Anton GRESSER, deceased, who at different times was connected with agricultural and commercial interests in Marshall county and in Henry, was born in Bavaria, Germany, on the 10th of March, 1835, and died January 31, 1901. He came to the United States in 1855, when a young man of twenty years and located near Mount Palatine, Illinois, where he began working as a farm hand by the month. Subsequently he returned to his native country, where he spent the succeeding year, and then again came to America, taking up his abode in Henry. Here he was engaged in business until about fifteen years prior to his death and was an enterprising, energetic man. He was also the owner of a farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres near the corporation line of Henry and this returned to him a good annual income.
On January 3, 1864, Mr. GRESSER was married to Apolona UMBS, who was born in Prussia, June 22, 1847. When she was only nine weeks old her parents, Nicholas and Margaret UMBS, emigrated to the United States and settled upon a farm in Wisconsin, where they spent their remaining days, the father becoming a well-to-do citizen of that locality. In their family were four children: Louis, who now resides in Wisconsin; John, who is a resident of Idaho; Agnes, the wife of John WISNER, also of Wisconsin; and Apolona, who became the wife of our subject. Unto Mr. and Mrs. GRESSER were born four children: Katie, now the wife of John Peterman, who is living retired in Henry; Abbie, who died at the age of three and a half years; Henry, who is also living in the city of Henry; and Joseph, who makes his home there.
Mr. GRESSER was a member of St. Mary's Catholic church and his political allegiance was given to the democracy, but he never sought or desired public office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, which, being capably conducted, brought to him a goodly measure of success and enabled him to leave his family in comfortable financial circumstances when he was called to his final rest. He never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in America, for here he found favorable business conditions, which he improved, and he also gained many warm friends in the locality where he resided. He passed away when about sixty-six years of age. Since that time Mrs. GRESSER has sold the farm which he owned and she makes her home in Henry. She, too, is a member of the Catholic church.
Extracted July 2011 by Norma Hass from Past and Present of Marshall and Putnam Counties Illinois, 1907.
| Bureau | Putnam | |
| Stark |
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La Salle |
| Peoria | Woodford |
