Jacob P. Resner Biography This biography appears on pages 1070-1071 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. JACOB P. RESNER, cashier of the bank of Scotland, Bon Homme county, was born in Plotzk, South Russia, on the 14th of March, 1863, being a son of Andrew and Anna M. (Lyer) Resner, of whose two children he is the elder, the other being Dr. Andrew K., who is a successful practicing physician at Manning, Iowa. The father of the subject was a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, where he was reared to the life of a farmer, continuing to there devote his attention to this great basic industry until 1877, when he emigrated with his family to the United States, spending a short interval in the state of Iowa and thence coming directly to the territory of Dakota, locating in Hutchinson county, where he entered claim to three quarter sections of land, under the homestead, pre-emption and tree-culture acts, respectively, and here he has ever since continued to make his home, having improved his land and placed it under a high state of cultivation and having thus contributed to the development of the resources of the great state of South Dakota. He has been successful in his labors and is now one of the representative and substantial citizens of Hutchinson county. He is a Republican in politics and has held various local offices of public trust, ever retaining the confidence of his fellow men. His devoted and cherished wife died in the fatherland, in 1869, and he later married Miss Caroline Stortz, and they are the parents of four children, Daniel and John, who reside in Scotland, Bon Homme county; Emanuel, who remains at the parental home; and Mary, who is the wife of L. W. Hoffman, of the village of Scotland. Jacob P. Resner, to whom this sketch is dedicated, was about eight years of age at the time of his father's emigration from Germany to America, and he received his education in both German and English, having prosecuted his studies in the public schools of South Dakota after the family here took up their abode. That he made good use of the advantages thus accorded is shown in the fact that he was for three years successfully engaged in teaching in the district schools of Hutchinson county prior to his marriage, which occurred in 1885. After his marriage he settled on a quarter section of land in that county, having secured the same as a preemption claim, proving up on the property after attaining his legal majority. He made good improvements on his farm and devoted his attention to its cultivation for four years, at the expiration of which he removed to Scotland, in the adjoining county of Bon Homme to accept the position of treasurer and manager of the Farmers' Elevator Company. He retained this incumbency two years and then purchased the elevator of the company, continuing its proprietor for the ensuing seven years, when he disposed of the property and became manager of the elevators here owned by the Spencer Grain Company, an important corporation engaged in the handling of grain throughout this section. He remained with this concern three years, during which time he was also individually engaged in the real-estate business having his office on Main street in the village of Scotland. He continued in the real-estate business after severing his connection with the company mentioned and also accepted a position as manager of the local interests of Shannerd Brothers extensive grain buyers of Bridgewater, this state. In August, 1902, Mr. Resner accepted the position of cashier of the bank of Scotland, one of the solid and popular monetary institutions of this section, and he has since continued to give most discriminating service in this important executive office, gaining to the bank new prestige and handling its affairs with marked ability and to the entire satisfaction of its stockholders. Shannerd Brothers were most reluctant to dispense with his services and finally prevailed upon Mr. Resner to continue in their employ as manager of their interests in this section, and the details of the business he now assigns principally to a deputy, though maintaining a general supervision of all transactions. The political support of the subject is given in an unqualified way to the Republican party, of whose principles he is a stanch advocate, having been prominent in political affairs in a local way for a number of years past. He served four years as a member of the village council and for the past six years has been a valued member of the board of education, while for three years he was incumbent of the office of village assessor and is in tenure of this office at the time of this writing. His religious faith is that of the German Congregational church, of which both he and his wife are zealous members, and he is prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity, being affiliated with Scotland Lodge, No. 52 Free and Accepted Masons; Scotland Chapter, No. 31, Royal Arch Masons. Yankton Commandery, Knights Templar; and Yankton Consistory, No. 1, of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, at Yankton. He also holds membership in Security Lodge, No. 48, Knights of Pythias, and Scotland Camp, No. 977, Modern Woodmen of America. On the 14th of December, 1885, Mr. Resner was united in marriage to Miss Christina Redmann, of Yankton county, whither her parents emigrated from Russia in 1873. Of this union have been born seven children namely: Edward, William, Julius, Amerlia, Lydia, Bertha and Arthur.