Tuolumne
County
Biographies
FRANK J. SCHOETTGEN
Frank Joseph Schoettgen has long
been engaged in the butchering and meat market business in Columbia, and has
been a resident of California since 1855.
As his name indicates, he is of German birth, the place of his nativity
being Baden, the date March 11, 1823.
His parents were John B. and Johanna (Folmer) Schoettgen, both of whom were natives of Germany and
faithful members of the Catholic Church.
The father owned and conducted a dyeing establishment in his native
land. His was a long, useful and active
career, terminated in death when he had reached the age of eighty years. This mother of our subject departed this life
in the fortieth year of her age. The
father afterward married Johanna Spitzmiller, also a
native of Germany. Their family numbered
ten children, all born by the first wife, three of whom died in infancy.
The subject of this review, however,
is the only survivor of the family. To
the public schools of the fatherland he is indebted for the educational
privileges which he enjoyed. For some
time he occupied the position of bookkeeper in Germany. He could not only speak his native tongue but
was also conversant with the French language.
He had, however, no knowledge of English until he came to the United
States, in the thirtieth year of his age, believing that he might better his
financial condition here where opportunities for young men were greater. He landed at New Orleans and made his way to
St. Louis, where he embarked in business, spending two years in that city. On the expiration of that period he came to
California, by way of the Nicaragua route, arriving in San Francisco in July,
1855, and proceeding thence directly to Calaveras County. Here he engaged in mining until the time of
the Fraser River excitement, when he made his way to the new gold fields, but
success did not smile upon his ventures there.
At different times he mined at San Andreas, Mokelumne Hill and Camp
Sago. He then came to Columbia, arriving
in July, 1856, and here he engaged in mining and then turned his attention to
the butchering business, opening a meat market, which he has since continued,
supplying the citizens of the town and surrounding country with a good grade of
meat and doing an honorable and successful business. He paid cash for his stock, but sold much on
credit and in this way he lost considerable money, yet prosperity has come to
him and he is now the possessor of not only a good business but also a comfortable
home. He is still conducting his
business, but has practically retired from active duty, his store being
conducted by his sons and son-in-law, the latter being Mr. Napoleon, who has
been connected with the enterprise for many years.
In June, 1854, Mr. Schoettgen was
united in marriage to Miss Johanna Boemmer, a native
of Germany, whom he had known in the fatherland. They were married in St. Louis and the wife
remained there while he made the trip to California and secured a start in
business in the far western state. In
1857 she joined him in his new home and here they have become the parents of
eleven children, six of whom are living at the time of this writing,
namely: Louisa, the wife of George
Napoleon; Wilhelmina, who is acting as her father’s housekeeper; August, a
resident of Stockton; Katie, the wife of George L. Adams; John B. and Frank,
who are in the meat market. One son,
William, died in his thirtieth, and the mother of these children was called to
her final rest May 20, 1899, when in the sixty-seventh year of her age, leaving
not only her family but many friends to mourn her loss. She was a devoted, faithful wife and mother
and indeed proved a companion and helpmate to her husband. Her many acts of kindness gained her the
respect and esteem of all with whom she came in contact and her memory remains
as an unalloyed benediction to all who knew her.
Mr. Schoettgen has been a lifelong
Republican, upholding the principles of that party by his ballot; but at local
elections, where no national issue is involved, he votes independently. As a businessman and citizen he has made a
good record. His devotion to his adopted
country is above question and no native son of America is more true to her
institutions or more faithful to the duties of citizenship. From Germany he came to the new world and
entered upon a successful career, yet his prosperity is not the outcome of
propitious circumstances, but the honest reward of labor, good management,
ambition and energy, without which no man can win success.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 239-241. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.