Herman Francis Ulrich Stinde

Herman Francis Ulrich Stinde Herman was born in January of 1825 in Itzehoe, Holstein, Germany which at that time was part of Denmark.   In 1833, when Herman was eight years old, his family came to America. Steam power had not been perfected yet so their ship was a sailing ship powered only by the wind. The American Sailing Ship "Howard" left the Port of Hamburg the latter part of May and arrived at the Port of New York 31 July 1833. Mother, Father, and seven small children, ages twelve to less than a year, out to sea for over two months.   Herman's childhood years were spent in St. Louis, Missouri, later on a farm near Belleville Illinois and finally in Washington County Illinois, near Richview.   In 1850, Herman was living in Belleville, Illinois, working as a merchant, and must have been courting his future wife, Mary Elizabeth Stivers, as the Stivers family lived near by. Mary Elizabeth and Herman were married 2 March 1853 in Belleville. The newly married couple settled in St. Louis at 163 Locust Street. Six children were born to them, all while living at this address. They were William Herman - Edward Francis - Albert Edgar - Emma Cordelia - Robert Edgar - and our ancestor Eugene Pettis.   Herman went to work with his older brother, Conrad, who owned and operated a wholesale boot and shoe business in down town St. Louis. He became a Flour Commissioner and also continued to work with the boot and shoe business. In 1874, he purchased the Alma Flour Mill in Steeleville Illinois. He and his sons operated the mill for the next several years. The mill was apparently quite lucrative as records show the family donated land on which the First Presbyterian Church of Steeleville was later built, and at one time Herman and Elizabeth owned much of the land that is now the center of Steeleville.   Herman was a very ambitious person, the mill employed up to 20 men, and that had to require a lot of his time, but he still found time to be an avid inventor. He had several Registered Patents, and had applied to the patent office for another one at the time of his death.   Herman died 15 March 1893 at Red Bud Illinois. His funeral was held in his home 17 March and he was laid to rest in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. His wife, Mary Elizabeth, died 15 July 1895 and was laid to rest beside her husband.