Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Berthling, Henry 
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Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 6, 2008, 12:10 am

Author: Past and Present of Will County, IL; 1907

HENRY BERTHLING. Among the substantial and influential citizens who were 
formerly actively engaged in farming pursuits but who are now spending the 
evening of their days in well merited rest in Peotone, is numbered Henry 
Berthling. He is one of the worthy citizens that Germany has furnished to 
Illinois, his birth having occurred in Mecklenburg, July 5, 1837. His parents, 
August and Sophia (Apzel) Berthling, were likewise natives of the fatherland, 
and in 1860 came with our subject to this country. The father died at the home 
of the latter in 1864, when he had reached the age of sixty-three years, while 
the mother survived until 1880, when she, too, was called to her final rest, 
having reached the age of seventy-four years. The father was a laborer in 
Germany and while there engaged in building a bridge received injuries from 
which he never fully recovered, so that he was thereafter unable to do hard 
work. Henry Berthling is one of a family of eight children, of whom three died 
in Germany, while one sister preceded the family to this country four years, 
and four of the number came to America with our subject, but he has now only 
one living sister, Mrs. Christ Peal, who resides in Beecher, Will county. The 
boyhood and youth of Mr. Berthling was spent in the fatherland, where he 
acquired his education in the public schools. He learned the millers trade and 
was holding a good position in Germany when he decided to come to America. He 
accordingly, with the other members of the family, took passage on a sailing 
vessel, and after a voyage covering seven weeks and four days they landed at 
Castle Garden, New York, whence they made their way to DuPage county, 
Illinois, where lived a sister of Mr. Berthling. The family were in very 
limited circumstances at the time of their arrival in this state, but with the 
aid of friends they gathered together enough furniture to establish a home. 
Mr. Berthling found employment in a store, where he worked for a few months at 
two shillings per day and his dinner and supper, and with this meager wage he 
provided for his own support and also cared for his parents. Later he was 
employed at farm labor for one year, receiving for his services only eighty 
dollars per year. Through the assistance of others he then rented a tract of 
land and began farming on his own account. He worked from early morning until 
late at night in his efforts to gain a start in life and his labors were 
rewarded with excellent success. In addition to carrying on general farming he 
was also for five years engaged in the dairy business and in this met with 
gratifying success. He lived frugally and economically, so that in 1880 he was 
justified in making purchase of eighty acres of land in Peotone township, this 
tract being located a mile south of the village. The following year he took up 
his abode on the property, having in the meantime made many improvements which 
greatly enhanced the value of his farm. He made his home thereon for eleven 
years, when he purchased eleven acres of land in the village of Peotone, and 
resided there for eight years, subsequent to which time he purchased another 
place in this village, where he is now living retired. His rest is well 
merited, for all that he possesses and enjoys today has been won through his 
own labor and good business management. Mr. Berthling has been married three 
times. He was first married in Germany, in 1858, to Miss Louise Orintz, whose 
death occurred in 1861. His second union was with Mrs. Charlotte Wollenbach, 
whose death occurred December 11, 1901. Their union was blessed with six 
children, of whom three died in childhood, while the living members are: 
Sophia, the wife of Fred Griffel, who resides in Iowa; Ida, the wife of C. D. 
Hendricks, a blacksmith of Peotone; and Mary, the wife of William Koehneke, a 
resident farmer of Will township. The present wife of Mr. Berthling was Mrs. 
Mary Janssen, of Monee, their marriage being celebrated three years ago. Mr. 
Berthling gives his support to the republican party, where national issues are 
involved, but at local elections he votes independently, casting his ballot 
for the men whom he deems best qualified for office, regardless of party 
affiliation. He served as school director for eight years. He holds membership 
with the German Lutheran church, in which he has held office for the past 
twenty-one years. The first few years of his residence in Illinois were very 
hard and trying ones for Mr. Berthling, but he noted the advantages that were 
here to be enjoyed, and utilized his opportunities so that he gradually worked 
his way upward toward the goal of success and is now able to spend the evening 
of his days in rest from further toil. He can now review his past record with 
just pride for the position to which he has attained has been worthily and 
honorably won. 

Additional Comments:
PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907

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