My Genealogy Hound

Johanes Ludewig Trentmann, contractor, carpenter and builder, of Washington, was born in Hanover, Germany, May 16, 1836, and is the son of Christopher and Catharine E. (Schulhoff) Trentmann. (See sketch of Henry Trentmann.) The subject of this sketch was christened in the Catholic Church in Germany as above, but upon coming to America, in 1856, adopted the shorter name of Louis. He was educated in his native country and also in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he located shortly after coming to the United States, but in 1858 moved to Leavenworth, Kas., and from there to Washington, Mo., the following year. At the age of fourteen he began learning the carpenter’s and cabinet-maker’s trade, and also attended a school of architecture for two years. In 1860 he and F. Narup established a partnership in a planing-mill in Washington, and continued until 1876, the mill now being owned by Degen, Breckenkamp & Co. Until 1877 he was with Fidel Ganah, at Carondelet, in the lumber business, was then engaged in traveling until 1881 for Fleitz & Ganahl, and subsequently, until 1885, for the grain and flour commission house of Bulte & Albrecht, St. Louis, his territory embracing Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. He was a successful salesman, traveling on an average 10,000 miles per annum. In 1885 he again settled in Washington, where his family had lived during his absence, and resumed his old business in contracting and building. He is a first-class mechanic and a good citizen. His work is done by hand and foot-power machinery, with the latest modern improvements. In 1860 he married Mrs. Anne Beckman, nee Metting, who was born in Germany in 1831. The fruits of this marriage were two children: Mary, wife of J. C. Vogel, in St. Louis, and Matilda, wife of Louis Spreckelmeyer, also in St. Louis. Mrs. Trentmann had two children by her first marriage: Julia and Augusta, (wife of Martin Spreckelmeyer, of Washington, Mo.) Mrs. Trentmann died in 1866, and the following year he married Catherine Holtmeyer, daughter of Ferdinand and Anna (Weber) Holtmeyer. She was born in Franklin County, Mo., in 1841. Six children were the result of this union: Annie, John, Henry, Louis, Willie and Celia, the last two being twins. He is a Democrat in politics, and he and family are members of the Catholic Church. He was a member of the school board one year, of the town council one year, and has for many years been a member of the fire department, in which he has always taken a great interest.