William Schwier, who is known as one of the representative agriculturalists of Hancock county, as well as one of its progressive citizens, was born on June 2, 1860, in Westphalia, Germany, and is the son of Frederick and Coraline (Rutar) Schwier. Frederick Schwier was born in 1826 and died in 1883, following a useful career as an expert brick-maker and farmer. His wife survived him but five years, her death occurring in the fall of 1888, in Tipton county, Indiana. They were the parents of one child, William, although another child was born to the wife by a former marriage, namely Henry Stuber.

William Schwier received his early education in his native land, following which he engaged in farm labor for two years and then in the brick-making for three years. He then became a fisherman on the Holland herring boats in the North Sea until June 4, 1884, at which time he emigrated to America, disembarking at New York and immediately coming to Sugar Creek township, of this county. Remaining here for six months, he then removed to Tipton county, Indiana, where he purchased forty acres of land and continued to cultivate the soil for eight years. In the spring of 1892, he returned to Sugar Creek township and purchased forty acres of land in the northeast quarter of section 23, also fifty acres in the northeast quarter of section 20. Five years later the place containing fifty acres was sold and forty acres were purchased in the southeast quarter of section 14. He next sold the first forty acres in section 23, and purchased sixty acres adjoining his home place. Here he has resided since 1898, continuing to make improvements until the place now has a splendid barn, forty-eight by seventy-eight, an eighty-five-ton silo, a double corn-crib and a good seven-room house, also an old house of six rooms.

On December 8, 1883, William Schwier and Eleanor Rosener, daughter of Christina and Christina (Wesling) Rosener, were united in marriage, and ten children have blessed their union: William, married Nettie Eikman and they are the parents of one child, Frederick; Mary, became the wife of Louis Ortel and they have one child, Volga; Elizabeth, Carl, Henry, Herman, Emma, Amelia, Otto and Eddie. Eleanor (Rosener) Schwier was born on March 28, 1861, in Westphalia, Germany, and immigrated to this country with her husband, her parents having remained in Germany until death. She, as well as her husband, is a member of the German Lutheran church, in which denomination he has served as trustee. In his political life, William Schwier is a faithful follower of the Democratic party. Beside his own property of one hundred acres, he rents one hundred acres and devotes the two places to the raising of corn and small grain, as well as horses, cattle and hogs.

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 947-948.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI October 15, 2001.

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