John Scherer Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1245-1246 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	JOHN SCHERER was born January 23, 1836, in Hesse Darmstadt, 
Germany, of which province his parents, John and Catherine (Yager) 
Scherer, were also natives. His father devoted the greater part of his 
life to various kinds of public work and was a man of industry and 
thrift. These parents died a number of years ago in the land of their 
birth, leaving six children whose names are as follows: John, of this 
review, Lizzie, Andrew, Mary, Kate and Carl, of whom the subject and 
Andrew came to America, the others remaining in their native country. 

	John Scherer attended school in Hesse Darmstadt during his youth 
and remained at home until eighteen years of age. He then decided to go 
to America, being fully convinced that he could do better in the great 
country beyond the sea than in his own land, where privileges were few 
and the opportunities for rising in the world limited. In due time he 
landed at New York and from that city proceeded as far west as Henry 
county, Iowa, where he spent the ensuing year and a half as a farm 
laborer, after which he went to the southern part of the state, where he 
remained one year. At the expiration of that time he went to Scott 
county, Iowa, and engaged in farming for himself until 1866, when he 
came to Dakota territory, locating east of Yankton, where he entered a 
quarter section of land which he improved and on which he lived during 
the three years following. In 1869 he disposed of his real estate in 
Yankton county and moved to the county of Bon Homme, where he has since 
resided, purchasing the meanwhile a valuable tract of land in Tabor 
township, which under his efficient labors has been brought to a high 
state of cultivation and otherwise improved, teeing 'one of the most 
productive farms and desirable homes of the locality in which it is 
situated. 

	Mr. Scherer is a progressive farmer and his influence has done much 
to promote the agricultural interests in the township of his residence. He 
has also achieved considerable reputation in the matter of live stock, 
which he now makes his chief business, paying special attention to 
horses, cattle and hogs, in the breeding and raising of which his 
success has been encouraging and his income liberal. He came west in an 
early day, has kept pace with the growth and development of the country, 
and contributed of his labor and influence to introduce civilization 
into Bon Homme county and to bring about results that are now obtained 
in this highly favored part of South Dakota. In politics he votes for 
the best qualified candidates regardless of the party to which they 
belong, and while manifesting a lively interest in public affairs and 
always standing for good government, he has never departed from his 
business to seek office or aspire to leadership. 

	Mr. Scherer, in 1862, married Miss Agnes Congleton, of Butler 
county, Pennsylvania, who bore him nine children, namely: William, a 
lumberman living in Dunwoody county, Virginia; Adelia, wife of George 
Biittler, a farmer of Bon Homme county; Fred, who is engaged in farming 
and stock raising in Charles Mix county, this state; Mary, now Mrs. Wade 
Glenn, of Springfield, South Dakota; John a resident of Petersburg, 
Virginia, and a cabinetmaker by trade; George, a farmer and stock 
dealer, living in Charles Mix county, South Dakota; Maggie, a member of 
the home circle; Lee, who died in the year 1902, and Charles, who 
assists his father in running the farm. The mother of these children 
departed this life in 1885, since which time Mr. Scherer has kept up his 
home with the aid of his children, the meanwhile providing well for 
those leaving the parental roof to start in life for themselves.