William Schumacher William Schumacher has gained through his own ability and well-ordered efforts a secure place as one of the representative business men and honored and influential citizens of Garnavillo, and is another of the sterling contributions that the great empire of Germany has made to Clayton county. He was born in Germany on the 4th of April, 1850, and is a son of Andrew and Christina Schumacher, both of whom passed their entire lives in Germany and of whose five children only two are now living. William Schumacher is indebted to the excellent schools of his native land for his early educational discipline and at the age of fourteen years he there entered upon an active apprenticeship to the tinner's trade, in which he became a skilled workman. In 1867, after the completion of his thorough apprenticeship, his ambition and self-reliance led him to. come to the United States, where he felt assured better opportunities would be afforded him for gaining definite independence and prosperity through his own endeavors. Soon after landing in the port of New York City he made his way to Wisconsin, where he found employment at his trade and where he continued his residence three years. He then, in 1870, came to Iowa and established his permanent home in Clayton county. For the first year he was employed at his trade in the village of Guttenberg, and during the ensuing year he was similarly engaged at Garnavillo. Here, in 1873, he showed his resourcefulness and well-ordered ambition by independently engaging in the hardware business upon a modest scale, commensurate with his financial resources. During the long intervening years he has continued his activities in this business and fair and honorable dealings, progressive policies and effective service have enabled him to build up a large and substantial business and to achieve well-merited success. His establishment, which he owns, is one of the excellent business buildings of Garnavillo and his is one of the best equipped hardware stores in the county, with all departments kept up to the best modern standard, including that devoted to agricultural implements and machinery. In addition to his store building Mr. Schumacher owns his attractive residence property in Garnavillo and also some village property in Buchanan county. He is one of the loyal and valued citizens of Clayton county, has served for the past thirty-five years as treasurer of the board of education and his political allegiance is given to the Democratic party. In the thriving village that is now his home the marriage of Mr. Schumacher to Miss Rosina Waleser, a native of Pennsylvania, was solemnized in the year 1875, and of their two children the first born, William F. is his fathers partner in business and is also a director of the Farmers' State Bank of Garnavillo; the other child died in infancy. source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to
the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; page
373-374 |