USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Portrait and biographical record of St. Clair County, Illinois : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 18
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Mr. and Mrs. Stookey are the parents of eight living children, as follows: William, living at Hillsboro, Montgomery County, Ill .; James M., on the farm in Saline County, Mo .; Samuel E., in Smithton Township, is a farmer on seetion 13; Mary E., living at home; George, employed at Pinckneyville, Perry County; Julius, Charles and Eben, all at home.
Our subjeet has one hundred and sixty aeres of land, well improved, upon which are raised large and profitable crops, together with herds of Jersey cows and other valuable stock. Mr. Stookey is now serving his second term as Commissioner of Highways. His children have been given good school advantages, and Charles and Julius have been at college. Our subjeet has always held to the tenets of the Democratic party, and feels sure that the country would be safe under the manage- ment of its leaders.
OHN RODENHEISER, one of the leading and influential citizens of the eity of Belle- ville, is a member of the firm of Horn & Rodenheiser, prominent dry-goods and earpet merchants, occupying an elegant store in Belleville, on East Main Street, in the New Monk Building. The building is 333x150 feet, and the firm has been located here since March 11, 1891. Our subjeet was born in Waterloo, Ill., October 18, 1861. His parents were Ernst and Barbara (Eschenfelder) Rodenheiser, natives of Germany. The father of our subject upon coming to this country was first a furniture dealer, after which he became a hotel-keeper. The death of this esteemed gentleman took place November 9, 1873, but his wife is still living.
Mr. John Rodenheiser received his early educa- tion in the public schools at Waterloo, and was then sent to the Christian Brothers' College, at St. Louis, where he graduated, in the Class of '80, with the degree of B. A. When he first came to this town, Mr. Rodenheiser was engaged as a clerk
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for nine years, after which he established his pres- ent store. The stock he placed in his business was entirely new and of latest designs. The store he ocenpies is the longest one-floor store in the county and our subject has it fitted up with all modern improvements, with ten obliging clerks to attend to the wants of the large number of customers.
Mr. Rodenheiser was married, May 5, 1886, to Miss Minnie Maus. Two beautiful and engaging children have been the result of this union, namely: Meta and Edwin. Mrs. Rodenheiser was the daughter of William Maus, one of the old and respected citizens of Mascoutah, which was the birth-place of Mrs. Rodenheiser. Mr. Rodenheiser pays close attention to his business, and on this account is one of the most successful merchants of the county, and Belleville regards him as one of her leading citizens. ITis hosts of friends proclaim him to be one of the best men in the world.
h ON. JAMES P. SLADE, A. M., ex-State Superintendent and the present Superin- tendent of the East St. Louis public schools, is a gentleman whose career may be studied with interest and emulated with profit by young men, for largely through his own efforts he fit- ted himself for a calling in which he has achieved honorable distinction. Energy, force of character, sterling integrity and kindness of heart are his distinguishing characteristics, and his brilliant yet practical mind has been strengthened and enriched by the highest culture. He was born in Albany County, N. Y., February 9, 1837, in which county his father, Leonard Slade, was also born, in 1802. James Slade, the grandfather, was born in Con- necticut, but became an early settler of Albany. Ile was a very successful tiller of the soil, was of English descent, and traced his genealogy in this country back to the founding of Plymouth, Mass. When a young man, Leonard Slade followed the calling of a teacher, after which he followed in his father's footsteps and began devoting his at- tention to agricultural pursuits in the vicinity of
his old home. In politics, he was first a Whig, and then became a Republican, of which party he was an adherent at the time of his death, which occurred in 1891. Ile was a member of the Baptist Church, and was in every respect an earnest Christian. Ile was married to Miss Eliza Park, a native of Con- necticut, and a daughter of Asahel Park, who was born and spent his life in Connecticut. Mrs. Slade was born in 1802 and died in 1889. She had been a school teacher in her youthful days, and was possessed of rare intelligence and refine- ment. She bore her husband three sons and three daughters, all of whom attained maturity, but only three are living at the present time.
James P. Slade was reared on his father's farm and received his early training in the public schools, after which he took an academic course. In 1854, he entered the Fairfield Seminary, which he attended one year, and the following summer followed in his father's and mother's footsteps and taught school, an occupation he followed with the most desirable results until the fall of 1856, when he came West and located in Belleville Ill., where two of his sisters were living. Ile first engaged in teaching in the district schools of the county, but at the end of one year was employed in the Grammar School of Belleville, and after a time be- came the Principal of the High School, which posi- tion came to him unsolicited and as a reward of merit. Ile entered upon his work thor- ouglily equipped and fully prepared to meet any professional demands that might be made upon him, and this has been attested by the fact that success has attended his efforts from the start. He ably filled the position of Principal from 1861 to 1866, and then he was appointed by .Judge Hughes County Superintendent of St. Clair County to fill a vacancy, and so ably did he fill this position that at the expiration of his term of service he was elected to the office and held it by re-election for ten years, at one time having no opposition. At another time there were three can- didates and Prof. Slade had three thousand more votes than both. While filling this position, he was Principal of the schools of Belleville, and be- came noted throughout the State as an able and experienced educator, as well as a strict discipli-
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narian. In writing and speaking, he is clear and forcible, particularly so when addressing himself to any subject pertaining to the theory and prae- tice of teaching, and his reasons for his convictions are always well defined and reasonable.
In 1878, he made the race for State Superinten- dent of Schools on the Republican ticket, and so enviable a reputation had he gained as an instruc- tor of the young, that he was elected by a large majority and filled the position with distinguished ability for four years. During this time he made his home in Springfield and made many journeys to different portions of the State on business connected with his office. In 1878, he purchased a one-half interest in Almira College, of Greenville, Ill., and the following year became its President. In 1872, he received the degree of A. M. from Shurtleff College, which honor was unsolicited by him. While filling the duties of President of Al- mira College, he was Professor of the Theory and Art of Teaching and of Mathematies. He made it a school for both sexes. and while under his control it greatly improved in various ways and he- eame widely patronized. Hle continued to hold the position of President until 1890, when he leased his share and later sold it. In 1890, he was ap- pointed Superintendent of the public schools of East St. Louis, without any solicitation on his part and has since ably discharged the duties of this posi- tion. In Prof. Slade are strikingly exemplified those characteristics and principles which conduce to the successful filling of positions demanding the dis- play of great mental abilities; and the arduous bur- dens that have fallen upon his shoulders have been carried with an ease, grace and dignity that have rendered him distinguished throughout his State and have made his life a succession of honors.
He was married in Belleville in 1876, to Miss Ella Bowman, daughter of Mrs. Fanny Bowman. Mrs. Slade was born in Belleville, was educated in the schools of her native town and in the Univer- sity of Illinois, and afterward followed the occu- pation of teaching. She has borne her husband one child, Leonard Tracy. For some years Prof. Slade was a Trustee of the I'niversity of Illinois at Champaign, appointed by Gov. Palmer, and was a member of the Board when the new building was
erected. In whatever locality he has resided, he has always taken a prominent position, and while a resident of Greenville he was earnestly solicited by the citizens of that place to run for Mayor, but he respectfully declined, as he preferred to devote his attention to his profession. He has been active in helping to establish the Normal Universities in the State, and has been Treasurer and Vice-president of the State Teachers' Association, and was one of the organizers of the Southern Illinois Teachers' Association, of which he was President at two dif- ferent times and Secretary a number of years. lle, with others, was instrumental in creating the Southern Illinois University, and all measures of education and morality have found in him a hearty supporter.
Almira College was organized asa Baptist school in 1855 by the Baptist Society, and Prof. Slade, on being requested to purchase it, in 1878 bought a one- half interest, but was soon after elected State Sup- erintendent, so did not take charge of it until 1883, when his term expired, after which he operated it very successfully, as above stated. Ile has been prominent for many years in State and National Educational Associations and has taken high rank in his profession. Ile is a member of the Baptist Church, and for some time has been one of its dea- cons.
G EORGE HEBERER. Glancing at the bio- graphies of successful men and noticing that almost invariably they arose from humble positions in life, it would very naturally be inferred that poverty in youth is a blessing in- stead of a misfortune. It is certainly true that hardships in early life develop sturdy traits of self-relianee and self-denial, which often in the wealthy lie dormant. There are many citizens of St. Clair County whose unaided exertions have re- sulted in prosperity, and an exeellent representa- tive of this class may be found in Mr. Ileherer.
This gentleman owns and operates a finely-im- proved farm on section 25, Fayetteville Township, and is numbered among the most progressive and
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enterprising farmers of the county. Upon his estate of one hundred and sixty acres he carries on mixed farming, raising the various cereals to which the soil is adapted. He uses the latest im- proved machinery and modern methods in every department of agriculture, and the result is that he has attained a degree of success unusual but highly satisfactory. His life furnishes an excel- lent example of what may be accomplished by perseverance coupled with energy and good judg- ment, for he was thrown upon his own resources and compelled to be self-supporting when he was a mere lad, nor did he receive any assistance in his efforts to accumulate a competency.
As were many of the best citizens of St. Clair County, our subject was born in Germany, his birth occurring in 1837. Ilowever, he retains no recollections of the land of his birth, for he was an infant of only eighteen weeks when he aecom- panied his parents, George and Christena (Weil- munester) Heberer, to the United States. ITis pa- rents were both natives of Germany, the father born in 1810 and the mother in 1809. The former was reared in one of the villages of the Father- land and in his youth learned the trade of a wagon-maker, which he followed throughout his entire life. His death occurred May 9, 1846, when George was a child of nine years, and his body was the first that was buried in the Darmstadt cemetery. In his religious belief, he was a de- voted member of the Lutheran Church, in which faith he reared his four children. They are: Nicholas, now deceased; George, of this sketch; Conrad, and Christena, who became the wife of Daniel Ilarman.
Early orphaned by the death of his father, our subject afterward remained at home with his mother, and was a pupil in the public school of Darmstadt at a time when there were but four- teen families in the district. The school was of a primitive order, both in the furnishing of the building and the method of instruction, but Mr. lleberer made the most of every opportunity of- fered him and became a well-informed man. When twenty-three years of age, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Barbara, daughter of John and Margaret Schuster, and unto them have been born
eight children, only two of whom survive. Anna M. is the wife of Peter Schickedanz, and Adam B. is at home. Barbara, who married Conrad Iuener, is now deceased. In his political belief, Mr. Ileb- erer is firm in his adherence to the principles of the Democratic party and ever ready to support the party of his choice by his influence as well as his ballot.
E LIJAHI STOOKEY. The subject of this sketch is the oldest surviving member of a family that is known all over the county of St. Clair. ITIs birth occurred September 29, 1813, one-half mile south of the place of his pres- ent residence, in section 30, St. Clair Township, The house is still standing, and is now occupied by Mr. Glad, a tenant, and is one of the landmarks of the township. The father of Elijah was Dan- iel Stookey, a native of Maryland, who was reared near Hagerstown. His father was a native of Ger- many, who married Barbara Whetstone, a native of Virginia, born near the Maryland line.
Daniel Stookey seems to have been one of a family of pioneers. Ilis eldest brother, Jacob, re- mained on the home place in Ilardy County, Va., to which his father removed from Maryland. Abraham was the next eldest, and removed to Ross County, Ohio, where he lived and died. Simon settled in Bedford County, Pa., and Samuel went to Canton, Ohio. Daniel, the father of our subject, was the youngest of the family and was not to be left behind; so he decided to try the West, but as he did not wish to go alone he was mar- ried in Virginia before starting. Shortly after this he removed to Ohio, settling near Chilli- cothe, and remained two years, when, hearing of the rich and fertile lands in St. Clair County, Ill., in 1802 he started across country and finally made ยท a settlement on what is familiarly known as the "old Stookey place." This became the home of his remaining years, he dying here in 1835, at the age of sixty-five years. Ilis wife survived him four- teen years, dying in 1849, aged seventy-five years.
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As far as the biographer can discover, the children of Mr. and Mrs. Stookey were Simon, born in 1796; Moses, in 1798; Aaron, in 1808; and Elijah, in 1813. From these brothers have descended the members of the Stookey family now resident in Belleville, St. Clair and Stookey Townships and in Southern Illinois, and wherever found this name represents intelligent and honorable people.
It is needless to say that the boyhood of our sub- jeet was spent on a farm, and that his educational advantages were few. The log schoolhouse was his temple of learning, and a few weeks, or at most three months, in the winter for a few years was all of the time in which he was able to attend school. The teachers of those days were far from being the capable instructors of the present. They were strict disciplinarians, and used the rod without fear or favor. Having only limited op- portunities, it did not take long to impart all they knew. Yet such use did the early settlers make of scant learning, that, combined with industrious habits, strong common-sense, and clear-headed judgment, they grew to years of discretion and kept pace with the progress of the country, accu- mulated property and prospered generally. The most of them filled with fidelity and capability the various offices of trust and honor to which they were appointed or elected.
Our subject did not go to school after he was sixteen years of age, but grew up on the home place and saw his share of hard work, and took an interest in the management of home affairs. In those days the markets for farm products were far remote, some farmers shipping down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. The nearest Eastern market was ('incinnati, which in 1810 had a population of twenty-five hundred. and trips there were generally made overland. After our subject left school, he made several trips to Ohio and Pennsylvania in company with others, driv- ing and selling cattle. When he reached the age of twenty-three years, he was united in mat- rimony with Miss Elinor McGuire, born in Craw- ford County, Pa., March 25, 1815, and whose par- ents moved to St. Clair County when she was four years old. Three children were born of this mar- riage; Madison T., borp November 26, 1837 (see
sketch), and living in Belleville; Lafayette, who died at the age of four years; and William, who died in infancy.
After marriage our subject and wife lived eleven years on the home place, now a part of the land belonging to M. T. Stookey. They have made the present place their home for thirty-three years. Mr. Stookey has been Road Supervisor and School Director, and in his politics follows the faith of his father, the Democratic. The farm of Mr. Stookey has in it one hundred and thirty-five acres, and there the family lives in great comfort. In religion, husband and wife are in unison, hav- ing joined the Baptist Church in their youth, and have led consistent Christian lives ever since. Considering his advanced years, Mr. Stookey is remarkably active and bright, and has a genial, cheerful, friendly manner, and converses with the quick tone of youth. He personally. at- tends to his own business, and bids fair to sce many years of enjoyable life, being of the num- ber that will never lose interest in their own or pub- lic affairs so long as they live. Mr. Stookey is happy in the possession of many cherished friends, whose intimacy began in their childhood.
O SCAR HEINRICHIT. The subject of this notice is a member of the lumber firm of (. Heinrich and Company, and is the oldest dealer in the city, having opened up his business here February 2, 1855. He was born near Dresden, Saxony, Germany, August 19, 1826, was educated there, employed as a clerk, and was apprenticed in a wholesale house for nine years. For four years he then worked on his father's farm. At this time he decided to come to this country and left home alone in 1853, coming to Mascoutah Ill .. and engaging there in the lumber business. Our subject was married to Miss Johanna Lang, living in Belleville, but born on the Rhine in Prussia, February 1, 1855, and who came over in 1849. Feb- ruary 2, 1855. be opened his present business on
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the same premises he now occupies. At first Mr. Ileinrich owned but three lots, but now the busi- ness occupies thirteen lots on South Illinois Street, corner of Sixth, near the Cairo Short Line tracks, where the firm deals in all kinds of lumber, sash doors and blinds, and also a full line of builder's material.
Our subject is Director of the Belleville Saving Bank and one of the first stockholders. llis feel- ings on political and seeret society subjects have kept him from joining in either. Mr. Heinrich lost his faithful wife, February 5, 1890, and only one child, Ida, survives, and she is living with her father. Her sister Meta, wife of Theo. Schmidt, died in Pittsburgh, in 1891. Mr. Heinrich occupies a very nice residence on the corner of South Illinois and Fifth Streets. He is a member of the Evangelical St. Paul Free German Protestant Church, is one of our best German residents, and enjoys the re- spect and esteem of all who know him.
OHIN C. SCHMIDT is a farmer residing on section 24, Millstadt Township, St. Clair County, III., who was born in St. Louis, Mo., on the 28th of January, 1843. The father of our subject bore the name of Phillip Schmidt, and his mother was Rachel Sibert. The father came to St. Clair County and bought a farm soon after his son's birth, it being located partly in Millstadt and partly in Smithton Townships. llere our subject was reared, and here he grew to manhood. Mr. Schmidt received the advantages which were afforded by the schools of the district, and grew up with the desire and intention of fol- lowing an agricultural life.
In due time he began to think of a domestic hearth of his own, and in 1866 he became the proud and happy husband of Miss Louisa Kalbefleisch, daughter of Peter Kalbefleisch, a resident of this county. After marriage Mr. Schmidt moved with his wife to this place, which he rented from his father, and which he bought of the estate after his father's death. He has lived here ever since, and
bas reared a family of seven fine children, who are named as follows: Emma, George, August, Louisa, Ida, Edward and Bertha. They all have enjoyed school advantages and will probably be prominent people in the county when another RECORD of this kind is compiled.
Our subject is the owner of eighty acres of land, upon which much labor and expense have been lavished, but which repays him with magnificent crops of grain, wheat principally. As Mr. Schmidt views the fine fields of waving yellow grain, he must feel in a great measure repaid for the many toilsome days and for the many nights when the setting sun found him with such aching muscles, that sleep seemed impossible. In many ways Mr. Schmidt is a fortunate man, and in none more so than in his land, which yields him a double income. A great part of it is underlaid with coal and is very valuable. Besides this, he has a coal mine in operation upon the land. Much of the land along this part of the State is rich in coal, and those who possess it may be considered among the most for- tunate of property owners.
The improvements on the farm of our subject are superior to those to be found on many, as both shade and ornamental trees are to be seen, with quite an abundance of fruit, while the fences and buildings are quite up to the average of those seen through this section of old St. Clair. The Luth- eran Church is the one in which the family of Mr. Schmidt finds a home, in which association they are all highly regarded as good and Christian people.
Politically, our subject is one of the stanch sup- porters of the Republican party in this district. Ile gives his vote and influence to this party, hav- ing confidence in its leaders. Of late years Mr. Schmidt has taken an interest in and has joined the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association, in which body he is considered a valuable member. He has been prominent in the public affairs of the district, and has served his fellow-citizens as Commissioner of Highways. as District Commissioner and as School Director. Mr. Schmidt has always done his share in the way of improvemement and is con- sidered one of the solid men of this part of the county,
Hugo Westermann.
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C OL. HUGO WESTERMANN. The Gov- ernment of the United States makes very careful selections when the appointment of important officials comes up, and in this case no mistake has been made. The revenue is a very necessary branch of public affairs and those who manage it must be men of education and judg- ment. Col. Westermann is the Deputy Collector of the Thirteenth District of Illinois, to which office he was appointed July 31, 1889. 1le has his office and headquarters at Belleville, and has charge of St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph and Washington ('oun ties.
1Iugo Westermann was born in Nassau, Ger- many, December 3. 1827, and was given an educa- tion at the Polytechnic School in Carlsruhe, Baden. In 1848, he was drafted into the army of Nassan, and served during the War of Schleswig-Holstein for one and a-half years as a private soldier. At the expiration of that time, in September, .1849, he started for America, and after landing came on West as far as Belleville, where he arrived lan uary 2, 1850. . It did not take long for one of his pleas- ant appearance to obtam employment, and he im- mediately became a clerk in a store in St. Louis. but soon started a store of his own in Belleville in company with his uncle Rubach. Here he con- tinued in this business until shortly before the breaking out of the Civil War.
When the guns were opened on Sumter, Col. Westermann found an echo in his breast which made him one of the first to enlist. He was elected Second Lieutenant of Company A. Ninth Ilinois Infantry, his commission being dated April 23, 1861. The company was first sent to Springfield and then to Cairo, Ill., for three months' service. At the expiration of that time, he went out of that regiment and raised Company 11. Forty-third Illi- nois Infantry, with a commission of Captain from September 1. 1861. His regiment was sent to Se- dalia, Mo., and from there to St. Louis and Ft. Henry, Ft. Donelson and Shiloh; then to Vicksburg, Ilelena, Little Rock, relieving Banks at Canton, Ark., and then retreating to the river for the battle of Jenkins Ferry, where they made a good fight. They were next sent back to Little Rock.
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