John C. Kindschy Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 859-860

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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HON. JOHN C. KINDSCHY, of the Groton Mercantile Company, one of the 
leading general merchandise firms of Groton, Brown county, has been 
connected with the business interests of that county many years, and is 
a well known citizen and respected by his associates. 
Mr. Kindschy was born in Sauk county, Wisconsin, April 14, 1852, and 
was the son of Christian Kindschy, a native of Switzerland, who came to 
America with his wife in 1847 and settled on a farm in Sauk county. The 
family moved to Buffalo county, Wisconsin, in 1855, and it was at that 
place our subject was reared. He attended the country schools and 
completed his education at Galesville University in Trempealeau county, 
Wisconsin. He left home at the age of eighteen years and began 
teaching, at which he was employed four years. He began clerking in a 
general store at Alma, Wisconsin, in 1874, end spent his time thus 
until 1882, when he went to Groton and took a pre-emption about eight 
miles from there. He erected a 12 x 14 shanty, with a lean-to 8 x14, 
which was the first building in the vicinity, and there were no 
buildings further from town in that direction. He made his home in this 
shanty during the fall of that year and the following spring his family 
joined him in the new home. He started farming with three horses, a 
plow and an old wagon, and his first crop was on sod and was a failure 
on account of drouth. He gave up farming in the fall of 1883 and moved 
to Groton, where, in company with G. J. Iberg and J. W. Kraft, he 
started a general store under the firm name of Iberg & Company. The 
building was 24x48 feet and was the largest store in town. The firm 
sold in 1890 to our subject and R. R. Kempter, and August 22, 1890, the 
entire stock, store and equipments were consumed by fire and a loss of 
about eight thousand five hundred dollars was entailed. It was a fire 
of much scope and many buildings in the town were damaged or destroyed, 
and there was but a small amount of insurance on the store and stock of 
our subject. During 1891 they conducted business in a small frame 
building, 16 x 60 feet, and during that year erected their present fine 
brick store, 28x 70 feet. It is one of the largest stores of the town, 
with a basement under the entire building, and is one of the principal 
business houses. Mr. Kempter sold his interest to J. G. Iberg, and the 
firm now consists of J. G. Iberg, O. H. Miller and our subject, under 
the name of the Groton Mercantile Company. They enjoy an extensive 
patronage, and are gentlemen who are fully capable of keeping in touch 
with the needs of the community and supplying every want. 

Mr. Kindschy was married, in 1876, to Miss Paulina Kraft, a native of 
Iowa, who was reared at Alma, Wisconsin. Mrs. Kindschy was of German 
descent, her parents coming from Prussia, and her father was a farmer 
by occupation. Mr. Kindschy died in Dakota, in 1888, leaving five 
children, as follows: Laura, Amanda, John G., Rilla and Olivia. Mr. 
Kindschy married Bertha Kraft, the sister of Mrs. Kindschy, in 1890, 
and to this union four children have been born, as follows: Ena, 
Clement, Wilmar and Melvin, all of whom were born in Dakota. 

Our subject was among the first settlers of the town of Groton, and has 
taken an active part in its development. He is a member of the city 
council, and has attended both state and county conventions. In 1896 he 
was elected to the state senate on the Populist ticket, and did very 
effective work for his community. He has the welfare of his people at 
heart, and in all public matters stands on the side of right and 
justice. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and is 
serving his twelfth year as Sunday - school superintendent of the 
German Evangelical church of this place.