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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
FREDERICK OSWANDLE, of Scott Township was born in Germany, May 22, 1826. His father was Gen. John Oswandle, and his mother Catherine (Seaffle) Oswandle, natives of that empire. Gen. Oswandle was a soldier in the old country, serving under the celebrated Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte for three years, and obtained his distinguished title from the hands of his commander for gallant and meritorious services on the field of battle. Both he and his wife were members of the Lutheran Church. To them was born a family of ten children, two girls and eight boys, of whom Frederick was the second son. They came to America in 1827, settling Lancaster County, Pa., where they resided up to the time of their decease, his death occurring Nov. 22, 1882, and his wife having died in September of the same year. The subject of this sketch was married in Lancaster County, Pa., Nov. 27, 1850, to Louisa Ream;, a native of that State. By this marriage there were two children, John and Catherine, both of whom, with their mother, died in 1855, of Asiatic cholera. During that year Mr. Oswandle came to Mahaska County and located on section 21, Scott Township, where he still lives, he was again married, April 15, 1860, to Catherine Butler, a native of Germany, born near Hamburg, Oct. 30, 1836, and daughter of Hon. Peter T. Butler, of this county. Mr. Butler died in July, 1885; Mrs. Butler is still living with her children. By this marriage there are eight children, all living: William H., born March 1, 1861, now a farmer in Nebraska; Fannie H., born Oct. 23, 1862, wife of W. H. Barnes, of Sherman County, Neb.; Elizabeth, born Oct. 10, 1865; George P., Feb. 19, 1868; Frank J., July 24, 1870; Mary C., Dec. 15, 1872; Charles T., Dec. 18, 1874; John Harry, April 15, 1877, all at home. On the 19th of July, 1875, while Mr. Oswandle was engaged in the harvesting of grain with a reaper, by a sudden movement of the team, he was thrown in front of the sickle-bar, and before he could be extricated from this perilous position, the right arm was cut off above the elbow, also the thumb of his left hand, yet notwithstanding the loss of his good right arm, he always has and yet manages to do a considerable portion of the work on the farm. In 1876 he visited the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and his father and mother, who though quite aged, were still living at the old home in Pennsylvania. His daughter Elizabeth is a graduate of Penn College, and has followed the profession of teaching since the winter of 1883, and is a young lady of fine ability in this direction. Mr. Oswandle started in life a poor boy, having no means whatever when he came to this county, and took up his first claim of forty acres, and was only enabled to pay for that by working for four or five years as carpenter and joiner. He now owns an elegantly improved farm of 148 acres, which he has made by the labor of his hands, together with all the valuable improvements upon the place. Mr. Oswandle is a prominent and acceptable member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the local affairs of his township he evinces a deep interest and is now serving his constituents for the fourth term as Township Trustee. As a farmer he is systematic, thorough and rigidly economical yet not sparing his means where the investment of them will produce desirable results, and is one of the most estimable citizens of that section of the county.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy