This name may be properly mentioned among those of the practical and successful farmers and stock-raisers of West Galena Township; he being the proprietor of the old Henry Corwith farm, located on section 10 and 11 of what is now Rawlins Township. This comprises 160 acres of thoroughly cultivated land, with good buildings and a fair assortment of live-stock. Prior to his purchase of this property, Mr. Oldenburg had been in the employ of Mr. Corwith a number of years; and later rented from him.

Mr. Oldenburg has been a resident of this county since 1854, in which year he emigrated to the United States with his brother Frederick; a biography of whom will be found elsewhere in this work. He was born in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg, April 23, 1837, and was the third in a family of five children. He received a good education in his native tongue, and was a youth of seventeen years when he set out for America with his parents. They embarked at Hamburg on the sailing-vessel “Humboldt,” which landed them seven weeks later in New York City. Thence they came directly to this county, and our subject started out on his own account; employing himself as a farm-laborer a number of years. In the meantime he saved what he could of his earnings, lived economically, and thus laid the foundations for his future property.

Our subject was married, at the farm which he now owns, Sept. 22, 1870, to Miss Lena List. This lady was born in what is now the German Province of Alsace, March 1, 1850. Her father was a farmer by occupation, and the parents, although then under the dominion of the French Government, spoke the German language in their family. They also emigrated to the United States, in 1854, and first located in Menominee Township, this county, where the father secured land, upon which he labored until his death in the year 1884, when he was seventy-two years old. The wife and mother is yet living, and is seventy-five years old; she makes her home with her younger son, Jacob, in Menominee Township. Both she and her husband became identified with the German Catholic Church in their younger years.

Mrs. Oldenburg is the eldest daughter and fifth child of her parents, whose family consisted of four sons and two daughters. The children all came to America with their parents, and later all were married. One son, Christian, is since deceased, leaving a wife and family. The eldest living is Adam, who married Miss Mary Anner, and is farming in Menominee Township; John took to wife Miss Barbara Meyer, and they live on a farm near Cramville, Iowa; Jacob occupies the old homestead in Menominee Township; he married Miss Lena Smith; Abbie is the wife of Theodore Galey, and they reside on a farm near Alden, Iowa. Mrs. Oldenburg received a fair education, and as she grew to womanhood became familiar with all useful household duties, remaining under the home-roof until her marriage. She is now the mother of seven children, namely: Henry, Frank, Christ, Mary, Lena, John and Albert. They are all at home with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Oldenburg are connected with the German Lutheran; and our subject, politically, supports the principles of the Republican party.

Contributed by Carol Parrish - Portrait and Biographical Album of Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties, Illinois (1889), p. 436-439