Bio of OSTDIEK, Herman J. (b.1856), Hennepin Co., MN
=========================================================================
USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information
on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities,
as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is
obtained from the contributor of the file.
These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or
presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to
use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written
consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter,
and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.

If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives 
Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm
Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find 
the submitter information or other files for this county.
FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives

Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Laura Pruden
Submitted: June 2003
=========================================================================
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
========================================================
EXTRACTED FROM: History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; 
Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. 
Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.; Volume I - Shutter (Historical); 
volume II - Biographical; volume III - Biographical
========================================================

Vol III, pg 756-759
HERMAN J. OSTDIEK
Minneapolis is proud to number among her foremost citizens and representative
business men Herman J. Ostdiek, president of The Ostdiek Company, Incorporated.
He was born in St. Paul, Iowa, on the 19th day of December, 1856, a son of
Gerhard and Mary Katherin (Snitker) Ostdiek. The parents were born in Kaunitz,
Westphalia, Germany, and came to the United States in 1846, locating in Lea
county. Iowa. There, Mr. Ostdiek, Sr., engaged in farming and in the conduct of
a boot and shoe business, and achieved well merited success in life. His demise
oc­curred in 1875, when sixty-three years of age. The original spelling of the
family name was Boreous Ostdiek. The first part of the name "Boreous" designated
a dis­tinction or title in Germany, the bearer of which in the earlier period
was consulted on legislative matters and qualified to exercise special
privileges, such as franchise, etc. After taking up his residence in America,
the father, believing fully in the democratic principles of this country,
dropped the title part of his name to prove his convictions and set an example
to other immigrants. He was always a strong supporter of his adopted country.
Mrs. Ostdiek (nee Snitker) was born in the same place as her husband. They were
married in the old country and made the trip to America at the same time. The
Snitkers were an old and honorable family, many members of which won recognition
as professors and educators abroad. Mrs. Ostdiek lived to the ripe age of
ninety-four years.
In the acquirement of his education Herman J. Ostdiek attended the common
schools of St. Paul, Iowa, and removed to Ottumwa. Iowa, when fifteen years of
age. He was a student in the schools there for one year. After putting his
text­books aside he engaged in farming and later was employed in a brick yard
for a period of three years. He was then clerk in a general mercantile store for
two years and at the termination of that time engaged in business on his own
account for two years. In 1880 he accepted a position as traveling salesman for
a tobacco firm and was active in that connection for twelve years. Subsequently
he located in Ottumwa, Iowa, and established a business for the manufacture of
tobacco and cigars. He conducted that business with well-merited success until
1902, when he disposed of it and removed to Marshalltown, Iowa. He was engaged
in the hotel business there for one year and then went to Fort Wayne, Indiana,
where he con­ducted a hostelry for one and one-half years. Going to Chicago,
Illinois, he con­tinued in the hotel business for four years, and in 1908
disposed of his interests and came to Minneapolis. Here he laid the foundation
for his present successful busi­ness, conducting it under the name of The
Ostdiek Company, Importers and Job­bers. Subsequently it was incorporated under
the laws of Minnesota as The Ostdiek Company, Importers and Exporters, with a
capital of seventy-five thousand dollars. The stock in the corporation is held
only by members of the famiy, Herman J. having the controlling interest. This is
a mercantile enterprise, importing and exporting goods throughout the world. Mr.
Ostdiek is prominently known in this connection and as head of the company he
deserves the greatest credit for its continued success. Starting out in life on
his own account at an early age, Mr. Ostdiek has made good use of his
opportunities. Opportunities that others have passed heedlessly by, he has
noted, and his advance has been uniform. He has extensive financial interests in
Minneapolis and owns a beautiful residence. He likewise owns considerable real
estate in this city.
At Quincy, Illinois, on the 27th of November, 1879, was celebrated the marriage
of Mr. Ostdiek and Miss Mary A. Borstadt, daughter of W. Borstadt of Illinois.
Miss Borstadt is a graduate of the Quincy business college, and was the first
lady accountant in a wholesale establishment in the city of Ottumwa, Iowa, at a
period when only men were engaged in that capacity. Her father was engaged in
the conduct of a general store in Quincy, and operated the first paper mill in
Quincy, and was a highly esteemed and respected citizen of that community. His
death occurred at the age of forty-two years. To. Mr. and Mrs. Ostdiek the
following children have been born: Henry Gerhard (known as "Harry"), forty-two
years of age, associated with The Ostdiek Company, married Mabel Bender, and
they have one child, a boy, Harry, Jr. (baptismal name, Herman John), ten years
of age; Chris­topher William Ostdiek of Hibbing, Minnesota, who is owner of a
large automobile business, forty years of age, married Laura Tiffeny, and they
are parents of two chil­dren, Helen, sixteen years of age, and Richard,
fourteen; May Katharine, who is thirty-eight years of age, is the wife of Edward
M. Hanke of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and the mother of one child, Robert, sixteen
years of age; Alberta Margareth, thirty-six years of age, is the wife of George
H. Redel, sales manager of the Holland Piano Manufacturing Company of
Minneapolis; Paul John (baptismal name Paul Aloysius), twenty-six years of age,
married Esther Wasberg of Hibbing, Minnesota, and is the father of one child,
Lois May. He has charge of the Water and Light Department of the city of
Hibbing; Herma Janet-Cecilia, the youngest member of the family, is nineteen
years of age and she is an assistant in her father's business. Mr. Ostdiek
thoroughly enjoys home life and takes great pleasure in the society of his
family and friends. His main ambition is to have his sons engage in business for
themselves. He is very fond and proud of his children and grandchildren. Though
not having the advantage of a liberal education, Mr. Ostdiek believes every one
should depend upon himself and his own initiative, and can become proficient by
observation and self-reliance. His maxim is that there is no such a word as
"can't."
Since attaining his majority Mr. Ostdiek has given his stanch support to the
democratic party and the principles for which it stands. Although he has never
sought nor desired political preferment, he is essentially public-spirited and
no movement for the development and improvement of the community seeks his aid
in vain. His religious faith is that of the Catholic church and he is a
consistent com­municant of St. Thomas church. Fraternally he is identified with
the Knights of Columbus and the United Commercial Travelers. Socially, he is
affiliated with the Harriet Club. For recreation, Mr. Ostdiek turns to the great
outdoors and he is fond of all sports. He likewise finds recreation in billiards
and in the reading of history. He is an enthusiastic traveler and has seen the
greater part of America, being a firm believer in "seeing America first."
Aside from his own family Mr. Ostdiek and his wife have reared five children to
young manhood and womanhood, and like his own children, they have proven
representative citizens.