Sedgwick County KSGenWeb
Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.
Chapman Brothers 1888
Pages 471 - 472
WILLIAM C. ROSENSTIEL, who is extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 26, Attica Township, was born Aug. 10, 1823, in Germany. He is the son of Jacob and Mary (Schetzmeister) Rosenstiel, who were also natives of that part of the German Empire.
Our subject remained in his native land, where he received a most excellent education, until he was some nineteen years old, at which age he came to this country with his father and his father's family. The parents located in Stephenson, Ill., where he purchased a tract of land, and made it his home during the remainder of his life, his death occurring in August, 1863. There were six children in his family, as follows: John, Charles and Henry, who are residents of the State of Illinois; William C., our subject; Frederick and Mary, deceased.
At about the age of twenty-three, the gentleman whose life we are endeavoring to trace commenced business for himself on a farm which he owned in Stephenson County, where he remained some fifteen years. He removed, at the expiration of that time, to Douglas County, in the same State, where he rented a farm just south of Arcola, and made his home there for two years, and then moved to Champaign County, where he purchased 230 acres of land, and on that place he lived about nine years, but in the latter part of 1873 he removed to Kansas and purchased his present home, to which he moved in the spring of 1874. Since locating on that tract he has bought an additional half-section, so that he has now a magnificent farm of 480 acres of land, all of which is well under cultivation, and on which he has erected some handsome and comfortable improvements.
The marriage ceremony which took place Dec. 21, 1846, united the destinies of Mr. Rosenstiel and Miss Rachel Pickard. The lady was born near Syracuse, N. Y., Feb. 18, 1827, and is the daughter of Smith W. and Affa (Skiel) Pickard, both of whom were also natives of the Empire State. Her father was of German and Irish descent and the mother of French and Welsh. Mrs. Rosenstiel was reared in New York until she was about eleven years of age, when she went with her parents to Stephenson County, Ill., where she was living at the time of her marriage. Our subject and his wife are the parents of thirteen children, twelve of whom are still living. Their record is as follows: Adeline V., who was born Oct. 17, 1847, married Lewis Woodyard. and is a resident of Montgomery County, Kan.; Lucinda A. was born Sept. 11, 1849, and died in infancy; Henry A., whose birth took place July 26, 1851, married Miss Jane Pickard, of Stephenson County, Ill., Aug. 13, 1872, and is living on his father's farm; Alonzo R., born April 11, 1853, married, and is living in Harper County, this State; Susan E., Mrs. Robert O. Hickson, was born Sept. 23, 1854, and is a resident of New Mexico ; Sarah M., born Oct. 20, 1856, married Moses A. Hites, of this county ; Frank E., who was born March 30, 1858, married Miss Green, and is living in Harper County, this State; Matilda J., Mrs. John F. Curtiss, was born Dec. 12, 1859; Edgar J., Feb. 13, 1862; Oliver L., Jan. 16, 1864; Albert J., Dec. 20, 1865; Lewis O., Dec. 7, 1867; and Lillie M., whose birth took place Oct. 20, 1870.
In his politics, the subject of our narrative is entirely independent of party lines, supporting the fittest man for the office on all occasions. He was reared in the Lutheran faith and his wife in that of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are good and sincere Christian people. They enjoy the esteem and respect of the entire community for their many virtues and their generous and genial hospitality.
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