USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Memorial record of the county of Cuyahoga and city of Cleveland, Ohio, Pt.1 > Part 7
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The degree of Doctor of Divinity was con- ferred upon Rev. Dr. Roentgen in June, 1892, while a teacher in Calvin College, by the Frank- lin and Marshall College, of Lancaster, Penn- sylvania, the oldest and greatest college of his church, and he taught in Calvin College from 1885 to 1892 preaching in his church at the same time.
He was married December 15, 1874, to Miss Maria Louisa Frederica Walther, daughter of Carl and Louisa Walther, natives of Germany and residents of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Dr. and Mrs. Roentgen have had four children, viz .: Louisa, deceased at nine years; Henry, Dorothea and Arthur. The Doctor's only cousin is Dr. W. Roentgen, a professor in the University of Stuttgart, Würtemberg, Germany.
Dr. Roentgen is a scholarly man, of good personal appearance, strong mentally, quick in perception and active. He holds a prominent and important place in the church of his choice, and is in the prime of a vigorous and useful man- hood. Ile is in rugged health and gives promise of many years of active usefulness to his church and to the community wherever his lot may be cast.
F ATHER W. KOERNER, rector of St. Procop's Catholic Church, was born in Bohemia, August 31, 1859. Ilis parents were Charles and Theresa Koerner, both of whom are deceased.
W. Koerner was educated in his native town, Wittingau, and also in Budweis, and in St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, where.he com- pleted his theological course in 1883, and was ordained priest February 16, that year, by Archi- bishop Patrick Fechan, of the Chicago Diocese.
llis lirst work was in St. Procop's Church, Chicago, where he served as assistant priest for
fifteen months. From there he went to Detroit, where he labored as pastor of the St. Wences- laus Church, built the schoolhouse and renovated the church building at an expense of many thousand dollars. Hle remained there over five years, then went to Kellnersville, Wisconsin, where he served nearly four years as Bohemian missionary, and renewed the interior of the church, ordering all the equipments from Cleve- land. His next field of labor was Mascota, Wisconsin, a few months, coming thence to Cleveland, August 22, 1893, to take charge of his present work.
IIe has about 450 families under his care. The school numbers about 465 children, with six rooms and six teachers. Everything is in excellent working order.
R EV. FRANK OPPERMAN, pastor of the United Evangelical Church in Cleve- land known as " Friedens Kirche," was born in Germany, April 18,1863. Ilis parents were John and Cecilia Opperman. His father, a minister, died in Germany, in 1863, at about fifty years of age, and his mother still lives in her native land (Germany), aged sixty- eight years. Of their children, John, born De- cember 4, 1861, and still residing in Germany, and the subject of this sketch, are the only ones living. Both the grandfathers also were minis- ters.
Rev. Frank Opperman graduated at Werni- gerode, in Germany, in 1881, and studied theol- ogy at Berlin. ILe served in the army one year -the time required of professional men in Germany-and came to America in January, 1886. Here he studied in the seminary of the Evangelical Synod at St. Louis, Missouri, com- pleting the course in 1887. He then returned to Germany and studied theology. In October, 1888, he returned to America and was appointed minister at Strasburg, Tuscarawas county, Ohio, remaining until April, 1891, when he came to his present congregation. His congregation
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has seventy-five regular members, and about thirty irregular; Sabbath school, 150 children, with twenty-one teachers.
Mr. Opperman was married February 12, 1889, in Germany, to Miss Mary Wiedfeldt, daughter of Rev. Emil and Elizabeth Wiedfeldt. Her father is a minister of the United Evangeli- cal Church in Germany; was educated in the University of Halle, Germany, and labored as a minister for about twelve years in Salzwedel and Estedt sixteen years, in which latter place lie still remains. His father-in-law, Charles Wildberg, was a minister in the same place twenty-five years. Rev. Emil Wiedfeldt and his wife, Elizabeth, had four children,-Mrs. Opperman, Charles Martin, Emannel and Eliza- beth,-all living at home except Mrs. Opper- man. The boys are attending the gymnasium.
The subject of this brief notice is a man young in years for the responsible positions he has held and is still holding; but he is scholarly, pleasant and easy in address, and is growing rapidly in favor with all good people. ITis wife is a cultured, attractive lady and a wonderful helper in the ardnous duties of a minister's wife. They have one child, Elsa by name.
R EV. MARTIN LAUER, deceased, late senior agent of the Publishing House of the Evangelical Association at Cleveland, was born in Germany, Jannary 18, 1824. His parents were John Martin and Elizabeth C. (Hansan) Laner, natives of Germany. His father, a horticulinrist, died in Germany. Both the parents were well-to-do, honest Germans, be- longing to the national church, and were widely known and highly respected as worthy people. The wife's father, Martin Hansan, and his brother, represented the German Government at different times in Ilolland, and Martin held other positions also under the Government.
The subject of this sketch was nine years of ago, in 1833, when his father died, at the age
of thirty-nine years, and his mother came to America in 1835, bringing her family of four children, namely, Martin, the eldest; Anna Maria, who died and was buried in Cleveland, and was the wife of Matthew Tribel, who now lives in Kansas; Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Keller, of St. Paul, Minnesota; and Catherine, who died unmarried in Buffalo, New York.
Mr. Laner was educated in Buffalo, New York, where the family settled, and also in Rochester, same State. He began preaching at the age of twenty years, in the forests of New York and the Province of Canada. In 1846 he was ordained by Bishop Seybert, the first bishop of the Evangelical Association. In 1847 he was sent to Laban, Pennsylvania, which was quite a favorable change from the back woods. Thence lie went to New York State, preaching success- ively in the cities of Buffalo (his old home), Al- bany, Syraense and Rochester. He was then made Presiding Elder. He was a member of the Board of Publication of his Church from its or- ganization in 1859 to 1875, and was finally elected editor of the Christliche Botschafter, and came to Cleveland, where he passed the re- mainder of his life. Ilis election prohibited him from membership in the Board of Publica- tion, owing to a rnle that no officer of the Pub- lishing Honse can be a member of the Board of Publication. In 1879 he was elected senior agent of the Publishing House.
IIe was also President of the Orphans' Home of the Evangelical Association, located at Flat Rock, Seneca connty, Ohio, in which institution are sheltered at present about 140 children. It has 300 acres of land, well improved, good brick buildings, furnished with the best modern ap- pliances and improvements and abont $70,000 as an endowment fund. Mr. Lauer was also President of the Missionary Society of his church from 1879, both Home and Foreign, un- til the time of his death. At the last meeting of that society there were representatives from the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzer- land and Japan. They have been very success- 'ul in their missionary work, especially in Japan.
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The life of Rev. Martin Lauer is a part of the imperishable record of his church's achieve- ments in the various and extended sections of country where he labored. Ile was admitted to his conference before he had reached his major- ity. The short stature and massive frame, in symmetrie harmony with the fine-cut features, the broad, high forehead, small, brown eyes shining forth under the bushy eye-brows, the classic nose and massive chin, convinced every observer of the great mind he possessed. Ile was a thinker, and always saw his way clear be- fore he acted. This was true of him as a inin- ister, and he never entered the pulpit without being perfectly conversant with the subject matter of his discourse. In public meetings he would never participate in a discussion unless in possession of such a degree of kuowledge of the matter under consideration that he always knew what to say, and as a rule gained his point. Ilis whole appearance, in connection with his acute intelligence and practical way of conduct- ing affairs, recommended him as a competent manager of an extensive business establishment. His quiet but decisive way of expressing his views and his clear judgment inspired confi- dence and respect. Ilis conversation, cantious disposition and strong mind, his candid manner of action and of accomplishing his work, made him a favorite among the clergy of his church as well as the business world, and the " beloved Father Lauer " among all who knew him.
IIe had studied closely the problem of his early life, and how to make the most and best of it, which showed that he followed a clear and marked line. He considered his relations to be threefold in character, and this involved a three- fold responsibility. The first of these three re- lations, in a manner, embraced also two others; and this was his relation to God. In early life he made a profession of Christianity in the church of his choice, in whose communion he spent all his life. Ile showed his attachment to his elmirch by a uniform fidelity. His religion was not a mere profession, but personal and practi- enl, and his life purpose and aim was to do what
was right and pleasing to God. IIe had broad views of truth and a high and wide conception of duty. He once said, " New light is ever breaking forth from the Word of God, aud that Word liveth and abideth forever: it is an infal- lible source of truth, The sum of its teaching is, ' Thon shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself.' It is a standard as high as Heaven, and I shall aim to make it the guiding star of my faith and life."
The second relation was that which he bore to himself. Ile regarded his faculties and pow- ers as something alnost apart from himself; that is, lie considered them a trust, which God had committed to his keeping for its right and faithful use, for which he was responsible. IIe formed his plan early in life. He always said, " Certain things are required of me-plain do- ties." These he aimed to perform. The line of life which he selected was one of strict integ- rity, and personal business and honor. To these he adhered with fidelity, and by this course was led on the highway of ministerial success.
This naturally involved a third relation, -that to his fellow-men. He had learned in his early experience how good a thing it was to have the friendship and sympathy of others, and there- fore he always made friends. He always kept an open heart and ready hand, and a pleasant smile to gladden others, and always manifested a lively interest in the good order and moral wel- fare of the community in which he lived.
Ilis devoted wife was for nearly half a cen- tury the human comfort and stay of his life. She and all her children belong to the Evan- gelical Association. Mr. Laner was married May 16, 1849, to Miss Catherine Schlotzhauer, in the city of Albany, New York, and they had twelve children, five of whom are still living, namely: Herman M., who married Fannie Mil- ler, and is a carpenter contractor of Cleveland; Edward T., who married Christina Phillipe, and is in the paving business; Cornelius A., who married Elizabeth Morman, and is in the insur- ance business; Clara L., who was married May 16, 1893, to William T. Indson of Cleveland:
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Mr. Indson is connected with the Standard Oil Company; and Lydia Panlene, still of the home circle. She is Corresponding Secretary of the largest Yonng People's Society of Christian En- deavor in Ohio, and a great church worker, a teacher of marked ability. The other children are all deceased, and all died in early childhood, excepting one son, Panl Erasmus, who died in February, 1893, at the age of thirty years. Ile was a man of mueh promise, possessing good business ability and that enterprising spirit that overcomes all obstacles. After passing through the high school of Cleveland he entered Adel- bert College, same city. After graduating at Adelbort he served as principal four years in the Green Springs Academy, in Seneca county, Ohio, where he also married Miss Alice Hesser. IIe then spent three years in Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated with the degree of Ph. D. He was appointed Supervisor of the Public Schools of Cleveland, but served only a few months when he was taken siek with ty- phoid fever, from which he died. He was a man of great intellectual force, and well defined and clear-cut views. Ile exercised a wide influ- ence for good, and his early Christian character will long be remembered by a large cirele of friends and acquaintances. His early death was sadly monrned and his ripe Christian character made a lasting impression npon his friends.
Rev. Martin Laner was taken siek abont the middle of December, 1893, and after a two- weeks illness departed this life at 8:50 o'clock in the evening of December 30, 1893.
W E. SCHUTT, Superintendent of Mails in the Cleveland (Ohio) post-office, has been identified with the United States mail service since November, 1879. IFe was born at Avilla, Indiana, March 23, 1857, of Scotch-German extraction. His father, Thomas Sehntt, still living at Avilla, is a farmer and was a pioneer to Noble county, being the first to ent a free from the farm on which he now resides, He was born at Penn Yan, Yates county, Now
York, March 21, 1817, and emigrated to the Hoosier State in 1844. At that time railroads were unknown in the Western States, and the journey "out West" was made by boat from Buffalo to Toledo, thenee on foot the remaining 100 miles through an almost unbroken wilder- ness.
The mother of Mr. Selintt died in 1864, and the subsequent four years of his life were spent with an indulgent grandmother, after which he returned to the farm (the father having re-mar- ried), where in addition to attending to the usual duties of a farmer's boy he managed to obtain a liberal academie education, and at the age of seventeen eommeneed teaching school; this vo- cation was followed for two years, at the close of which he entered the office of J. M. Teal, D. D. S, at Kendallville, Indiana, where he began the study of dentistry, which was not entirely com- pleted when he was tendered and accepted the position of railway postal clerk, -- not, however, with the intention of making it a life work, dentistry being his chosen profossion; and dur- ing his entire connection with the mail service he has found time to read the current dental literature, and, until assuming charge of his present position, to put into practice any im- provements or advanced ideas found therein, the difficult operation known in dental surgery as replantation having been many times sucecss- fully performed by him.
Having satisfactorily passed the probationary period he was permanently appointed as a rail- way postal clerk in May, 1880, at a salary of $900 per annum. From this time on he took a greater interest in the service, was successively promoted through all the intermediate grades, and in March, 1886, was appointed clerk in charge between Syracuse, New York, and Cleve- land, Ohio. This position was filled with en- tire satisfaction to the department, as was evidenced by his appointment, May 1, 1891, to the position he now holds.
In the spring of 1890, Postmaster General Wanamaker offered a gold medal to the clerk making the best record in the railway mail ser-
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vice at the close of that year; this was won by Mr. Schutt, in the Ninth Division, his record for the year being as follows: In addition to the duties of clerk in charge, he distributed 1,490,- 944 pieces of mail, with but 128 errors, being an average of 11,648 pieces correct to each error, and was examined on 10,396 postoffices, of which 99.93 per cent were correctly cased, at the rate of 32 per minute, with 680 separations.
H ON. SAMUEL WILLIAMSON, a shrewd attorney and able financier, died January 14, 1884, at his residence, No. 930 Euclid avenue, Cleveland, nearly seventy-six years of age. IIe was born March 16, 1808, in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and was the oldest of the seven children of Samuel and Isabella (McQueen) Williamson. His father removed from Cumberland county to Crawford county in 1800, where he first met his wife. On the 10th of May, 1810, he removed with his family to Cleveland, where in partner- ship with his brother he began the business of tanning and currying, which he continued until his death in September, 1834. IIe was a man of enterprise and public spirit, liberal in politics and highly esteemed as a citizen. For many years he was Justice of the Peace for Cleveland township and Associate Judge of the Common Pleas Court.
ITis son, whose honored name introduces this personal memoir, was only two years old when he was brought to this city by his parents. On reaching the age of seven years lie was sent to the public schools, which he attended till 1826; at that time he entered Jefferson College, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and gradu- ated in 1829. Returning to Cleveland he en- tered the office of the late Judge Sherlock J. Andrews, where he read law for two years. In 1832 he was admitted to practice in the Cuya- hoga courts and immediately formed a partner- ship with the late Leonard Case, continuing his professional labors with him until 1834, when
Mr. Williamson was elected County Auditor, in which office he remained for the period of eight years, when he resumed the practice of law.
In 1843 he married Mary E. Tisdale, of Utica, New York, and died leaving a wife and three sons, namely: Judge Samuel E. Williamson, of Cleveland; George T. Williamson, of Chicago; and Rev. James D. Williamson, of Cleveland.
Mr. Williamson continued the practice of law with but slight interruption, in partnership with A. G. Riddle, until 1872, when he gave up the arduous labors of his profession and retired from its active pursuit to the enjoyment of a more qniet life. He did not cease to work, however, bnt gave much of his personal attention to the affairs of the Society for Savings, of which he had been the president for several years. At the time of his death he was the oldest citizen of Cleveland, having lived here since he was two years old, or nearly seventy-four years. He held many responsible positions in this city, besides having directed many large business interests, and he always showed himself capable of dis- charging every trust confided to his care. Dur- ing the time he practiced law his mind was not entirely engrossed by professional interests; on the contrary, he was elected to a number of pub- lie offices which call for sterling worth and abil- ity, and he discharged all his duties with unvarying fidelity and marked skill. In 1850 he was elected by this county to the State Leg- islature, and in 1859-'60 he was a member and president of the State Board of Equalization. In the fall of 1862 he was elected to the State Senate, where he served two terms. He also rendered valnable service as a member of the City Council and of the Board of Education, being especially conspicuous in the latter body for his activity in promoting improvements in public education. IIe was a director of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad, and was also its vice president at one time, and for many years its attorney. Several years prior to his death he became president of the Society for Savings, in which position he displayed marked ability as a financier, exhibit-
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ing good judgment, strictest integrity, a keen sense of honor, and a high order of business talent.
In many respects Mr. Williamson was a very extraordinary man, for example in the extent of his practical acquirements derived from experi- ence, and in his temperament, character, and persistent fidelity to duty. For seventy-four of the seventy-six years of his life he lived in Cleveland, which place he saw grow from a mere hamlet of a few hundred sonls to a city of great and immense proportions and consequence. Hc had seen generations come and go until there was rolled up, npon the ground that was snr- ronnded by a wilderness in his childhood, a city of over 200,000 inhabitants. He came to the bar with no extraordinary or adventitious cir- enmstances to give eclat or introduce him prom- inently before the public. IIe possessed none of those elements of genius and oratory which are sometimes used to attain temporary reputa- tion at least, and elevate men to high positions. Ilis strength consisted in the fact that from the beginning to the end he brought to the dis- charge of duty, labor, integrity, industry and fidelity to all the great trusts that were imposed upon him through a long life. Whether as a practicing lawyer, a county officer, a legislator, or finally, during the last years of his life, as president of one of the largest institutions in the city, with immense responsibilities to the poor and those of small means, he passed through life without leaving a suspicion upon any man's mind that in the discharge of any of the duties which these places imposed he had not been faithful and honorable to the utmost. Ilis arguments to the court were always happy, often strong, and in the terseness of their lan- guage and legal logic, beautiful. The real point was made clear, its decisive character shown and the books and cases that only approach it had no part in his argment. His proper place was upon the bench; his mind was eminently judicial, with a controlling moral bias for the right. The kindest of men, he was the tender- est and most considerate of friends. Ile was
ever earnest, yet not stern or puritanical. Such men as he make more secure the free institu- tions of this country and gladden the lives of all those with whom they are connceted, and their death creates a void which is not always filled. Sneh material was used in building up Ameri- can independence. His character and worth, being such, could not but command the highest confidence and esteem of his fellow men. Uni- versal expressions of sorrow and regret at his demise were heard on all sides. As a man he was always courteons and gentlemanly to those with whom he came in contact, and no one knew him but to honor and respect him. He was for many years president of the First Presbyterian Society, and he carried with him into the walks of private life the precepts of Christianity, which were so strongly interwoven with his character. He died full of years, surrounded by the love of troops of friends and possessed of all the honors that should accompany old age, and his good name will long keep a conspien- ous place in the memory of the citizens of Cleveland.
R EV. FREDERICK VON SCHLUEM- BACII, pastor of the Independent Evangelical Protestant Church of Schiff- lein Christi, was born in Germany in the Kingdom of Wurtemberg, June 27, 1842. Ilis parents were George and Adelaide (Eggel) von Schluembach, both natives of Germany, who never came to America. George von Schlucm- bach was a military man, as was also his father, Christopher von Schlnembach, who was a Per- sonal Adjutant of King William of Wartem- berg. Our subject's ancestors were made nobles in the sixteenth century by the Emperor of Ans- tria. The son, George, was an officer-a cap- tain in the Fourth Cavalry Regiment of Wurt- emberg. In his later years he retired from the Captainey but served as Adjutant of Prince Frederick of Hohenlohe Ochringen until old
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age disabled him. He died in 1879, aged seventy-eight years. Ilis wife died in 1860, aged sixty. Both were members of the Lu- theran Church, good Christian people, devont, orthodox and conservative. Their devout lives and Christian example are an endearing herit- age to the family, and to a very large circle of acquaintances. Of their eight children only three daughters and two sons are now living. A brother, Alexander, and a sister, Wilhelmina, are residents of Cleveland. They, with Fred- eriek and William, --- the latter of whom died with yellow fever in New Orleans,-are all of the family who came to America.
Frederick von Schluembach, the youngest of the above, was edueated for military life in the city of Uhn, in Wurtemberg. He entered the German army in 1858, as cadet, and served un- til 1859, when he left the army and eame to Philadelphia. He there worked hard in varions positions; at last as clerk in a homeopathic drng-store until the war between the States broke out. lle enlisted May 5, 1861, in re- sponse to President Lincoln's eall for 75,000, in the Twenty-ninth New York Infantry, ealled the " Astor Regiment " and later the "Stein- wehr Regiment," named for Colonel, later Gen- eral, Steinwehr. Mr. von Schluembach was commissioned First Lientenant of Company B, and was in the Army of the Potomac, taking part in almost all the leading battles in which that army was engaged. Ile was disabled in the second battle of Bull Run, was captured on the field and taken to Libby Prison. He was one of the 150 officers that were held by Jeffer- son Davis until General Butler and President Lincoln stopped all exchange of prisoners until these officers were released. Butler was instru- mental in bringing this abont. Lieutenant von Schluembach was exchanged soon afterward and returned to Philadelphia. HIe re-enlisted in Company II, One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment of Pennsylvania, and served until he was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness under General Grant. He was brought into Alexandria, Virginia, to the hospital, and never
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