Polk County IA Archives Biographies.....Youngerman, Conrad 1833 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 12, 2007, 11:01 pm Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1896) CONRAD YOUNGERMAN, who is now living retired in Des Moines, belongs to that class of American citizens that are called self-made—men who have worked their way upward from humble stations in life to positions of eminence and affluence, and whose careers have been such as to excite the admiration while commanding the respect of all. Mr. Youngerman was born in Wichdorf, Germany, near the city of Cassel, province of Hessen, December 15, 1833, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Sonnerschein) Youngerman, who were also natives of Germany. Their family numbered two sons and two daughters, but Conrad is now the only survivor. The father was a contractor and builder in Germany, and died when Conrad was only eight years of age, at the age of thirty-eight. His wife survived him many years, and passed away at the age of eighty-seven. She came to Des Moines with our subject after his return from a visit to Germany in 1872, and spent her remaining days in this city. Both Mr. and Mrs. Youngerman were members of the Lutheran Church, and for a time he belonged to the regular army. The paternal grandfather, Heinrich Youngerman, was also a contractor and lived to a ripe old age, rearing a family of two sons and two daughters. The maternal grandfather, who bore the same Christian name, and was likewise a contractor, followed that business until seventy-five years of age, his death occurring a decade later. He, too, was in the army, serving under Napoleon. His family numbered two sons and a daughter. In accordance with the laws of his native land, Conrad Youngerman attended school until fourteen years of age, and he then began learning the stone-cutter's trade, serving a three years' apprenticeship. For two and a half years he traveled as a journeyman, and then, being drafted for service in the regular army, was forced to return home. The life of a soldier, however, was distasteful to him, and led to his seeking a home in America. In 1854 he crossed the Atlantic, and landing in New York spent two months in a brick-yard at Haverstraw, on the Hudson. He had no money and no tools to work at his trade, and it was necessary that he should thus earn a livelihood. On leaving the Empire State he made his way to Elyria, Lorain county, Ohio, where he continued until his marriage, when he started for Des Moines, Iowa, reaching this city on the 28th of September, 1856. He has since been identified with its leading interests, and has been an important factor in its growth and development. He immediately began contract work, which he followed up to the time of his retirement from active business life, employing many men. He has erected many of the large public business and manufacturing buildings, also many of the fine residences, churches and school-houses of Des Moines, but has now retired from active business life. In 1890 he erected and still owns the Youngerman Block, a handsome brick block, eight stories in height, 132 feet front on Fifth street and 66 feet on Mulberry street. It contains about 140 business offices. He also has other fine business property, and his beautiful home, which is situated at the corner of Center and Fourth streets, is a spacious brick residence. On the 11th of September, 1856, Mr. Youngerman was united in marriage with Miss Miene Stark, a daughter of Louis and Miene Stark. They have six sons and one daughter. William A., the eldest, married Miss Alice Longshaw, who died two years later, and for his second wife he wedded Miss Mollie Lafferday, by whom he has two children, Clarence and Frank. George H. married Miss Sophia Felton, and they have four children: Cora, Minnie, Louisa and Conrad. William and George Youngerman are contractors, and Louis, the next of the family, carries on a brick-yard. Carl is an electrician. August is engaged in the jewelry business, and Frank is in his father's office. Minnie, the only daughter, is the wife of Frank Mattes, a brewer of Des Moines. The mother of this family is a member of the Lutheran Church, and all are prominent and highly respected people of the community. Mr. Youngerman is a thirty-second-degree Mason, a member of Capital Lodge, No. 110, A. F. & A. M.; Corinthian Chapter, No. 14, R. A. M.; and of Temple Commandery, No. 4, all of Des Moines. He is also connected with the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias societies, and in politics was for some years a supporter of Republican principles, but is now an advocate of the Democratic doctrine. For two terms he served as a member of the City Council; representing the Third and Fourth wards, and whether as an official or as a private citizen he is devoted to the best interests of the community and gives his hearty support to all that is calculated to prove of public benefit. Mr. Youngerman is possessed of broad resources and capabilities and his superior management and sound judgment, combined with enterprise and thrift, have made him most successful in his undertakings. In connection with his other interests he is a stockholder in the Des Moines Savings Bank and the Polk County Savings Bank. In 1860 he began the manufacture of brick on a small scale, but soon increased his facilities for that line of industry until for a time he turned out from two to four million brick annually, employing at times from 150 to 250 hands, including the men engaged on his small contracts. Through his industry, perseverance and good management prosperity has attended his efforts and he has become one of the substantial citizens of Des Moines. For more than a third of a century he continued brick-making and contracting and then laid aside all business cares to enjoy the rest which he has so truly earned and richly deserves. During this time he erected hundreds of buildings, including the Exposition building, the Third and Fourth ward school-houses, the east side school, the Aborn House, the Masonic Temple, Perry Block, a number of factories and three bank buildings—Capital City Bank, the Des Moines Savings Bank and the Polk County Savings Bank, the latter being his own property. These various structures stand as monuments to his enterprise and handiwork. The upbuilding of the city, literally and figuratively, is largely due to his efforts, and he has long been numbered among the valued residents of the community. His life has been an active and useful one, and that he has prospered and acquired a large amount of property since his arrival in Iowa is not the result of accident or propitious circumstances, but has been brought about by his well directed energy, a thorough knowledge of his business, the observance of correct business principles, and by strict integrity. He began the battle of life unaided by fortune or the influence of friends, relying upon his own resources, which at first consisted only of skill in his business, combined with energy and enterprise. His success has been the result of years of patient industry and sagacious business investments. Mr. Younger-man is the founder of his family in America, being the first to emigrate from the Fatherland and is now the only one left of the original family. His descendants may point with pride in years to come to the honorable record made by their first ancestor in the New World. He is a man of broad, general information, of a kindly heart and true nobility of character, is pleasant and affable indisposition, and genial and courteous in his intercourse with all. The name was spelled Gungermann, in German, but on coming to America and deciding to become a citizen and wishing to Americanize the name and retain the pronunciation, he changed it to the present style of spelling. Additional Comments: Extracted from: A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF IOWA ILLUSTRATED "A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants."'—MACAULAY. "Biography is by nature the must universally profitable, universally pleasant, of all things."—CARLYLE "History is only biography on a large scale"—LAMARTINE. CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1896 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/polk/bios/youngerm146gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/ File size: 8.7 Kb