Biographical Sketch of William Blank, Jefferson County, Missouri

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

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William Blank (deceased) was born in Germany in 1830, and was a son of
John and Catherine (Zollman) Blank.  He was reared and grew to manhood
in his native country, and at an early age commenced to learn the stone
mason's trade.  He immigrated to America in 1847, and settled in Jeff-
erson County, Mo., where he bought a farm and engaged in the pursuit of
agriculture.  In 1857 he married Miss Dina Fluth, who was born in Han-
over, Germany, in 1839 and in 1846 came to the United States with her
parents, Jacob and Sarah (Mathesen) Fluth, who settled in St. Louis.
Jacob Fluth, a shoemaker by trade, died in 1881 and his wife in 1874,
both in Jefferson County, whither they had moved in 1852.  To Mr. and
Mrs. Blank were born eight children as follows: Catherine (wife of
Charles Becker), Sarah (deceased), Minnie (wife of Augustus Sapper),
Adolph W., Mary, George, William and Frederick.  Mr. Blank settled in
De Soto in 1864, and in partnership with William Knorpp engaged in mer-
chandising until 1882, when he established a wood and coal yard in De
Soto, in which business he was engaged at the time of his death, which
occurred April 26, 1886.  Mr. Blank was also engaged in contracting 
and furnishing wood and ties for the Iron Mountain Railroad.  For many
years he was one of the substantial business men of De Soto.  He held
membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which church his wife
has been a member of the past thirty years.  Upon the death of his 
father, Adolph W. assumed charge of the wood and coal yard, and is a
good business man; he also deals in lime and cement, manufacturing the
former in kilns on the old home place, one mile southeast of De Soto,
which contains 289 acres; the lime is called "white lime", and is of a
superior quality.  About fifteen kilns are burned per season, averag-
ing 220 barrels per kiln; there is also a stone quarry on the farm,
which has been in successful operation since 1875.

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