Herman Henry Schroer

HERMAN HENRY SCHROER, who died in 1914 at his farm home about two miles north of New Knoxville, where his widow is still living, was a substantial farmer of that neighborhood and a good citizen, who at his death left a good memory. Mr. Schroer was born on that farm on July 20, 1860, and was a son of John Henry and Sophia Schroer, both members of pioneer families of the New Knoxville neighborhood, and concerning whom further and fitting reference is made elsewhere in this volume. Reared on the home farm he received his schooling in the neighborhood school (district No. 4) and grew up attentive to the affairs of the farm, remaining at home until he had attained his majority, when he took a trip West and was gone for three or four years, prospecting around. Upon his return home he began working in a saw mill along the canal, and after his marriage a year later established a saw mill of his own in Washington township and operated the same for five or six years, end of which time he sold the mill and bought the home of the old Schroer home place north of New Knoxville and established his home there. On that place Mr. Schroer spent the remainder of his life, actively and successfully engaged in farming, and his widow is still living there, the family being very comfortably situated . Mr. Schroer also owned a tract of fifteen acres on the south and had created an excellent farm plant. His death occurred there on February 15, 1914. In his political views he was a Democrat, and at the time of his death was a member of the local school board. He was a member of the Reformed church at New Knoxville, as is his widow, and had ever taken an interested part in the affairs of that congregation. Herman Henry Schroer married Amelia Luft, also a member of one of the pioneer families of this county, and to this union were born thirteen children, eleven of whom are living, Frank, Leroy, Ada, Clarence, Edward, Gustave, Elizabeth, Harry, Pauline, Esther and Carl, the three elder of whom are married. The Rev. Frank Schroer, the eldest of these children, now pastor of the Broadview Lutheran church of Chicago, married Myrtle Hanzel and has one child, a daughter, Carol Marie. Leroy Schroer married Frances Haberkamp and has one child, a daughter, Dorothy, and Ada Schroer married Lafe Beikman and has one child, a son, Howard W. The Schroer home is very pleasantly situated on rural mail route No. 1 out of St. Marys. Mrs. Schroer was born at New Knoxville and is a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Wierwille) Luft, both of whom also were born in this county, the former at New Bremen and the latter in Washington township. The late Christian Luft, a veteran of the Civil war, grew to manhood at New Bremen, learning there the trade of harness maker. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted his services in behalf of the cause of the Union and served as a soldier for about two years. After his marriage he established his home at New Knoxville, where he set up a shop as a harness maker and was thus engaged at that place until his death. He and his wife had three children, Mrs. Schroer having two sisters, Malinda and Anna.