JOHN LISTMANN, of the firm of Ruppel & Listmann, extensive dealers in boots and shoes, located at 108 State street, Beardstown, Illinois, was born in Frischborn, Kreis Lauterbach, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, October 26, 1853, and grew up in his native place, and passed a full course in the public schools. In 1867 he and a sister with their parents started from Bremen for America, landing in New York city after a safe trip on the steamship Atlanta. The little family came on and made a settlement at Springfield, Illinois, where an elder son and two daughters had preceded them. The family settled at the capital for some time and then the parents located near Burlington, Iowa, where they both died, at the age of about sixty-seven and sixty-eight years respectively. The father who was a native of Hesse-Darmstadt and tiller of the soil died in the fall of 1878; and the mother, whose maiden name was Wienold, lived a few months after her husband's death; then she too died, in the early part of the year 1879.

Our subject is the youngest of a large family of whom but four are living. He continued to perfect his education, principally by self-study, and succeeded in attaining the ability to speak and write both the German and English with fluency. He learned the trade of shoemaker and formed a partnership in February, 1879, with Adam Ruppel, also a practical boot and shoemaker by trade, and these two gentleman have carried on the business successfully ever since. Mr. Listmann had been in the employ of H. Fayart, Springfield, Illinois, and Ruppel Bros. And Adam Ruppel, Beardstown, for some time before entering into the partnership above referred to. He is a stockholder in several building and loan associations, and is identified with the growth of the city. He has a host of friends. He is a Republican in politics and is an active member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Fourth Street), and was a delegate to the General Synod of the Lutheran Church, when it held its session at Altoona, Pennsylvania, in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Listmann take great interest in the social and religious work of their church.

He was married in Beardstown, to Marie Lammers, October 20, 1881. She was born, reared and educated in Beardstown. She was the daughter of Alexander and Henrietta (Christianer) Lammers, natives of Prussia and Hanover, Germany. They were married in Beardstown. They are now both deceased. Mr. Lammers died in February, 1879, and was eighty years of age.

Mr. and Mrs. Listmann have three children, Cora, Alice and Phoebe.