For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 9
HARRY KERN. Harry Kern, who is now the head of the shoe house of B. Schmidt, which was established in Muscatine about forty years ago, still continues the business at No. 115 Chestnut street and is widely recognized as a successful and up-to-date merchant of the city. His birth occurred in Des Moines, Iowa, on the 9th of October, 1877, his parents were Fred and Elizabeth ( Hughes ) Kern, who are natives of Switzerland and Ireland respectively. The paternal grandfather, Albert Kern, was a native of Switzerland and a carpenter by trade. On coming to the United States he first located in Muscatine, Iowa, and subsequently removed to Des Moines, where he passed away at the age of eighty-seven years. His remains, however, were interred at Muscatine. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Rose Weismiller, died when eighty-six years of age. They reared a large family of children, including Fred, Albert, Mollie, Henry, George and Anna. James Hughes, the maternal grandfather of our subject, spent his entire life in County Cork, Ireland. Both he and his wife lived to attain a ripe old age and reared a large family of children.Fred Kern, the father of Harry Kern, learned the trade of a brick mason in Switzerland and after emigrating to the United States about 1855 he followed that occupation in Muscatine, Iowa for a short time. He then removed to Des Moines and has there resided continuously since, being successfully engaged in business as a contractor. It was in that city that he wedded Miss Elizabeth Hughes, by whom he has twelve children, eleven sons and one daughter, as follows: Fred; Albert; John; Charles; George; Harry; Henry; Robert; Frank; Joseph; Barney; and Rose, the wife of Charles Reams. The parents are devoted communicants of the Catholic church.
Harry Kern was reared in Muscatine by the Hon. Bernhard Schmidt, long a prominent shoe merchant and twice mayor of Muscatine. He attended the public schools in the acquirement of an education and when fifteen years of age began clerking in the shoe store of Mr. Schmidt. When that gentleman died, on the 27th of March, 1909, he became his successor and still continues the business at the old location under the old style of B. Schmidt, which concern was established about forty years ago. A man of excellent business ability and sound judgment, Mr. Kern is now conducting the enterprise in a manner that insures the continuance of the extensive patronage which the house has long enjoyed.
On the 30th of May, 1899, Mr Kern was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Schmidt, a native of Davenport, Iowa, and a daughter of Henry and Anna ( Oedamer ) Schmidt, who were born in Germany and Iowa respectively. Her father was a brother of Bernhard Schmidt. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schmidt took up their abode among the early settlers of Muscatine and afterward removed to Davenport. Both are now deceased, the former passing away in Dallas Texas, while the latter's demise occurred in Muscatine. Their children were three in number, namely : Anna, the wife of Sherman Springer, of Muscatine; Mrs. Kern ; and Barney, who is now serving in the United States navy. Mr. and Mrs. Kern have two children, Erial and Truman.
In politics Mr. Kern was a democrat, while fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging to Iowa Lodge, No. 2, A.F.& A.M.; Washington Chapter No.4, R.A.M.; and Webb Council, No. 18, R.& S.M. He is also a member of the Commercial Club, the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workman, The Modern Woodmen of America, the Royal Arcanum, the Retail Clerks Protective Association and the Muscatine Launch Club. He is a Spanish-American war veteran, having served in Company C, Fiftieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry from April 26, 1898, to November 30th, 1898, when he was mustered out at Des Moines. At present he is regimental quartermaster of the Fifty-Fourth Iowa National Guard, having been a member of the guard for twenty years. Both he and his wife belong to the Presbyterian church and take an active and helpful interest in its work. Mr Kern has attained a gratifying measure of success for one of his years and, moreover, has won the regard of all with whom he has come in contact by reason of his upright and honorable methods in all the varied relations of life.
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