USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II > Part 44
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and is now employed with the Prudential Life Insurance Company. Mr. Morton is a republican and a member of the Christian Church.
GEORGE FISCHER. A remarkable term of service in the industrial life of Quincy came to a close with the sudden death of Mr. George Fischer, which occurred on February 26, 1916. He had been identified with the business in- terests of the city for nearly fifty years.
After his school days he served an apprenticeship at the tinner's trade with Henry Ridder, and at the age of nineteen he formed a partnership in the stove and tinware business with John Grant and subsequently with Benjamin Schupp. Later he embarked in this same line of business for himself, being located first at No. 625 Maine Street and then moving to No. 521 Maine Street.
In the year 1890 he purchased of Lemley Brothers the iron, steel and heavy hardware business of that firm. This transfer marked the beginning of the Fischer Iron & Steel Co., which Mr. Fischer developed and successfully carried on until he died. In 1896 he erected on the premises of his boyhood home at 121-125 South Fifth Street a large and modern building, fitted and equipped with every facility in handling this important enterprise.
Mr. Fischer was born in Quincy, January 3, 1850, and died at the age of sixty-six years, in the full splendor of manhood His parents were Joseph John and Walburga (Wittmann) Fischer. Both were born in Bavaria, Ger- many, the father March 3, 1816, and the mother July 8, 1821. The father came to the United States in a sailing vessel when a young man, and from New Orleans traveled up the river to Quincy, where he engaged in business as a merchant tailor. He was one of the well known early German settlers of the city, and died .on June 5, 1851. He married in Quincy, and George Fischer was their only child. His widow survived him and passed away October 21, 1891.
In early boyhood George Fischer attended the parochial schools and St. Francis College. In 1877 he married Miss Euphemia A. Ricker, the eldest child of the late Henry F. J. Ricker, Sr., founder of the Rieker National Bank of Quincy, Illinois. To this union five children were born, three sons and two daughters, namely : George Joseph, Joseph John, Walburga Mary, Frank Aloy- sins and Gertrude Caroline.
Mr. Fischer at the time of his death was vice president and director of the Ricker National Bank of Quincy, member of the board of directors of the Modern Iron Works, also a member of the board of governors of the Quincy Freight Bureau, a trustee of St. Boniface Catholic Church, and had served as president and also as secretary of the St. Aloysius Orphan Society. He was also affiliated with the Travelers Protective Association and the Western Catholic Union.
Mr. Fischer always cheerfully gave a full measure of unselfish assistance and personal service to any canse which had in view the advancement or better- ment of his home city.
He was a person of distinguished bearing, tall and commanding in appear- ance. possessing a memory which supplied him with facts down to the minutest detail. He was a man whom neither praise nor blame could swerve from what he considered a right decision. He was deeply religious, strictly honest, and in executing his purpose he had the conviction that eternal truth and right were on his side and must prevail. He was a plain and unassuming man, pos- sessed of strong common sense, great self reliance and invincible purpose. Throughout his life he set an example of moderation, fairness and truthfulness. Greater only than his work was the fullness and richness of his life itself.
HENRY A. OENNING. Prominent among the names of the men of worth and integrity whom Quincy has been called upon to mourn within the past few years stands that of the late Henry A. Oenning, who for many years was an active and influential factor in promoting the mercantile growth and pros- perity of the city. A native of Germany, he was born May 9, 1834, in Vehbing, and was there bred and educated.
Hoy. a. Century Elisabeth Denning
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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Realizing the value of the wonderful opportunities Ameriea offered to young men of industry and energy, he immigrated to the United States in early man- hood, locating first in New Orleans. From that city Mr. Oenning came by boat to Quiney, Illinois, and about 1866, in company with John Benning, he opened a book store, putting in a full line of prayer, church, and school books. He became well patronized, and subsequently bought out the interest of his partner, continuing the business alone until his death, January 24, 1908. In 1916 was celebrated the fiftieth year of the business at Quiney. During this entire period of fifty years operation has been continued in the same block, from 632 to 638. Successful in the management of his mereantile affairs, Mr. Oenning accumulated property of value, becoming owner among other things of the fine business building in which his store was located.
Mr. Oenning married, February 2, 1867, Elizabeth Heuer, who was also a native of Germany. No children were born of their union. Mr. Oenning was a faithful member of Saint Boniface Church and active in its affairs. lle was likewise one of the organizers of the Western Catholic Union.
LEVIN H. A. NICKERSON, M. D. Quiney has in many ways betokened its esteem for the professional abilities and service of Doctor Niekerson, who is now its oldest physician and surgeon in point of continuous years of practice. Doctor Niekerson came here in 1876, and all of his early contemporaries and associates are either gone or retired from work. Doetor Niekerson is still tremendously active, looks after a large private practice besides his official duties and re- sponsibilities in connection with hospitals and various hoards.
Doetor Niekerson was born in Camden, Delaware, in 1851, and represents one of the oldest of New England families, one branch of the Nickersons hav- ing been identified with the earliest settlement on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, while others for many generations lived in Connecticut. Doetor Nickerson grew up in his native town, and received his literary edueation in a seminary or academy. In 1874 he graduated from the medieal department of the University of Penn- sylvania and the following two years were spent in the Blockley Municipal Hospital of Philadelphia. This was an education and experience much superior to those of the average physician of that time.
Doctor Nickerson eame to Quiney and- soon had a profitable business as a physician and surgeon. For the past thirty years he has been a member of the staff of Blessing Hospital, for many years has served as surgeon of the Wabash Railroad, and for fifteen years as surgeon of the Army Medical Examining Board. Doctor Niekerson is a past president of the Adams County Medical Society. This, by the way, is the oldest medieal society in the state, having been established before the state society was organized. Doetor Niekerson served as president of Illinois State Medieal Society in 1913-14. A number of times he has been sent as a delegate to the American Medical Association. Doetor Nickerson applied for service in the present war, but was refused on account of his age.
As already noted, he is the oldest physician of Quincy in point of continuous years of practice. The same distinction was enjoyed by his wife's father, the late Dr. Michael Roeschlaub, who in his time was one of the most eminent practitioners in medieine in Adams County. Doctor Niekerson and Miss Jessie S. Roeschlaub were married in Quiney. Her grandfather, Dr. Andrew Roeseh- laub, was a distinguished and eminent medieal man of Germany. He served as private medical counselor to the King of Bavaria and was also dean of the faculty of the University of Munich. In one of the rooms of the University of Munich is now prominently displayed a marble bust of Dr. Andrew Roeschlaub as testimony to his abilities and service.
Mrs. Niekerson's father, Michael Joseph Roesehlaub, was born in the King- dom of Bavaria February 2, 1806. He was liberally educated, and graduated in the literary department of the University of Munich in 1825, and three years later received his degree in medicine and surgery in his father's school. After four years of practice in Munich he was appointed county physician, a position
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he held until 1845. He was one of those liberty loving Bavarians who became dissatisfied with political conditions in their native land, and coming to America he first settled at Palmyra, Missouri, and in January, 1849, located at Quincy, where he practiced medicine for over thirty years and at the time of his retirement was the oldest practicing physician of the city. He was one of the founders of the Adams County Medieal Society and very active among its leaders and officers, serving as president and in other capacities. Dr. Michael Roeschlaub died in Quiney when seventy-nine years of age. He was twice married. His second wife was Margaret Sawers, of Scotch descent, and a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. They were married in Bavaria Oetober 10, 1843. Mrs. Michael Roeschlaub, who lived to be over fourseore years of age, was a promi- nent woman of Quincy and was especially distinguished as a leader in literary affairs.
Doetor Nickerson and wife have one son, Harry L. R., now thirty years of age. He is a graduate of the Quincy High School, Yale University, and of the Boston Institute of Technology. As a chemical engineer he has worked himself to a position of eminence in the profession and in business affairs. A number of years ago he identified himself with the Boston Gas Light Company, and has applied himself so diligently and ably to his duties that he has become its general manager and superintendent. He lives in Boston and married there Miss Harriet L. MeCloud, a native of that eity and a woman highly cultured and educated.
HENRY C. GREEMANN represents one of the old German families of Quiney, located here nearly half a century ago, and his own career has been in part a continuation of that of his father, beginning as a stone mason and developing a large enterprise as stone contractor and in construction work, represented in many of the large private and business houses of this territory.
Mr. Greemann is a son of Henry and Wilhelmina (Boehmer) Greemann, both natives of Hanover, Germany, and reared from childhood in the Lutheran religion. Henry Greemann was a stone eutter by trade and was married in Germany. Their first child, Frederieka, was born in the old country and was very young when in 1855 they set sail from Bremen for New Orleans. Up the Mississippi River they came to St. Louis, where Henry Greemann followed his trade until 1859 and then moved to Quiney. He located at 830 Olio Street, which was the family home for a great many years. At Quincy Henry Gree- mann followed his trade, and later contracted with Governor Wood, the founder of the eity, to buy five acres south of Jefferson Street along the Mississippi River banks. He paid $2,000 for this property and soon developed it as a stone quarry. This quarry is interesting historieally, since in the course of the quarrying operations it was discovered that the former Indian inhabitants had used the ground as a burial place and many skeletons were unearthed. Henry Greemann continued working this quarry for dimension building stone until his death in 1879. at the age of fifty-nine. His widow survived him until 1883, and was about seventy when she died. Both became identified with the Lutheran Church at Quiney. Their children born in Quiney were: Elizabeth, now living at Brooklyn, New York, widow of John Love and mother of several sons and daughters; IIenry C., the third in age; John, who died in Quincy in middle life, survived by his widow, Frederieka (Shroeder) Greemann, and a daughter, Florenee.
Mr. Henry C. Greemann was born at the old homestead on Ohio Street November 10, 1860. He attended the city sehools but as a boy began learning the trade of stone mason under his father. He had not yet completed his ap- prenticeship when his father died and he served it out under another employer. After that he continued the operation of the quarry until January 1, 1893, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Albert Roeder, and in 1913 they incor- porated as the Roeder-Greemann Stone & Construction Company with a capi- tal stock of $25,000. Mr. Greemann is president, Mr. Roeder is treasurer, and Homer Greemann is secretary. The firm do an immense business in eonstrue-
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tion work, and in their stone contracting furnish practically all the materials from their own quarry. They do building of other materials and the firm is one of the most important in this line at Quincy.
Mr. Greemann married in Quiney Ida Weisenberger, who was born in this city in 1862, daughter of Bernard and Elizabeth (Kunkle) Weisenberger, both natives of Germany. They married after they came to Quiney and spent the rest of their days here. Her father died in 1906, when past seventy, and her mother is now living past fourseore. Both were members of the Lutheran Church. They had a large family and most of them are still living and mar- ried. Mr. and Mrs. Greemann have a family of four children: Homer, seere- tary of the company, who married Elma Stohlberg. Clara is a graduate of the Gem City Business College and now a stenographer in the government serv- ice at Washington. Helen is a registered nurse and is now in the Red Cross serviee at Camp Dodge, lowa. Laura was well educated in the high school and the Gem City Business College and is employed as a stenographer at Quiney. The family are members of the Lutheran Memorial Church. Mr. Greemann is affiliated with Lodge No. 1 of the Masonie order, and he and his son are demo- cratie voters.
Mr. Albert Roeder, treasurer of the Roeder-Greemann Stone & Construe- tion Company, was born in Germany in 1860. He learned the stone cutting trade in the old eountry and in 1881 came to the United States. As former partner and now member of the corporation with Mr. Greemann he is chiefly responsible for the actual building construetion and is a very praetieal and thorough man in this line. He married for his first wife Louise Abbath, and his present wife is Anna Reichert, both of whom were Quiney girls. By his first wife he had a son, Otto, and a daughter, Martha. The son was a stoek- holder in the Roeder-Greemann Company and died in August, 1913, at the ont- set of a very promising career. The daughter is the wife of Ernest Lehr, and is the mother of two children, Gertrude and Roland.
GEORGE BREUER. Quiney has long appreciated the services rendered by the business at 119 North Fourth Street, an exclusive carpet and rug house, now eondneted under the individual proprietorship of Mr. George Breuer and for- merly for nearly half a century by Henry Ruff, from whom Mr. Breuer bought the store in June, 1907. Mr. Breuer had been an employe of Mr. Ruff for eighteen years, and thus the business has practically a continuons history and is one of the oldest establishments of its kind in Adams County. Mr. Brener has two floors for his stoek and display rooms, 20 by 100 feet, and there are few people of Adams County who do not know his location on the west side of the Public Square.
The Breuer family has been in Quiney for half a century or more, and it is a family of sterling American patriotism. Mr. Brener has liberally supported every cause and movement in behalf of the war of democraey against antoeracy, and his father was equally intense in his loyalty to his adopted country. Mr. George Brener was born in Quiney in 1874, and grew up and received his education here. He was only a boy when he entered the earpet business with Mr. Ruff, and all his experience has been in that one line. He is a son of Henry and Helena Brener, both of whom were born in Germany, were married in the old country, and after the birth of their first son, Henry, who is now deceased, they came to the United States and located at Quiney. The father died Jan- uary 13, 1919, and the mother is still living, now quite old. Henry Breuer for many years was an active carpenter. George Brener has several brothers and sisters still living in Quincy. Ernest and Charles are both married and live in Quiney. Mrs. Frank Orr, a sister, lives in Oklahoma. Anna died January 21, 1879, and Amelia, nnmarried, reside in Quincy, as does the brother Eric.
Mr. George Breuer married at Quincy Miss Minnie Koch, who was born and reared in this city. Mr. Brener is affiliated with Lodge No. 1 of the Masons and also with the Knights of Pythias.
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LEROY H. WOLFE is a doetor of dental surgery, and has taken commendable rank in his profession at Quiney, where he has practiced for the last eight years. For three years, 1914 to 1916, he served as president of the Adams- Hancock Counties Dental Society.
He is a graduate of dentistry from the Iowa State University with the class of 1905. His earlier literary education was acquired in his native state of Pennsylvania and he was a student in the State School at Loekhaven. He began practice at Hull, Illinois, was there five years, and then eame to Quiney. He is a member of the state and national dental societies, and has always been a progressive student of his profession. He took post-graduate work at St. Louis and Chicago, and has attended many elinies at New York, St. Louis and Philadelphia. He is a member of the surgical staff of St. Mary's Hos- pital. He has made a specialty of anaesthesia and oral surgery.
Doctor Wolfe was born in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, December 28, 1883, and graduated and began the work of his profession about the time he was twenty-one years of age. He represents an old Pennsylvania family. His father, George H. Wolfe, and his grandfather, Horaee Wolfe, were both natives of that state and were farmers and dairymen there. His father is still living at the age of sixty-three. The doctor's mother was Belle Knapp, who was born in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, sixty years ago, daughter of Amos and Rachel (Gordon) Knapp, also natives of Bradford County, where they lived as farmers. The Knapps were Presbyterians while the Wolfes were Baptists. Doctor Wolfe has a brother, Hal C., still on the old homestead in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and father of one son, Merrill.
At Hull, Illinois, Doetor Wolfe married Sena Miller, who was born there and finished her education at Quincy. Her parents, Barney and Alta (Gerdes) Miller, were born in Germany, but were married in Quiney, and are now liv- ing at Hull, Illinois, where her father is a retired grain merchant. They are members of the Lutheran Church. Mrs. Wolfe has a brother, Christ Miller, who is connected with the Portland Cement Company of Hannibal, Missouri, and is married and has one daughter, Nedra.
The home of Doctor and Mrs. Wolfe has been blessed with one son, LeRoy, born October 20, 1911. Mrs. Wolfe is a member of the Congregational Church. Doetor Wolfe has attained most of the degrees and orders of Masonry, being affiliated at Quincy with Bodley Lodge No. 1, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Royal Areh Chapter No. 5, Knight Templar Commandery No. 77 and the Scottish Rite Consistory, thirty-second degrec, and is a member of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also affiliated with Lodge No. 160 of the Benevolent and Proteetive Order of Elks.
WILHELMINA WESTHOLD. D. O. A graduate in osteopathy from the Pacific College at Los Angeles, Doctor Westhold returned to her old home at Quiney to practice her profession, and has gained a large elientele and is the objeet of great personal esteem among all who recognize the ability of an energetic and ambitions woman to advance herself in the world and render a service of use- fulness to her fellow beings. Doetor Westhold graduated in 1909 and her offiees are in the Wells Building.
She was born at Quiney in September, 1868, and was reared here, attending the grammar and high schools and graduating from the Gem City Business Col- lege in 1893. For twelve years she was a stenographer, until she took up her professional study and work.
Doctor Westhold is a daughter of Frank and Wilhelmina (Westermann) Westhold, both of whom were natives of Hanover, Germany, and were brought to this country and to St. Louis when young. They married at Quiney and have since had their home in this eity. Her father for a number of years was engaged in the wood business, and later condueted a farm near Quincy. Fif- teen years ago Mr. Westhold retired. and passed away July 24. 1918. Mrs. Westhold is still living. They became members of the Evangelical Lutheran
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Church and in polities he was a republican. Doctor Westhold is one of a family of six daughters and one son, being the third in age. The oldest, Lis- etta, is still at home with her mother. Frank, Jr., is unmarried and lives at Seattle, Washington. Anna is the wife of John Speekhart, an Adams County farmer, and they have four children. Bertha is the wife of Albert W. Sprick, a Nebraska farmer and brother of the well known Quincy banker of that name. Lulu is the wife of William Beilstein, of Frankford, Missouri, and they have one danghter, Ruth. Amanda, the youngest, is a teacher in the Lineomn High School at Seattle, Washington. Doctor Westhold is a member of the Christian Church.
ALDO F. BEHRENS. For half a century the name of Behrens has been familiarly associated with the business affairs of Quiney. One of the oldest grocery and provision establishments in the city was formerly that of Behrens and Ohlschlager at the corner of Fourth Street and Maiden Lane. This busi- ness, now at 500 South Fourth Street, is condneted by the Behrens Brothers, Aldo F. and Archibald H., who are sons of the former head of the business and nephews of Mr. Ohlschlager.
Herman Behrens, the pioneer of the family in Quiney, was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1837, and eame to the United States in 1857, making the voyage by sailing vessel to New Orleans and thence up the river to Cincinnati, Ohio. He lived at different times in Louisville, Kentucky, and also in Missouri, and he and his brother-in-law and their respective families eame to Quiney in 1866. In Cincinnati in 1865 Herman Behrens married Alvena Ohlschlager, who was born in Indiana in 1844, and was reared in Cineinnati. Her parents were Frederick and Elizabeth (Rightmey) Ohlsehlager, both natives of Han- over. Germany, where they married and soon afterward eame to America. Most of the Ohlschlager children were born in Indiana and Cincinnati. Fred- eriek Ohlsehlager and wife also came to Quincy in 1866, and he died here in his sixty-first year and his widow at the age of eighty-four. They were mem- bers of the Lutheran Church and were highly respected in this community.
Herman Behrens and his brother-in-law, Henry Ohlschlager, on coming to Quiney started in business at the corner of Fourth, and State streets, and about two years later bought the ground and built a large double store at the corner of the Fourth and Maiden Lane. Their building was 75 by 66 feet and in one half of it they opened a general grocery and produce business. Henry Ohlschlager, who was born in Cincinnati, was aetive in the business until his death in 1906 at the age of fifty-four. He never married. Herman Behrens died in 1909, at the age of seventy-two. Mrs. Herman Behrens is still living and was seventy-four years old June 14, 1918, and is still vigorous and in good health. Her brother, Mr. Ohlsehlager, was a prominent republiean at Quiney and for a number of years represented the third ward in the city couneil. He was a past master of Herman Lodge of Masons, while Herman Behrens belonged to Bodley Lodge of that order.
Aldo F. Behrens was born at Quiney June 14, 1866, and his brother Archi- bald was born August 10, 1868. They are the only children of the late Her- man Behrens. Both grew up and attended the public sehools of Quiney and from boyhood were trained at the counters of their father's store. They know the grocery and provision business in every detail, and after the death of their unele they took over the management of the store and have promoted it to greatly enlarged sueeess.
Aldo Behrens married in Quincy Anna Warmeker. She was born in Quiney at the corner of Ninth and State streets in 1868, and for a number of years has been a dressmaker with a shop in the Wells Building.
Archibald HI. Behrens married at Quiney Anna Moshage, who was born here at the corner of Fourth and Payson streets. She has much artistie talent, was trained in artistie lines in the art schools of Chicago and Kansas City, Missouri, and has done much china painting both as an individual artist and
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as a teacher. She and her husband live at 1868 Hampshire Street, where she holds her art classes. Archibald Behrens is a member of Herman Lodge of Masons.
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