HENRY FISCHER, a successful and practical farmer, living on section 24, township 17, range 11, was born November 1, 1854, and is the son of Henry Fischer, a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, where he learned the trade of shoemaker. There he was married to Miss Margaret Kraft, a native of the same province. After the birth of two daughters and a son, the family emigrated, in the �40s, to the United States, settling in Beardstown, Illinois, where Mr. Fischer established a shoemaking business and ran it for some years with the assistance of his son, our subject; but when the latter began to farm the father withdrew from his trade and is now retired. Although now quite an old man he is still very active and energetic, and is a Lutheran in religion and a Democrat in politics. His mother is still living, in Beardstown, with her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Bohrnman, and is over ninety years old. The excellent wife of Henry Fischer is yet living, about seventy years old. She has been a valued member of the Lutheran Church for many years. Our subject and two sisters are yet living: the latter are Margaret, widow of Martin Bolle, deceased, having died from the effects of an accident on the Quincy railroad; and Sophia, wife of George Speaker, who is now foreman of the wrecking department of the Quincy railroad.

Our subject has been a farmer for eleven years. He enjoys it more than his former trade of shoemaker. He is now located on section 24, and the land of which he owns one-half interest is known under the firm name of Keil & Co. They purchased together the old John Weiss homestead, embracing 500 acres of land, mostly well improved with good farm buildings. On this land is Hagener station, and besides this they own 200 acres in this township, known as pasture land, and forty acres of timber in township 17, range 11, which is very valuable. He has, for the last eleven years, had the management of this land and is a practical man and an excellent farmer.

Mr. Fischer was married to Miss Mamie Weiss, who was born on the farm where she now lives, April 26, 1856. She is the youngest child of John and Katherine (Hahn) Weiss, natives of Germany. They married immediately before sailing to the United States, in 1842, and on reaching here made a settlement on a farm in township 17, range 11, which is now the home of Mr. Fischer. They began to make improvements and bought more land, and in time Mr. Weiss' possessions increased until he owned 900 acres of valuable land. Here they remained the rest of their lives. Mr. Weiss died in 1876, aged seventy-two years. He had been an active, hard-working man all his life and was regarded by his neighbors as an upright citizen, worthy of their respect and regard. He was a member of the Lutheran Church and was a Republican. His wife died some years later, at her old home, in 1887, aged sixty-two years. She had been a member of the Lutheran Church all her life. Of the family of four children left by Mr. and Mrs. Weiss, all were daughters: Lizzie, wife of Christian Meyer, died at the age of forty, leaving a family of eight children; Katie is the wife of William Hackman, grocer of Jacksonville; Sophia is the wife of Henry C. Keil (see sketch of same).

Mr. and Mrs. Fischer are the parents of five children: Adelaide, Ervin L., Ray H., Rena K. and Albert H., who died when n infant. This is one of the wealthy and greatly respected families of the township with whom it is a pleasure to become acquainted.