Mathias A. Shuster 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 888-889

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

	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.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


MATHIAS A. SHUSTER (formerly spelled "Schuster"), an honored and highly 
esteemed agriculturist residing on section 35, Howell township, Hand 
county, South Dakota, was born in Carlsberg, Bavaria, Germany, 
September 5, 1826, and was reared and educated in his native land, 
where he remained until 1853. It was during that year that he emigrated 
to the United States, and settled in Coshocton county, Ohio. 
Subsequently he lived for a time in Holmes county, that state, and in 
the fall of 1855, removed to Wayne county, Iowa, where he resided until 
coming to Hand county, South Dakota, in 1883, his time and attention 
being devoted to agricultural pursuits. Here he took a pre-emption in 
section 2, and a homestead on the southeast quarter of section 35, 
Howell township, both of which he still owns, and is now making his 
home on the latter, where as a farmer and stock raiser he carries on 
extensive operations with gratifying results. 

In Holmes county, Ohio, Mr. Shuster was married, in 1855, to Miss Anna 
Seneften, a native of Switzerland, who came to America with her parents 
when a child of eight years and was reared in Ohio. Of late years she 
has met with a great misfortune in the loss of her eye-sight. Seven 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Shuster, but only four are now 
living, namely: Mathias A., Jr., Carrie, Lewis and John W. The parents 
are both consistent and earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, in which Mr. Shuster is now serving as steward. He casts his 
ballot for the men and measures of the Republican party, and has most 
efficiently filled the offices of township treasurer and supervisor. 

Mathias A. Shuster, Jr., was born in Wayne county, Iowa, May 11, 1863, 
and was reared and educated in that state. He attended school two years 
at the Garden Grove Normal School and one year at Simpson College, 
Indianola, before reaching his majority, besides teaching two terms of 
school, and he always assisted his father in the farming operations in 
the summer. In the spring of 1884, he came to Hand county, South 
Dakota, but later spent some time in teaching in Minnesota and Iowa, 
and did not locate permanently here until 1886. He had previously taken 
a tree claim, which he still owns and he bought in 1891 the quarter-
section of land on which Florence post office now stands, and in 1899 
the quarter adjoining the latter on the east. He graduated from the 
State Normal School at Madison, South Dakota, in 1895, and throughout 
his active business life has successfully engaged in both farming and 
teaching. On the 26th of September, 1896, he was united in marriage 
with Miss Anna Trythall, a native of England, who was brought to this 
country by her parents when a child of two years. They hold membership 
in the Methodist Episcopal church, and politically Mr. Shuster is 
identified with the Republican party. He has been honored with a number 
of local offices, including those of assessor and justice of the peace. 

Miss Carrie Shuster, the daughter, has been a student of the Dakota 
University, of Mitchell, South Dakota, and for the past four years has 
been engaged in teaching in Hand county, making her home with her 
parents. Lewis Shuster was born in Iowa, July 21, 1869, and came to 
Hand county, with his parents, in 1884, having been here through the 
summer of 1883 with his father. He attended Dakota University at 
Mitchell five years, and graduated from the classical course of that 
institution in 1899. He taught school in Hand county for several years, 
and is now engaged as principal of the Blunt schools, of Blunt, South 
Dakota, for the coming year. John Wesley Shuster, born in Iowa, 
September 30, 1871, accompanied his parents to Hand county in 1884, and 
graduated from the State Agricultural College at Brookings, South 
Dakota, in 1897, and from the Electrical Engineering Department of the 
University of Wisconsin in 1899. He is now engaged in the works of the 
Western Electrical Company of Chicago. He taught school in Hand county 
and in Brookings county for several years, earning sufficient money to 
pay his way through college 

The family is one of prominence in Hand county, and their circle of 
friends and acquaintances is extensive.