My Genealogy Hound

Albert Schlief, a merchant and notary public of Westphalia, Osage County, is a native of Prussia, Germany, and was born in 1854. He is a son of Frederick and Sabilla (Coemen) Schlief, also natives of Prussia, the former of whom, a millwright by trade, was born in 1810, and died in his native country in 1867; the mother was born about 1805, and died in Prussia in 1868, when our subject was fourteen years of age. There were four children in this family, all of whom are living: two in Osage County, Mo., a daughter in Wisconsin and a son in Streator, Ill. Albert Schlief came to this country in 1870, having received a common-school education in his native country, which he supplemented with a course in Jones’ Commercial College in St. Louis; he then served as a clerk in a retail store in St. Louis for one year, which he abandoned to take charge of the book-keeping department of the above college, where he remained a little over a year. He was next employed as entry clerk in a large wholesale dry goods store in St. Louis, in which capacity he worked eighteen months, and the following three months in the wholesale carpet store of F. W. Rosenthal, of St. Louis. He then accepted a position as book-keeper for J. Marbrook & Co., wholesale hat dealers, with whom he remained three years, when he was taken sick, and gave up his position to seek employment in a business requiring more exercise. He went to Westphalia, Osage Co., Mo., and in 1880 married Henrietta Haltschneider, who was born in Osage County, Mo., in 1851, and is a daughter of Charles and Razenia (Dahmen) Haltschneider, natives of Germany, the former of whom came to the United States in 1840, and the latter in 1836; they were married in Osage County, Mo., in 1845. Mr. and Mrs. Schlief have five children, viz.: Rosa, Lydia, Elenora, Martha and Henrietta. In 1881 Mr. Schlief purchased from his father-in-law a store and stock of general merchandise, and the business so increased that a larger building was necessary, which was erected in 1885. He carries a large and well-selected stock of goods, and is doing a good business. He was appointed postmaster of Westphalia in 1885, which office he still holds; he was made notary public in 1881, and the appointment was renewed in 1885 by Gov. Crittenden, in which capacity he is still acting. He is an influential and enterprising business man of the township, and he and wife are members of the Catholic Church.