Lawrence William Schaller Biography


	This biography appears on pages 751-752 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				LAWRENCE WILLIAM SCHALLER. 

	Lawrence William Schaller, a well known live-stock dealer of 
Yankton who is also filling the office of county commissioner, was born 
in Kiel, Germany, on the 30th of August, 1865. His father, William 
Schaller, was a farmer by occupation and also a native of that section 
of Germany. Coming to the new world, he established his home in St. 
Helena, Nebraska, in 1869, taking up land near there, and he remained 
in that section until his death, which occurred in 1878. In his native 
country he had wedded Anna Maria Holm, also a native of Kiel. She 
survived him for about fifteen years, passing away in 1893. In their 
family were five children: Fred, who is now a resident of Wynot, 
Nebraska; Tina, the wife of Mads Schmidt, of Wynot; Christ, also living 
in that place; Lawrence; and Hannah, the wife of Henry Brown, of 
Yankton county. 

	Lawrence William Schaller spent the first four years of his life 
in his native country and was then brought by his parents to the United 
States, his youthful days being passed upon the home farm in Nebraska, 
his time being divided between the work of the fields and attendance at 
the nearby district schools. After the father's death it became 
necessary for the boys to work in order to support the family and thus 
Mr. Schaller's educational opportunities were curtailed and he was 
deprived of many of the advantages which most boys enjoy. being but a 
youth of fourteen years when he started out to earn his own living, 
entering the employ of an implement firm at St. Helena, Nebraska. That 
he was capable and faithful is indicated in the fact that he remained 
there for six years, mastering all branches of the business and working 
his way upward until he was made a salesman. 

	On coming to South Dakota, in 1885, Mr. Schaller settled in 
Yankton and there entered the employ of Fred Burg, a lumber dealer. In 
1889 he became manager of the Donaldson Lumber Yard, with which he was 
thus connected for five years and then became manager for the Loonan 
Lumber Company of Yankton. He controlled their yard until August, 1907, 
at which time he turned his attention to the live-stock business and 
real-estate dealing, continuing active along those lines to the present 
time. He buys western stock and feeds at Yankton for the market. He 
owns three hundred and twenty acres of land near Yankton which he uses 
for grazing and feeding purposes, raising thereon grain and other feed 
for his stock. He has found this a growing and profitable business and 
his capable management and close application are bringing to him 
continued success. 

	On the 12th of April, 1888, Mr. Schaller was united in marriage 
to Miss Mary Olson, of Beresford, South Dakota, and they have two 
children, Frank W. and Julia. Mr. Schaller belongs to the Elks Lodge, 
No. 994, the Modern Woodmen camp, the Knights of Pythias, the Fraternal 
Order of Eagles and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. In public 
affairs he has taken an active and helpful interest. He was for two 
terms a member of the Yankton board of aldermen and exercised his 
official prerogatives in support of various plans for the improvement 
of the city. In 1911 he was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of 
Tom Edwards as a member of the board of county commissioners and in 
1912 was elected to that office as a candidate of the republican party, 
which again endorsed him for the position. He places the general 
welfare before personal aggrandizement and is a public-spirited 
citizen, belonging to that class of business men whose worth and 
enterprise constitute the strongest elements in the development and 
growth of a community.