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Belgians in the Civil War

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BELGIANS IN AMERICA:    Biographies of Belgian settlers  

PETER FREYMANN is a leading merchant, hotel-keeper and a Director in the German State Bank of Dyersville. He is a native of Belgium, his birth having occurred January 20, 1841. He is the only son a family of five children born to Nicholas and Morgunta (Henkels) Freymann . The father was a prominent farmer and dealer in live stock in his native land. Being possessed of an ample fortune, he gave his son the advantages of a good education, and in 1859 removed with his family to America. He settled near Dubuque, Iowa, where he became an extensive farmer engaging in agricultural pursuits until late in life, when he retired from business cares, making his home in Dubuque, where his death occurred in 1887. His wife died several years before, and two of our subject's sisters were also called to their final rest a number of years previous. The other sisters are still living near Dubuque.
In 1872 the subject of this sketch engaged in the hotel business in Dubuque, continuing in that work for two years, after which he settled in this city. He engaged in the same line of occupation, that of keeping a hotel, but bas also been occupied in other commercial lines as well, being one of the proprietors of a leading mercantile house He was also one of the incorporators or the German State Bank, of which be has been one of the Directors from the first; for six years he was one of the Aldermen of Dyersville, and he bas also served his fellow citizens as one of the Trustees of the town. In his business method, Br, Freymann is a careful and conservative man, and by strict attention yo his commercial interest at all times, he has amassed a good sized fortune, and is one of the foremost citizens of this thriving western city.
Mr. Freymann was brought up is the faith of the Catholic Church, to which he has ever adhered. Politically he has been a life-long Democrat, and personally he is much liked by those who have the honor of his acquaintance. It was in the year 1868 that Miss Annie Henkles became the wife of our subject. She his a native of Luxemburg, Germany, but emigrated to this county with her parents when an infant of only a few months. Mr. and Mrs. freymann have a family of seven children Maggie; Hattie, wife of Conrad Melbert, of Dyersville; Peter, Jr., who is in his father's store, and who completed his education at the Dubuque Business College; Frank, John, Joseph and Louis, who are now being educated.

Source : (collective work) : Portrait and biographical record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties, Iowa : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States.; Chicago: Chapman Pub. Co., 1894, 543 pgs.