Anton Diebolt, Jr.

ANTON DIEBOLT, JR., cashier of the Piqua State Bank in Woodson County, is one of the younger bankers of Kansas and has studied and practiced banking with a varied experience in different institutions ever since reaching manhood. He is a native of Kansas and represents a family that have had an important share in business and financial circles.

He was born in Atchison County, Kansas, October 10, 1885, a son of Anton Diebolt, Sr., and a grandson of Joseph Diebolt. The Diebolt family in the earlier generations lived in the Province of Alsace, on the border between the French and German empires, and alternately a French and then a German possession.

Joseph Diebolt was born in Alsace when it was part of France, and in his earlier life he saw active service in the regular French army, In 1862 he came to America, locating in Brown County, Kansas, and lived the life of a pioneer farmer there until his death.

Anton Diebolt, Sr., was born in 1832, in Alsace, France, and was a boy of sixteen when he left his native land in 1848 and immigrated to the United States. He landed at New Orleans, and spent twelve years in that southern city, having a varied experience in different lines of business. For two years he lived at Cincinnati, Ohio, and then removed to Mendota, Illinois, and engaged in farming in the rich agricultural district surrounding that town. In 1881 he brought his family to Kansas, settling in Atchison County on a farm, and from there in 1891 removed to Olpe in Lyon County. He continued farming there, but is now retired from that business and is a general merchant and banker at Olpe. He has had a very successful business career. In matters of politics he is affiliated with the democratic party and is a member of the Catholic Church, At Mendota, Illinois, Anton Diebolt, Sr., married Justina Walter. She was born at Bingen on the Rhine in Germany in 1842. Her parents came to this country in 1860, locating at Mendota, Illinois. Anton Diebolt, Sr., and wife became the parents of a very large family of children, and nearly all of them are independently settled in life, and it is a remarkable family in many ways. John, the oldest of the children, is a farmer at Olpe, Kansas. Lawrence is a farmer living at Piqua, Kansas. Mary married Max Goldberg, a jeweler at Seattle, Washington. Peter lives at Piqua, Kansas, and is also a farmer. Kate is the wife of Henry O'Howell, a policeman at Los Angeles, California. Justina married Dr. Gordon Gafford, a physician and surgeon at Kinsley, Kansas. Clara is the wife of Fred Boeckler, a resident of Ocean Park, California, and the proprietor of a chain of dairy cafes in that state. Lizzie married Carl Kuhlman, a farmer at Olpe, Kansas. Joseph is a hardware merchant at Westphalia, Kansas. George is one of the brothers who run the general store of their father at Olpe, Kansas. The eleventh in age of this large family is Anton Diebolt, Jr. Minnie married Avery Chamberlain, who is also connected with the Olpe store. James is in the store at Olpe.

Anton Diebolt, Jr., received his education at Olpe and also at Atchison in St. Benedict's College, and in 1904 graduated in the commercial course from St. Francis College at Quincy, Illinois. He had further business training of one year in his father's store. In 1905 his father took a prominent part in the organization of the Olpe State Bank, and Anton, Jr., served as assistant cashier until 1908. The family and other associates then organized the Ravenna State Bank at Ravenna, Nebraska, and Anton served as cashier there until 1910. In August, 1910, he was one of the men who brought about the establishment of the Piqua State Bank in Woodson County, and he has served as its cashier ever since. The other officers of the bank are: L. G. Niemann, of Piqua, a merchant, who is president; J. W. Groggman, a retired resident, vice president; and J. H. Wille, assistant cashier. The bank has a capital of $10,000, has surplus and undivided profits of $6,000, and has well earned the confidence and patronage of the entire community in and around Piqua.

Mr. Diebolt is a democrat in politics, a member of the Catholic Church, and is affiliated with Humboldt Council of the Knights of Columbus, and with St. Martin's Branch, No. 7, of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association at Piqua. Among other interests he is the owner of a farm of 160 acres in Boxbutte County, Nebraska. Mr. Diebolt is unmarried.

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