Capt. John Schilling a Kansas pioneer, died at his home near Hiawatha, Kans., November 26, 1911. He is survived by his second wife, and four sons by his first, who are: Albert, of Leavenworth, Kan.; Mark, who lives near Tonganoxie, Kans., William, who is on the home place, and Jacob G., a sketch of whom follows this article. He is also survived by two daughters, Mrs. Anna Candall, resides near the home place, and Mrs. Ella Simanton, of Globe, Arizona. Capt. Schilling was born in Germany, near Bingen on the Rhine, January 1, 1837. He attended school in his native land until 1848, when his parents immigrated to the United States, settling at Hudson, N. Y., where they made their home until 1851, when they removed to Kalamazoo, Mich. He attended the common schools both in New York and Michigan, and removed to Kansas, March 6, 1857, and settled on the place where he died. He married Miss Susan Meisenheimer in the following November. She was a daughter of Martin Meisenheimer, a Brown county pioneer, who was a soldier under Napoleon, in 1815, and was wounded at the battle of Waterloo. Mr. Schilling enlisted in Company I, Thirteenth Kansas infantry at the outbreak of the Civil War, and served until its close. He was elected captain of this company and served in that capacity during the war. After the close of the war he engaged in the mercantile business and established the firm of Schilling & Meisenheimer. The firm was changed in 1870, to J. Schilling & Co., and later to J. Schilling & Bro. He disposed of his interest in the mercantile business to his brother Adam, in 1882, and organized and became president of the Union Loan and Trust Co. In 1892, he retired from this and returned to his country home.

Capt. John Schilling was a prominent Republican and was known all over the State as one of the Republican war horses. He served on the school board of the city of Hiawatha for twenty-one years, and was also the first mayor of Hiawatha. In 1896, he was appointed county commissioner to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Capt. A. Walters, and served as chairman of the board of commissioners for four years. He was a presidential elector in 1880, and cast his vote for Jas. A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur. In 1888, he was elected to the State senate from the district composed of Brown and Doniphan counties. He was also a delegate to the Republican National convention at St. Louis in 1896, that nominated Wm. McKinley for the presidency. Capt. Schilling was a member of Mt. Horeb Chapter No. 46, and a charter member and past eminent comamnder[sic] of Hiawatha Commandry No. 13 Knights Templar. He was also a member of Diamond Lodge Knights of Pythias and Hiawatha Post No. 130, G. A. R.