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Cornelius Stetter

Cornelius Stetter, a photographer of Brush Creek, has been engaged in business in this place since 1881. He was born in Farwell, Wayne County, N. Y., January 21, 1853, and is of German descent, his parents, George J. and Anna M. (Klaeber) Stetter, have both been born on the banks of the Rhine in Bavaria, where they were married and lived for some time. About 1848 they bade good-by to their native land and sailed for America, locating in the Empire State. In early George Stetter had learned the carriage-making trade, which he followed both in the old country and after coming to New York. He has also been a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years, and has lived a consistent and upright (which) has won him the confidence and high regard of all with whom he has come in contact. In 1866 he came to this county where he followed farming until about 1874, when he became an itinerant minister and has since devoted himself to gospel work. His wife died in Lansing, Iowa, and he now makes his home in Freeport, Ill., being seventy-three or seventy-four years of age. In their family were six children, one of whom died in Germany, and two in this country. Those yet living are Cornelius of this sketch; Albert, a traveling salesman; and Mrs. Ida Demming, of this county.

The education of our subject was greatly interrupted by a fever with which he was afflicted from the ages from seven to sixteen years that resulted in the shortening of his leg by some six inches. He thus worked at farming under considerable disadvantage but continued to follow that pursuit for a decade. Then he resolved to give his attention to a business which would require less manual labor and looking around him his choice fell upon photography which he learned in 1880 at Manchester, Iowa. Having mastered the principles of that art he soon afterward went to Dubuque, where he established a gallery and did business for a year. He then sold out and went to Volga City, where he spent the succeeding year and on removing to Elkader he there engaged in photographing for two years. In 1886 he came to Brush Creek and established a gallery at this place. Mr. Stetter does creditable work, keeps abreast with all the inventions and improvements in the art and is building up an excellent trade, well deserving the liberal patronage which he receives.

The succeeding his arrival in Brush Creek, on the 28th of November, Mr. Stetter was united in marriage with Miss Emma Creig, who was born in Pennsylvania September 3, 1873, and is a daughter of Frederick F. and Christina (Stolle) Creig. Two children grace their union, sons, Arthur and Glenn. Mr. Stetter is a Republican in political sentiment and socially is an Odd Fellow, belonging to the lodge in Strawberry Point.