Lake County IN Archives Biographies.....Klaas, Henry A. 1857 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 3, 2007, 10:20 pm

Author: T. H. Ball (1904)

HENRY A. KLAAS.

    Henry A. Klaas, of Hanover township, belongs to a class of citizens noted
for industry, thrift and native intelligence, derived largely from his German
race and lineage, to which nationality Lake county is indebted for much of her
permanent development and prosperity.

    Mr. Klaas was born in Hanover township, this county, June 15, 1857, being
the eldest of eleven children, four sons and seven daughters, born to Christian
and Wilhelmina (Brenker) Klaas. Six of these children beside Mr. Klaas are
living, namely: Louisa, wife of F. Berg, a farmer of Parnell, Missouri; Anna,
wife of Fred Echterling, also a farmer at Parnell; August H., who is married and
farming in Hanover township; Mary, wife of Joe Schenker, of Conception,
Missouri; Christian F., who is married and a farmer of West Creek township.;
Emma, wife of John Kretz, a harness dealer at Crown Point.

    Christian Klaas, the father, was born in Lippe-Detmold, Germany, in 1828,
and is still living at the age of seventy-six years. Being reared in Germany to
the age of nineteen, he then took ship at Bremen and after a voyage of seven
weeks reached New York, whence he came directly to Lake county, arriving with
little money but with plenty of youthful energy and ambition. He purchased land
from the government, and during a successful career he came into possession of
about three hundred and eighty acres of land in Indiana and Illinois. He was a
Democrat in politics, and a member of the Catholic church. The village of
Klaasville was named after his father, Henry, who also aided in the erection of
the St. Anthony Catholic church in that place. Mother Klaas was also born in
Germany, in the year 1832, and she is still living.

    Mr. Klaas was reared in Hanover township, and was educated in both the
English and German languages. At the age of fourteen he was confirmed by Bishop
Durnger. He was reared to the life of a farmer and stockman. November 28, 1882,
he married Miss Mary Moenix, and all their twelve children are still living, as
follows: Rosa E. was confirmed at the age of fourteen by Bishop Rademacher, was
educated in the common schools through the eighth grade, and is now at home.
Henry C, who was in the eighth grade of school, is a farmer and living at home.
Mary A. was confirmed at the age of fourteen by Bishop Rademacher and has taken
the seventh grade of school work and also studied music. Veronica, confirmed at
the age of twelve, is in the seventh grade. Edward, confirmed by Bishop
Alerding, is in the sixth grade. Agnes is in the sixth grade of school, Alma is
in the fifth, Emma in the fourth, Anton B. in the third, and the three youngest
children are Andrew C, John F. and Stella.

    Mrs. Klaas was born in Lake county, December 5, 1861, being a daughter of
Christopher and Anna Marie (Berg) Moenix, her parents natives of Germany and
both now deceased. There were ten children in the Moenix family, six sons and
four daughters, and of the four still living two are residents of Lake county,
and Anna is in Illinois and Louie is in Canada. Mrs. Klaas was educated in the
common schools, and was confirmed at the age of thirteen by Bishop Durnger.

    Mr. and Mrs. Klaas began life at his birthplace in Hanover township on land
which his father gave him. For twenty-two years, or almost a quarter of a
century, they have resided in Hanover township, and they are citizens of the
highest standing in every relation of life. They have reared a large and
excellent family, and they are known among their friends and associates as
people of industry and honesty and high worth. Mr. Klaas is a Democrat, having
cast his first vote for W. S. Hancock, and has supported each candidate since.
He is a friend of education and does all in his power to support the public
school system. He and his wife and the older children are members of the
Catholic church, St. Anthony's, at Klaasville, and Mrs. Klaas is a member of the
Rosary Sodality and the girls of the St. Mary's Sodality. He and his wife own
one hundred and thirteen acres of good land in Hanover township, and he is one
of the prosperous German citizens who stand high in the estimation of the people.


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


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