William A. Arts,

ARTS, MANEMANN, KECKEVOET, RETTENMAIER, PIELSTICKER, DUNKEL

Posted By: Mona Sarratt Knight
Date: 10/24/2015 at 15:25:33

WILLIAM A. ARTS, the cashier of the German-American Bank at Carroll, is one of the well known and representative residents of the city. His birth occurred at Galena, Illinois, on the 26th of July 1869, his parents being William and Christine (Manemann) Arts, who were likewise natives of that place. Their children were nine in number, namely: Emma, at home; William A., of this review; Frank H.; Anna, the wife of Frank J. Rettenmaier; Joseph C., the vice president of the German-American Bank; Louise, the wife of Frederick A. Pielsticker; Augusta; Mary, at home; and one who died in infancy.

William A. Arts was eighteen months old when brought by his parents to Carroll County, while in 1872 the family home was established in the town of Carroll, where he grew to manhood and where he has resided continuously since. He supplemented his preliminary education, obtained in the parochial and public schools, by four years' study at Notre Dame, Indiana, where he attended college during the years 1884, 1885, 1886 and 1887. After returning to Carroll he worked for one year as bookkeeper for the firm of Arts & Manemann, general merchants. On the 1st of January 1888, he accepted a position in the German Bank of Carroll County, which had been established by his father and in which he remained until the 1st of February, 1898. At that time they bought out the old Bank of Carroll, which was the first financial institution established here, changing the name to the German-American Bank. William A. Arts has acted as cashier thereof to the present time, while his father was the chief executive officer of the institution until he passed away on the 22d of September 1910. His mother, Mrs. Christine Arts, now holds the office of president. A wide-awake, energetic businessman, Mr. Arts has done much to promote the interests of the institution and has become thoroughly conversant with every department of banking. He keeps well posted on the financial interests of the country and in his management of affairs has followed a safe, conservative policy which has won the commendation of the patrons of the bank and gained the confidence of the general public. For a period of twelve or fifteen years he was also engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in association with his brother Joseph, selling out on the 19th of October, 1910.

On the 7th of September, 1892, Mr. Arts was united in marriage to Miss Emma Keckevoet, a native of Delphi, Indiana, and a daughter of Louis and Bernardina (Dunkel) Keckevoet, both of whom were born in Germany. Louis Keckevoet was one of the prominent traveling men of that country, being a highly educated and brilliant man. Following his emigration to the United States he was engaged in merchandising at Dubuque for a number of years. His demise occurred at Carroll, Iowa, in 1882, when he had attained the age of forty-seven years, while his wife passed away in 1906 when about seventy years old. They had three daughters, namely: Antonia, the wife of Augustus C. Manemann, of Carroll; Frances, who is a resident of St. Joseph, Missouri; and Mrs. Arts. Both the paternal and maternal grandfathers of Mrs. Arts passed away in Germany, the latter being a celebrated physician of that country. Unto our subject and his wife were born three children, namely: Charlotte, Norbert and Alfred. The wife and mother was called to her final rest on the 29th of October 1910, when forty-two years of age, passing away in the faith of the Catholic Church.

Mr. Arts is a democrat in politics and has held the office of city treasurer for the past seventeen or eighteen years, discharging his duties in this connection in a most able and satisfactory manner. For a period of twenty years he was at the head of the fire department. He is a valued member of the Commercial Club of Carroll and takes an active and helpful interest in every movement instituted to promote the welfare of city and county. In religious faith he is a Catholic, while fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters. He has resided in Carroll County throughout practically his entire life and has long been numbered among its most enterprising and respected citizens.

Source: History of Carroll County Iowa, by Paul MacLean, Illustrated, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company (1912) Chicago, Volume II, page 63.