William A. Kortemeyer, prominent and prosperous young merchant, and Postmaster of Schapville, Jo Daviess County, is of German birth and ancestry. His parents, Henry and Charlotte (Daake) Kortemeyer, were born at Carlsdorf, in the then independent Kingdom of Lippe-Detmold. The parents emigrated to this country with their family in 1866; and, immediately coming West, located for a time at Freeport, Ill., remaining there, however, but six months, and then emigrating to Sherrill's Mound, Dubuque Co., Iowa, where the father became a land owner, and where he died in 1873, at the age of sixty-six years. The mother survived him until 1880, dying in that year at Schapville, in this county, at the age of sixty-eight. The parents were hard working and industrious people, and, though never accumulating much wealth, left to their children the better heritage of a good name. Of their family five grew to maturity, and are now living. The eldest son, Fred, owns a farm in Stephenson County, Ill.; Henry is a resident farmer near Le Mars, Iowa; Caroline is the wife of Louis Brandt, formerly of Freeport, Ill., and resides in Dakota; Sophia is married to the Rev. John E. Funk, formerly pastor of the German Presbyterian Church, at Schapville, and they are now living near Drake, Mo.

Our subject is the youngest of the family, and was born March 27, 1856, at Voornholz, near the Weser River, in Lippe-Detmold, Germany. He began attending school in his native country at the age of seven years, and, before leaving for America, had learned to read and write. The departure of the family was made from Bremen, June 15, 1866, on board a sailing-vessel name the "Hartzburg." When two weeks at sea a fearful storm overtook them and for some time it was feared that the vessel would become a total wreck. She weathered it, however, in a badly damaged condition requiring over a week to make the necessary repairs. They arrived at New York City August 1, after a voyage of nearly seven weeks.

Our subject remained on the Iowa farm until it was sold, in 1873, one year after his father's death. His mother then made her home with the Rev. Mr. Funk, of Schapville, and our subject went to Freeport, Ill., where he worked for Herman Nott, a well-known marble dealer of that place. For more than two years he remained in his employ, and during a part of that time was engaged in hanging the doors and putting up the bars, etc., in the Stephenson County Jail at Freeport. In the fall of 1876 he removed to Nebraska, purchasing, in Gage County, 120 acres of land, at $4 per acre, and farming there for four years, when he sold the land at $20 per acre.

The next business in which our subject engaged was in selling agricultural implements - being employed by Frank Mattoon, of Blue Springs, Neb., with whom he remained about a year. Returning to Schapville to spend the Christmas of 1882, he found the general store of John Dittmar for sale, and purchased it, taking possession March 1st following. In September, 1883, he was married to Miss Annie Wise, daughter of John Wise, of Thompson Township, and two children have come to bless their union - Elmer and Sophia.

Since locating in Schapville our subject has been very prosperous, and has wielded much influence in business, social, and political circles. He was appointed Postmaster in the spring of 1883, was elected Township Clerk in 1884, and has held that position ever since; in 1889 he was appointed Township Treasurer, and for one year was a director in the Guilford & Thompson Fire Insurance Company. He was doing a very prosperous business, when, Dec. 14, 1888, a devastating fire destroyed his store and home, and he narrowly escaped with his life, having barely time to rescue his wife and child, both of whom were ill at the time.

Mr. Kortemeyer has gained the confidence and respect of the citizens of Schapville in a marked degree, and they have shown their friendship for him by a very liberal patronage. For so young a man he has done well in the world, and it is safe to say that he has a bright career yet before him. In politics, he is strongly Republican, and wields considerable influence in the councils of his party. He was a delegate to the Legislative and Congressional Conventions of 1888, held at Freeport, and was one of those who helped to nominate Robert Wilds for the State Legislature, and the Hon. R. R. Hitt for Congress.

Contributed by Carol Parrish - Portrait and Biographical Album of Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties, Illinois Pg 728 (1889)