Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Stassen, Hon Henry H 1838 - 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 10, 2007, 12:59 am

Author: Portrait & Bio Album, 1890

HON. HENRY H. STASSEN, Clerk of the Court of Will County, has faithfully 
discharged the duties of this position for the past three years with credit to 
himself and satisfaction to all concerned. He has just passed his fifty-second 
birthday, having been born March 2, 1838, and is a native of the Grand Duchy 
of Oldenburg, Germany, the parental home at that time being in the town of 
Westrum, Jeverland. His father, Harm H. Stassen, was also born in Jeverland, 
September 15, 1805. He learned shoemaking in early manhood and was married to 
Miss Metta Ulrichs. To them were born nine children in Germany, of whom Henry 
H., our subject, was the third. The family emigrated to America in 1854, 
landing in Monee, this county, on the 27th of June. The household then 
included four children, five of them having died in infancy. Maria E. died 
when forty-six years old; Metta became the wife of Christian Shrader and 
removed to Kansas, where she died; Mina is the wife of Frederick Peters, of 
New Baden, Tex. The elder Stassen followed his trade two years after coming to 
this country, and then settled on a farm near Monee. Henry H. also learned 
shoemaking, at which he worked until he arrived in this country. The father 
died November 16, 1886, at the age of eighty-one years. The mother passed away 
over twenty years prior to the decease of her husband, her death taking place 
September 3,1865, when she was fifty-three years old, she having been born 
March 11, 1808. Both were members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, a 
congregation of which the father assisted in organizing in 1856 in Monee, 
Ill., and to the support of which he remained a liberal contributor. He 
rendered substantial aid in the erection of the church edifice and from first 
to last maintained a warm interest in the welfare and advancement of the 
society. He cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, 
together with his son, our subject, and both from that time forward gave their 
allegiance to the Republican party. The subject of this notice learned 
shoemaking in his native land, and upon coming to America at once changed that 
occupation for farming. During the month of July which followed he worked for 
$4 and his board. In 1865 he returned to his native country (Germany) and on 
the 4th of February, 1866, was wedded to a maiden of his own province, Miss G. 
Maria Dudden. This lady was born August 27, 1846, in a neighboring village to 
that of her husband, which remained her home until her marriage. She is the 
daughter of Hillerich J. and Anne Dudden, who died in middle life and before 
their daughter was married. In May, 1866, following his marriage, Mr. Stassen 
returned to this country arriving in Will County on the 4th day of the month, 
and for twenty-one years thereafter followed farming in Green Garden Township, 
where he had a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He was prosperous in his 
labors and invested his accumulated capital in additional land, so that in 
addition to the farm mentioned he has one hundred and fifty-five acres in 
Monee Township. His possessions are the result of his own unaided efforts, as 
he began at the foot of the ladder, without other resources than his native 
industry and energy. Mr. Stassen is a man of more than ordinal intelligence, 
and in 1872 served as Assessor of Green Garden Township. In the spring of 1873 
he was elected to represent the township in the County Board of Supervisors, 
and with the exception of one year held the office by continuous re-elections 
until his resignation in 1886, when he entered upon the duties of his present 
position. He has always been a liberal and public-spirited man, interested in 
educational matters, and all other matters calculated to advance the people. 
He organized the first school in District No. 8, Green Garden Township, 
assisted in building the schoolhouse and officiated as Director from 1869 
until leaving the district. In 1867 he assisted in organizing the Green Garden 
Farmer's Mutual Insurance Company, the first corporation of the kind in the 
State, and in the spring of 1868 was elected Treasurer of the company, which 
position he held until his resignation in January, 1887. This company began 
business without capital, charging one-half per cent, premium per $100 on all 
property insured, and in 1886 had accumulated, after paying all losses and 
expenses of Government and organization, $8,000. It had at that time over 
twelve hundred members. Its success was largely owing to the good management 
of its treasurer, who engineered it through many difficult places, and 
frequently went security for large risks. Mr. Stassen also became interested 
in the Grange movement in 1873, which he has represented at various times and 
upon various occasions at their meetings and conventions. His title of 
Honorable has been fairly won by his service in the Twenty-ninth General 
Assembly, to which he was elected in 1874. He served on various important 
committees, including Insurance, he being well qualified by experience as a 
member of such committee. He served his term acceptably, and in 1884 was once 
more nominated, serving this time in the Thirty-fourth General Assembly. In 
the meantime he formed one of the famous "one hundred and three" who were 
engaged in the six months' memorable struggle for the election of John A. 
Logan for United States Senator and in which, it will be remembered, they 
succeeded on the 19th of May, 1885. In 1876 Mr. Stassen was made the nominee 
of the Grangers for Clerk of the Circuit Court and made an admirable race, 
although defeated as was expected. In 1886 he was elected to his present 
position, taking charge of the office December 6. He superintended the 
operations of his farm for a year thereafter, but in February, 1888, he 
removed his family to Joliet. During the summer of 1889 he put up a 
commodious, modern residence at the corner of Oneida and Nicholson Streets, 
where he now lives. In 1884 Mr. Stassen was elected President of the Farmers' 
State Insurance Alliance and served two years. Religiously, he belongs to the 
United Evangelical Lutheran Church. To our subject and his estimable wife 
there have been born five sons, of whom but two are living. Charles J. married 
Miss Anna Albers and they reside on the farm; Menno H. lives with his brother 
and assists in the labors at the homestead. Comment is unnecessary relative to 
the position which Mr. Stassen holds among his fellow-citizens. He has become 
fully identified with the interests of this county and has contributed in no 
small degree to its growth and prosperity.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890 

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