W. C. Sundermeyer

SUNDERMEYER, KEMP, GORDON

Posted By: Peter Gausmann (email)
Date: 2/7/2010 at 06:52:58

W. C. SUNDERMEYER

W. C. Sundermeyer, editor of The Rake Register, is a substantial citizen of Winnebago county, actuated by a spirit of enterprise and progress in all that he undertakes. He was born in Dubuque county, Iowa, September 30, 1867, and is a son of Henry and Augusta (Kemp) Sundermeyer, who were natives of Germany. They came to America at an early day and settled in Dubuque county, Iowa, where the father took up the occupation of farming. He bought and improved land there and continued its cultivation until March, 1883, when he removed to Palo Alto county, Iowa, where again he bought land which he cleared, developed and improved, spending his remaining days upon that farm, which he converted into a valuable and productive property. He died in October, 1896, while his wife survived for almost a decade, passing away in June, 1906.

W. C. Sundermeyer was reared and educated in Dubuque and Palo Alto counties and prepared for the profession of teaching, which he followed successfully for twelve terms, making his home with his parents during that period. He was thus engaged until 1901, when he came to Rake and secured a position as teacher of the town school for one winter. In the spring of 1902 he purchased The Rake Register, a weekly newspaper, which he has since owned and published. He and A. K. Marsaa, the postmaster, have occupied the same building since 1904. The Register was established in 1900, the first issue being printed on August 3d. Schaucke & Sandum were the proprietors and W. A. Calvey the editor. It now has a circulation of about four hundred. It is a bright, newsy sheet, devoted to local interests as well as to the dissemination of general news, and as the supporter of interests of public moment it has done much for the welfare of the community.

On the 22d of May, 1900, Mr. Sundermeyer was married to Miss Emma Gordon and they have become parents of three children: Bertha, who died in March, 1917, at the age of fourteen and one-half years; Herbert G., ten years of age; and Kenneth W., seven years of age.

Politically Mr. Sundermeyer is a progressive republican. He is a clear thinker and his views are the outcome of his own investigation rather than of party dictation. His religious faith is that of the Lutheran church and he stands for all those forces which are most worth while to the community—those forces which work for the uplift of the individual and for the general benefit of the district.

Source: History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II. Pioneer Publishing Company (Chicago), 1917. pp. 489-490.