Guy U. Shoemaker is the postmaster of Laramie and one of the prominent and influential residents of that city. He was born in Elliott, Iowa, April 27, 1882, a son of the late Charles E. Shoemaker, who was a native of Illinois and belonged to one of the old families of that state. His ancestors came originally from Pennsylvania and were of German descent. The founder of the American branch of the family was one of six brothers who were among the earliest Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam and later representatives of the name became pioneer residents of Pennsylvania. Some of the family participated in the Revolutionary war. Charles E. Shoemaker, the father of Guy U. Shoemaker, was a successful Iowa farmer for many years, establishing his home in Montgomery county, that state, in 1880. There he resided for a considerable period, after which he removed to Adams county, where his death occurred in 1908, when he had reached the age of forty-eight years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Unangst, is a native of Pennsylvania and a representative of an old Pennsylvania Dutch family. She still survives and is now residing in Corning, Adams county, Iowa, in the old home which she has so long occupied. By her marriage she became the mother of nine children, five sons and four daughters.
    Guy U. Shoemaker is the eldest of the family and. spending his boyhood days under the parental roof, he acquired his education in the public schools of Corning, Iowa, passing through consecutive grades to the high school. In early manhood or at the age of twenty he left the home farm upon which he had been reared and started out in the business world on his own account. He took up the profession of teaching, to which he devoted his energies from 1902 until 1908, following that profession in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, after which he removed to Wyoming. Prior to locating in Nebraska he spent one year in study in the Barnes' Commercial College at Denver, Colorado, in which he pursued a special course.
    It was in May, 1908, that Mr. Shoemaker arrived in Laramie a comparative stranger. He there entered the employ of the Union Pacific Railroad in the freight department and continued in that position for a year. He afterward became associated with the W. H. Holliday Company as bookkeeper in the general office and continued with the firm for almost four years. Later he was with the Pacific Life Insurance Company as district manager and followed the insurance business until June 1, 1917, when he assumed the duties of postmaster, to which he had been appointed by President Wilson. He is a stalwart democrat in politics and for the past four years has been very active in political and civic matters in Laramie. He was elected to the office of mayor of the city in November. 1914, and served for one term, at the end of which time he received public endorsement of his administration in a reelection. He remained the chief executive of the city until he resigned to accept the position of postmaster, in which office he is displaying the same spirit of loyalty and the same methods of thoroughness and promptness which characterized his work as mayor.
    On the 20th of June, 1908, Mr. Shoemaker was united in marriage, at Sidney, Nebraska, to Miss Anna Gunderson, a native of that state and a daughter of Amund Gunderson, who belonged to one of the pioneer families of Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker have one daughter, Loma Ellen, who was born in Laramie, November 25, 1914.
    Fraternally Mr. Shoemaker is a Mason, an Elk and a Knight of Pythias. He attends the Presbyterian church and he belongs to the Chamber of Commerce. His interests are broad and varied, touching the welfare of society in many ways, and he stands at all times for progress, improvement and advancement. His course has been steadily upward and he now occupies an enviable position in the regard of his fellow townsmen.