Biographical Sketch of Christopher Kofahl, Texas County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas,
Pulaski, Phelps & Dent Counties, Missouri, from Earliest Times to the
Present" Published by Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1889.

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Christopher Kofahl, a successful tiller of the soil of Sherrill
Township, Texas County, MO., was born in Hanover, Germany, August
2, 1825, and is the son of Hans Christopher and Magdalena (Richs)
Kofahl, both of whom were born, reared, married and died in Hanover,
Germany.  The father was a well-to-do farmer.  In their family were
nine children, five sons and four daughters, only two of whom came 
to America, our subject and sister.  His early life was spent on his
father's farm and in school, where he received a limited education.
At the age of fifteen he commenced learning the carpenter's trade,
and worked four years as an apprentice.  In 1847 he left home for
America, and landed at New Orleans.  He worked at Vicksburg, Miss.,
for a time, and then went to Greenburg, where he spent the summer of
1848.  That winter he returned to Vicksburg, and in 1849 removed to
St. Louis, but later removed to Cincinnati, where he worked in a
factory for some time, and then returned to Vicksburg.  Some months
were spent at Yazoo City, Miss., then back to Cincinnati, and then
again returned to Yazoo, where, May 13, 1852, he married Miss Mary
E. Housman, a native of Hanover, Germany.  She came to this country
in 1851, and in 1858 they came to Texas County, and settled on the
farm where they now live.  There were only eighteen acres cleared
at that time, but since then he has increased it to about 140 acres.
He knew nothing about farming except what little he had learned in
childhood, and had to start almost from the beginning.  He, however,
has made a complete success of it, and now owns 500 acres.  During
the war he served about eight months in the Confederate army, being
sergeant.  He is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, South, as was also his wife, who died December
30, 1888.  They were the parents of eleven children, nine now living:
John C., Henry, William, Magdalene C., Ellen, Louis C., Robert E. L.,
James C. and Benjamin F.  In connection with his farming interest Mr.
Kofahl has also handled machinery for the McCormick Harvesting Machine
Co. for about ten years.  He has been a resident of Texas County, MO.,
for the past thirty years, and is a much respected citizen.

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