Born May 26, 1826, in Sachsen Flur, county of Boxberg, state of Baden, Germany. He came to America in 1848, and subsequently engaged as a blacksmith at Attica, Wyoming County, New York, for five years. He then moved to Floyd county, Iowa, in 1854; working there at blacksmithing and farming. He has filled various township offices, from road supervisor to justice of the peace, was a notary public, was county supervisor for three years and resigned in order to serve as a Representative- from Floyd County in the Twenty-third General Assembly of Iowa. He has acted as an administrator to settle numerous estates and as guardian for a period more than twenty years, until about 1908. He has always been identified with the Democratic Party. As former school township treasurer, on surrendering the office July 1st, 1911, he turned over a clean record and a balanced account. He had rendered continuous service for the space of forty-seven years, retiring at the age of eighty-five.