Lake County IN Archives Biographies.....Lauerman, Mathias M. 1854 - ************************************************ 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 January 2, 2007, 11:25 pm Author: T. H. Ball (1904) MATHIAS M. LAUERMAN. Mathias M. Lauerman is so well known as a merchant and business man of Hanover township that he needs no introduction to the people of Lake county. He is a native of Hanover township, where he was born February 8, 1854, and is the fourth in a family of ten children, five sons and five daughters, born to Mathias and Marie (Heiser) Lauerman. There are seven children living. Mary is the wife of Bartel Hepp, a farmer at Florence, Montana. Angeline is the widow of Conrad Wagner, and is a landlady at Morris, Illinois. Mathias M., is the next. John is married and is a farmer at Hanover Center. Mike is married and is a United States mail carrier at Hammond. Katharine is the wife of Jacob Gard, a farmer of Hanover township. Elizabeth is the wife of John Stummel, who is a teacher and a resident of Turkey Creek, this county. Mathias Lauerman, the father, was a native of Prussia, Germany, born February 8, 1824, and he was reared in the fatherland until he was nineteen years old, being educated in the German tongue. In 1843 he came with his parents to America, and the voyage across the ocean consumed sixty days, although it can now be accomplished in six days. Landing in a strange land and among a strange people and with but little money, he came to Lake county with his parents, who purchased one hundred and sixty acres of partially improved land, going in debt for it, but by diligence and thrift eventually freeing the incumbrance. Mathias Lauerman was a successful man, having accumulated one hundred and sixty acres of good land and a nice residence near Hanover Center, and he spent most of his life in Hanover township, where his death occurred. He was a Democrat in politics. He and his wife were devout Catholics, and he was one of the leading members in the erection of St. Martin's Catholic church, and he always aided those benevolences worthy of his consideration. His remains are interred at Hanover Center, where a beautiful stone marks his last resting place. Mother Lauerman was born in the same province, April 15, 1828, and she is still living at the age of seventy-six, with mental faculties well preserved in spite of the more than three-quarters of a century of her earthly pilgrimage. Mr. Lauerman was reared to the age of twenty-three in his home township and was brought up as a farmer. He was educated in the common schools and by dint of personal application. February 12, 1879, he married Miss Mary Scholl, and seven children, six sons and one daughter, have blessed the union. Joseph, the eldest, was educated in the Metropolitan Business College of Chicago and is now in the wholesale rubber business in Portland, Oregon. Edward is associated with his father in the large and lucrative mercantile business at Armour and Cedar Lake, and he will personally conduct the new store at Cedar Lake. He was educated in the common schools, and through the School of Correspondence passed the examination for mail clerk, but he is devoting his life to the mercantile business. He has the affability and geniality which is the best stock in trade for a young man. The son Arthur, after a common school education, learned the barber trade at a Chicago barber college, and is now at home. Emil is a salesman in his father's large store at Armour. He too took his business course at the Metropolitan Business College of Chicago. Jerome received his diploma from the common schools in the class of 1903, and is now at home with his parents. Martha is in the sixth grade and has also taken piano instruction. Victor, the youngest, is in school. All the children but Martha and Victor have been confirmed in the faith of the Catholic church, the confirmation ceremony for all having been administered by Bishop Rademacher, now deceased. Mrs. Lauerman was born in Schererville, Lake county, March 15, 1856, and she was reared, educated and confirmed in this county. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Lauerman located in Sheridan county, Missouri, where he purchased forty acres of partially improved land, later added to this land until he owned one hundred and twenty acres, and continued to reside there for six years. Then on account of sickness he returned to Lake county and began work on the Monon Railroad as a wage earner, continuing at that for two years. He then began merchandising at Armour in partnership with Mat. Thiel, with a capital of about eight hundred dollars, and after this partnership had continued about four weeks Mr. Thiel took sick and died, after which Mr. Lauerman continued his business career on his own account. From these small beginnings the business has increased to the extensive establishment which we find in 1904, comprising a large double store, which is known as a department store, and carrying a heavy .line of fancy and staple dry goods, boots, shoes, family and staple groceries, queensware, clothing, and in fact all commodities which go to make up a first-class mercantile house. The annual trade runs up to a very high figure. In the fall of 1904 he erected at Cedar Lake a new store in which he placed a full stock of fresh goods, and this is the store which is to be managed by his son Edward. This is an excellent business record which Mr. Lauerman has made, and in twenty years', time he has progressed from a position of very modest circumstances to a foremost place among the substantial business men of Lake county—which is a career that any man might be proud of. He and his sons are cordial and genial gentlemen, and by fair and courteous treatment they have found ample patronage in whatever direction they have extended their trade. Mr. Lauerman is a Republican, but he has never cared for any office, and gives all his time to his business. But in 1886 he was appointed postmaster at Armour. He and his family are members of St. Martin's Catholic church at Hanover Center, and throughout the entire community this family meet the respect and esteem which are always given to people of true personal worth and whose lives have accomplished something praiseworthy in the world. 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/lauerman644gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 7.0 Kb