pennsylvania avenue at the time of the grand review and which bore the words. "The only debt which the nation can not pay is the debt which she owes to her soldiers." Captain Mor- rison, who enlisted when the smoke from Fort Sumter's guns had scarcely cleared away, and who for four years served with the army, winning promotion from the ranks to the command of his company, is now a respected and valued resident of Joliet.
Ife was born in Toronto, Canada, May 1, 1840, and is of Scotch descent, tracing his ancestry back to William Morrison, a Scotchman who removed to Manchester, England, and subsequently settled on a farm near Belfast, Ireland, where his last years were passed. His grandson, Robert Morri- son, was born in Manchester, England, but was reared on the Emerald Iste, where he learned the painter's trade. In 1830 he wedded Elizabeth Bell, a native of Belfast, Ireland, whose father, David Bell. had removed from his native place near Glasgow, Scotland, to Belfast in order to establish a shoe factory there. In 1833, attracted by the broader business opportunities of the new
world, Robert Morrison came with his bride to the United States and for some time followed the painter's trade in New York City. He was a resident of Toronto, Canada, between 1842 and 1845. after which he lived successively in Balti- more, Maryland ; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; and New York City. In 1847 he again went to To- ronto and afterward to Baltimore. On the 26th of October, 1856, he removed with his family to C'arter county. Tennessee, where he carried on farming and also engaged in business as a con- tracting painter. A man of strong Union sym- pathies, his home was a station on the famous underground railroad and one of his sons, Will- iam, was a conductor on that line, thus assisting many a negro refugee on his way to freedom in the north. Mr. Morrison was several times taken prisoner by the Confederates, but his fine business and' personal qualifications, his genial manner. and his work as a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal church caused his life to be spared, but not so fortunate was his brother-in-law, James Bell, who, falling into the hands of the rebels, was shot twenty-six times and his brains beaten out. Two of his sons, William and David, slept ontdoors every night during the four years of the war. When hositilities finally ceased the family removed to Carroll county, Missouri, where Rob- ert Morrison passed away at the age of sixty-two years, his death being cansed by an attack of pneumonia brought on by fording a stream in order that he might keep a preaching appointment. His widow afterward returned to Canada, where she died. They had four sons and four daugh- ters, of whom the following are still living : John, who was a prisoner for eighteen months during the Civil war, while serving as orderly sergeant of Company B. Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry. and who is now living in Joliet, Illinois ; David, a resident of Wood River, Nebraska ; Robert J., whose name introduces this sketch ; and Mrs. Eliz- aboth Walker, of Kansas City. Missouri.
The deceased are: William, a resident of Johnson City, Tennessee, who died in 1904: Mrs. Mary McDevitt, who died in Linton, Canada. April 25. 1898: Mrs. Anna Hill, who died in Missouri in June, 1905; and Mrs. Sarah MeKey, who died at Pinkerton, Canada, in September. 1906.
Robert J. Morrison of this review largely ac- quired his education in the schools of Canada. He
R. J. MORRISON.
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learned the painter's trade under the direction of an older brother and afterward spent two years with an uncle, Dr. David Bell. He then returned to assist his brother and was thus engaged until after the inauguration of the Civil war. Several years had been spent with his father's family in the midst of a slave-holding state and he had noted the disquiet of the south and its threaten- ing attitude. Thoroughly loyal in every fibre of his being, he at once responded to his country's call when hostilities began, enlisting on the 15th of April. 1861, as a member of Company F, Sec- ond Tennessee Infantry. He was mustered in as a private at Camp Dick Robinson, Kentucky, and after the battles of Wild Cat, Mills Springs and Cumberland Gap he returned through the rebel lines to Tennessee in order of recruit for the Union army. Securing eighty-nine men, he started back to the Union army in the fall of 1861. During the following winter he camped in the mountains of Tennessee, hiding from the Confederates, who were in search of him and his recruits. Their food was brought to them by his sister, who would put a note in a biscuit telling where the next installment of provisions would be hid. Some- times it would be impossible to get food to the men, who would then be reduced to the necessity of eating crow or such game as could be found. In 1862 they started to go through the rebel lines, traveling at night, wading rivers and en- during hardships of every kind. When within one mile of the Kentucky line they were attacked by Confederates and eleven escaped out of eighty- nine. Afterward these eleven were in hiding for four days and nights without anything to eat. Growing desperate with hunger. several of the men swam across Powell's river, then crossed the Cumberland mountains, where their hunger was partially appeased by some huckleberries they for- tunately found. About six o'clock one evening they came within sight of a man chopping wood and drew lots as to which of the men should speak to him. The lot fell on our subject. who went forward, scarcely knowing what fate might befall him. However, the mountaineer was a Union man and called to him, "Come on." The meal they had of mush and milk and honey seemed to them the best they had ever caten. They had been for four days and nights without food and water, and were almost starved. A little later they found
five of their comrades, which made their com- pany number eleven, and two others got through three weeks later, but the other seventy-six were killed or lost.
Returning to his old regiment, our subject fought at Deep Creek Gap. From Kentucky he went to Ohio and took part in several battles against General John H. Morgan; later marched into West Virginia. After the battle of Mur- freesboro he assisted in the taking of Rogersville, where afterward all of his regiment but seventy- five men were captured. He was one of the num- ber that escaped. At the end of three years he was mustered out and came to Illinois, spending a short time at Canton, Fulton county, and then returning to Tennessee, where he helped to mount Gilham's brigade of cavalry, the Eighth, Ninth and Thirteenth Tennessce. Next he went to Knoxville and organized Company C. Third North Carolina Mounted Infantry, of which he was commissioned first lieutenant in September, 1864, and which engaged in scouting. He led his men three hundred miles into North Caro- lina, where he captured three hundred and twen- ty-five prisoners. In February, 1865, he organ- ized Company I, of the same regiment, and was commissioned its captain, serving under General George Stoneman, heing detached to command twenty-five scouts. He took part in many des- perate cavalry dashes, where death seemed immi- nent at any moment, but he seemed to bear a charmed life: and in all his service was only wounded once, and that was a mere flesh wound. Hle was constantly on the move. At one time he was in the saddle for eighteen days and nights, never making a stop longer than three hours. More than once his friends were in doubt as to his fate, and once his family were told that he was dead. Nor did they know the report was false until he appeared before them in person, when a scene of rejoicing followed that could be imagined. but not described. During an engage- ment at Morristown. Tennessee, he was ordered with his company to take a piece of artillery on the rebel right. He had to cross a deep ravine through a thicket and come out into the open. The rebels fired upon him and his men with grape and canister and many saddles were emptied, but on they went. Captain Morrison was riding the horse that General Longstreet once owned. This
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horse ran away with the captain and made its way right into the rebel ranks. Captain Morrison and his company killed or captured all of the rebel company with their artillery. Among the prisoners was their commander, Captain Reeves. who had been an old schoolmate of Captain Mor- rison, and who threw his arms around Captain Morrison's neck and cried like a child. After the brigade made the charge on General Forest's com- mand Captain Morrison took a piece of artillery to General Gilham and reported that his orders had been executed. The general complimented Captain Morrison on the gallant charge he had made and lamented the loss of so many of his brave boys. but the captain replied that he was compliment- ing the wrong party, saying: "This old horse that I am riding ran away with me and look me into the rebel ranks, whether I wanted to go or not." When the war had ended Captain Morrison was mustered out at Knoxville, Tennessee, August 6, 1865, and returned to his old home in that state. but a month later came to Illinois and has since been a resident of Will county.
In the meantime he had been married in Eliz- abothtown. Carter county, Tennessee, on the 22d of January, 1862, to Miss Hester Snider, whose father. William Snider, a native of Sullivan coun- ty, that state, was a farmer and blacksmith and was several times taken prisoner during the war. In February, 1865, he removed to Troy township, Will county, Illinois, where he died at the age of seventy-eight years. His father, William Snider, Sr., was born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, served in the war of 1812 and afterward became the owner of large tracts of land in Tennessee. The mother of Mrs. Morrison was Mary. daughter of William Jones, an early settler of Tennessee and a soldier in the war of 1812. She died in 1874. Of her eleven children eight attained ma- ture years. A half-brother of Mrs. Morrison, Joseph Snider, was with our subject and made his way through the lines to Cumberland Gap; her own brother was taken a prisoner at one time during the war. Captain and Mrs. Morrison became the parents of five children, namely: Lizzie, who has charge of the millinery department of Calmar & Co .; Mary, who died in 1888; Minnie H., de- ceased ; William R., a graduate of the University of Illinois and now superintendent at Wichita, Kansas, of the city street railroad ; and John Il ..
who graduated from the medical department of the Northwestern University in 1898 and is now engaged in practice at Plainfield, this county. He married Catherine E. Downey and they have four children : Martha Hester, Robert, William and Newton.
When Captain Morrison removed from Ten- nessee to Illinois, in September, 1865, he brought with him a wagon and two horses that he had had in the army. He then engaged in the cultivation of a rented farm in Kendall county, but later purchased a tract of land in Plainfield township. Will county, and subsequently bought and sold other property. He continued his farming oper- ations until 1880. when he removed to Joliet and engaged in the lumber business. He was also, from 1880 until 1883, call man in the fire depart- ment and from the latter year until 1888 was driver of steamer No. 1, being transferred in 1888 to East Side No. 3. In 1891 he resigned and concentrated his energies upon the development of a real estate business, having previously be- come interested in that line of trade. He con- tinued as a real estate agent until 1895. In 1893 he was elected assistant supervisor, serving two years, and for ten consecutive years filled the of- fice of assessor.
In his political views Captain Morrison has been a stalwart republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and he has fill: ' a number of public offices with ability and fidel- ity. In 1894 he was appointed deputy city and township assessor and the following year was selected city and township assessor on the repub- lican ticket by a flattering majority. In 1896, 1897, 1898 and 1899 he was again chosen for that position, the last time without opposition, and he retired from the office as he had entered it -- with the confidence and good will of all con- cerned. His fraternal relations are in Bartleson Post, No. 6, G. A. R., the Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 532, Mount Joliet Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has attained the thirty-second degree in Ma- sonry and is a member of the Mystic Shrine. With his wife, he belongs to the Eastern Star, the Rath- bone Sisters and the Ottawa Street Methodist Episcopal church. Those who know Captain Mor- rison-and his acquaintance is a wide one-es- irem him for his kindly nature, his public-spirited
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citizenship and the many good qualities that he has manifested in his official, business and private life, and with pleasure we present to our readers the record of this honored veteran of the Civil war.
HENRY HACK.
Henry Hack, proprietor of the Bielfeldt Hotel of Beecher and also of a well equipped livery barn, was born at Mecklenburg, Germany, July 29, 1855. His father, John Hack, was a native of Mecklenburg, born in 1825. By trade he was a shoemaker and thinking to enjoy better business advantages in the new world he emigrated to the United States in 1864. Here he gave his atten- tion to agricultural pursuits, locating on a farm of eighty acres in Washington township, Will county, Illinois. For about twelve years he fol- lowed farming and in 1876 removed to the village of Beecher. where he engaged in general merchan- dising in partnership with William Peck. Three years later he sold out and two and a half years conducted a store at Eagle Lake, where he was postmaster for two years. He then returned to Beecher and again engaged in general merchan- dising, also conducting a market until a few years prior to his death, when he retired. His last days were spent in the enjoyment of a rest which he had truly earned and richly merited. He sus- tained injuries in a runaway accident in 1879, from which he was a sufferer for many years, but the immediate cause of his death was paralysis and he passed away in Beecher, February 1, 1898.
Ilis wife, who bore the maiden name of Sophia Luth, was also born in Mecklenburg, Germany, and is still living in Beecher at the age of seventy- eight years. She holds membership in the Ger- man Evangelical church, to which Mr. Hack also belonged. When they came to the United States they were in very limited financial circumstances and knew well what hard times were. They lived on the prairie in a little board shanty, the wind blowing a gale across the country with nothing to break its force and often sifting the snow through the cracks of the pioneer home. As the years passed. however, all this changed owing to the industry and enterprise of the father and the
able assistance which he received from his wife and children. The family numbered eight chil- dren, of whom three died in infancy, while five are yet living: Herman, who resides upon the old homestead in Washington township; Henry; Charles J., who is living retired in Beecher ; Frank, who succeeded his father in business and is now conducting a general store ; and Emma, the wife of Sherman Loitz of Peotone.
Henry Hack was a youth of nine years when the family came to the United States. He was reared to farm life, being connected with the work of field and meadow until 1885, when he engaged in the hotel and livery business. He has since given his time and energies to these lines with the exception of an interval of sixteen months. He owns forty acres of land adjoining the village, which he farms. He. also owns a hotel property, livery barn and a residence in the village, together with residence property in Chi- cago. The Bielfeldt Hotel is the best in Beecher and Mrs. Hack personally superintends the kit- chen, being an excellent cook. Everything possi- ble is done-for the comfort and convenience of their guests and the hotel is well patronized. Mr. Hack is also a partner in the undertaking busi- ness conducted under the firm name of Fred Hunte & Company.
On the 1st of May. 1883, occurred the marriage of Mr. Hack and Miss Mary Bielfeldt. who was born in Schleswig-Holstein and is the daughter of Henning Bielfeldt, whose birth also occurred in the same place. August 12, 1812. En 1866 he emigrated to America and for a year he fol- lowed the trade of wagonmaking at Thornton, Illinois. He then engaged in farming in Wash- ington township. When the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad was built in 1870 and the village of Beecher sprang up his farm lay partly within the corporation limits. He built one of the first houses in the village and conducted the hotel for many years. He was one of Beecher's most prominent business men and engaged in various enterprises which constituted an important ele- ment in the development and growth of the little village. He died in 1890, while his wife, who hore the maiden name of Catherine Dethlefs and was born in Germany. September 21, 1821, sur- vived until the 30th of May. 1906. They were the parents of six children: Annie, the wife of
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Fred Bielfeldt, a resident of South Dakota; Mrs. Hack; Minnie, the wife of M. J. Tillotson, a mer- chant of Crete; Simon, who died about ten years ago; Henry, who died two years ago; and one who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Hack have two children, Edmund and Albert, both at home.
In politics Mr. Hack has always been an earnest and unfaltering republican and was a trustee of the village when it was incorporated. He served in that capacity for seven consecutive years and later was again elected and acted as trustee for six years. He was also deputy sheriff of the county for eight years and is now filling the office of constable. He and his wife attend the Con- gregational church. He is one of the representa- tive business men of Beecher, prominently con- nected with various business and public interests, and his labors have been a direct and beneficial influence in promoting the growth and develop- ment of the town.
C. D. HINRICHS.
C. D. Hinrichs, whose life has been charcter- ized by enterprise, thrift and industry, is now numbered among the substantial German-Ameri- can citizens of Peotone, where he owns a black- smith shop and is also engaged in the dairy busi- ness on quite an extensive scale. He was born in Holstein, Germany, April 10, 1850. His par- ents were John and Christina Hinrichs, who lived and died in the fatherland. The father was a carpenter by trade and died when our subject was but ten years of age. The mother was married a second time and her death occurred six years ago.
Mr. Hinrichs, is the only member of the family who ever came to this country, his sisters Anna and Wipke. both being widows, make their home in their native country, while the brother. John, resides on the old homestead farm there. C. D. Hinrichs is the second in order of birth, and re- ceived a good education in the common schools of Germany. At the age of fifteen he learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed until 1871. when, believing that he might enjoy better busi- ness advantages in the new country. bade adieu to home and friends, and taking passage on a sailing vessel bound for the United States, ar-
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