USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River, Vol. II > Part 71
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E. W. is prominently identified with business interests in Fort Wayne; he was treasurer of the old Street Car Company and later was treasurer of the Salamonie Mining and Gas Company, and is now connected with the Northern Indiana Gas & Electric Company. Charles J., of this review, was the next in order of birth; Dora remains with her brother Charles, whose wife is deceased; and William H. is ex-county treasurer of Allen county and now vice-president and general manager of the City and Suburban Building Company. Charles J. Scheimann acquired his pre- liminary education in the parochial schools of St. Paul's Lutheran church of Fort Wayne and thereafter attended Concordia College, of which he is now a trustee. On November 3, 1890, at Los Angeles, California, he married Miss Elise Koester, who passed away four months after her marriage, since which time Mr. Scheimann maintained a home with his mother and sister, Dora, in charge, until the death of the former, since which time the latter has been the hostess. He served one season as conductor on the first open, or summer, street car placed in commission in Fort Wayne and then completed a course in the Powers Business College. Soon afterward he became associated with the Fort Wayne Organ Company, and his career from that time forward has been out- lined in the earlier portion of this record.
Benjamin B. Schlatler .- One of the prominent farmers of Spencer- ville in Cedar Creek township is Benjamin B. Schlatler, born in Allen county on March 16 and the son of Christian and Barbara (Gerig) Schlat- ler, both of German birth and parentage. In about 1848 the father located in Cedar Creek township, immediately following his arrival in America, and there met and married Barbara Gerig. They spent their lives in devotion to rural life and the upbringing of their family of six children, and both have now passed to their reward. Their children are here briefly mentioned as follows: Christ lives in Washington. Benja- min B. was the second born. Joseph died in youth, as did Andrew. David is a resident of Fort Wayne and Mary is the wife of David Dever, of Colorado. Benjamin Schlatler remained at home after the others had gone out into the world and in later years, when the old homestead came into his ownership, he added to it other land in the township, so that he has a considerable acreage under cultivation. He is a successful farmer, intent upon realizing the best results from the labor and money expended in the operation of his acres, and has brought up the standard of Cedar Creek agriculture appreciably in recent years. His fine brick dwelling house and modern and commodious barns indicate the measure of his success in his chosen work. On May 2, 1880, Mr. Schlatler married Christine McCartney, a native of Allen county and daughter of James and Parthena (Lee) McCartney, both of Ohio, who came to Allen county as early as 1847. They located on Cedar Creek and later moved into Leo, in Cedar Creek township, and were long and successfully engaged in farming there. They were pioneers in the truest sense and knew this district when it was a veritable wilderness. Eight children were reared in their home. Hannah, the first born, is dead. Eliza is the wife of Jacob Zechner, of DeKalb county. William is living in Illinois. The fourth child was Christine, wife of the subject. Louis lives in Cedar Creek town- ship. Mary is deceased. Alice is the wife of Paul Metz, of Chicago. Charles died in infancy. Mr. and Mr. Schlatler have one son, James Leroy, born July 9, 1888, and he is now engaged in carrying on the work of the home farm, the father having lately withdrawn to some extent
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from its management. Both father and son are staunch Democrats and members of the Methodist church. They are men of excellent qualities and are citizens of a high order in their community. The family is highly esteemed in the community with which it has so long been identified and enjoy the friendship of a wide circle in town and county.
Christ S. Schlatter is the owner of one of the well improved landed estates of Springfield township and has long been known as one of the representative agriculturists and loyal and progressive citizens of the county that has been his place of residence since he was a child of about three years. He was born in Mulhausen, Germany, October 18, 1851, and in 1854 his parents, Benedict and Elizabeth (Garrick) Schlatter, im- migrated to America and became pioneer settlers of Allen county, Indiana. They established their home in Cedar Creek township, where the father girded himself valiantly for the arduous work of reclaiming a farm from the forest, both he and his wife having passed the remainder of their lives on the old homestead, which he brought to profitable productive- ness. The names of the ten children in this sterling pioneer family are here noted: Benedict, Jr., Josph, Christ S., Anna, Fanny, Kate, Eliza- beth, Mary, Lydia, and Jonas. He whose name introduces this paragraph was reared to adult age in Cedar Creek township, where he early began to assist in the work of the pioneer farm, and where he received his youthful educational discipline in the common schools of the day. He continued as an exemplar of agricultural enterprise in Cedar Creek town- ship until 1886, when he removed to Springfield township and purchased a tract of ninety-two acres, in Section 33. Later he bought an adjoining twenty-five acres in the same township, and finally he added to his landed estate one hundred acres in Section 34 of the same township, so that he now owns a valuable farm property of two hundred and seventeen acres. With characteristic energy and discrimination Mr. Schlatter has marked the passing years not only by successful farm enterprise but also by the providing of the best of permanent improvements on his farm property. He erected the commodious and attractive brick residence that constitutes the family home, and the barns and other buildings are of a type that is consonant with the fine house, all buildings being lighted by the modern electric plant which Mr. Schlatter has provided for the pur- pose. That a man whose management of his private business affairs has been so effective should be called upon to give co-operation in the direct- ing of governmental matters in the community was virtually a foregone conclusion, and thus it is to be recorded that Mr. Schlatter served one term as township supervisor, with characteristic loyalty and efficiency. In politics he is not constrained by partisan dictates but gives his support to men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment. He and his family hold membership in the Mennonite church. In 1877 Mr. Schlatter wedded Miss Anna Yoder, whose death occurred in the year 1897. Of the five children of this union all are living except the second, Solomon, whose death occurred in 1914. The names of the other children are as follows: David J., Leah, Sylvia, and Joseph. In the year 1899 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Schlatter to Miss Katie Gerig, who was born in Springfield township, this county, June 26, 1870, and who is a daughter of Joseph and Katie (Nofciger) Gerig, the former a native of Germany and the latter of the state of Ohio, where their marriage was solemnized and whence they came to Allen county and established their home in Springfield township, where they passed the remainder of
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their lives. Their children were ten in number, namely: John, Joseph, Anna (deceased), Katie (Mrs. Schlatter), Joel and Aaron (both de- ceased), Daniel, Samuel (deceased), Mary, and Elizabeth. Of the three children of Mr. and Mrs. Schlatter the two surviving are George and Jesse, Elmer, the first born, having died in childhood.
Cleveland S. Schlatter is conducting a prosperous mortgage loan business in the city of Fort Wayne and has proved himself a straight- forward and versatile young business man, besides which he is a lawyer, having been admitted to the bar in October, 1916. Mr. Schlatter was born in the village of Leo, this county, on May 23, 1884, a son of Christian J. and Elizabeth (Carnahan) Schlatter, who now reside in the state of Washington, where the father is successfully engaged in farming. Cleve- land S. Schlatter is indebted to the public schools of his native village for his early educational discipline, which included that of the high school, and later pursued higher academic studies in the Valparaiso University, the great Indiana institution in the city of Valparaiso. In his early youth Mr. Schlatter entered upon an apprenticeship to the tinner's trade, in a hardware establishment at Leo, and to this trade gave his attention four years. In 1907 he established his residence in Fort Wayne, where he became identified with the Peoples Loan Company, his experience being such as to equip him fully for independent opera- tions in the same line when, on November 10, 1914, he established the Independent Loan Company. He is also engaged in the active practice of law and has been energetic and ambitious in his technical reading, with the result that he has gained excellent knowledge of the science of jurisprudence. He has essayed definite activity in the domain of politics and gives his allegiance to the Democratic party, and is now (spring of 1917) a candidate for city judge. On April 9, 1910, Mr. Schlatter wedded Miss Lola C. Landis, a daughter of William and Hattie (Campbell) Landis, of Fort Wayne. The two children of this union are Woodrow H., who was named in honor of President Wilson, even as his father was given similar recognition of Democratic paternal predilec- tions, his birth having occurred in the year that recorded the first election of Grover Cleveland to the presidency of the United States; and Flor- ence L.
David J. Schlatter has proved his resourcefulness and progressive spirit by developing in his native township of Springfield a specially substantial business as a commercial gardener. He has made a close study of horticulture and brings to bear in his operations scientific and practical methods that insure the best results in the propagation of the various vegetables, for which he finds a ready demand in the city of Fort Wayne, where his supporting trade is principally centralized. His fine little farm of forty acres, in Section 33, Springfield township, is almost entirely devoted to horticultural enterprise and is one of the veritable garden spots of the county in both a literal and visual sense. Mr. Schlatter has made the best of modern improvements on the place, including the erection of an attractive and commodious house which he has equipped with the best of modern facilities, including furnace heat and electric lighting system, the home being about five miles distant from the village of Grabill, which is his postoffice address. Mr. Schlatter is a representative of one of the well known and honored families of Springfield township, where he was born, April 24, 1880, a son of Christ S. and Anna (Yoder) Schlatter, his father having long been one of
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the representative farmers of this township. After having profited fully by the advantages of the public schools of his native township Mr. Schlatter gave his attention to general agricultural pursuits until he found that he was not physically fortified to withstand the intense heat and heavy labors entailed in general farm work. Under these conditions he consulted expediency by turning his attention to commercial garden- ing, and the success that has attended his enterprise has fully justified his choice of industrial vocation. Exercising his franchise in harmony with his earnest conviction, he gives his allegiance unreservedly to the Prohibition party, and both he and his wife are zealous members of the Church of Christ, Mrs. Schlatter, whose maiden name was Malinda Myers, having been born on the farm which they now own and occupy and their marriage having been solemnized February 5, 1902, and she is a daughter of John and Rose Myers, sterling residents of Springfield township.
August C. Schmidt .- The late August C. Schmidt had his intro- duction to America at the early age of seven years, when he came with his parents from their home in Germany and settled on a farm in Allen county. This section of the state has represented the family home since their arrival on American shores, in 1849, and their connection with the community has at all times been a creditable one. The parents of Angust Schmidt were John G. and Sophia H. (Hommer) Schmidt, born and reared in Germany. A wagonmaker by trade, John Schmidt con- tinued in his chosen work after settling here and enjoyed a fair measure of prosperity during his lifetime. The son, August C., was born in Germany on July 7, 1842, and was educated in Allen county. Coming of age he naturalized duly, and in the second year of the Civil War enlisted in Company I, Eighty-ninth Indiana Infantry, and continued in the service through to the end of the war. He was a participant in many hard-fought engagements, and his wartime experience differed from that of his fellows only in that he escaped without injury of any sort during the period of his service. He was mustered out at Mobile, Alabama, in July, 1865, returning at once to his Allen county home, where he settled down to the quiet pursuits of farm life, in Marion township. In 1871 the young man married Miss Sophia Mevers. She was an Allen county girl. the daughter of J. D. and Sarah Jane (Deha- von) Meyers. The father was of German birth. He came to America in early manhood, married, settled on a farm and there he and his wife snent their remaining days, enjoying to the end the respect and con- fidence of their friends and associates in the community. After the marriage of Mr. Schmidt to Sophia Meyers he rented a farm in Marion township and settled down to make what he could of such resources as were at his command. What he lacked in money he made up in courage and energy and after twelve years became the owner of an eighty-acre farm in section ten, Monroe township, where he spent his remaining years busily engaged in the work of developing the plare. When he passed on, August 14, 1901, he left to his widow a comfortable home and she has since resided there, carrying on the place capably and successfully. Mrs. Schmidt has made some improvements on her own responsibility since the farm came under her control, chief among which is a fine modern dwelling that reflects much credit upon her Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt, all but two of whom are living at this writing. They are here named in the order
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of their borth: John E. deceased; William A .; Minnie, the wife of Charles H. Van Horn; Emma C., the wife of T. J. Sheehan; Amelia, deceased; David H .; Harvey C., of Fort Wayne; Tilla M., married to J. B. Sheehan ; Lucy H., the wife of Frank Neadstine; Frances M., living at home, and Goldie E., who is also at home with the mother.
Rev. Carl H. Schnepel .- The general historical division of this pub- lication offers in a specific way adequate data concerning the various religious organizations in Allen county, and thus it is not requisite that in the article at hand be given detailed record concerning St. Mark's Lutheran church at Sheldon, of which the honored pastor is he whose name initiates this paragraph. Supplemental information, however, may be briefly given. In 1914 there was installed in the fine church edifice a new and model pipe organ, at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars, and within the past four years improvements upon the house utilized as a home for the teachers in the parochial school have involved an expend- iture of about one thousand dollars. Under the regime of Mr. Schnepel the parish has been signally prosperous in both its spiritual and temporal affairs, and since 1912 the annual offerings for benevolent purposes have been increased from $450 to $950. The earnest zeal and loyalty of the members of the parish are at all times in evidence, and each year the voting members customarily appear on one or more occasions to make necessary repairs and improvements upon the church property. F. G. Doepping, who had been for more than a decade an able and valued teacher in the parish school, departed on August 2, 1916, to engage in similar professional service in the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and his successor, who arrived on the 22d of the same month, is C. F. Stadelmann, who came to this field from Holland, Dubois county, Indiana. The close of the year 1916 found fifty-two pupils enrolled in the parish school, in which the work is carried forward to the eighth grade as defined in the curriculum of the public schools of the city. In the parish schools special attention is given to religious instruction and counsel and also to the teaching of the German language. In the church services are conducted in both German and English, and in lieu of a Sunday school each Sabbath the pastor gives to the congregation, including the children, a half hour of instruction in the scripture and the lessons drawn there- from. St. Mark's church has at the time of this writing 225 communi- cants, with a congregation appreciably in excess of this number. Rev. Carl H. Schnepel was born at Aschwarden, province of Hanover, Ger- many, on August 26, 1873, a son of C. H. and Meta (Bahr) Schnepel, who were born in that same province of Prussia, where they passed their entire lives, the father having been a gardener by profession and voca- tion and having passed to the life eternal in 1914, the mother of the subject of this review having died when the latter was an infant. Rev. Carl H. Schnepel was reared and educated in his native land, and, in 1889, he came to the United States and prepared to fit himself for the work of the ministry of the Lutheran church, in the faith of which he had been carefully reared. After passing one year in New York city he removed to the city of Chicago, and within a short time thereafter entered the Lutheran Seminary or divinity school in the city of St. Paul, Minnesota, in which institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1896, a year which recorded also his ordination as a clergyman of the Lutheran church. His first pastoral charge was at Fort Jennings, Ohio, where he remained in faithful service until December, 1901, when
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he assumed a pastorate at Belmont, Wisconsin, where he remained until he assumed his present important charge at Sheldon, Allen county, in September, 1912. He has brought to bear in his ministerial work fine intellectual powers, earnest consecration and a high sense of steward- ship, and his executive ability has been such as effectively to supplement his gracious and devoted service in the spiritual field of his labors. He has vitalized all departments of the parish work of St. Mark's church and has the earnest co-operations of his flock. On June 14, 1899, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Schnepel to Miss Lena Rausch, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, June 27, 1875, and was ten years of age at the time of the family imigration to America. Her parents, ludwig and Magdalina (Guth) Rausch, firse settled in Pennsylvania and later in Kansas, from which latter state they finally removed to Celina, Ohio. The death of Mr. Rausch occurred before the family moved to their new home, he having been a railway official in his native land and having been a man of superior ability. His widow now resides in the home of the honored subject of this review, Mr. and Mrs. Schnepel have five children, whose names and respective dates of bortli are here noted : Rosa, October 9, 1899; Carl, December 9, 1903; Emil, August 4, 1909; Olga, March 23, 1913; and Frieda, September 6, 1916.
Ludwig Schowe .- Ludwig Schowe is a native of Washington town- ship, born within its borders on October 26, 1846, and has been a con- tinuous resident of the place throughout his lifetime. His parents, Ernest and Sophia (Hilgeman) Schowe, were of Prussian birth, and came to Allen county from their native land as young people. They married, in 1843, settled in Washington township, and carried on farming with some success until the death of the husband and father, in 1854. Later the widow remarried. Of the first marriage there were four children- Henry, Sophia, Katherine and Ludwig of this review. Ludwig Schowe had a common school education in his native community and his active career began in the work of conducting the home place, which his father left at his death. Today Mr. Schowe owns two hundred and fourteen acres of land in Washington township, on which he has made all the improvements, and his farm home is one of the well-kept and profitable places in the township today. On April 4, 1872, Mr. Schowe married Sophia Nieman. Mrs. Schowe passed away on March 4, 1874, and some time later Mr. Schowe was united in marriage with Miss Frederika Weg- man, daughter of William and Sophia (Gerdothage) Wegman, long na- tives of Germany. Eleven children blessed the home of Ludwig Schowe. Of his first marriage there was one and of the second ten. Named in order of their birth the children are Sophia, Amelia, Emma, John, Wil- liam, Marie, Benjamin, Clara, Edwin, Raymond and Lester. Emma, John, Benjamin and Raymond are deceased. Mr. Schowe has served his town- ship as assessor in years past, and has taken his place among the depend- able citizens of the township through all his mature years. He is Repub- lican in politics, and is a member of St. John's Reformed church in Fort Wayne.
W. Frank Schrader, M. D., for more than twenty years one of the well known physicians of Fort Wayne, was born April 8, 1868, in Kenton, Ohio. His parents were Henry and Hariet (Gary) Schrader. In the schools of his native town Dr. Schrader received his early education and this was followed by courses in the normal schools at Ada and Middle- point, Ohio. Thus equipped he began teaching in Kenton and thence he
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went in a like capacity to the Northwestern Normal College at Middle- point. In 1891 he came to Fort Wayne and became instructor in the old Methodist College, now Taylor University, at Upland. In this last named institution he took up the study of medicine, which he pursued diligently until 1894, when he was graduated. He took special courses in Boston and New York. On returning to Fort Wayne he began the practice of his profession and was the first interne in Hope Hospital. In his school and pedagogic days Dr. Schrader had devoted much time to public speaking and kindred subjects and in this connection he was frequently called on for elocutionary entertainment. By money thus earned he was enabled to finish his education in his profession. His practice was of a general character until about five years ago, since which time his activities have been limited to the treatment of rectal diseases. He has contributed numerous articles to various magazines and to medical journals, all of his writings being characterized by a lucid and entertaining style and by clear thinking. He was married October 10, 1904, to Elizabeth Abbee, of Chicago. Mrs. Schrader is widely known as a pen artist and is a woman of superior talent and marked intellectuality. Dr. Schrader is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Presbyterian church.
Charles Schroeder passed his entire life in Fort Wayne, where he long held secure vantage-place as one of the city's representative busi- ness men and liberal and progressive citizens. During virtually the entire period of his active career he was here engaged in the retail drug business and his technical ability and personal popularity greatly con- served the success of the enterprise, he having been one of the leading druggists of his native city at the time of his death, which occurred, April 20, 1906. His sterling character and personality won to him the staunchest of friends, and his death was recognized as causing a distinct loss to the business and social circles of the Allen county metropolis. Mr. Schroeder was born in Fort Wayne, February 4, 1860, and thus was in the very prime of his strong and useful manhood when death set its seal upon his mortal lips. His parents, Louis and Elise (Rippe) Schroeder were both born in Germany and established their home in Fort Wayne more than half a century ago, the remainder of their lives having been passed in this city, where they lived and wrought to goodly ends. Of their two children the subject of this memoir was the younger, and the older is Louis S. C. Charles Schroeder made good use of the advantages afforded in the public schools of Fort Wayne and thereafter further fortified himself by completing a course in a business college in his native city. In 1877 he became associated with his brother, Louis S. C., in the drug business, and soon developed his knowledge of the manifold details of this line of enterprise and became a skilled pharmacist. He was a vigorous and resourceful business man and through effective service not only brought substantial success to his mercantile enterprise, but also firmly entrenched himself in the confidence and good will of all who knew him. He had no ambition for practical politics or official prefer- ment, but was loyal and liberal as a citizen and gave his political support to the cause of the Democratic party. He was affiliated with the Knights of Pythias. On October 4, 1883, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Schroeder to Miss Louise D. Lahmeyer, who likewise was born and reared in Fort Wayne and whose parents, Daniel and Caroline (Mayer) Lah- meyer, came to the United States from their German fatherland in 1847 and 1852, respectively, and established their home in Fort Wayne. The
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