My Genealogy Hound

Louis Dieckgraefe was born in Westphalia, Germany, in 1825, the second of eight children born to Peter Casper and Christina (Stein) Dieckgraefe, both native Germans, born in 1801 and 1795, respectively. They were married in 1821. The father was a needle-maker by trade, and the last twenty years of his life was a forester. He died in 1873, and his wife in 1856. Their son, Louis, attended school until thirteen years of age, and then worked with his father until 1848. From that time until 1851 he served in the regular army in Germany, and in 1854 came to Gasconade County, Mo., with a company of eighty persons, including Henry Brandenburger, who afterward became his father-in-law. In 1855 he married the latter’s daughter, who died in 1863, leaving four children: Louis H., Rudolph E., Albert W. and Alvina. In 1863 he took for his second wife Catherine Niebruegge, and by her became the father of nine children, six of whom are living: Lena, Lydia, Fred, Henry, William and Emma. Owing to industry and economy Mr. Dieckgraefe is now the owner of 300 acres of good land. He is the only one of his people who came to the United States, with the exception of one brother, who came in 1863, and is now deceased. Mr. Dieckgraefe is a fine scholar, and when he came to the United States he bought a dictionary, and very readily acquired the English language. He served in the State Militia during the late war, and from 1868 to 1882 was postmaster of Woolam. In 1880 he was the census taker of Third Creek Township, and has several times served as deputy assessor. Politically, he was formerly a Republican, and cast his first presidential vote for Lincoln, but he now affiliates with the Democratic party.