Frederick Michaels, Obituary/Death NoticePorter County obituaries and death notices . . . .
Frederick Michaels
OBITUARY.
Died, on Tuesday, December 23rd, 1884, at his residence at Porter Station, FREDERICK MICHAEL, of heart disease, at the age of 55 years.
The following short sketch taken from the history of Porter County we reprint.
Frederick Michael was born April 27, 1829, in Bresslau, Germany. He was before his death, the only child living of Frederick and Wilhelmine (Mix) Michaels, both natives of Germany. The elder Michaels had a trade, not common as a trade in this country, viz., the finishing and adjusting ornaments, crosses, etc. on towers. Mr. Michael’s father died when the former was ten years of age; and four years later our subject began shoemaking in Breslau, and traveled in Germany until 1853, when he came to the United States and settled in Laporte, where he remained until 1854, engaged as tailor, shoemaker, etc. He then came to Porter Post Office without money, and engaged in railroading and carpentering, and took his present store, then very limited. He has been engaged as merchant, exclusively, for about twenty years, and has built all his buildings himself. He has two dwellings, store and dwelling, green house, windmills, etc., in "Old Porter," and nearly a quarter section of one of Westchester’s finest farms, known as the Frayd farm, what is known as the "depot grounds," and town lots, etc. He has a fine family vault in the Baillytown cemetery, value about $1,000. He was made Postmaster January 15, 1873, and has held the office ever since. He is a member of the Valparaiso Commandery, No. 28, and also of the Consistory. He owns a business block in Chicago, on Ogden and Central Park Avenues. Since the birth of the Republican party, he has been on of its staunch supporters. He married, after he came to Porter County, Mrs. Henriette Dedskind, a native of Saxony, now deceased. In 1876, he married his present wife - Bertha Fleming, a native of Saxony, and sister of his late wife. He has an adopted child - Paul F., and five step-children -- Hilmar, Mrs. Franciska Faust, Mrs. Emma Lyon, Martha Fleming and Curt.
The funeral services were conducted by the Masons at the late residence of the deceased on Saturday following. The lodges of Valparaiso, Michigan City and Chesterton being present. The last sad rites were performed by Worshipful Master Waile, of Michigan City, and were very impressive. At their close, the remains of Frederick Michael were laid in the family vault at the Bailly cemetery.
The passing away of another early settler of Westchester just as the memorable year is closing, adds still another pang to the memories of the year. The life of the deceased is closely connected with the history of our township. Coming here 30 years ago, when the country was almost a wilderness, he saw an helped to make the changes that have since been made. He was a man who when he once made up his mind on any question, never allowed anything to change his views, and, though sometimes these views may not have been the same as other held, he always remained firm. He had his faults, it may be, we all have, but he also possessed many sterling virtues.
The deceased had suffered for some time and had consulted many of the best physicians of the land, but none could give him permanent relief, and none, as the post-mortem afterwards proved, could tell what it was he suffered from. A fatty substance had grown around his heart and was, of not the immediate, the primary cause of his death. He was able to be up and attend to his duties until about three weeks ago, when he finally sank on his bed to rise no more in this life. After lingering two weeks he quietly passed away. He leaves a wife and several children to mourn his loss. -- R. I. P.
Newspaper: The Tribune
Date of Publication: January 1, 1885
Volume Number: 1
Issue Number: 40
Page: 1
Column(s): 2
Key to Newspaper Publication Locations:
Newspapers Published in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana
Chesterton Tribune
The Tribune
Westchester Tribune
Newspapers Published in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Porter County Vidette
Practical Observer
Valparaiso Practical Observer
Vidette and Republic
Western Ranger
The obituaries and death notices appearing on this website have been transcribed exactly as they were originally published in the newspaper.
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Obituary/death notice transcribed by Steven R. Shook