Wendel Liewer, 1899 Biography

LIEWER, ZENDEL, KRUEN, SCHMITT

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 7/29/2005 at 01:20:49

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. Information in brackets and notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

Wendel Liewer

Mr. Wendel Liewer was born in Spang, in the Prussian Rhein Province of Germany, on 23 December 1839. He enjoyed his youthful upbringing in his hometown, and after he was released from school, he devoted himself to farming and assisted his father on his parents’ property. In 1861, he was called up for military service and served in the 8th Rhenish Infantry Regiment, which was garrisoned in Frankfurt am Main. He was honorably discharged in 1864. He again took up farming until 1866, at which time he took part in the campaign against Austria. At the end of the war, he was discharged with honors. At this time, he again worked on his parents’ property until the war with France broke out. Mr. Liewer was called up as a militiaman and served protecting the home forts. In 1872, he immigrated to America and settled in St. James, Minnesota. In January of 1873, after he had been there a few weeks, he moved to Carroll County, Iowa, where he still lives today. In May 1872, he married Miss Veronika Zender, and he worked for five years on the Northwestern Railroad. He then obtained employment in the lumberyard of Wm. M. Schmitt, and after several years, he found lucrative employment in the Green Bay Lumberyard. His dear life-companion died on 17 January 1885, and on 15 February 1886, he married again to Miss Maria Krün [Kruen], with whom he still lives in a happy marriage today. He is one of the most popular German-Americans in Carroll, and has been a member of the city council for seven years. His happy marriage with his first wife produced five children: Katharina, married to Mr. Peter Kroll; Mathias; Peter; Lena; and Ottilia. His happy marriage with his second wife produced two children: Anna and Barbara.