BIOGRAPHY - Henry Diers
HENRY DIERS, proprietor of a nursery and greenhouse, also editor of the
Sibley Gazette, is one of the well-known and highly respected citizens of
Sibley. As he has many acquaintances throughout the community, we feel sure
this record of his life will prove of interest to many of our readers. Mr.
Diers is of German birth and a son of Frederick and Mary Diers. The father
died in the Old Country in 1866, and the mother is still living in her
native land. Henry is the eldest of three children: Margaret is the wife of
Andrew Poppe, and Annie is the wife of George Oltemans, who is still living
in the Fatherland.
Mr. Diers, of this sketch, attended school until fourteen years of age and
then worked upon a farm for two years, after which he spent a similar period
in mills. He then attended a business college for a year and on his return
home again began working at his trade of milling, which he followed until
1882. That year witnessed his arrival in the United States. He first located
in Chicago, and after a short time went to Lake County, Ill., where he
worked upon a farm for a year. He next became a resident of Janesville,
Wis., where he learned telegraphy, at which he worked until he came to
Sibley, in 1885. For some time after locating here, he was employed in the
Sibley estate office under Mr. Bicket as assistant book-keeper, and after
three years took the contract of putting in all the tiling on the Sibley
estate, and still is manager of that branch of the business connected with
that vast property. In the year 1888, he had laid one hundred and fifty-five
miles of tiling.
On the 8th of June, 1888, Mr. Diers married Miss Susan Robbins, daughter of
James and Jane (Scott) Robbins. Unto them have been born three children:
Frederick, born in 1889; Raymond, who was born in 1890 and died on the 8th
of May, 1891, and Cecil, born March 3, 1892.
In connection with his other business industries, Mr. Diers established a
nursery at Sibley in 1890, and the following year added to this a
greenhouse. He is also editor of the Sibley Gazette, which was established
in 1892 and has a circulation of three hundred. In politics, he is a
supporter of Republican principles and was elected Township Clerk in 1891.
He is a member of the Masonic order and a charter member of the Modern
Woodmen. He belongs to the German Lutheran Church, and is a public-spirited
citizen and one favorably known throughout this community.
Extracted 04 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from Portrait and Biographical Record of Ford County, Illinois, published in 1892, pages 231-232.
