Many of the most enterprising and prosperous citizens of Putnam county have come from the land beyond the sea, and among these quite a prominent figure is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, and who is now living on section 3, Magnolia township. "He was born March 5, 1841, in Bavaria, Germany, and in 1848 was brought by his parents, Martin and Catharine (Erich) Wolf.
Both were also natives of that country, the former born in 1808, and the latter in 1810, and there the father followed farming. On coming to the new world, he located in Hope township, La Salle county, at the old Prospect house, on an improved farm of one hundred and twenty acres, to which he later added more land. There his wife died in 1852, and he passed away in 1878. In their family were four children who grew to years of maturity — Michael, deceased, married Eve Omrehne, by whom he had five children; Joseph, married Christina Appel, by whom he had eight children, and they live in La Salle county; Fridolin is next in order of birth, and Charles wedded ; Mary Welling, by whom he has four children, and lives in Sedgwick county, Kansas. The parents were devout members of the Catholic church, and in politics the father was a democrat.
In this country our subject attended the district schools and remained at home until his marriage, April 13, 1863, Miss Clara Merdian becoming his wife. She was a native of Marshall county, Illinois, where her father, John Joseph Merdian, wdio was born in Bavaria, Germany, had settled at an early day. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wolf, nine yet living, namely; George J., of Magnolia township, who wedded Mary Newhaver, by whom he has two children; Mary Emma, wife of Phil Dose, of La Salle county, by whom she has four children; John Edward; Clara M., wife of George Ziegler, of La Salle county, by whom she has one child; Peter Lewis; John Frederick ; Mary; Katie T., and Frank Henry.
In 1865 Mr. Wolf settled on his present farm, which was then all wild land, comprising one hundred acres, but at that place now has one hundred and sixty acres and the same amount elsewhere. His pleasant residence was erected fifteen years ago at a cost of $2,600, and his barn, which was built in 1868, cost $1,000, while the other buildings upon the place are in keeping with these, being substantial structures. He is a general farmer, raising both stock and grain, to which he devotes his entire time and attention, and has always refused public office. Like his father, he is an advocate of democratic principles, and both himself and wife are faithful members of the Catholic church at Mt. Palatine.
Source: The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois published in 1896, page 497.
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