Schneider, John 1857-1934 and Catherine Thelen Family

SCHNEIDER, THELEN, SCHUVER

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 12/1/2022 at 03:28:35

Schneider, John 1857-1934 and Catherine Thelen Family.

This biography was compiled by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society and taken from various identified sources. Purpose was to find as much about the John Schneider family as is available in local sources. When family information is taken from various sources it is often found that the information varies from one source to another. Often birth places and dates are listed differently by various family reports. The information in this biography was stated as found in the source addressed.

The life and times of Sioux County pioneers can be read about in several Sioux County books. “The Story of Sioux County” by Charles Dyk gives a very colorful account of pioneer life with its joys and hardships. The book “Siouxland A History of Sioux County” by Nelson Nieuwenhuis gives great historical accounts of the area. The “1908 Sioux County Atlas” has historical accounts of the various townships of Sioux County.. Also, the ‘Sioux County Iowa digital archives’ newspapers can be googled as such, and can be searched for your ancestors names that could lead to more items of interest in their daily life.

RESEARCH - Most of the information for John and Catherine Schneider, under this heading comes from family reports on ancestry.com which were submitted to ancestry.com by other family members and has not been verified by the submitter of the biography.
John Schneider was born 9 Apr 1857 Wiesviller, Moselle, Lorraine, France and died 1 Feb 1947 Alton Sioux Iowa. He was the son of John Schneider born 1816- died 24 Mar 1883 Wiesviller France and Catherine Schuver born 1812 died 2 Feb 1870 Wiesviller France. John married Catherine/Catharina Thelen on 25 Feb 1884 at Alton, Iowa.
Catherine Thelen was born 23 Jul 1867 Harresbach, Germany and died 17 Oct 1935 Alton Iowa. She was the daughter of John Peter Thelen born 1837 died 1 Jun 1891 Alton IA and Maria Margaretta Schneider born1839 died 4 Jul 1893 (1883?) Plummers Settlement, Mills Co. Iowa. (according to Catherine’s obit she and her father and a sister came to Alton in 1883 indicating the mother had already died.)

ST. MARY’S CHURCH BOOK book page 212

John Schneider was born in Alsace Lorraine, France in 1857. He came to America in 1876. In 1880 he came in a covered wagon with his brother, Nick, from Wisconsin to Sioux County Iowa. Katherine Thelen was born in Harresbach, Germany in 1867. In 1870, she came with her parents and one sister, Gertrude (Jonas) to America. They settled in Mills County Council Bluffs area, in 1883 with her father and sister, they moved to a farm five miles south of Alton Iowa., near Carnes. Her mother had died and is buried at Glenwood Iowa. Katherine married John Schneider at St. Mary’s Church Alton Iowa on February 25, 1884.
In 1920 John and Catherine Schneider moved to their newly built home on the west edge of Alton. Here, they celebrated their 50th anniversary. Katherine passed away October 17, 1936 and John passed away Feb 1, 1947.
Twelve [thirteen] of fifteen children, born to this union survived namely:

1. PETER J. SCHNEIDER, born May 31, 1885 Alton IA, died June 25, 1969 buried St. Mary’s Cemetery Alton Iowa. Married 8 Jan 1912 to Mary Fath and they had two children; Loretta Schneider and Mercedes Marie Gergen.

2. CATHERINE SCHNEIDER born 23 Jul 1887 Alton,Iowa died 1 Dec 1966 Fulda, Murray, MN

3. JOHN SCHNEIDER John born 27 Dec 1889 Alton Iowa died 11 Dec 1963 Fulda Murray, MN

4. JOSEPH SCHNEIDER born 12 Apr 1891 Alton Iowa died 4 Nov 1963 Fulda Murray, MN

5. ALOYSIUS SCHNEIDER born 4 Sep 1892 Alton IA died 16 Jan 1964 buried St. Mary’s Ashton, Iowa married to Theresa Leinen and they had four children: Helen, Evelyn (Sister Brendon), Marvin killed in World War II, and Bonnie who died at seven years old.

6. LEO SCHNEIDER born 31 Dec 1893 Alton IA died 13 Aug 1969 Brewster MN married 23 May 1922 to Amelia Biever and they had two children; Sybelle and Loraine.

7. MARY SCHNEIDER born 25 Nov 1897/1899 Alton, Iowa died at 13 yrs of heart trouble on 18 Jun 1911 Alton Iowa

8. VICTOR SCHNEIDER born 27 Nov 1899 Alton IA died 30 Aug 1967 Alton IA buried St Mary’s cemetery, married 26 Jan 1925 to Clara Margaret Hansen and they had five children: Betty Lou, Patricia, Marlwyn, John and Sandra.

9. RITA BERTHA SCHNEIDER born 31 Oct 1901 Alton Iowa died 15 Feb 1993 Alton IA married Anthony Frederick ‘Tom’ Kool and they had two children; Dudley and Larry.

10. BERTHA SCHNEIDER born 25 Jan 1903 Iowa died 19 May 1990 Boonville, MO, buried Pilot Grove MO. married Joseph Henry Bonen and they had five children: Donald, Anna May, Norma Jean, Mary and Grace.

11 MARTHA SCHNEIDER born 2 May 1905 Alton IA died 5 Feb 1997 Alton IA. married George John Kellen and they had three children: Glenis, Kay and Janet.

12. EMME ANNA SCHNEIDER born 9 Aug 1907 Alton IA died Nov 14, 1938 Alton IA was not married.

13. JOSEPHINE SCHNEIDER born 4 Jul 1910 Alton IA died 29 Nov 1990 Alton IA married Richard Foreman and they had six children: Robert (died), Donna, Rex, Richard Jr., Jane and Harold.

.Also see the biography of John’s brother Nicholas on this web page. A third brother Jacob Schneider 1849-1899 came to the Alton Iowa area about 1888 after his two brothers had been here a while . See his obituary at the end of this narrative.

OBITUARY of John Schneider
Source Alton Democrat (2-6-1947) Born: April 9, 1857 Died: February 1, 1947 CAME TO COMMUNITY IN 1880 BY COVERED WAGON John Schneider, pioneer citizen, died Saturday, February 1, at hos home. He was nearly 90 years old, had been ill health for the past few years and confined to bed since last March. He was one of our best known early farmers, having arrived by team and covered wagon in the year 1880, and had a long and eventful life. Born at Weisweller, Lorraine, France April 9, 1857, he came to the United States on the steamer “Le America” in April, 1876 and went to Columbus, Wisconsin to join his brother Nick who was working on a farm. He worked on a farm near Doylestown, Wisconsin for four years. In 1880 with his brother Nick he bought a team and covered wagon and started for the Dakotas. Three weeks later the two arrived in Northwest Iowa --Alton. Sioux County, to visit Nick Henrich and liked the country so well that they bought 80 acres of land at $9.00 per acres, now the Martin Streff farm. He worked at the carpenter trade and also on the farm for some years and later bought another 120 acre farm. In 1884 he married Catherine Thelen at Alton and fifteen children were born to the couple of whom 11 survive; also 24 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The surviving children are Peter of Alton, Catherine, John and Joseph, all of Fulda, Minnesota; Al of Ashton; Leo of Brewster, Minnesota; Victor of Alton; Mrs. Tom (Rita) of Orange City; Mrs. Joe Bonen (Bertha) of Booneville, Missouri; Mrs. George Kellen (Martha) and Mrs. Richard Foreman (Josephine) of Alton. One son died at birth and three daughters, Gertrude, Mary and Emma preceded him in death. Mrs. Schneider died October 17, 1937. The couple moved to their beautiful new home on the west edge of Alton in 1920 and had the pleasure of celebrating their golden wedding February 25, 1934. Funeral services were held Tuesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, delayed an hour because the hearse was unable to get through the drifts on the Orange City road left by the high winds which raged Monday all day and night. When it appeared that the hearse was definitely stalled, pallbearers carried the casket from the home to church where the Mass was held and then to St. Mary’s Cemetery for interment. Pallbearers were Will Wolf, P.J. Hansen, George Henrich, Nick Gaul, Nick Fath, Joe Fath, assisted by Peter and Joe Schneider and Joseph Friedmann. On account of the blizzard and extreme cold, (it was 12 below zero that morning) many were prevented from attending the services. However, all the children and families were present, also a cousin, John Schneider of Paullina and many neighbors and friends. Mr. Schneider was one of our most highly regarded citizens, devoted to his home and family and loyal to his country and community.

OBITUARY of Katherine Mrs. John Schneider 1867-1935
Source: Alton Democrat (10-25-1935) Born: July 23, 1867 Died: October 17, 1935 Mrs. John Schneider, a resident of the Alton community since 1883, passed away on Thursday, October 17th, at her home in Alton. She was seventy years of age. Mrs. Schneider, nee Katherine Thelen, was born July 23, 1867, in Harrisbach, Germany. She came to America in 1870 with her father and mother and sister, the family having settled in Mills County, Iowa. In 1883 with her father and sister, she moved to a farm south of Alton. Here on January 25, 1884, she was married to Mr. John Schneider. Together they lived on that farm until 1920, when they moved to their home on the west edge of Alton. On January 25, 1934, Mr. and Mrs. Schneider celebrated their golden wedding among their children, grandchildren and old time friends. The couple was blessed with fifteen children, twelve of whom are living. They are: Pete, Victor, Martha (Mrs. George Kellen), Emma and Josephine, all of Alton; John, Joe, and Kate of Fulda, Minnesota; Leo of Brewster, Minnesota; Al of Ashton; Rita (Mrs. Tom Kool) of George, Iowa; and Bertha (Mrs. J.H. Bonen) of Pilot Grove, Missouri; also sixteen grandchildren. Mrs. Schneider was a member of St, Mary’s Catholic Church and was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery on October 21. Reverend Father Schemel read the Funeral Mass. Her pallbearers were six nephews: John Schneider of Primghar, Iowa; Peter, Jonas and Ed Schneider of Alton; John Jonas of Adrian, Minnesota; Al Jonas of Ashton and George Schneider of Granville.

OBITUARY of Jacob Schneider a brother of John and Nicholas Schneider Alton Democrat of March 25, 1899 Jacob Schneider, one of the esteemed and respected citizens of this community, died last Sunday night at 11 o'clock at his home four miles east of town. He had been ill for about two weeks suffering with the asthma. Mr. Schneider was forty nine years of age at the time of his death and leaves a wife and four sons to mourn his loss. He was a native of Germany and came to this county eleven years ago and rented the Henry Forkenbrook farm four miles east of town where he resided at the time of his demise.
He was honest, upright, a good neighbor and citizen and his death will be deeply mourned by those who knew him best. The funeral was held from St. Mary's church Thursday morning at 10 o''clock, conducted by Rev. Father Brune. Interment in St. Mary's cemetery. (Jacob Schneider born 5 Jul 1849 France died 19 Mar 1899 Alton, Sioux, Iowa Wife was Mary Hemmert 1850 Children - John 1877, John Nicolas 1880, John Peter 1881, Andrew 1884.) See the obit of his wife Mary Hemmert (Mrs. Jacob ) 1850-1938 for further details on the Schneider siblings.

This picture of the John Schneider and Catherine Thelen family was copied from the St. Mary’s church book page 212

Sioux Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen