Frederick C. Landwehr, held in high repute as one of the foremost citizens of Sugar Creek township, Hancock county, Indiana, and one of its most progressive farmers, is a native of the township where he has passed his entire life. He was born on the old Landwehr homestead, which was preempted by his grandfather from the government, and first saw the light of day on February 8, 1876, being a son of Frederick and Henrietta (Bleck) Landwehr. Frederick, the elder, was also born in Sugar Creek township, on the old homestead, in 1843, and died on the same place when but thirty-three years of age, September 23, 1876, when the immediate subject of this sketch was but a small child. There were two other children in the family, Willie, who died when one year of age, and Lena, who became the wife of George Bardonner, and is now deceased.

Frederick Landwehr was a son of Carl and Louise Landwehr, both of whom were natives of Germany, who emigrated to this country in the early days of this section. They came to Hancock county, where Carl Landwehr secured from the government the forty acres which formed the nucleus of the farm long known as the Landwehr homestead. This was then in the wilderness and after laboring industriously for several years to clear and put it under cultivation, he later added seventy acres, the whole of which he farmed up to the time of his death. There were two children in Carl Landwehr's family, Frederick and Henry, both deceased.

Frederick Landwehr grew to manhood on the family homestead, being of much assistance to his father during his boyhood in getting the farm under cultivation, and there remained after marriage and until the time of his death. His wife was Henrietta Bleck, who was born in Germany, in 1853, a daughter of August and Henrietta Bleck, who emigrated to this country in 1866 and settled permanently in Indianapolis. There they passed the remainder of their lives and reared their family of four children, Henrietta, Hannah, Minnie and Lena-Minnie being the only surviving member. After being widowed for two or three years, Henrietta (Bleck) Landwehr again married, her second husband being Anton Resener, by whom she had four children, Emma, John, Elizabeth and Emil, all of whom are living, while the mother passed from this life September 10, 1895.

Frederick C. Landwehr passed his boyhood and youth on the old family homestead, receiving his education at the German school. After finishing his studies, he assisted in the farm work until nineteen years of age, when he started out in life for himself by securing work on neighboring farms. He remained employed in this manner until twenty-three years of age, at which time he was united in marriage on August 11, 1898, with Mary Geisel, born on December 2, 1879, a daughter of John and Christina (Miller) Geisel. Mary was the only child of this couple and passed her girlhood on the old John Geisel place, one mile west of New Palestine, where she has continued to make her home, for at the time of her marriage to Frederick C. Landwehr he rented the farm from her mother. At the death of her mother, Mrs. Landwehr inherited eighty acres of the home place, to which Mr. Landwehr added forty acres lying on the west and on that farm they make their home.

The residence has been improved and is now a modern home of ten rooms, beautifully situated and surrounded by prosperous acres and farm buildings in keeping with the general appearance of the place. The main barn is seventy-four by forty feet, with a fourteen-foot shed and a silo with a capacity of fifty-five tons. Mr. Landwehr divides his attention between general farming as practiced in this section of the country, and the raising of some live stock. He prepares from thirty to forty hogs annually for the market, keeps fifteen or sixteen head of good grade Jersey cows and about ten head of good draft horses. In the management of his farm, Mr. Landwehr displays marked business ability and is, therefore, succeeding well in his endeavors. In addition to the farm home, Mr. Landwehr owns seventy acres about one mile and a half northwest of where he lives, same being a portion of his father's farm.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Landwehr are members of the German Lutheran church, as is also their daughter, Hazel B., the only child of the family. She was born on November 10, 1900, and is a promising young girl. Mr. Landwehr gives his political support to the Democratic party and is generally conceded to be among the leading citizens of his township and county.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Page 977-979.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI October 19, 2001.

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