John H Schaefer

SCHAEFER, PHEIFFER, GOOS, KUEHL, FITZSIMONDS, FLICK, ROMINE, PETERS

Posted By: Debbie Gerischer (email)
Date: 4/10/2009 at 18:56:40

A Narrative History
of
The People of Iowa
with
SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN
EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY,
BUSINESS, ETC.
by
EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M.
Curator of the
Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa
Volume IV
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
Chicago and New York
1931

JOHN H. SCHAEFER, of Davenport, has been in the retail grocery business
there for thirty-seven years, and is known from one end of the country to the
other because of his leadership in and his service for some years as president
of the National Retail Grocers Association.

Mr. Schaefer was born at Davenport, in 1865, son of Adam and Ellen
(Pheiffer) Schaefer. His father was a native of St. Louis, Missouri, and his mother
of Pennsylvania, and the grandparents on both sides came from Germany. Adam
Schaefer when a boy located in Davenport, in the early 1840's and for many
years followed his trade as a stationary engineer.

John H. Schaefer attended public schools in Davenport and the Duncan
Business College. His first work being in a grocery store, he has never deviated
far from this preliminary training and experience and has been identified with
the retail grocery business ever since leaving school. For thirty-seven
years he has carried on what is known as the J. H. Schaefer Grocery. His store
is located in one of the high class residence districts and caters to a very
prosperous community of people. Mr. Schaefer for a time was associated with a
wholesale grocery house known as the Beiderbecke & Miller firm of Davenport.
He is also active in the real estate business, owns a great deal of
property in and around Davenport, and he built the business block at 1213 Harrison
Street which houses his store, other portions being rented to business firms.
He planted and developed the subdivision known as Schaefer's first addition,
at Lombard and Gaines streets.

Mr. Schaefer came into national prominence during the World war, when he was
serving as president of three organizations, the Davenport, Iowa State and
National Retail Grocers Associations. He was also a member of Mr. Hoover's
personal staff and spent a great deal of time at Washington in connection with
the work of the National Retail Grocers Association. He served three years
as president of that association, three years as president of the Iowa State
and twelve years as president of the Davenport Association.

Mr. Schaefer has been for twenty-five years a member of the Davenport
Chamber of Commerce and formerly accepted assignments to many of its important
committees. He had much to do with securing the splendid new building for the
Elks Club, and is a member of the Kiwanis Club. He has lived the life of a
practical Christian without membership in any church.

Mr. Schaefer married, in 1891, Miss Emma Goos, who died in 1925. There are
five children. The son, Jack, associated with his father's grocery business,
married Jane Kuehl, a daughter of Louis Kuehl, a pioneer grocer of Davenport.
The daughter Elsie is the wife of R. A. FitzSimonds and Gertrude is the of
N. A. Flick. Delia M., the third daughter, is the wife of W. H. Romine, a
civil engineer and assistant superintendent of parks at Davenport, and member
of one of the old families of that city. The youngest daughter, Jannette, is
the wife of Harms Peters.