Portrait & Biographical Album of Whiteside County, IL 1885
Transcribed by Denise McLoughlin
Tampico Area Historical Society
www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com

Page 502

Godfried HORLACHER, farmer, section 13, Genesee Township, was born April 10, 1825 in Wuttenberg, Germany. His parents were named John and Godleaving (STEINBAUGH) HORLACHER. His father was a farmer, and he was reared at home. When he was 20 years old he began to operate as a clerk and porter in the hotels of his natives land, which employment he followed until he emigrated to the United States, which he did when he was 29 years of age. He first engaged in farming in Bucks Co., Pa., and he remained there occupied as a farm laborer between tow and threeyears. He was also married three, to Elizabeth SPIES, who was born Sept. 2, 1834, in Rhein Hesse, and is the daughter of Adam and Christina (BAUMGARTNER) SPIES, both of whom were natives of the same province. The family came to the United States when she was 18 years of age. They made their first location in Bucks Co., Pa., coming thence to the West, where they made a settlement on a farm in Genesee Township. In 1882 they went to Sterling, where they are living in retirement, and are aged respectively 74 and 76 years. Mrs. HORLACHER has been the m other of seven children, all of whom are living and three aremarried. They were born in the following order: Adam, Katie, Emma, Louisa, John, Frank and James.

Mr. HORLACHER and his wife came to Illinois seven months after they were married, and the husband got employment as a laborer in Sterling. He was employed about two years in that method ofoperation at various points. The next years he worked a farm on shares, and in the year following, associated with his father-in-law and a man named BEELER, he bought 80 acres of wild land on section 13. Mr. HORLACHER devoted himself to the improvement of his share of the acreage, and he operated on it two years with the aid of an ox team. He has proved his agricultural operations to a marked success, and is now the owner of 320 acres of land, all of which is under the plow, and he owns in addition 15 acres of timber. He has a fine residence and excellent barns of the best type. He is also considerably interested in stock. Mr. HORLACHER was formerly a Democrat, but is at present independent in politics. His wife and himself are members of the Mennonite Church.