Charles F. Lotze Biography

	This biography appears on page 721 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	CHARLES F. LOTZE claims the splendid old Buckeye state as the 
place of his nativity, having been born in Vienna, Trumbull county, 
Ohio, on the 22d of February, 1857, and being a son of George and 
Catherine Lotze, the former of whom was born in Germany, while the 
latter was born in the United States, the father having settled in Ohio 
soon after his coming to America and having there passed the remainder 
of his life. He was a merchant by vocation and was a man of distinctive 
integrity and honor in all the relations of life. When our subject was 
a child of four years his parents removed to Girard, Trumbull county, 
Ohio, where he was reared and where he completed the curriculum of the 
public schools. In 1875, at the age of eighteen years, he went to 
Berrien Springs, Berrien county, Michigan, where he established himself 
in the jewelry business and where he continued to reside until 1879, 
when he came as a pioneer to what is now the state of South Dakota, 
locating in Vermillion, Clay county, where, in December of that year, 
the established himself in the jewelry, book and music business, in 
which line of enterprise he has ever since continued. He began 
operations on a modest scale and with the rapid settling of the 
surrounding country and the steady growth and progress of Vermillion 
his business increased in scope and importance and is now one of the 
leading enterprises of the sort in this section of the state. He has a 
large and well appointed store and carries a select stock in each of 
the three departments, controlling a representative trade and being one 
of the popular and influential business men of the city. In politics 
Mr. Lotze is a staunch adherent of the Republican party, but he has 
never sought or desired public office. Fraternally he is identified 
with the Masonic order, in which he has attained the chivalric degrees, 
being a member of Vermillion Commandery, No. 16, Knights Templar, in 
his home city. 

	On the 21st of October, 1885, Mr. Lotze was united in marriage to 
Miss Martha C. Hurd, daughter of Jabez and Elizabeth Hurd, of 
Lancaster, Wisconsin, in which state she was born and reared. Mr. and 
Mrs. Lotze have three daughters, all of whom remain at the parental 
home, Hazel C., Marie L. and Laura B.