Mortuary Record:

Maisenbacher - At her residence, 1222 East Capitol avenue, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 1901, at 3 p.m., of paralysis, after a lingering illness. Margaret Maisenbacher, widow of the late Michael Maisenbacher, aged 71 years and 11 months.

With the death of Mrs. Maisenbacher the life of one of Springfield's oldest and most respected German residents is erased from the history of the living. The news of her demise will be received with profound regret by her numerous friends in the city.

She was born in Württemberg, Germany, and removed to this country when but a child with her parents. For the past fifty years she has been a resident of this city, and is a staunch follower of the Lutheran creed, being a member of St. John's Lutheran church.

She is survived by six sons, Mathias Maisenbacher, of Omaha, Neb., George, Fred, William, Philip and Joseph Maisenbacher and one daughter, Mrs. Annie M. Ellis, all of this city.

The funeral will be held Friday afternoon at 1:20 o'clock from the residence, and at 2 o'clock from St. John's German Lutheran church. The services will be conducted by the Rev. William Schuelzke, pastor of the church.

The remains will be interred at Oak Ridge cemetery.

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Maisenbacher, John Frederic:

German stock has furnished a great bulk of immigration to America, and owing to their family kinship with us, they have been readily assimilated. These immigrants possess unusual economic virtues that lend themselves readily to merging into the American stock. We need their labor, their economic endowments of industry, thrift and skill, and it is safe to say that without them this land never would have developed as it has. Their children, born with their parents' virtues and fostered and expanded under more favorable conditions, are to be found occupying positions of trust and responsibility in both public and business life.

One of the essentially self-made men of Springfield, and one who is an excellent exponent of the second generation of German-Americans, is John Frederic Maisenbacher. Born in that city, March 18th, 1858, a son of Margaret née Meyers and Mathias Maisenbacher, natives of Württemberg, Germany.

After marriage, the parents came to the United States, in 1848, landing in Philadelphia. From there they came that same year to Springfield, and there the father obtained employment in the railroad shops of the Wabash Company, continuing thus for twenty-three years. He then embarked in business for himself, but later retired, dying in 1885, while his widow survived him until 1901. There were ten children in the family, six sons and four daughters, of whom four sons and one daughter are now living. The father was a Democrat and a German Lutheran.

When he was only fourteen years old John F. Maisenbacher left the Fourth Ward School he had been attending, to work as a barber, but later entered the watch factory, which has given employment to so many young men. After eleven years spent in this line of work, he embarked in his present enterprise in 1883, and has since then built up a large trade.

On April 16th, 1877, Mr. Maisenbacher was married in Springfield, to Leopoldine “Pauline” Gerard. Leopoldine was born in Pittsburg, Pa. on November 6th, 1856, daughter of Anna née Jaqueth and Clement Gerard, natives of Belgium and France respectfully. Of the eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Maisenbacher, six survive: Joseph F., of Lancaster, Pa.; Charles F., with the Springfield Watch Company; Mary, who was a music teacher, married Frank Mueller, of Springfield; Leon is with his father in business; Edward, of Lancaster, Pa.; and Voltarine, unmarried and at home, is a music teacher and art teacher.

Mr. Maisenbacher is a Democrat but has never had any aspirations towards public office. He was a charter member of the S. K. of A. In religious views he is very liberal, believing in perfect freedom for all in these matters. He is perhaps the best type of the progressive German of today that is to be found in Springfield, and can always be counted upon to give of his time and means to further any object calculated to prove of general benefit.

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Sangamon County Volume II Biographical. Chicago Munsell Publishing Company 1912 pp 1410-1411