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From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 773-774
JOHN B. ORTSCHEID, a prominent real estate dealer, notary public and conveyancer, of Cassville, Grant county, was born in Alsace, France, Dec. 2, 1842, a son of Joseph and Mary Ann (BLINT) ORTSCHEID, also natives of Alsace; there the father died in 1851. Six years later the widowed mother, accompanied by her son, John B., and daughter, Magdalena, came to America. They took passage on board a sailing vessel at Havre, and after fifty-six days spent upon the Atlantic, reached New York in safety. They crossed the country by rail to East Dubuque, Ill., and from there came up the river on a steamer to Cassville, Wis., landing here Aug. 27, 1857. The mother died at this place in 1869. She had nine children, five of whom became residents of Cassville, and of these we have record of Frank Joseph, who located here in 1856, but is now living in East Galena, Ill., and owns a valuable farm of 640 acres of land; Andrew also came to Cassville in 1856, and now makes his home at North Andover, Grant county; Magdalena died in Cassville; and John B., still a resident of this place.
John B. ORTSCHEID was a lad of fourteen years when he arrived in Cassville, which town at that time contained but twelve or fourteen families. Here he at first worked as a day laborer, but later learned the baker's trade at Dubuque and Galena, and in 1864 embarked in the bakery and saloon business at Cassville, continuing until April, 1865. Four years later he erected a good frame building, where he successfully conducted a bakery and restaurant for thirty-one years, or until 1899, when he sold out. For a number of years he has handled real estate, and now devotes his entire time to that business, being the only exclusive real estate dealer in Cassville. He handles both village and farm property in Cassville and Patch Grove townships, has property for sale in the Red River valley, Minn., and is doing quite a large and profitable business.
At Dubuque, Feb. 4, 1864, Mr. ORTSCHEID was united in marriage with Miss Catharine ZEUG, a native of Potosi, Grant county, and a daughter of Peter and Barbara (CATERNINE) ZEUG. Her father was born in Germany, and on coming to this country in 1830, located in Dubuque, but the following year took up his residence in Potosi, where he now lives at the advanced age of ninety-eight years. During his active business life he followed mining and farming. His wife died in 1886. In their family were the following children: Peter, who died in San Francisco, Cal.; Frank and Burnhard, both residents of Iowa; William, now in Grant river; John (2), who died young; Mrs. Barbara BLUEMER, of Potosi; Mrs. Barbara CASPARS, of Cassville; and Mrs. Catharine ORTSCHEID. Fourteen children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. ORTSCHEID, namely: Edward P., who died at Seattle, Wash., in 1897, aged thirty-two years; Amelia, who died in Cassville, in 1867; Josephine Clara, a Sister of Notre Dame, Grand Rapids; Mary Barbara, a Sister of Notre Dame, Prairie du Chien; Lena, who married Charles STARR, of La Crosse, Wis., and died in 1896; Anna, who married Jacob SCHUH, and has three children, Clarence, Paul, and Irma, of Milwaukee, Wis.; William P., a jeweler of Cassville; Maggie, who married Frank B. BURDICK, and has three children, Edward McKINLEY, Florence and Agnes; Bernhart William, who was born in Cassville, Jan. 17, 1873, and died on the 21st of the following February; Louisa Mary, wife of Albert KLEINPELL, of Colesburg, Iowa; Matthew Bernard, now a barber, and real estate and collection agent of Chicago, who enlisted in the State Guards of Wisconsin, and was a member of Company G, 4th Wis. V.I., in the Spanish-American war; George Washington; Florence Mary, a resident of Milwaukee; and Agnes Otillia, at home.
Mr. ORTSCHEID and his family hold membership in the Catholic Church, and he is also a charter member of Branch No. 34, Catholic Knights. In connection with his other business he is also interested in mining and in quarrying stone for building purposes. His home property consists of about twenty-six acres in the village corporation, upon which he has erected a pleasant residence. In 1862, during the Civil war, he tried to enlist in the 12th Iowa V.I., but being under age he was rejected. Politically Mr. ORTSCHEID was first a Republican, but is now a supporter of the Democratic party. Being one of the leading and influential citizens of his town, he has been called upon to fill several local positions of honor and trust. He has served as road overseer and township treasurer; was village treasurer from 1893 to 1898; constable from 1876 to 1880; justice of the peace from 1880 to 1894, during which time he married sixty-three couples; and was member of the village trustees in 1900. He is a man of excellent business and executive ability, whose sound judgment, unflagging enterprise and capable management have brought to him a well-merited success.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck