Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 923 - 924

CHARLES SCHNEIDER is very successfully engaged as a farmer and stock-raiser, on section 22, Payne Township, where he owns 240 acres of choice land. He came here in 1880, and purchased the farm where he now resides, and immediately commenced its improvement. He has worked untiringly, and his labors have been well rewarded; he now has his land all under fence (hedge and wire), and has it well cultivated. The soil is especially adapted to the culture of fruits, and he has a fine orchard of apple, pear and peach trees, already in a bearing condition. He devotes much attention to raising stock, and has met with much success in that line, his fat, sleek looking animals comparing favorably with those of other farmers in the neighborhood.

            Mr. Schneider is a native of the German Empire, his birth taking place there April 1, 1836. He is the son of Phillip and Henrietta (Miller) Schneider, natives of Germany. His father was born Feb. 12, 1808. He followed the trade of shoemaker in his native land for many years. In 1853 he decided to emigrate to this country to better his fortune, and with his family crossed the ocean, and made his home in Texas. There he was actively engaged in making shoes for nearly a year, and then the dreaded scourge of the South, yellow fever, invaded his household, and three of his sons fell victims to the disease, two of them dying in one day. Shortly after the little family, so sadly reduced in numbers, made their way to DeWitt County, Ill., and there the father industriously plied his trade for fifteen years, and managed by wise economy to lay up some money. In 1880 he and his wife accompanied their son Charles, of this sketch, to Kansas, and settled with him in his present place of residence. On the 20th of March, 1883, the kind and patient wife and mother passed to eternal rest. She was born April 11, 1813. To her and her husband were born five children, namely: Charles C., William, Fred, Phillip, and one, the youngest, who died unnamed. The other sons, with the exception of Charles, died of the yellow fever in Texas. The father of our subject still continues to make his home with his son; he has led an honorable and useful life, and is spending his declining years in peace and comfort.

            The subject of this sketch received his education in the public schools of his native land. He was seventeen years of age when he crossed the ocean with his parents, and in this country he grew to manhood. He was strong and active, and quite capable of making his own way in the world when he had to begin the battle of life for himself. In 1859 he took an important step in founding a home by securing an able and worthy helpmate in the person of Miss Rebecca Dick. Their marriage took place on the 28th day of February, in Harrison County, Ind. She is well educated, having been a constant attendant at the public schools through her girlhood. She is the daughter of Christian and Rebecca (Mowery) Dick, natives respectively of France and Pennsylvania. Her father served in the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte eight years, and did gallant service in many of the world-famed battles fought by that great leader. He was with him on his march to invade Russia, and witnessed the destruction of Moscow by the fires which the patriotic Russians had themselves kindled in their beloved and beautiful city, that they might drive away the foreign invader. He was one of the survivors of that immense army, of whom so few escaped death, either at the hands of the enemy, or through the horrors of starvation, or from the intense cold in that terrible retreat. When a young man he left his native France, and coming to America, took up a farm in Indiana under the homestead law. There his life was brought to a close July 14, 1858; his wife's death had occurred twelve years prior to that date. He had been twice married, the maiden name of his first wife being Mary Shear. Of that union five children were born. Three children were born to him by his second marriage, namely: Rebecca, Mrs. Schneider; Henry, dead; Jacob, who is a farmer in Kingman County, this State. The father and mother were both faithful members of the Lutheran Church.

            Mr. and Mrs. Schneider are the parents of six children, whose record is as follows: Henrietta, born Aug. 12, 1861; Mary, May 15, 1863; Phillip J. M., March 4, 1865; Christian F., March 22, 1869; Jacob P. M., Jan. 9, 1874; George W., Sept. 9, 1880. Henrietta married Paul Haas, and lives in this township; Mary married George Haas, brother of Paul Haas, and lives in this township.

            In 1880 our subject and his wife came to sunny Kansas to make their home, and have since been very much prospered financially, and as intelligent, honorable and charitably disposed people have won the regard of their neighbors. They are active and useful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Schneider is independent in politics, voting for the man rather than for the party.

            A lithographic view is shown on another page of Mr. Schneider's handsome residence.

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