Friedrich Wilhelm FRED STRUCKMANN

<p>The photo which accompanies this record was found in the papers of my Struckman grandparents. The tall fellow in the middle of the back row is believed to be Fred. Note that under his coveralls heis wearing white shirt, tie and vest, the sign of a business man of his day. The house in the background is believed to be Fred's home on Grove avenue in Elgin.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p> Friedrich wasborn in Liekwegen on June 15, 1851, at 9:00 in the evening. He was baptized on the 26th. The sponsor was Ferdenan Botte, Ernestine's half-brother.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>Fred immigrated to the USA in1870 with his parents and siblings. He was 19 years old. I couldn't find him in the 1870 census but he might have been one of the two hired men listed on his cousin George Struckmann's farm in HanoverTownship just to the east of Elgin. Most of the rest of his immediate family were there.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>Somewhere along the line he learned the trade as carpenter. It's possible he went to Chicago after the fire in October 1871 to help with rebuilding the city. He could have learned the building trade there. In any event he became more than a carpenter, but an archetect and builder of large dairy barns when he returned to the Elgin area.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>He was naturalized in 1880 in Kane County, Illinois.</p></p><p><p></p></p><p><p>As a youth he learned the trade of carpenter.The 1880 census shows him living with his first cousin (once removed) Julia Struckmann Hagel in Elgin and working as a carpenter. He engaged in contracting, making a speciality the erection of largebarns. He was the architect and builder of many of the dairy barns in the Elgin area at that time. About 1889 he entered into a partnership in the lumber business with C V. McClure. Fred was the active manager of this business known as McClure & Struckman until his death in 1914. The building for McClure & Struckman still stood on Kimball St. in Elgin in the 1950's.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>In 1895Fred married Minnie Otto in Elgin. The marriage was performed by Pastor Carl Haas of St Paul's Church in Elgin.The witnesses were Fred Hagel, Albert Kunke, Minnie Breij, and Anna Otto. Fred Hagel wasprobably the Fred Hagel married to Fred's cousin Julia mentioned above. Fred was 42 and Minnie was 27.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>Fred's obituary said he was a staunch Republican and was one of the organizers of the Lodge of Columbian Knights.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>He died from pneumonia and is buried in Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin.</p></p><p><p></p></p><p>Fred and his family lived in a house located at 146 Grove Avenue in Elgin. This was confirmed in both the 1900 and 1910 census. His death certificate says he died there in 1914. The photo included with this report is believed to be Fred (standing-middle of back row) in front of his house on Grove Avenue. This address is about where the City of Elgin Buildings stand today and the property probably backed up to the Fox River. It's possible that the gentleman standing second from the right may be Willie Cahill---Emma Cahill's brother--- who was a cement finisher. This photo was found among my Struckman grandparent's possessions long afterthey passed away.

Comments