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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
ADAM FOEHLINGER, one of the early set- tlers of Oskaloosa, was born in Rhenish Prussia,near the river Rhine, Aug. 5,1816. Here he remained until he was fifteen years of age, receiving a liberal education. He was then apprenticed to the trade of fancy turning for three years, receiving his board, but giving $80 and three years' work for the privilege of learning the trade. When he had finished his time he went to a large city in search of work, but found he was not up with the times, and worked one year for $1 per week and his board. He then went to Oberstein, a hilly country, and the mountains filled with agates. Here he followed his trade, turning out the fixtures to watches, and jewelry of all kinds, for a short time, then traveled extensively over Germany as journeyman turner, stopping eventually at Berlin, where he was engaged for several years at his trade. Mr. Foehlinger was married in his native town, April 10, 1842, to Katarina Klotz, by whom he has had four children, born in Germany, viz.: Adolph, a machinist residing in St. Paul, Minn.; Henry, of Burlington, Iowa; Matilda was the wife of William Harbach, and died in 1874; Charles is a salesman with J. B. McCurdy & Co., Oskaloosa. One child died in infancy. In 1853 Mr. Foehlinger left his native country and crossed the ocean in a sailing vessel, which occupied forty-eight days in making the trip, he landed in New York, where he re- mained one year. In 1854 he came to Chicago, and was employed for two years in the McCormick Reaper and Mower Factory. In 1856 James Fletcher, of Oskaloosa, went to Chicago, and hired several men to come to Oskaloosa and work at cab- inet-making, and Mr. Foehlinger came along with them. Mrs. Foehlinger died in 1870. She was an acceptable member of the Congregational Church. Our subject was again married, in the fall of 1872, to Miss Kate Wachter, who was born in Ulm, Germany, Nov. 17, 1839. In 1869 she came to America, all alone, a stranger in a strange land. When a young girl, after the death of her parents, she went to Switzerland. She then made her way to England, where she remained four years as gov- erness in the family of a clergyman. In May, 1869, she landed in New York, and having letters of in- troduction to one of the first families of that city, succeeded in obtaining a situation as governess in the family of John Grosbeck, who was residing in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, and was one of the leading families of New York City. Here she remained one and a half years, spending one summer with the family at Newport From New York she went to Chicago, where she was employed as governess in the family of H. O. Stone, a wealthy resident of that city. After the great fire she went to Des Moines, Iowa, and served as governess in the family of B. F. Allen,banker, and from thence to Oskaloosa; she still gives private lessons in German. She has become the mother of two children: Grace, born March 8, 1874, and Rena, Feb. 4, 1876. The family are members of the Congregational Church. Politically Mr. Foehlinger is a Democrat of the liberal school. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F., and has held all the principal offices in the Sub- ordinate Lodge and Encampment; twelve successive years he represented his district in the Grand Lodge of the State of Iowa. He is also a member of tbe Improved Order of Red Men and the Knights of the Golden Eagle, also of the Rebecca Lodge, and is at present Treasurer of all four.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy