John H. K. Vater
John H. K. Vater was born in germany
October 27, 1824, and is the son of Samuel and Susanna (Gastenberger)
Vater. John attended school until fourteen years old, and then
worked in a distillery till about twenty-two. In 1846, he came to
America, stopped in Milwaukee a short time,
thence moved to Chicago, where he worked
in a lumber yard some four years, then kept a grocery for a long
time. January 9, 1852, he married Georgina Eggers, by whom he became
the father of six boys and six girls-John E. (deceased), Frederick
(deceased), William, Bertha (deceased), Augusta, Clara, Herman,
Freddie, Georgina, Frederica, Charlie and Elizabeth. In about 1867,
he sold his store in Chicago and came to Whiting Station, bought
forty-five acres of land fronting the lake and adjoining the
property of his brother-in-law, Heinrich Eggers, and built
a fine residence near the shore. In 1876
he joined a number of others in the building of the Berry Lake Ice
House, of which he is now the Superintendent. He is a Republican and
has twice been elected Justice of the Peace.
Source- Counties of Porter and Lake,
1882.
Submitted By Kathy Huish for Greg Hoppe
(descendant)
email- anolelady@aol.com
ghoppe@ix.netcom.com