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German ancestry Politicians in Illinois

John P. Altgeld John Peter Altgeld (1847-1902) — also known as John P. Altgeld — of Andrew County, Mo.; Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Hesse, Germany, December 30, 1847. Served in the Union Army during the Civil War; lawyer; Andrew County State's Attorney, 1875; candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois, 1884; superior court judge in Illinois, 1886-91; Governor of Illinois, 1893-97; Independent candidate for mayor of Chicago, Ill., 1899. German ancestry. Pardoned the surviving protesters of the Haymarket incident in Chicago, and refused to send troops against the Pullman railway strikers. These actions were not popular at the time, and he never won another election. As he finished a speech at the Joliet Opera House, he suffered a stroke, was carried across the street to the Hotel Monroe, and died the next morning, in Joliet, Will County, Ill., March 12, 1902 (age 54 years, 72 days). Interment at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Ill.; statue at Lincoln Park, Chicago, Ill.
  Altgeld Gardens Homes (built 1944-45), a public housing complex in Chicago, Illinois, is named for him.  — The World War II Liberty ship SS John P. Altgeld (built 1943 at Terminal Island, California; sold 1947, scrapped 1969) was named for him.
  See also National Governors Association biography — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial — OurCampaigns candidate detail
  Image source: American Monthly Review of Reviews, April 1902
  Harvey Sandburg Amerson (1875-1943) — also known as Harvey S. Amerson — of Elk Rapids, Antrim County, Mich.; Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Illinois, November 29, 1875. Republican. Merchant; member of Michigan state house of representatives from Antrim County, 1911-12. German and English ancestry. Member, Freemasons; Knights Templar; Shriners; Odd Fellows; Elks. Died in 1943 (age about 67 years). Interment at Maple Grove Cemetery, Elk Rapids, Mich.
  Relatives: Son of William Amerson and Matilda Harriet (Schaubel) Amerson; married to Louise E. Dougherty (daughter of Archibald K. Dougherty; sister of Andrew B. Dougherty).
  Political family: Dougherty family of Elk Rapids, Michigan.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  William Augustus Ayres (1867-1952) — also known as William A. Ayres — of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kan. Born in Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Ill., April 19, 1867. Democrat. Lawyer; Sedgwick County Prosecuting Attorney, 1907-12; U.S. Representative from Kansas, 1915-21, 1923-34 (8th District 1915-21, 1923-33, 5th District 1933-34); defeated, 1920; resigned 1934; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kansas, 1924 (member, Platform and Resolutions Committee); member, Federal Trade Commission, 1934-52; died in office 1952; chair, Federal Trade Commission, 1937, 1942, 1946. Christian. German ancestry. Member, American Bar Association; Freemasons; Shriners; Elks; Knights of Pythias; Odd Fellows. Died in Washington, D.C., February 17, 1952 (age 84 years, 304 days). Entombed in mausoleum at Old Mission Cemetery, Wichita, Kan.
  Relatives: Son of William Warren Ayres and Katharine (Drumm) Ayres; married, December 30, 1896, to Dula Pease.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Find-A-Grave memorial
  William Frederick Beck (1848-1925) — also known as William F. Beck — of Olney, Richland County, Ill. Born in Stuttgart, Germany, July 31, 1848. Democrat. Newspaper editor and publisher; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1888; postmaster at Olney, Ill., 1893-98. German ancestry. Died in Olney, Richland County, Ill., January 28, 1925 (age 76 years, 181 days). Interment at Haven Hill Cemetery, Olney, Ill.
  Relatives: Son of George Beck and Barbara (Streich) Beck; married to Amelia Bechmann.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  William Dee Becker (1876-1943) — also known as William D. Becker — of St. Louis, Mo. Born in East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Ill., October 23, 1876. Republican. Lawyer; Judge, Missouri St. Louis Court of Appeals, 1916-40; defeated, 1940; mayor of St. Louis, Mo., 1941-43; died in office 1943. German ancestry. Member, American Bar Association. Was a passenger in an experimental Army glider, towed by an airplane; the glider's wings suddenly fell off, and it crashed at Lambert-St. Louis Airfield, St. Louis County, Mo., August 1, 1943 (age 66 years, 282 days). Interment at Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.
  Relatives: Son of John Philip Becker and Anna A. (Cammann) Becker; married, June 10, 1902, to Margaret Louise McIntosh.
Max Bedacht Max Bedacht (1883-1972) — of Manhattan, New York County, N.Y.; San Francisco, Calif.; Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Munich (München), Germany, October 13, 1883. Communist. Barber; president, Swiss National Barbers' Union, 1907; Workers candidate for U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1928; candidate for U.S. Representative from New York, 1930 (19th District), 1936 (14th District); candidate for U.S. Senator from New York, 1934; national secretary, International Workers Order; expelled from the Communist Party in 1948 over factional differences. German ancestry. Died July 4, 1972 (age 88 years, 265 days). Burial location unknown.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Image source: Marxists Internet Archive
  Riley Alvin Bender (1890-1973) — also known as Riley A. Bender — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., July 8, 1890. Prize fighter; hotel manager; music store manager; seed wholesaler; candidate in Democratic primary for Illinois state senate 11th District, 1938; candidate for Republican nomination for President, 1944, 1948, 1952. Church of Christ. German and Welsh ancestry. Died, in Illinois Central Hospital, Chicago, Cook County, Ill., March 6, 1973 (age 82 years, 241 days). Interment at Onarga Cemetery, Onarga, Ill.
  Relatives: Son of Edward Bender and Rachel Josephine 'Josie' (Davis) Bender.
  William John Blesse (1882-1961) — also known as William J. Blesse — of Webster Groves, St. Louis County, Mo.; St. Louis, Mo. Born in Elgin, Kane County, Ill., February 28, 1882. Republican. Lawyer; member of Missouri state house of representatives from St. Louis City 6th District, 1917-18. German ancestry. Died in St. Louis County, Mo., January 25, 1961 (age 78 years, 332 days). Entombed in mausoleum at Oak Grove Cemetery, Bel-Nor, Mo.
  Relatives: Son of Henrich J. Blesse and Caroline Wilhelmina Sophia (Soost) Blesse; married, September 25, 1907, to Celeste T. Blesse.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Theodore J. Bluthardt (d. 1906) — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Republican. Physician; U.S. Consul in Barmen, 1904-06, died in office 1906. German ancestry. Died in Barmen (now part of Wuppertal), Germany, January 14, 1906. Burial location unknown.
  John B. Bowman (1832-1885) — of East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Ill. Born in Germany, 1832. Republican. Civil engineer; lawyer; real estate business; mayor of East St. Louis, Ill., 1865-66, 1868, 1872-74, 1877-78. German ancestry. Shot and killed by an unknown assailant, in front of his home, in East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Ill., November 21, 1885 (age about 53 years). Two East St. Louis policemen were later charged with his murder, but they were never tried. Interment at Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.
  Lorenzo Brentano (1813-1891) — also known as Lorenz Peter Carl Brentano — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Mannheim, Germany, November 4, 1813. Republican. In Germany, he participated in the 1849 revolution; arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment; escaped to the United States; member of Illinois state house of representatives 61st District, 1863-65; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1864; candidate for Presidential Elector for Illinois; U.S. Consul in Dresden, 1872-76; U.S. Representative from Illinois 3rd District, 1877-79. German ancestry. Died in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., September 18, 1891 (age 77 years, 318 days). Interment at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Ill.
  Relatives: Married to Caroline Brentano; father of Theodore Brentano.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Henry Brueggemann — of Alton, Madison County, Ill. Born in Germany. Republican. Postmaster at Alton, Ill., 1906-14. German ancestry. Burial location unknown.
  Fred A. Busse (1866-1914) — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., March 3, 1866. Republican. Hardware business; coal dealer; member of Illinois state house of representatives, 1895-98; member of Illinois state senate, 1899-1900; Illinois state treasurer, 1903-05; member of Illinois Republican State Committee, 1905; postmaster at Chicago, Ill., 1905-07; mayor of Chicago, Ill., 1907-11; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1908; member of Illinois Republican State Central Committee, 1910. German ancestry. Member, Freemasons. Died, from valvular heart disease, in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., July 9, 1914 (age 48 years, 128 days). Interment at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Ill.
  Relatives: Married 1908 to Josephine Lee.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Theodore Canisius — of Illinois. Born in Westphalia, Germany. Naturalized U.S. citizen; U.S. Consul in Bristol, 1875-81; Apia, as of 1884. German ancestry. Burial location unknown.
  Caro Dawes (1866-1957) — also known as Caroline Dana Blymyer — Born in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, January 6, 1866. Second Lady of the United States, 1925-29. Female. German ancestry. Died in Evanston, Cook County, Ill., October 3, 1957 (age 91 years, 270 days). Entombed at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, Ill.
  Relatives: Daughter of William Henry Blymyer and Caroline Lucy (Fearing) Blymyer; married, January 24, 1889, to Charles Gates Dawes (son of Rufus R. Dawes; brother of Rufus Cutler Dawes, Beman Gates Dawes and Henry May Dawes; great-grandson of Ephraim Cutler).
  Political families: Dawes-Upson family of Connecticut; Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial — OurCampaigns candidate detail
  Charles Emil Dehner (1871-1945) — also known as Charles E. Dehner — of Lincoln, Logan County, Ill. Born in St. Louis, Mo., October 27, 1871. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1916. Catholic. German ancestry. Died November 11, 1945 (age 74 years, 15 days). Interment at St. Mary's Cemetery, Lincoln, Ill.
  Charles Henry Dietrich (1853-1924) — also known as Charles H. Dietrich — of Hastings, Adams County, Neb. Born in Aurora, Kane County, Ill., November 26, 1853. Republican. Banker; Governor of Nebraska, 1901; U.S. Senator from Nebraska, 1901-05. German ancestry. Died in Hastings, Adams County, Neb., April 10, 1924 (age 70 years, 136 days). Interment at Parkview Cemetery, Hastings, Neb.
  Relatives: Son of Leonard Dietrich and Wilhelmina Dietrich; married 1878 to Elizabeth Slaker; married, June 13, 1908, to Margaretta Shaw Stewart.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — National Governors Association biography — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Hubert Anton Casimir Dilger (1836-1911) — also known as Hubert Dilger — of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio; Sangamon County, Ill.; Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa. Born in Sulgen, Germany, March 5, 1836. Republican. Served in the Union Army during the Civil War; Adjutant General of Illinois, 1869-73; appointed 1869. German ancestry. Received the Medal of Honor in 1893 for action in the Battle of Chancellorsville, May 2, 1863. Died in Front Royal, Warren County, Va., May 4, 1911 (age 75 years, 60 days). Interment at Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
  Relatives: Son of Eduard Dilger and Emmeline (Duerr) Dilger.
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Henry Bernhard Dirks (1884-1955) — also known as Henry B. Dirks — of East Lansing, Ingham County, Mich. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., June 21, 1884. College professor; mayor of East Lansing, Mich., 1928-29; defeated (Independent), 1925, 1929. German ancestry. Died September 18, 1955 (age 71 years, 89 days). Interment at Pine Hill Cemetery, Westfield, Mass.
  Relatives: Son of Hermann Johannes Dirks and Anna Elizabeth (Meyer) Dirks; married 1913 to Blanche Breckenridge.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Ning S. Eley (1868-1943) — also known as Ning Eley — of Des Plaines, Cook County, Ill. Born in Newcastle Township, Fulton County, Ind., May 13, 1868. Democrat. Lawyer; alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1932. German ancestry. Died in Cook County, Ill., August 9, 1943 (age 75 years, 88 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Sampson Eley and Hannah (Kemmer=or=Kemmerer) Eley; married, March 28, 1893, to Sarah Lommen=or=Lohmen; uncle of Commodore Bruce Roberts.
  George Willems Frisby (1890-1974) — also known as George W. Frisby — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill.; Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., June 12, 1890. Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1936. English and German ancestry. Died in Los Angeles County, Calif., October 18, 1974 (age 84 years, 128 days). Interment at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Calif.
  Relatives: Son of Joseph Frisby and Louise (Willems) Frisby.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Joseph Frederick Haas (b. 1857) — also known as Joseph F. Haas — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., November 15, 1857. Republican. Member of Illinois state senate 25th District, 1903-06; Cook County Clerk, 1906-10; candidate for Presidential Elector for Illinois; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1912; Cook County Recorder of Deeds, 1917. German ancestry. Member, Freemasons; Royal Arcanum; Royal League. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Frederick Haas and Elizabeth (Sagisser) Haas; married 1877 to Minnie R. McKenzie.
  See also OurCampaigns candidate detail
  John Jorgen Hanberg (b. 1858) — also known as John J. Hanberg — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, January 29, 1858. Republican. Merchant; real estate business; Cook County Treasurer, 1903; Chicago Commissioner of Public Works, 1907-10; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1912. German ancestry. Member, Freemasons; Knights of Pythias. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Henry Hanberg and Christina Hanberg; married, December 14, 1882, to Ida Carr.
  Harry LeRoy Heer (1873-1962) — also known as Harry L. Heer — of Galena, Jo Daviess County, Ill. Born in Galena, Jo Daviess County, Ill., January 22, 1873. Mining engineer; lawyer; circuit judge in Illinois 15th Circuit, 1925. German and Welsh ancestry. Died in Hennepin County, Minn., November 12, 1962 (age 89 years, 294 days). Interment at Greenwood Cemetery, Galena, Ill.
  Relatives: Son of David H. Heer and Martha (Evans) Heer; married, April 21, 1914, to Myrtle L. Renwick.
  Harold LeClair Ickes (1874-1952) — also known as Harold L. Ickes — of Hubbard Woods, Cook County, Ill.; Winnetka, Cook County, Ill.; Olney, Montgomery County, Md. Born in Frankstown, Blair County, Pa., March 15, 1874. Lawyer; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1920; U.S. Secretary of the Interior, 1933-46; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1936, 1940, 1944; newspaper columnist. Presbyterian. Scottish and German ancestry. Member, American Civil Liberties Union; American Bar Association; Phi Delta Theta; Phi Delta Phi. Died, in Emergency Hospital, Washington, D.C., February 3, 1952 (age 77 years, 325 days). Interment at Sandy Spring Friends Cemetery, Sandy Spring, Md.
  Relatives: Son of Jesse Boone Williams Ickes and Martha Ann (McCune) Ickes; married 1911 to Anna Wilmarth Thompson; married, May 24, 1938, to Jane Dahlman; father of Harold McEwen Ickes; nephew by marriage of John Clarence Cudahy.
  Political family: Ickes family.
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Arthur M. Kaindl (1887-1967) — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., February 5, 1887. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; elected Illinois state house of representatives 23rd District 1934. Catholic. German ancestry. Member, American Legion; Knights of Columbus. Died in Oak Park, Cook County, Ill., April 8, 1967 (age 80 years, 62 days). Interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, Ill.
  Relatives: Son of Sebastian Kaindl and Pauline (Felder) Kaindl; married to Marguerite Farley.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Lawrence Kestenbaum (b. 1955) — also known as Larry Kestenbaum — of East Lansing, Ingham County, Mich.; Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Mich. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., September 13, 1955. Democrat. Lawyer; Ingham County Commissioner 8th District, 1983-88; candidate for Michigan state house of representatives 52nd District, 1998; Washtenaw County Commissioner 4th District, 2000-02; Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds, 2005-. Jewish. Hungarian, German, Polish, and Norwegian ancestry. Member, National Trust for Historic Preservation; American Civil Liberties Union; Grange; Sierra Club; NAACP. Creator of The Political Graveyard web site. Still living as of 2022.
  Relatives: Son of Justin Louis Kestenbaum and Maryhelen (Dietrich) Kestenbaum; married, November 17, 1990, to Janice Gutfreund; grandnephew of Meyer Kestnbaum.
  Political family: Wilentz family of Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
  See also Wikipedia article — OurCampaigns candidate detail
  John Linebaugh Knuppel (1923-1986) — also known as John L. Knuppel — of Petersburg, Menard County, Ill. Born in Easton, Mason County, Ill., August 15, 1923. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; delegate to Illinois state constitutional convention, 1969-70; member of Illinois state senate, 1971-81 (42nd District 1971-73, 48th District 1973-81); candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 18th District, 1980. Lutheran. German ancestry. Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars; American Legion. Jailed for contempt of court for refusing to wear a tie. Died, of heart disease, in a hospital at Springfield, Sangamon County, Ill., November 15, 1986 (age 63 years, 92 days). Interment somewhere in Havana, Ill.
August Koenig August Koenig — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill.; Hardin County, Iowa; Tyndall, Bon Homme County, S.Dak. Born in Mainz, Germany. Democrat. Bricklayer; farmer; member of South Dakota state house of representatives, 1891-94, 1903-04 (4th District 1891-92, 7th District 1893-94, 1903-04). German ancestry. Burial location unknown.
  Image source: South Dakota Legislative Manual, 1903
H. H. Kohlsaat Herman Henry Kohlsaat (1853-1924) — also known as H. H. Kohlsaat — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Albion, Edwards County, Ill., March 22, 1853. Republican. Bakery business; newspaper publisher; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1888. German ancestry. Died in Washington, D.C., October 17, 1924 (age 71 years, 209 days). Burial location unknown.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Image source: Library of Congress
  Christian Krueger (b. 1836) — of Blue Island, Cook County, Ill. Born in Prussia, April 24, 1836. Carpenter; contractor; village president of Blue Island, Illinois, 1880-83. Lutheran. German ancestry. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Married to Catharine Koch.
  William F. Kruse (1894-1952) — also known as Bill Kruse — of Illinois. Born in Hoboken, Hudson County, N.J., 1894. Bookkeeper; indicted in Chicago, 1918, along with former U.S. Rep. Victor L. Berger, and three others, for making speeches that encouraged disloyalty and obstructed military recruitment; tried and convicted; sentenced to twenty years in prison; the conviction was later overturned; Socialist candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 6th District, 1918, 1920; delegate to Socialist National Convention from Illinois, 1920; Socialist candidate for secretary of state of Illinois, 1921; Workers candidate for Governor of Illinois, 1928. German and Danish ancestry. Died in 1952 (age about 58 years). Burial location unknown.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Gustav O. Kundert (1913-2000) — also known as Gust Kundert — of Mound City, Campbell County, S.Dak. Born in Java, Walworth County, S.Dak., December 7, 1913. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II; accountant; member of South Dakota state house of representatives 25th District, 1983-88. Presbyterian. Volga German ancestry. Died in Yorkville, Kendall County, Ill., March 23, 2000 (age 86 years, 107 days). Interment at Mound City Cemetery, Mound City, S.Dak.
  Relatives: Son of Otto John Kundert and Maria (Rieger) Kundert; brother of Alice Kundert; married to Minnie Mahling.
  Political family: Kundert family of Mound City, South Dakota.
  Epitaph: "The Prodigal Son"
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Kenesaw Mountain Landis (1866-1944) — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Millville, Butler County, Ohio, November 20, 1866. U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, 1905-22; resigned 1922; Commissioner of Baseball, 1920-44. Swiss and German ancestry. Elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame, 1944. Died in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., November 25, 1944 (age 78 years, 5 days). Interment at Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Ill.
  Relatives: Son of Abraham Hoch Landis and Mary (Kumler) Landis; brother of Walter Kumler Landis, Charles Beary Landis and Frederick Daniel Landis; married to Winifred Reed; uncle of Frederick Daniel Landis Jr.; fourth cousin once removed of Cary Dayton Landis.
  Political family: Landis family of Logansport, Indiana.
  See also federal judicial profile — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial — Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
  Albert Davis Lasker (1880-1952) — also known as Albert D. Lasker; "The Father of Modern Advertising" — of Lake Forest, Lake County, Ill.; Manhattan, New York County, N.Y. Born, of American parents, in Freiburg (Freiburg im Breisgau), Germany, May 1, 1880. Republican. Advertising business; member, U.S. Shipping Board, 1921-23; resigned 1923; chair, U.S. Shipping Board, 1921-23; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1936, 1940; University of Illinois trustee, 1937-42. Jewish. German ancestry. Member, American Jewish Committee. As part owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, devised "Lasker Plan" for reorganization of baseball, 1920. Established the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation for promotion of medical research. Died, of cancer, in the Harkness Pavilion of the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Manhattan, New York County, N.Y., May 30, 1952 (age 72 years, 29 days). Entombed at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
  Relatives: Son of Morris Lasker and Nettie (Davis) Lasker; married 1902 to Flora Warner; married 1938 to Doris Kenyon; married, June 21, 1940, to Mary (Woodard) Reinhardt; father of Edward Lasker; nephew of Eduard Lasker; uncle of Morris Edward Lasker.
  Political family: Lasker family of California and New York.
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Christopher Mamer — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Germany. Republican. U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for the 1st Illinois District, 1891; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1916, 1920. German ancestry. Burial location unknown.
  George Jacob Mecherle (b. 1877) — also known as George J. Mecherle — of Bloomington, McLean County, Ill. Born in Bloomington, McLean County, Ill., June 7, 1877. Republican. Farmer; founder (1922), president (1922-37), and chairman, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1944, 1948. Presbyterian. German ancestry. Member, Freemasons; Shriners; Rotary; Moose; Elks; Odd Fellows; Union League. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of John Christian Thomas Mecherle and Susan Johnson (Hull) Mecherle; married, November 6, 1901, to May Edith Perry; married, January 8, 1944, to Sylvia H. Caldwell.
  Bruce Vincent Rauner (b. 1956) — also known as Bruce Rauner — of Winnetka, Cook County, Ill. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., February 18, 1956. Republican. Governor of Illinois, 2015-19; defeated, 2018. Swedish and German ancestry. Still living as of 2019.
  Relatives: Married 1980 to Elizabeth Konker Wessel; married 1994 to Diana Mendley.
  See also National Governors Association biography — Wikipedia article
  Charles F. Renich (1871-1947) — of Woodstock, McHenry County, Ill. Born December 19, 1871. Republican. Postmaster at Woodstock, Ill., 1899-1911; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1932. Swiss and German ancestry. Died March 13, 1947 (age 75 years, 84 days). Entombed in mausoleum at Oakland Cemetery, Woodstock, Ill.
  Relatives: Son of Frederick Renich and Catharine 'Katrina' (Stein) Renich; married, November 14, 1894, to Lucy Hannah Renich.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
Martin E. Rudolph Martin E. Rudolph (b. 1853) — of Canton, Lincoln County, S.Dak. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., September 11, 1853. Republican. School teacher and principal; lawyer; Lincoln County State's Attorney; member of South Dakota state senate 5th District, 1903-04. German ancestry. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Married 1884 to Claudia Shedd.
  Image source: South Dakota Legislative Manual, 1903
  Albert L. Schimpff — of Peoria, Peoria County, Ill. Born in Germany. Republican. U.S. Surveyor of Customs, 1891. German ancestry. Burial location unknown.
Charles Schoenlaub Charles Schoenlaub (1868-1909) — of Cook County, Ill. Born in Indiana, June, 1868. Prohibition candidate for Illinois state house of representatives 23rd District, 1908. German ancestry. Died in Cook County, Ill., December 3, 1909 (age 41 years, 0 days). Interment at Riverside Cemetery, Newton, Ill.
  Relatives: Son of Emil Schoenlaub and Appolonia (Strasser) Schoenlaub; married 1892 to Anna M. Robertson.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Image source: Campaign palm card (1908)
Charles H. Sergel Charles Hubbard Sergel (1861-1926) — also known as Charles H. Sergel — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Muscatine, Muscatine County, Iowa, September 25, 1861. Republican. Book publisher; Consul for Peru in Chicago, Ill., 1893-1902; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1916; member of Illinois Republican State Central Committee, 1919. German ancestry. Died in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., January 8, 1926 (age 64 years, 105 days). Interment at Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Ill.
  Relatives: Son of John Henry Sergel and Jean Gilchrist (Pocock) Sergel; married, November 3, 1891, to Annie Myers.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Image source: Chicago Tribune, January 12, 1896
  Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. (1915-2011) — also known as R. Sargent Shriver, Jr.; "Sarge" — Born in Westminster, Carroll County, Md., November 9, 1915. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; lawyer; organized and directed the Peace Corps, 1961-66; U.S. Ambassador to France, 1968-70; candidate for Vice President of the United States, 1972; candidate for Democratic nomination for President, 1976. Catholic. German ancestry. Member, Delta Kappa Epsilon. Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. Died, from Alzheimer's disease, in Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Montgomery County, Md., January 18, 2011 (age 95 years, 70 days). Interment at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Centerville, Mass.
  Relatives: Son of Robert Sargent Shriver and Hilda (Shriver) Shriver; married, May 23, 1953, to Eunice Mary Kennedy (daughter of Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr.; sister of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Patricia Kennedy Lawford, Robert Francis Kennedy, Jean Kennedy Smith and Edward Moore Kennedy; aunt of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend); father of Maria Owings Shriver (who married Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger) and Mark Kennedy Shriver; nephew of James Causten Shriver; grandson of Thomas Herbert Shriver; great-grandson of Thomas Johns Perry.
  Political family: Kennedy family.
  Sargent Shriver Elementary School, in Silver Spring, Maryland, is named for him.
  See also Wikipedia article — U.S. State Dept career summary — NNDB dossier — Internet Movie Database profile — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Books about R. Sargent Shriver: Scott Stossel, Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver — Mark Shriver, A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver
  John Henry Stelle (1891-1962) — also known as John Stelle — of McLeansboro, Hamilton County, Ill. Born in McLeansboro, Hamilton County, Ill., August 10, 1891. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1928 (alternate), 1932 (alternate), 1940, 1944 (member, Committee to Notify Presidential Nominee), 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960; Illinois state treasurer, 1935-37; Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, 1937-40; Governor of Illinois, 1940-41. English, Irish, German, and French ancestry. Member, American Legion. Died July 5, 1962 (age 70 years, 329 days). Interment at City Cemetery, McLeansboro, Ill.
  See also National Governors Association biography — NNDB dossier
  Wilhelm Carl August Thielepape (1814-1904) — also known as W. C. A Thielepape — of San Antonio, Bexar County, Tex.; Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Wabern, Hesse, Germany, July 10, 1814. Engineer; architect; mayor of San Antonio, Tex., 1867-72; lawyer. German ancestry. Died in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., August 7, 1904 (age 90 years, 28 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Werner Philipp Thielepape and Elisabeth (Thompson) Thielepape; married 1841 to Mathilde Gössling.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Benjamin Harrison Waigand (1900-1998) — also known as Ben H. Waigand — of Nampa, Canyon County, Idaho. Born in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., July 8, 1900. Democrat. Electrical engineer; inventor; refrigeration equipment dealer; mayor of Nampa, Idaho, 1939-43; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Idaho, 1944 (member, Committee to Notify Presidential Nominee). German ancestry. Member, Freemasons; Shriners; Elks. Died in Nampa, Canyon County, Idaho, May 6, 1998 (age 97 years, 302 days). Interment at Cloverdale Memorial Park, Boise, Idaho.
  Presumably named for: Benjamin Harrison
  Relatives: Son of Charles Waigand and Wilhelmina (Honig) Waigand; married, October 1, 1920, to Grace Woodward; married 1986 to Maxine (Tapp) Davidson; married, July 17, 1931, to Jessie L. Harker.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Charles William Wendte (1844-1931) — also known as C. W. Wendte — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill.; Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio; Newport, Newport County, R.I.; Oakland, Alameda County, Calif.; Newton, Middlesex County, Mass.; Berkeley, Alameda County, Calif. Born in Boston, Suffolk County, Mass., June 11, 1844. Democrat. Served in the Union Army during the Civil War; minister; offered prayer, Democratic National Convention, 1880. Unitarian. German ancestry. Injured in a fall, and died two weeks later in Peralta Hospital, Oakland, Alameda County, Calif., September 9, 1931 (age 87 years, 90 days). Interment at Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, Calif.
  Relatives: Son of Charles Wendte and Johanna (Ebeling) Wendte; married, April 28, 1896, to Abbie Louise Grant.
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  John A. Wieland (born c.1893) — of Illinois. Born in Illinois, about 1893. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; Illinois superintendent of public instruction, 1935-43. German ancestry. Member, American Legion; Phi Delta Kappa; Kappa Phi Kappa. Burial location unknown.
"Enjoy the hospitable entertainment of a political graveyard."
Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872
The Political Graveyard

The Political Graveyard is a web site about U.S. political history and cemeteries. Founded in 1996, it is the Internet's most comprehensive free source for American political biography, listing 320,919 politicians, living and dead.
 
  The coverage of this site includes (1) the President, Vice President, members of Congress, elected state and territorial officeholders in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories; and the chief elected official, typically the mayor, of qualifying municipalities; (2) candidates at election, including primaries, for any of the above; (3) all federal judges and all state appellate judges; (4) certain federal officials, including the federal cabinet, diplomatic chiefs of mission, consuls, U.S. district attorneys, collectors of customs and internal revenue, members of major federal commissions; and political appointee (pre-1969) postmasters of qualifying communities; (5) state and national political party officials, including delegates, alternate delegates, and other participants in national party nominating conventions; (6) Americans who served as "honorary" consuls for other nations before 1950. Note: municipalities or communities "qualify", for Political Graveyard purposes, if they have at least half a million person-years of history, inclusive of predecessor, successor, and merged entities.  
  The listings are incomplete; development of the database is a continually ongoing project.  
  Information on this page — and on all other pages of this site — is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. Users are advised to check with other sources before relying on any information here.  
  The official URL for this page is: https://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/IL/german.html.  
  Links to this or any other Political Graveyard page are welcome, but specific page addresses may sometimes change as the site develops.  
  If you are searching for a specific named individual, try the alphabetical index of politicians.  
Copyright notices: (1) Facts are not subject to copyright; see Feist v. Rural Telephone. (2) Politician portraits displayed on this site are 70-pixel-wide monochrome thumbnail images, which I believe to constitute fair use under applicable copyright law. Where possible, each image is linked to its online source. However, requests from owners of copyrighted images to delete them from this site are honored. (3) Original material, programming, selection and arrangement are © 1996-2023 Lawrence Kestenbaum. (4) This work is also licensed for free non-commercial re-use, with attribution, under a Creative Commons License.
Site information: The Political Graveyard is created and maintained by Lawrence Kestenbaum, who is solely responsible for its structure and content. — The mailing address is The Political Graveyard, P.O. Box 2563, Ann Arbor MI 48106. — This site is hosted by HDL. — The Political Graveyard opened on July 1, 1996; the last full revision was done on March 8, 2023.

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