CHAPTER XXVII (Part 31)
BIOGRAPHICAL
Edward F. Rock, buyer and salesman of the grocery department of the Kahn Commercial Company of Montrose, Missouri, was born in Franklin County, Missouri, May 1, 1880. He is the son of Fred and Rosina (Bauer) Rock, natives of Switzerland. Both parents of Edward F. Rock came from their native land to America when young with their respective parents. They were reared to maturity in Illinois and were married at Herman, Missouri. He removed to a farm in Montgomery County, Missouri, in 1887, where he died in 1915 at the age of sixty-seven years.
Mrs. Rosina Rock was born in 1845 and still resides upon the farm in Montgomery County. They were parents of eleven children, six of whom are living: Edward F., Victor, Walter and Rosina, at Big Springs, Montgomery County, Missouri; Herbert, McKittrick, Missouri; Henry Rock, a farmer in Davis township, Henry County.
Edward F. Rock was educated in the public schools and the college at Warrenton, Missouri. After completing a business course at Warrenton, he was employed in a store at McKittrick, Missouri, until his removal to Montrose, in 1908. He became a member of the firm upon its organization in 1909 and is now of the grocery department of this large establishment.
February 3, 1911, Edward F. Rock and Miss Nell Faulk of Montrose, Missouri, were united in marriage. This marriage has been blessed with a son, Edward F., Jr., aged three years. Mrs. Nell Rock is a daughter of Samuel Faulk.
Mr. Rock is a Democrat and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a good, thorough business man who has made good in his chosen vocation and his place among the leading citizens of Montrose is established as one of the leaders of the community.
Anton Bartels, proprietor of a splendid farm of 322 acres located in the Germantown neighborhood in the northwest part of Deepwater township, was born in 1861 in a log cabin which stood on the farm which he now owns. He is the son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Kleine) Bartels, both of whom were born in Germany. Joseph Bartels made a settlement in Henry County as early as 1853, or thereabout, and departed this life in 1869. After the death of his parents, Anton Bartels lived with the neighbors and friends and worked out by the day at whatever he could get to do and earn an honest dollar. For over thirty years, he was employed in Kansas City and returned to the old home farm in 1912. For sixteen years, he served as baggageman in the union depot at Kansas City and for ten years he was in the employ of the William Voelker Wholesale Company of Kansas City. During the thirty years spent in steady, constant employment, he saved his money and invested it in the old home place of his father in Deepwater township and additional land. In 1912, he returned to his birthplace and is contented to live the life of an agriculturist and stockman, independent of the time clocks and the bosses for the rest of his natural life.
Mr. Bartels was married July 16, 1912, to Miss Geraldine Black, an orphan girl, who was born May 9, 1892, and came to Missouri when three years of age, living first at Montrose and later at Germantown. Mr. and Mrs. Bartels have one child: Virgil Anton, born December 6, 1917. Mr. Bartels is an independent voter who is not held by the party fetish worship idea. He thinks and acts for himself and votes accordingly. He and Mrs. Bartels are members of the Catholic Church.
August Engeman, a successful farmer and stockman of the Germantown settlement and owner of 1871/2 acres of good farm lands, was born in Hickory Grove township, Warren County, Missouri, a son of Henry Engeman, who emigrated from England to America in the thirties. Henry Engeman was a native of Germany and in his younger days was employed in a sugar refinery at London, England, prior to his immigration to America. His wife was Mary Fisher, who bore him the following children: August, the subject of this review; Mrs. Dena Dansenbrink, Montrose, Missouri; Henry Engeman, Jr., of Warren County; Charles Engeman, Montrose, Missouri; Lena, Montrose, Missouri; Lizzie Engeman, a Sister in Ohio, and John Engeman, Montrose, Missouri. In 1871, Henry Engeman came to Henry County, where he remained until he retired to a home at Appleton City, where his death occurred.
For a good many years August Engeman supported his parents and helped the family with his earnings. He began life with the handicap of poverty and the additional burden of having to support his parents.
For four years he was employed on the irrigation ranches in Humboldt County, Nevada, and during that time he sent regular remittances to the home folks. During one season when he was in Nevada he took his mother with him and she remained there one year. Even after his return from Nevada, he still cared for his parents. His first purchase of 194 acres of land was made in 1879, near Appleton City, Missouri. In 1897, he made his first purchase of land in the Germantown locality, and has been adding to his acreage continuously until he now owns 189 1/2 acres in different tracts. Mr. Engeman paid good prices for his land and has managed to accumulate his acreage by the exercise of hard work, industry and economy of the strictest character. In 1900, he erected a comfortable and imposing brick residence of eight rooms.
Mr. Engeman was married in 1884 to Miss Lizzie Meyer, who was born in Franklin County, Missouri. To this marriage, have been born eight children: Mary resides with an aunt in Franklin County, Missouri; Joseph, at home assisting his father in the farm work; Annie, died at the age of three years; Regina, a Sister in Perry County, Missouri; August, Jr., Louise, Rose, Henry and Anthony at home with their parents.
Mr. Engeman is an independent in political matters and votes for the individual rather than supporting the man who bears a party label.
He and all of his family are members of the Germantown Catholic Church.
John J. Cook - One of the oldest living pioneers of Henry County is John J. Cook of Germantown, who enjoys the distinction of not only having resided in this county for a period of over fifty-seven years, but also served in the Union Army during the Civil War. For years, Mr. Cook was the well known merchant of Germantown and became widely knowm throughout Henry County as a shrewd business man and an intelligent and enterprising citizen. He is now living in peaceful retirement at his home in Germantown.
John J. Cook was born in Germany February 23, 1844, the son of John and Frances (Koch) Cook, who immigrated to America in 1851.
John Koch was twice married, his first wife, Catherine, dying in 1848, and he then married Frances, his second wife. When he came to America, he located in Henry County upon a farm situated just one-half mile west of Germantown, where his death occurred in June, 1877. There were four children by his first marriage, of whom John J. Cook, subject of this review, is the only survivor. Two children out of three born of the second marriage are living: Henry, deceased; Joseph, a farmer in Walker township; Anna, widow of William Rotert, resides in Nebraska.
On February 23, 1863, John J. Cook enlisted for service in the Civil War in Company H, 7th Missouri Cavalry, under Captain Box and General Brown. He served until his honorable discharge, April 20, 1865. He enlisted at Greenfield, Missouri, and from that point went to Linden, in southeast Missouri, thence to Marshfield, always fighting the bushwhackers who infested the State during that troublesome period. It was the duty of his division to give protection to the loyal citizens of the territory assigned them for patrol. His next station was at Warsaw, then to Tipton, Missouri, thence to Warrensburg, Missouri, and from there he went to St. Louis, where he was mustered out of the service. His brother, Anton Cook, was shot three times while serving with the Union forces at the battle of Lone Jack.
After his return from the war, Mr. Cook tilled his father's place for three years, then after his marriage he purchased a farm of eighty acres near Montrose which he tilled for five years, eventually trading this farm for another tract, which he owned and farmed for twelve years. He then rented his farm and came to Germantown, where he engaged in the mercantile business for twenty-five years. Mr. Cook has done well. He has accumulated a comfortable competence, reared a splendid family and can now live in peace for the remainder of his days. He retired from active business in 1911, but is still kept busily engaged in raising vegetables on his tract of four acres, which, as Mrs. Cook says, "the plot just furnishes enough vegetables to feed the children when they come to visit the old folks on Sundays and holidays."
On May 19, 1867, John J. Cook and Elizabeth Schmedding were united in marriage. Mrs. Elizabeth Cook was born in Deepwater township April 16, 1869, and is the daughter of Bernard and Mary Schmedding, natives of Germany who came to America in 1830 and were among the very first settlers of the Germantown neighborhood, Bernard Schmedding locating near the site of the village as early as 1834. Seven children have been born to John J. and Elizabeth Cook, as follows: Mrs. May Cook, Montrose, Missouri, mother of six children; Mrs. Minnie Bettels, Deepwater township, mother of seven children; John F., a clothing merchant in Montana, has one child; Mrs. Kate Kirsch, lives in Texas and has two children; Mrs. Emma Fick, Deepwater township, has six children; George A., with Armour & Company, in Texas, father of two children; Andrew B., a farm owner in Deepwater township, married Anna Cook and has two children. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have five great-grandchildren. On May 21, 1918, Mr. and Mrs. Cook celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with their children and grandchildren.
Depsite his age Mr. Cook is still active and strong, and takes a keen interest in life. He and Mrs. Cook are a jolly, contented and happy couple who keep themselves well informed on what is going on during these interesting days. Mr. Cook is one of the finest gardeners in the State of Missouri and is proud of his accomplishments in this respect. He is a Republican and served sixteen years as postmaster of Germantown. He served for two years as justice of the peace and is a notary public. He and Mrs. Cook are good Catholics, and he is affiliated with the Grand Army of the Republic.
