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HENRY W. NEUMANN

A man who boldly faces the responsibilities of life and by determined and untiring energy carves out for himself an honorable success exerts a powerful influence upon the lives of those who follow him. Such men constitute the foundation of our republican institutions and are the pride of our civilization. To them life is real, their lives are bound up in their duties, they feel the weight of their citizenship and are numbered among the solid and substantial citizens of their community. Such has been the career of the subject of this brief notice.

H.W. Neumann was born at Ft. Atkinson, this state, in 1875, and is a son of August and Lisette (Fiebelkorn) Neumann. These parents were born in Pommern, Germany, and came to the United States in 1869, locating first at Watertown, Wisconsin. In the following year they moved to Ft. Atkinson, Iowa, where the father followed his trade of blacksmith until about 1877. He then located a mile south of Eldorado, Fayette county, where he carried on farming operations about two years, doing some blacksmithing as a side line. He then opened a blacksmith shop at Eldorado, which he conducted about seven years and at the end of that time returned to the farm, which comprised fifty-six acres. Then for about eight years he lived on a farm a mile east of Eldorado. The father then returned to Eldorado and opened a shop in order that his eldest son, the subject of this sketch, might learn the blacksmith’s trade. During the following five years, or until the father’s death, in1898, the two worked together, meeting with pronounced success. August and Lisette Neumann were parents of the following children: Bertha, who lives on the old homestead, east of Eldorado; Anna, at home; H.W., the subject of this sketch; Rev. W.H., of South Dakota; Prof. G.J., who although twenty-one years of age, is connected officially with the State University at Iowa City, having an enviable standing in educational circles.

The subject of this sketch was reared by his parents and secured his education in the common schools. As before stated, he became his father’s assistant in the latter’s blacksmith shop and on the death of the father he assumed the shop and carried on the business, giving his entire attention to it until 1908, in which year he bought the store owned by W. P. LAUER and has since conducted a general store. He carries a large and well selected line of such goods as are demanded by the local trade and he has met with a gratifying success in this line, commanding a full share of the local trade. He still continues the blacksmith shop, which enjoys, as it has for many years, a large patronage from the surrounding territory.

In 1901, Mr. Neumann was united in marriage to Nannie Blessin, a daughter of the Reverend BLESSIN and this union has been blessed in the birth of three children, Siegmund, Erwin and Herbert.

Politically, Mr. Neumann renders a stanch allegiance to Republican party, in the affairs of which he has taken and active part, and for several years the Lutheran church, in the various activities of which he takes a prominent part and for several years he has rendered efficient service as superintendent of the Sabbath school. In this everyday life he has the reputation of being honorable and conscientious and he has been true to every trust reposed in him, consequently he enjoys to a marked degree the confidence and respect of the entire community.

~transcribed for the Fayette Co IAGenWeb Project by Mary Ann Strohmeyer