Was born in the Dukedom of Oldenburg, Germany, April 12, 1827. In 1845, at the age of eighteen years, he emigrated to America, landing in Baltimore in September of the same year. He went to Cumberland, Maryland, and there worked on the turnpike; afterwards followed gardening. In 1852 he came west to Terre Haute, Indiana, and was for eight years engaged in gardening. He then came to Clinton county, Illinois, and rented land of Mr. OUTHOUSE, in Clement township. In 1863 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of prairie land and forty acres of timber in the same township. It was raw , unimproved land. There Mr. SCHROEDER has lived to the present. He has by hard work converted the barren waste into a fine, productive, and beautiful home. A view of the same may be seen on another page of this work.

On the 26th of July, 1851, he married Miss Anna GERDES. She is a native of Hanover, Germany. Her parents, Bernhard, and Anna Gerdes, emigrated to America in 1849, and settled in Cumberland, Maryland. Both parents died in Vandalia, Fayette county, Illinois. By the union of Mr. and Mrs. Schroeder there have been six children born to them, three of whom are living. Their names, in the order of their birth, are—Mary Catherine, wife of Anton NOTHAUS, a farmer, and resident of Clement township; Anna L. and Levina Josephine. The other children died in childhood. Both Mr. and Mrs. Schroeder and family are members of the Catholic church.

Politically Mr. Schroeder has been both a democrat and republican. In 1852, he voted for Franklin PIERCE, and in 1856 for John C. FREMONT. In 1860, he voted for DOUGLAS, and was a war democrat, and in favor of the restoration of the union and the suppression of the rebellion. Since then he has remained a democrat. Mr. Schroeder’s occupation since he has lived in Illinois has been that of a farmer and stock raiser, in which he has been quite successful. He started in life poor and unaided. In fact, about all he possessed, was strong hands, industry and a determination to succeed, and with these, assisted by his excellent wife, he has succeeded in carving out for himself a comfortable competency, and at the same time, making for himself a name for strict honesty and integrity, which, after all, is the best heritage he can leave to his posterity.

Source: History of Marion and Clinton Counties, Illinois, 1881, Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia

Submitted by: Pamela Safriet

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