Mathias Banscher, 1899 Biography

BANSCHER, BANCHER, FREUND

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 4/25/2004 at 15:40:59

I translated the following biography from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published in a special 25th Anniversary Edition of the paper on Friday, 20 September 1899. I have not changed the place or name spellings, but I have added some notes at the end. It reads as follows:

Mathias Banscher

Mr. Banscher, who appears below in a picture, was born in Untergrombach, Baden, on 10 December 1856. He attended elementary school in his hometown and received First Holy Communion in the local parish church. In 1872, his parents and their children immigrated to the United States of North America. They settled first in Geneseo, Henry County, Illinois, where the father purchased a farm. The son, Mathias, worked with his father on the farm until the latter passed away in 1882.

On 4 July 1882, Mr. Mathias Banscher married Miss Franziska Freund, a virtuous young woman who was born in Davenport, Iowa on 22 March 1858. After the young couple lived one more year in Henry County, they moved to Davenport, Iowa, onto the farm of the young bride’s parents. Later, Mr. Banscher and his wife moved to Roselle Township, Carroll County, where the couple purchased a 160-acre farm three-fourths of a mile south of the little town of Roselle. On 1 January 1890, Mr. Banscher’s dear mother also died. Mr. Banscher is an industrious and capable farmer, and as soon as he took over his farm he sought to increase the value of his property through new construction. In 1887, he built a large and good barn, and in 1893 a beautiful and stately residence where he and his wife and children live, respected and highly regarded by all their acquaintances. The couple did not remain immune from fate, for in the fall of 1898 they lost their good little daughter Maria, a promising child and the joy of her parents. From this extremely happy and Christian marriage have come six children, including the deceased Maria, and their names are Katharina, Rosalia, Peter, Margaretha and Anna.

NOTES: Baden is a region in southwest Germany. Untergrombach is a small town about 10 miles northeast of Karlsruhe, near the French border.