Frederick W. Schroer, Sr.

FREDERICK W. SCHROER, SR., one of Washington township's veteran farmers and proprietor in association with his son Fred, of a well improved place east of New Knoxville, rural mail route No. 3 out of St. Marys, was born on that place and has lived there all his life, a period of nearly seventy-five years, during which time he has witnessed the development of that region from its pioneer state. Mr. Schroer was born on October 13, 1848, a few months after the formal organization of Auglaize county, and is a son of H. H. and Christine (Feggenbaum) Schroer, natives of Germany, who came to this country following their marriage and for a time thereafter made their home in Cincinnati, presently coming up into this section of Ohio, where they spent the remainder of their lives. H. H. Schroer was a tailor by trade and upon locating at Cincinnati following his arrival in this country set up as a tailor and was for a few years thus engaged in that city. He then became attracted to the possibilities awaiting land settlement up in this part of Ohio and came up here and bought a small farm in Shelby county and started in clearing the place and getting a start as a farmer. Some years later he disposed of his holdings there and moved up into Auglaize county and bought a farm of eighty acres in the New Knoxville neighborhood, where he established his home and spent the rest of his life. His widow survived him for some years increasing her holdings to 120 acres. They were the parents of eight children, of whom the subject of this sketch, the seventh in order of birth, now is the only survivor, the others having been Herman, William, Henry, Ernst, Adolph, Elizabeth and Christina. Reared on the home farm in Washington township, Frederick W. Schroer received his schooling in the local schools. He continued farming with his father until the latter's death and thereafter for some time managed the place in his mother's behalf. He then bought the home tract of 120 acres and began to farm on his own account and has ever since made his home there. Since taking possession of that place, Mr. Schroer has made extensive improvements and has a well equipped farm plant. He also has increased his land holdings until he now owns 160 acres there, besides a farm of 140 acres in Mercer county, and is very comfortably situated. He is a Republican and has rendered public service as a director of schools in his district. He and his family are members of the Reformed church at New Knoxville and he has served as a deacon of that congregation. Mr. Schroer married Mary Fledderjohann, daughter of Henry Fledderjohann and a member of the well known pioneer family of that name in Washington township, and to that union six children were born, Wilhelmina, Henry (deceased), Sophia, Louise, Fred, Jr., and Mary, all of whom married save Sophia, who is at home. The mother of these children died on September 29, 1912, Wilhelmina Schroer married William Warner and has one child, a daughter, Luella. The late Henry Schroer married Emma Fenneman and died leaving one child, a son, Harry. Louise Schroer married William Soerhoff and has two children, Ada and Mary, The junior Fred Schroer, who is now farming in partnership with his father, married Sophia Hoge and has two children, Marcella and Enoch, and Mary Schroer married Henry Vohs and has three children, Rinehart, Leonard and Olga.