My Genealogy Hound

Henry Rabenau, merchant, and dealer and shipper of railroad timber, lumber and wood, at Fordland, Mo., was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, April 27, 1827, and at the age of twenty-two years immigrated to the United States, locating first at Allegheny City, Penn., where he was engaged in merchandising for about twelve years. During this period he also dealt in real estate to some extent, in which business he was quite successful. In 1864 he purchased 1,600 acres of land in Webster County, but located at Rolla, and took a Government contract for furnishing beef for the Union army. In the fall of 1865 he located on his land in Webster County, and was engaged in farming until 1881, when he rented his land and moved to Fordland, and engaged in his present business, building his present business house in March, 1884. He carries a well-selected general mercantile stock, and handles about 800 car loads of timber per year. He is the present proprietor of the Fordland Journal, edited by G. P. Garland, and in all his business transactions his labors have met with well-deserved success. He was married in Pennsylvania, February 5, 1851, to Mary Anna Baker, who was born in Germany, and died in April, 1885. The following are their children: Henry A., William J., Caroline Louisa (wife of J. H. Williams), Charles J. and Louis G. In January, 1888, Mr. Rabenau was married in Webster County to Miss Mary Angeline Renner, who was born in Tennessee, and is a daughter of John Renner. They are members of the Christian Church, and he is a Master Mason in the Masonic fraternity.