Prof. John Voss is editor and proprietor of the Galena Volksfreund, one of the most influential and best-known of the German publications in the West. The Professor was for many years a successful educator, both in the schools of his native land and of his adopted country, and in entering the journalistic profession he simply widened his sphere of usefulness.

Our subject was born in the village of Meetzen, in the province of Meeklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, Oct. 15, 1833. His father and his grandfather, both of whom were named John, were born in the same province; the latter, it is thought, in the village of Holderf, He was a shepherd and watched his flocks on the hills of his native province, spending his entire life there. The father of our subject also engaged in sheep-raising, and was a life-long resident of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His wife, whose maiden was Elizabeth Brueckner, also spent her entire life in that province, as did her father, John Brueckner, who was a carpenter. Our subject was reared in his native village, receiving a careful training from his worthy parents, and the preliminaries of his education in the local public schools, which he attended until he was sixteen. Desirous of gaining a still better education, he attended an advanced school at Salitz, and Jater a seminary at Ludwigslust. After leaving school he entered the profession of teacher at Crevitz, continuing thus employed there ten years, and then taught two years in Tempzin. Wishing for a broader field for the exercise of his talents our subject then came to America. He proceeded to Galena after landing in this country, and desirous of perfecting his knowledge of the English language, attended a private normal school in this city, devoting his time to careful study for six months. He then opened a private school and taught, be- sides the common branches, the English and German languages. Six months later he accepted a position as instructor in a branch of the normal school. After teaching two years he bought the Galena Volksfreund, and devoted himself to its publication until 1878, when he sold it and again took up his old profession, first teaching in Platteville,and after that Milwaukee, Wis. But editorial work still had its charms for him, and in 1882 he abandoned the teacher's calling to resume the journalistic vocation, and leaving the Cream City once more took up his residence in Galena, and purchased the paper that he had formerly edited, and continued with it until the time of his death, which occurred April 2, 1889.

The Professor was a man of much literary talent, and his fine mind received liberal culture, and broadened by contact with the progressive ideas of the West. His editorials showed that he was a deep thinker, and he had the faculty of expressing his views on all subjects in clear-cut, vigorous language, so that there was no doubt in the minds of his readers as to where he stood in regard to questions of importance that agitated the public mind. The Professor interested himself in the social life of the city, and was' a member of the Lead Mine City Lodge, No. 205, A. 0. U. W.

Transcribed by Christine Walters - Portrait and Biographical Album of Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties, Illinois (1889)