St. Clair County People of Interest

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Missouri Biography Dictionary:

Theodore Gustave Rechow, Bolivar
Theodore Gustave Rechow was born December 8, 1847 in Polish Prussia, and is the oldest of three children born to Frederick Rechow and Wilhelmina Pufahl. His father emigrated from Polish Prussia in 1852, settled first in St. Louis and afterward in Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa where in 1858 he came to his death by drowning in the Mississippi River. He was a stone man by trade.
Theodore G. Rechow attended the public schools of St. Louis and Guttenberg prior to his 12th year at which age he was apprenticed to the shoemaker’s trade; but meeting with unkind treatment he ran away from Cassville, Grant County, Wisconsin, and went to Sparta, Monroe County. Here he worked at his trade during evenings and spare moments, and by this means paid his board while attending school. This was continued until he was fifteen years old. At that time he enlisted as a teamster in the service of the quartermaster of the Missouri Department. This service he continued until July 14, 1863, when he enlisted as a private soldier in a company of the 2nd Kansas Cavalry and participated in the different campaigns in Missouri and Arkansas until the close of the war. The Regiment was mustered out of service at Lawrence, Kansas August 17, 1865. He remained in Lawrence a few months, then located in Bolivar, Polk County, Missouri where he opened a shop and carried on his trade, employing his leisure hours for the study of law. He was admitted to practice January 4, 1870. He opened an office in Bolivar where he has acquired a good practice as well as throughout the 14th Judicial District.
He has taken little interest in politics except of a local nature but has devoted his entire time and energies to the requirements of his profession. He was a delegate to the Democratic congressional convention in 1874, and also to the state convention of 1876.
He is a liberal in his religious views; is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
He was married May 21, 1866 to Miss Lydia James, daughter of Hugh and Mary F. James, of Osceola, St. Clair County. They have three children.

1860 Clayton Co., Iowa Census – Guttenberg:
Page 177, Line 31, Guttenberg P.O., 9 July
1388/1284 Willimina Rechow, age 29, female, milliner, $1600 real estate, $100 personal estate, born Prussia
Edward, age 13, male, born Prussia, attended school
Berta, age 11, female, born Prussia
Louis, age 4, male, born Iowa

1870 Polk Co., MO Census – Bolivar:
Page 6, Line 8, Humansville P.O., 26 July
36/36 Rechow, Theodore, age 23, male, white, Boot & Shoe Maker, $200 real estate, $250 personal estate, born Wisconsin, over age 21
Lydia, age 23, white female, keeping house, born PA, cannot write
Mary F., age 3, white female, born MO
Otto, age 8/12, white male, born MO
James, Ellen, age 16, white female, born IN, attended school

1880 Polk Co., MO Census – Marion Twp., town of Bolivar:
Dist. 4, ED 117, Page 20, Line 10, 8 June
167/177 Rechow, Theodore G., white male, age 32, widow, Lawyer, born Polish Prussia, parents born Polish Prussia
Mary Frances, white female, age 12, daughter, at school, attended school, born MO, father born Polish Prussia, mother born Ohio
Otto L., white male, age 10, son, at school, attended school, born MO, father born Polish Prussia, mother born Ohio
Frederic J., white male, age 7, son, attended school, born MO, father born Polish Prussia, mother born Ohio
Zanter, Wilhelmina, white female, age 55, mother, widowed, keeping house, born Polish Prussia, parents born Polish Prussia
Zanter, Gustara, white male, age 15, brother, single, Printer, attended school, born Wisconsin, parents born Polish Prussia

1900 Polk Co., MO Census – Marion Twp., Bolivar City:
Dist. 6, ED 133, Line 66, 6 June, living on Olive Street
193/180 Rechow, Fred, head, white male, born March 1874, age 26, married 9 years, born MO, father born Poland, mother born Ohio, salesman, can read & write, speaks English, owned home free
Oma, wife, white female, born August 1872, age 27, married 9 years, 2 children, 2 living, born MO, father born NC, mother born MO
Vera J., daughter, white female, born July 1893, age 7, single, born MO, parents born MO
Gusla W., daughter, white female, born July 1894, age 5, single, born MO, parents born MO