Lake County IN Archives Biographies.....Einspahr, Frederick H. 1852 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 22, 2006, 12:08 am Author: T. H. Ball (1904) FREDERICK H. EINSPAHR. Frederick H. Einspahr, of West Creek township, is an enterprising, energetic, public-spirited agriculturist and citizen, and his career and achievements in every department of life are an honor and credit to his county. Lake county as much as any county in the state is indebted to the fine class of German-Americans who have taken up their abode within its boundaries and devoted themselves to the development of its interests. Wherever this class of citizens have settled there one may look for the highest degree of agricultural enterprise, as would be apparent to even a casual observer or traveler in Lake county. As a rule these settlers came to America poor but honest and industrious, and these qualities of character proved to be among the most important factors in the improvement of the great west and also resulted in individual prosperity and influence. As a class they also believe in the education of their children and the training of them in proper habits of living and morality, so that all institutions of society have profited and been elevated by the coming of the men of the Teutonic race. Mr. Einspahr was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, August 25, 1852, a son of Frederick and Anna Kathrine (Claussen) Einspahr. He was the fourth of their seven children, five sons and two daughters, and five are yet living: Lizzie, who is the wife of Jacob Buehler, a farmer of Ode-bolt, Iowa; Anna, wife of Adolph Kuehl, a prosperous farmer at Crown Point; Mr. Einspahr; Martin, married and a farmer of West Creek township; and John E., who is married and is a wagon-maker at Odebolt, Iowa. Frederick Einspahr, the father, was born in the same part of the fatherland as his son, on March 13, 1816, and died October 29, 1875. He was a tailor by trade. He was educated in the German language, and was a man of more than ordinary intelligence. As a journeyman tailor he traveled throughout Germany, and continued that business in his native land for a number of years. He finally concluded to leave his fatherland and find in America a place for his family and better opportunities for gaining a fortune. In the spring of 1853 ^e embarked his little family on a sailing vessel at Hamburg and thence by way of England crossed the Atlantic and after a long voyage of ninety days landed in Quebec, Canada, being there amid a strange people and in a foreign land. Blue Island, Illinois, was their first permanent destination, and the father remained- there some years, following his trade in the winter and farming in the summer. In 1867 ne brought his family to West Creek township and purchased eighty-five acres of land. The little log cabin which served as their humble habitation for the first few years still stands on the farm, as a memorial of the past with its privations and primitive ways. He went in debt for his property, but his diligence and good management paid for it and also enabled him to buy eighty acres more. He was a man of honest and upright character, was a stanch Republican in political beliefs, and he and his wife were reared in the faith of the German Lutheran church and after coming to Indiana became German Methodists. Mr. Einspahrs mother survived her husband for over a quarter of a century, and passed away at the home of her son Fred, February 8, 1903, aged eighty-five years eleven months and six days. She was born at Neuminster, Schleswig-Holstein, March 2, 1817. June 7, 1842, she was united in marriage to Frederick Einspahr, and at her death, besides her own five children, there wrere forty-eight grandchildren and twenty-one great-grandchildren and a large circle of relatives and friends to mourn her loss. Funeral services were held at the German Methodist church February 10, 1903, Rev. Dismyer conducting the obsequies, after which her remains were laid to rest in the cemetery adjoining the church. She had resided in America for nearly half a century, and for the last forty-five years had been a faithful member of the German Methodist church and always lived a true and Christian life. She was always a true and loving mother, a good friend and obliging neighbor. Mr. Einspahr was not a year old when the voyage to the new world was undertaken, and he was about fourteen or fifteen when he became a resident of West Creek township. During his active lifetime he has witnessed this beautiful agricultural region improved from a bare prairie or marsh into the most productive part of the county. Within his remembrance the country was largely unfenced, and Lowell, now a beautiful town of sixteen hundred, contained only two stores. Wolves were also plentiful during his boyhood. Every two weeks during the season it was the custom to haul their grain to the Chicago market, and Fred always accompanied the wagon each time. Mr. Einspahr is a more than ordinarily well educated man, having been trained in both the German and English languages. He began earning wages at the age of fourteen years, giving the money to his parents. And when he started out for himself at the age of twenty-one he had not five dollars to his name. He went to Chicago and was a coachman for two years, and then in the ice business one year, after which he returned to Lake county and took up his permanent career as a farmer. November 17, 1878, he married Miss Dorathea Frederick, and during their felicitous marriage union, lasting twenty-two years, nine children were born, all of whom are living at the present time, as follows: Christena, who finished the eighth grade of school and can read and speak the German language, has, since her mother's death, taken full charge of the home, and is a young lady who has many friends and acquaintances throughout the township; Peter F., who finished the eighth grade and is a farmer in West Creek township, married Miss Lottie B. Hayden and has a little daughter, Mabel Lucy; Wilhelmina, who is in the eighth grade of school; Frederick J., in the eighth grade; Laura, who graduated in 1902 from the grammer schools at the age of thirteen; Anna, in the sixth grade; Clara, in the fourth; Irvin, in the first; and Martha, who is the baby of the home. The full review of the life of Mrs. Einspahr is given in the following published obituary: Dorathea Frederick was born near Blue Island, Illinois, August 17, 1859, and died at her home in West Creek township after a brief illness, December 17, 1900, at the age of forty-one years and four months. In infancy she came with her parents from Blue Island to Dyer, Indiana. November 17, 1878, she was united in marriage to Frederick Einspahr. To this union nine children, three boys and six girls, were born; all of which survive their mother, their dearest and truest friend on earth. At the age of fifteen years she joined the Lutheran church, and ever lived the life of the true Christian; being ever ready to assist in any good work, ever thinking more of the happiness of others than of her own. She was a true and faithful wife; a kind and indulgent mother and an obliging neighbor, and will be greatly missed and sincerely mourned by the whole community in which she lived. The seventeenth day of the month seemed to be the day upon which the epochs in her life were to occur, for upon that day of the month she was born, married and died; rather a strange fatality. She leaves her husband, nine children, two brothers: John Frederick, of Dyer, Indiana, and Peter Frederick, of Lowell, Indiana; and four sisters: Mrs. Joseph Sons, of Dyer, Indiana, Mrs. John Harms, of Dalton, Illinois, Mrs. Albert Gerritsen, of Fernwood, Illinois, and Mrs. William Einspahr, of West Creek, Indiana; an aged mother-in-law, together with a large circle of friends, to mourn the departure of a true, noble and loving wife, mother and friend, to that higher sphere of life. Her funeral occurred from the German Methodist church in West Creek township, Thursday, December 20, at 2 p. m. Rev. Dismyer, of Crown Point, preached the funeral discourse. She was laid away in the cemetery near the church, there to rest in quiet slumber until the morning of the first resurrection, then to come forth into immortal life to enjoy the companionship of the dear friends she has left behind throughout an endless eternity. To the sorely bereaved family the Tribune extends its sincere sympathy. Mr. and Mrs. Einspahr began on the old homestead, which he had purchased from the other heirs. He went in debt, but by industry and honest toil and careful economy cleared off all incumbrances and gained a comfortable and valuable estate. His farm of eighty-five acres lies in West Creek township, and he is looked upon as one of the most progressive farmers of the community. By his upright life before God and man he has won the respect and confidence of all who know him, and can bear his part with dignity and honor wherever he goes. As a Republican voter he cast his first ballot for R. B. Hayes. He has represented his township in the county conventions of the party at various times. He has been road superintendent time and again for twenty years. He fraternizes with Council No. 13 of the Order of Foresters at Lowell, and he and the family attend the German Methodist church. Additional Comments: Extracted from: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Genealogy and Biography OF LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA, WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 1834—1904 A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation. REV. T. H. BALL OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO NEW YORK THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1904 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/lake/bios/einspahr530gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 10.1 Kb