USA > Missouri > St Charles County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 26
USA > Missouri > Montgomery County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 26
USA > Missouri > Warren County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 26
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FRANCIS L. FLUESMIEIR, (Farmer, Post-office, Schluersburg).
Mr. Fluesmieir, a substantial farmer of Femme Osage township, who owns a good place of over 200 acres, was a son of Henry and Villaminie Donettie Fluesmieir, both originally from Germany. His father, Henry Fluesmieir, served under Napoleon I. during the latter's great continental wars, and afterwards came to this country in 1836. He became a farmer of St. Charles county and died here at a good old age, May 29, 1872. Francis L., the subject of this sketch, has his father's saber and pistol that the latter carried throughout the Napo- leonic Wars. Mr. F.'s mother died in this country, in 1867. They have three living children. Francis L. Fluesmieir was born in this county, October 2, 1839. Reared on his father's farm he too became a farmer when he grew up, and has since followed that occupation. In 1867 he was married to Miss Catherine E. Ashby, a daughter of Benjamin P. and Mary A. Ashby, formerly from Clark county, Va., who came to St. Charles county in 1843. They had only one child, which was born January 30, 1844. Mary A. Ashby was born July 5, 1825, and died November 5, 1844. Benjamin P. Ashby died May 8, 1880, having been born April 30, 1810. Mr. and Mrs. F. have five children : Elihu, Statella, Luella, Bruce and Mary D. Mrs. F. is a member of the M. E. Church South.
JOHN FUHR,
(Wine Grower, and Leader of Cornet Band, Augusta).
Mr. Fuhr is a native of Germany, and was born October 21, 1820. His father was Henry Fuhr, and his mother's maiden name Christina Menhardt. They came to America in 1837, when John was 17 years of age, and the same year settled in Warren county, where the father followed farming until his death. John received a good education in Germany, having attended school nine years regularly before coming to this country. He made a study of music, and after leaving Germany, attended school at St. Louis for a time. He came to Augusta in 1848 and, although an accomplished musician, there
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
being little demand for musical talent in that early day, he followed farming. However, he kept up his music by practice, and in 1855 was instrumental in organizing the Harmonie Dewcori society at this place, of which he has been a prominent member ever since. It was first organized as a singing school and afterwards a cornet band gesellschaft was formed, of which he became the leader. He has been the leader of the band ever since, and it practices regularly twice every week. All are thorough musicians, and the band has the reputation of being one of the best in this part of the State. The career of the society has been a very successful one. It owns a handsome park in which is a fine music hall, and the society is regularly incorporated under the laws of the State. Formerly Mr. Fuhr carried on the manufacture of boots and shoes quite extensively, and worked from ten to fifteen men. Now, however, the protective tariff upheld by Republican rule has had the effect to place the boot and shoe manufacturing industry, as almost every other industry has been placed, in the hands of a few large manufac- turing capitalists, who have crowded all men of limited means out of the different manufacturing industries, and forced them to go to work at daily labor in large factories, or to engage in other pursuits. Mr. F. makes a few boots and shoes yet, but does nothing in this line at all to what he formerly did. He has a good vineyard, which the pro- tective tariff, and the men made rich by it can't crowd him out of. He makes about 2,800 barrels of excellent wine every year. He is a married man. His wife was a Miss Caroline Schaefer, and they were married at St. Louis in August, 1845. They have had six children, all of whom are deceased, namely : Pauline, who died in 1869, aged 19 ; Eda, who died August 10, 1884, aged 30; and Amelia, who died after becoming the wife of Conrad Mallinckrodt of this county. The others died in infancy.
FRANCIS R. GANNAWAY
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Femme Osage).
Mr. Gannaway, a leading farmer of Femme Osage township, is a native Virginian, born in Buchanan county, August 25, 1826. The family came originally from Ireland; but Mr. G.'s father, Edwin Gannaway, removed from Virginia to St. Louis county, as early as 1831. He died in St. Charles county in 1841. Mr. Gannaway's mother, whose maiden name was Alice Fandin, died in the county of St. Louis. After her death the father was married a second time, when Miss Frances McDearmon became his wife. She was also from Virginia and died in St. Charles county in 1841. By the first marriage there were three children, two of whom are living, one be- ing the subject of this sketch ; and by the second marriage there were six children, three of whom are living. Francis R. Gannaway was principally reared in St. Louis and St. Charles counties and was brought up to the occupation of farming. In 1850 he was married in this county to Miss Martha Finney, daughter of Milton Finney, for- merly of Virginia. Three children are the fruits of this union : Milton,
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
Edmund and Frank. In 1873 Mr. Gannaway had the misfortune to lose his wife. She was a lady much beloved as a neighbor and highly esteemed by all. An affectionate wife and a devoted mother, she was loved in her own family with more than ordinary tenderness. Mr. Gannaway has an excellent farm of 300 acres and is comfortably situ- ated.
HENRY W. GERDEMANN,
(Postmaster and Retired Merchant and Farmer, Cappeln).
This old and respected citizen of St. Charles county is a native of Germany, born in Wester-Cappeln, December 16, 1811. His father was J. Henry Gerdemann and his mother's maiden name was Catha- rine Elizabeth. The father died there in 1833, and in 1838 the mother, with her family of seven children, came to the United States, Henry W. and John H., a younger brother, having come to America in 1833. They located in St. Charles county. She died here in 1844. They had nine children, all of whom came to America, but only four of whom are now living. Henry W. Gerdemann received a good educa- tion in his native language at the common school of Wester-Cappeln. Seven years after coming to this country he was located at St. Louis, and in 1841 he began farming and merchandising in St. Charles county. He had a successful career in these pursuits and retired from merchandising a few years ago. He has a fine farm of nearly 400 acres of land. He is now postmaster at Cappeln, an office he has held for some time past. He has also held the office of justice of the peace. January 27, 1837, he was married to Miss Regina E. Schröer, a daughter of Garrett and Regina Schröer from Germany. 'Squire and Mrs. Gerdemann have five children : William F. Henry T., George H., August H. and Regina E., now Mrs. H. G. Karrenbrock. The 'Squire and wife are members of the Evangelical Church.
HENRY GROENEMANN
(Farmer, Post-office, Femme Osage).
Mr. Groenemann was born in Germany, January 13, 1823, and when 11 years of age was brought to this country by his parents, Adolphus and Catherine ( Boermann ) Groenemann, who immigrated to St. Charles county in 1834. The father died here in 1863, and the mother in 1877. Henry grew to manhood in this county and learned the occupation of farming as he grew up. In 1851 he was married to Miss Wilhelmina Heymann, from Germany. She died in 1865, and afterwards he was married to Miss Loretta Brugemann, also originally from Germany .. By his first wife there are five children : Minnie, Caroline, Hans, Louisa and Fritz. By his second wife there are five children : August, Eddie, Emma, William and Martha. Mr. Groene- mann is an enterprising farmer and has a comfortable homestead. He is a well respected citizen and commands general respect and esteem.
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
GEORGE H. GRUMKE
(Retail Dealer in Liquors and Newspaper Correspondent, Augusta).
Mr. Grumke was born and reared in St. Charles county and had little or no school advantages to speak of as he grew up. Not only that, but he has had the additional disadvantage of being a cripple from youth, the result of a serious spinal injury he received. Notwith- standing these drawbacks, however, he has succeeded in making his way through the world with good success thus far, and has become a man of good general education and of popularity and influence in the community. He is regarded as a man of information and is recog- nized as something of a leader in this part of the county. He has been the regular correspondent of one of the St. Charles papers from Augusta, as, indeed, he is yet, and his letters have attracted wide and favorable attention throughout the county. Mr. Grumke was a son of Henry and Katarina ( Hackman) Grumke, both formerly of Germany. His father came over to this country when a young man, in 1829. He was subsequently married here to Miss Hackman by 'Squire Moses Bigelow, father of James Bigelow, whose sketch appears in this volume. After his marriage Mr. Grumke entered land and improved a farm in this county, where he lived until his death. George H. was the second of their family of nine children. On account of his misfortune in being a cripple he learned the tailor's trade, at which he worked until 1858. He then engaged in merchan- dising at Schleursburg, where he sold goods for about ten years and until his removal to Augusta in 1872. Here he bought property and has since been engaged in the saloon business. He keeps a good, orderly house and has a liberal share of the patronage in and around Augusta. In the fall of 1860 Mr. Grumke was married to Miss Eliza Sitz. She died in 1868. There were two children, both deceased in infancy. May 27, 1869, Mr. Grumke was married to Miss Eliza Vogt, a daughter of George and Helena Vogt, formerly of Germany. They have five children : Helena, George H., Fritz, Laura and Gustavus. Two are deceased : Augusta and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. G. are mem- bers of the Evangelical Church.
PROF. JOHN A. GUETLICH
(Principal of the Public Schools, Augusta).
For 22 years continuously Prof. Geutlich has presided over the school of which he now has charge as principal. The gratifying progress pupils have made from year to year under his instruction, the general success of the school and the unbroken confidence and appreciation the people have shown for him through so many years, speak more for his reputation as an educator and his character as a man than anything that could be said to his credit in the present sketch. His record in this school is his greatest eulogy, compared to
11
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
the eloquence of which the mere words of a biographer are as only the idle winds that blow. Prof. Guetlich is a German by nativity, and as he grew up in his native country received a well-grounded, substantial solid education, such as that country is noted for. His education was concluded, so far as school instruction was concerned, in the teachers' or Normal school of his native graffchaft. He was born in 1826, and continued in Germany after he attained his majority until 1854, when he came to this country. Here he located in Warren county, Mo., where he gave private instrucion in Ger- man. Two years later he located in St. Charles county and took charge of a public school in Cappeln, which he continued to conduct with success for a period of six years, at the end of which time, in 1862, he was elected principal of the Augusta public school. So well pleased have been pupils and patrons with his conduct of this school, that no one to succeed him has ever been thought of. Every year he has kept a 10-months' school, being one of the few public schools of the State which have been kept running continuously 10 months in the year ever since the war. Prof. Guetlich is a man of culture and refinement, pleasant, agreeable manners, interesting and instructive in conversation, and much prized as a member of any intelligent, self-respecting social circle which is favored with his pres- ence.
HERMANN HENRY CONRAD HAFERKAMP
(Farmer, Retail Dealer in Liquors, Vineyardist Wine-maker, Augusta).
Mr. H. is one of the many energetic, successful, self-made German- American farmers and business men of St. Charles county, who have contributed so large a part to the growth and development and the prosperity of this county. £ He was born in Hanover, April 7, 1834, and the following year was brought to America by his parents, John Hermann Haferkamp and wife, nee Helena Sephus, who settled here, near Augusta, where they made their permanent home. The father died in 1854, but the mother is still living, at the advanced age of 84 years. Hermann Henry Conrad Haferkamp grew to manhood in this country, where he received a good common-school education in the English and German languages. After he became large enough to help on the farm he assisted on the place for several years, and then, in about 1860, built a business house at Augusta and engaged in the saloon business. He continued here with success for about five years and then sold out and bought a farm. He continued to farm for about ten years after this and also planted a vineyard on some five acres of ground. He carried on farming and raising grapes and making wine until 1877, when he came back and started another saloon. He has been very successful and now has three good farms in the vicinity of Augusta, besides valuable town property. His landed estate numbers over 700 acres. Besides attending to his saloon he farms to some ex- tent with hired help, and superintends his vineyard, but has his lands principally rented out. In 1855 Mr. Haferkamp was married to Miss
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
Regina Rother, of this county, but of German descent. His first wife died, leaving him five children : Bettie, the wife of Henry Beverburg ; Gustavus, Ida, Theodore and Eddie. Mr. Haferkamp's second wife was a Miss Mary Englelage before her marriage. They had two children, Emma and Hubert. His last wife was a Miss Mary Meyer before marriage. They have two children, one boy and one girl. Mr. H. has held several local offices and is one of the highly respected citizens of Augusta.
JOHN B. HAYS
(Farmer and Miller, Post-office, Schleursburg).
In 1797 Mr. Hays' father, Daniel Hays, who was a grandson of Daniel Boone, came to St. Charles county from Kentucky in company with his grandfather, the brave old pioneer and Indian fighter. It was about the second trip that the hero of the pioneer time of Ken- tucky and Missouri made to this State. The grandson, Daniel Hays, who was named for his grandfather, was then a mere youth, but he came of a stock that had the courage to face any hardship or danger, and he passed through many of both in this then new country. Like his grandfather, he was a fearless Indian fighter, and as vigilant and dangerous an enemy with the rifle as the red man had to meet. He took part in many rencounters and bloody frays with the Indians until they were driven out of the country after the War of 1812. He was one of the most fearless volunteers in that war, and was twice wounded during its short but bloody record. He was shot in the neck by an Indian who took dead aim at his head, but proved not to be as good a marksman as the pale face would have been in similar circum- stances. The ball lodged in his neck where it could not be extracted without fatal results, and he carried it with him to the grave. He died in this county in 1866. The other wound he received was a painful wound in the knee from a rifle ball. He was a substantial farmer of this county, and also followed milling for many years. During the Indian depredations in Missouri he commanded a com- pany of volunteers, styled private men. Capt. Hays became famous throughout the West for his daring and fearless dash throughout the war. He was married in Warren county in early manhood to Miss Mary Bryan, a daughter of David Bryan, a pioneer of that county. She survived until 1867, the year following his death. He had twelve children, only two of whom are now living. John B. Hays, the subject of this sketch, was born in this county December 31, 1836. He was reared to the occupation of farming and milling. In 1862 he enlisted in Capt. Johnson's company, under Col. Dorsey, in the Confederate service, and was connected with the service during the war. He afterwards returned to his native county, and in 1866 he was married to Miss Julia A. Howell, a daughter of Pizarro and Maria Howell. They have three children : William J., Coonza L. and Wade Hampton. Mr. Hays has a good farm of 444 acres.
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
GEORGE T. HELDMAN
(Vineyardist and Vintager, Post-office, Augusta).
Mr. Heldman is a native of Prussia, where he was born May 21st, 1843. His father was Carle Heldman and his mother Bettie Falkman before her marriage. When he was about seven years of age the family came to America and settled in St. Charles county, where the father died shortly afterwards. The family then removed into Augusta, having previously resided in the vicinity of the town. George T. grew up in Augusta and received the elements of a common-school education. While still a youth he learned the cooper's trade and aft- erwards worked at his trade in St. Louis, Chicago and Peoria. In the summer of 1862 he returned home and enlisted in Co. A, Seventeenth Missouri infantry as a private, but at the end of five months was hon- orably discharged on account of physical disability. Returning home, after he recovered his health, he went to work at his trade again, and in 1871 went West and followed mining in Montana and Nevada for a time. In 1872 he went to San Francisco and worked at his trade there for about six months and then returned home. In 1873 he bought the place where he now resides. He has a handsome vineyard of five acres and makes about 4,000 gallons of wine per annum. He wholesales his wine in St. Louis and Chicago. Mr. Heldman has a fine wine cellar on his place, which has a capacity for about 10,000 gallons. His place in well improved, including a good residence and other build- ings, and his tract of land contains 22 acres. The grapes that he prin- cipally grows are the Concord, the Virginia Seedling and the Elvira White Wine. In November, 1876, Mr. Heldman was married to Miss Anna Hundhausen, a daughter of Fritz and Bertie Hundhausen, of Franklin county. Mr. H.'s wife died April 26, 1879, leaving two children, Bertha and Fritz. Mr. H.'s sister has since kept house for him. He is a member of the Augusta Harmonie Society and of the Augusta school board.
WILLIAM C. HELDMAN (Vineyardist and Vintager, Post-office, Augusta).
Mr. Heldman learned the carpenter's trade when a young man, and worked at it until the outbreak of the Civil War. He then enlisted in the first call for three months' men, Union service, and after the ex- piration of that term enlisted in the regular three years' service, be- coming a member of a company in the Seventeenth Missouri infantry. He served until the close of his term, in the fall of 1864. He was then honorably discharged and returned home, expecting, however, to re-enlist, but by the explosion of a gun, from which he received. a severe wound, he was prevented from enlisting again. While in the service he took part in a number of the leading battles of the war, among which are called to mind those of Pea Ridge, Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, Jackson, Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain, Mis-
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
sionary Ridge, Resacca, Dallas (Ga.), Kenesaw Mountain, Jonesburg, and the battle around Atlanta. In the winter of 1865-66 Mr. Heldman bought the land where he now resides, soon after which he improved it for a vineyard. He now makes about 1,500 gallons of wine per annum, and also has a good orchard on his place. He has an excel- lent wine cellar, well supplied with the best wines of home manu- facture, and at his kind invitation the writer had the pleasure of sampling a number of the best wines. Being a judge of thorough qualifications the writer can truthfully testify that Mr. Heldman has some of the best wines to be found in the country, for the writer is not only thoroughly familiar by habits of long and constant use with all the different brands of domestic and foreign wines to be found in the markets of the different States, but, also, with all other kinds of distilled, fermented and spirituous liquors good, bad and indifferent, in whatever manner or after whatever form made or concocted. To this day our experience in Mr. Heldman's cellar is looked back to as one of the happiest in all our career in the affairs of life. But levity aside, the writer must say, in all frankness, that these wines are of a very superior quality. In the spring of 1874 Mr. Heldman was married to Miss Matilda Summa, a daughter of Ulrich Summa, of St. Louis, but formerly of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. H. have four chil- dren : Olga, Frida, Fannie and Flora.
HENRY W. KARRENBROCK
(Owner and Proprietor of Cappeln Custom and Merchant Mills).
Mr. Karrenbrock is well known as one of the old and well estab- lished millers of this part of the county. He has been connected with his present mill for nearly twenty years and has made it one of the successful mills of this vicinity and surrounding country. The mill was built by himself and his brother, Gerhard W. Karrenbrock, in 1857, and includes a complete flouring apparatus, corn mill, saw mill and wool carding machinery. It has done a steady and substan- tial business from the first, and improvements have been added to it from time to time until it is conceded to be one of the valuable mill properties of the county. Gerhard W. Karrenbrock retired from the firm in 1884, since which Henry W. Karrenbrock has been the sole owner and proprietor of the establishment. His father was Henry Karrenbrock, Sr., a native of Germany, who came to this country with his family in 1844 and located in St. Charles county. Mr. K.'s mother was a Miss Elizabeth Langemann, also from Germany. The father died in 1852, and the mother in 1847. Two of their four chil- dren, besides Henry W., are living. He was born in Germany June 19, 1829. He was therefore nearly grown when the family came to this country. He remained on the farm until 1857 when he began the milling business with Gerhard W. Karrenbrock, of this county. He has continued in the milling business most of the time since. In 1853 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Klauestermeier. They have twelve children : Mary, Henry, Mina, Herman, Lina, Emma, Augusta,
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
Lizzie, William, Charles, Martha, and Olenda. Mr. and Mrs. Kar- renbrock are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
G. W. KARRENBROCK
(Owner and Proprietor of the New Melle Custom and Merchant Mills).
Mr. Karrenbrock is a native of Germany, born in Prussia, Febru- ary 21, 1835. He was ten years old when he accompanied his parents to this county, they having emigrated to America in 1844. They settled in St. Charles county, and here the father died in 1854. The mother died in 1855. They had six children, four of whom are living. G. W. Karrenbrock was reared a farmer, but, when 20 years of age, began to learn the milling business, in which trade he has ever since continued. In 1860 he was married in this county to Miss Louisa Laumeier, a daughter of Henry L. and Mary Laumeier. Mr. and Mrs. Karrenbrock have eight children : George, Charlie, Meta, Eliza, Edward, Lydia, Sarah and John. He and wife are members of the M. E. Church. Mr. K. bought the New Melle mill in 1882, and has since run it with good success. It is an excellent mill, built in 1868, by Schlottman & Wenke, and has a daily capacity of eighty barrels. The mill is doing an excellent business, mainly with local custom. . It makes a very superior article of flour, which has attained an enviable reputation and is in general use throughout this part of the county and in neighboring localities. Some is also shipped to other markets and meets with ready sale.
GEORGE L. D. KELLER
(Farmer and Stock-raiser; Post-office, Schleursburg) .
January 12, 1848, was the date of Mr. Keller's birth, and his father's homestead, in Washington county, Va., was the place. His father was a blacksmith, and, when George L. D. was still young, removed to Clinton county, Ill. Seven years later he returned to Washington county, Va., where he lived until his death. He died there in 1874. His wife was a Miss Susan Baber before her marriage. They had a family of twelve children, nine of whom are living. . The mother died in 1877. George L. D. Keller was reared in his native county in Virginia, and came to St. Charles county in 1868. Subse- quently he went to Montgomery county, Kas., and from there he went back to Virginia in 1871. The following year, however, he re- turned to St. Charles county, where he has since resided and been engaged in farming. He has a good farm of 119 acres. In 1873 he was married to Miss Mary, a daughter of Isaac and Jane McCormick. They have five children, four of whom are living: Daisy, Curtis, Maude and Alberta. Louis is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. K. are mem- bers of the M. E. Church.
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