Biographical Sketch of Adam Puchta, Gasconade County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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Adam Puchta.  Among the German settlers who came to Gasconade County
were John Henry and Mary (Schulteisz) Puchta, natives of Ober Kotzau,
Bavaria, Germany, born in 1802 and May 13, 1810, respectively.  The
father had previously been married, and by this union three children
were born, only two living: Frederick and John Adam.  The mother of 
these children died in 1832, and June 22, 1833, the father married Miss
Schulteisz, who bore him eight children, seven now living: Catherine,
Margaret, Anna, Charles, Mathilde, Emil and Pauline.  The first three
were born in Germany, and the rest in America.  The father, while in 
his native country, was a farmer and butcher by occupation.  In 1839
they sailed for America and made their home in Gasconade County, where
both spent the remainder of their days.  He lived to be fifty-five and
she seventy seven years of age.  Both belonged to the Evangelical 
Church.  The second child born to the first marriage, John Adam, was
born in Ober Kotzau, Germany, November 27, 1831 and came with his par-
ents to Hermann, Mo., in 1839.  April 15, 1853, he drove an ox team to
California, and was there nearly three years, mining gold.  After re-
turning he married Miss Clementina Riefenstahl, daughter of George
Riefenstahl, one of the early settlers of Hermann.  By this marriage 
he became the father of one child, a daughter, deceased.  In 1858 his
first wife died, and in the following year he married Miss Bertha
Riefenstahl, who was born in 1838, and who was a sister to his first
wife, and the first girl baby born in Hermann, Mo.  she bore him two
children, one son and one daughter: Clementine (deceased), and Henry
John, who was born April 4, 1861.  Mr. and Mrs. Puchta are members of
the Evangelical Church, as was also his first wife.  He settled in the
woods, cleared a fine tract of land of 100 acres, and has been success-
fully engaged in farming and wine growing.  He has held the offices of
school director, roadmaster, etc., and is a Democrat in his political
belief.  His brother, Frederick, also came to Hermann, Mo., in 1839.

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