Howard-Ripley-Decatur County IN Archives Biographies.....Youngman, Frederick 1845 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 24, 2006, 12:36 am

Author: Jackson Morrow

FREDERICK YOUNGMAN.

    Germany has contributed some of her best citizens to the United States—men
who have here entered into the spirit of our institutions and have not only
gained pecuniary independence for themselves, but have also been a distinct
acquisition to our population. In taking up this review of the life of the
worthy gentleman whose name appears above, the biographer calls attention to one
who has by a life of earnest and consecutive endeavor won for himself the
sincere respect of all who have come in contact with him. For many years he has
been a potent factor in the civic and industrial life of Howard county, where no
man stands higher in the estimation of the people.

    Frederick Youngman was born in Bavaria, Germany, February 18, 1845, the son
of Michael and Margaret (Peisch) Youngman. The subject's grandparents were
natives of Bavaria, but this family was originally of French stock. Our subject
was the oldest of his father's family, and was brought to America when nine
years old, his father settling in Ripley county, Indiana, where he lived the
balance of his days, on his fine farm there. When eleven years old he held the
great Napoleon’s horse while the general went into his father's tavern. When the
emperor returned he gave the boy a five franc piece. The father of the subject
was drafted in the German army, where he served for six years as a private
soldier. At the expiration of his term of enlistment he was commissioned an
officer of cavalry which he held acceptably for ten years, then resigned and
returned home, where he married at the age of forty. Three sons were born to the
subject's father and mother, all of whom are living in 1908, two in Indiana and
one in Champaign county, Illinois. Their father passed away when about
eighty-three years old, their mother having died when about fifty-eight years
old. The second son, a brother of our subject, owns the old home farm and other
land to the amount of four hundred acres. Their parents were Roman Catholics and
all three children adhere to that faith.

    Our subject attended school one summer and one winter in Bavaria and also
attended school in Ripley county, Indiana, for a part of two winters, also two
terms of a German school when twelve years old, when he began working out,
having been employed by one man in Decatur county for six years, during which
time he learned tile making, having turned out the first machine-made tile ever
produced in Indiana. The first year he worked out he received eight dollars per
month, and the most he received during any part of the six years was thirteen
dollars per month. At the breaking out of the war between the states he was
receiving forty dollars per month making tile. Then he same to Howard county and
received sixty dollars per month and he loaned the money he had saved to the man
who owned the factory and when the season was over could not collect anything,
so he went to Louisville and worked in a meat packing house, but the following
year he worked for the same tile man and employed his brother and his team for
which he paid out of his share in his father's farm, the sum of six hundred
dollars, and this, together with the amount he had previously loaned the owner
of the factory, together with his services went into a note. Then he went to
Boone county and with a partner started a tile factory, which in time was sold
out and our subject then bought the factory in Howard county which he
successfully operated for fourteen years. It was located on a portion of his
present farm in Taylor township. During that period he had gradually accumulated
about two hundred and seventy-five acres of land and after discontinuing the
manufacture of tile he went to farming. Being thrifty and a good manager he has
added to this until he now has a fine farm of three hundred and seventy-five
acres, all but twenty-five acres of which are in cultivation, the number of
acres specified being in blue grass and timbered pasture. Mr. Youngman cleared
thirty acres of this land, which he has "stumped", in fact, he has brought his
farm up to an average of any in Howard county. He manufactured and laid the tile
which has rendered this the best drained farm in this district. The major part
of the place is fenced with wire and no better buildings are to be found on any
farm in the township than those the subject had erected on his farm. These
buildings consist of three large barns and three dwelling houses, all in perfect
repair. One of these houses is a large and commodious brick, in which his
son-in-law resides and conducts the farm. Our subject lives in a modern and
nicely furnished farm house on the main pike and the place gives every
indication of good management, thrift and prosperity, being one of the state's
model farms.

    Mr. Youngman feeds all the corn the place produces, often buying additional
corn to feed. He formerly fed both cattle and hogs quite extensively, but he is
now feeding sheep and hogs, buying sheep and lambs in the West and prepares them
for market. He rotates his crops with clover every third year and keeps his soil
in high productiveness, being as rich today as when he took charge of it,
however he uses no commercial fertilizers.

    Mr. Youngman was united in marriage in April, 1870, to Eva Hoyer, daughter
of John A. and Margaret (Peetz) Hover, both natives of Bavaria, who came to
America, settling in Ripley county, Indiana, in 1852, on a farm, buying a farm
where the father of Mrs. Youngman still resides, the mother having died at the
age of seventy-four years. The father is now (1908) about seventy-seven years old.

     Three daughters have been born to the subject and wife, namely: Luna, born
in 1870, now the wife of Lewis Becker, living in Tipton county, and the parents
of one child; Rosa, born in 1874, the wife of George Becker, a brother to the
husband of the oldest daughter, and who also lives in Howard county, being the
parents of one child; Nellie, born in 1880, is the wife of Ed Grishaw, now
living in the home house and managing the subject's farm.

    Mr. Youngman is a Mason in his fraternal relations and a Democrat
politically. No man in this section of the state stands higher in public esteem,
having always led a life of uprightness and been strictly honest in his dealings
with his fellow men, besides aiding in any way possible the advancement of his
community.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA
BY
JACKSON MORROW, B. A.
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

(circa 1909)

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