Henry W. Knemoeller, who for some years has been identified with the
official and public life of Carlinville, was born in Staunton, Illinois,
on the 15th of August, 1874. He is one of the seven children born to
Henry and Charlotte (Buecker) Knemoeller, natives of Westphalia,
Germany. The father was reared and married in his native land, where he
learned the tailor’s trade, which he followed until he emigrated to the
United States, locating in Staunton. There he worked in the mines and
followed brick making- until his death in 1880, when about forty years
of age. The mother passed away about two years later, thirtyfour years
old. Both were members of the German Evangelical church, and the father
was a soldier in the Franco-Prussian war, there sustaining wounds which
eventually caused his death. The paternal grandfather, Herman Knemoeller
was a butcher by trade, and the father of four sons: Fred, Rudolph,
Henry and Herman. He passed away at the age of eighty-nine years, having
survived his wife for several years. The maternal grandfather after the
death of his wife emigrated to the United States, settling in the
vicinity of Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he died nearly ninety years old.
During the years of his active career he devoted his energies to the
carpentry trade, which he learned in his early youth.
Left an
orphan at the age of eight years, Henry W. Knemoeller was reared at Fort
Wayne, Indiana, by his mother’s brother, Fred Buecker, until he reached
his eighteenth year during which time he was a student of the public
schools. In 1892 he returned to Staunton where he worked in the mines
until appointed chief of police. He resigned this office at the end of
four years in order to become chief deputy to Sheriff Etter, in which
capacity he continues to serve. Mr. Knemoeller has proven to be a very
capable and trustworthy official, discharging his duties with
painstaking, conscientious recognition of the responsibilities entailed.
On the 6th of July, 1905, was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
Knemoeller and Mrs. Geneva Woods, the widow of William Woods and a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph (Bruce) Gates. Mrs. Knemoeller was born
in Staunton, Illinois, and her parents were also natives of this state
and here they passed away. The father was a volunteer in the Union army
during the Civil war. To Mr. and Mrs. Gates there were born five
children: Rosa, the wife of John Berger; William; Geneva, the wife of
our subject; Edward, who is deceased; and Albert. Mr! and Mrs.
Knemoeller have no children, but she had four children by her former
husband, namely: Robert C., Lilly, Irene and Helen.
Mr.
Knemoeller affiliates with the Evangelical and his wife with the Baptist
church. His fraternal relations are confined to his membership in
Parnassus Lodge, No. 581, K. of P., of Staunton. Ever since granted the
right of franchise upon attaining his majority he has voted with the
democracy; he was constable at Staunton for four years. His record as a
public official has been particularly free from any suspicion of
unfaithfulness to his responsibilities, his duties always having been
discharged with an efficiency that leaves no shadow of a doubt as to his
honor and integrity.
Extracted 18 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 686-687.
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