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John Oberlander

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John Oberlander Veteran

Birth
Ohio, USA
Death
4 May 1927 (aged 97)
Salt Lake County, Utah, USA
Burial
Murray, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA GPS-Latitude: 40.6531317, Longitude: -111.8717782
Plot
04 101 6
Memorial ID
View Source
Published in The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) on Monday May 2, 1927
John Oberlander, an old employee of the American Smelting and Refining company, died Sunday at the age of 97 years at his home, 2873 South State street. Mr. Oberlander was born in Cincinnati, O., and came to Utah thirty-eight years ago. He was first employed as a furnaceman at the old Germania smelter at Murray. This was soon afterward taken over by the American Smelting and Refining. Mr. Oberlander was actively employed until three years ago, when he retired.
Surviving him are his widow, Isabella Reid Oberlander, and three daughters and three sons as follows: Mrs. Laura Frahm, Salt Lake; Mrs. Martha Bernard, Durango, Colo.; Mrs. John B. Erekson, Murray; A. R. and J. R. Oberlander, both of Upper Burma, India, and F. R. Oberlander, at present of Salt Lake. The two sons residing in India are general superintendent and smelter superintendent, respectively, of Burma Mines, Ltd., an English enterprise. F. R. Oberlander is an engineer for the Cerro de Pasco Copper company, recently returning from Peru because of his father's illness.
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Published in The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) on June 10, 1924
Trail Blazer and War Vet Active at 95
John Oberlander, Born in Jackson's Times, Served Under Lincoln, Still Works Every Day

John Oberlander, 2873 South State street, whose grandfather fought in the American revolution under Lafayette, who was present in Washington at the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, who met his wife when she was a babe in arms, and waited years to marry her; who served with the union forces in the civil war; who was present at the first smelting of copper in Utah, and who has been with the American Smelting and Refining company for thirty-seven years, yesterday was the guest of Edgar Newhouse, general manager of the western department of the A. S. & R. at luncheon at the Alta club in honor of Mr. Oberlander's ninety-fifth birthday.
"My wife is the best woman in the world. We always consult each other before taking action in our plans and we have yet to have our first quarrel. She gets up in the morning at 4 o'clock and at 5 o'clock, just as regular as the sun comes up over those mountains, she calls me and says, 'Daddy, your coffee is ready.' "
This is the tribute that Mr. Oberlander pays his mate who is 74 years of age, hale and hearty, and hasn't "cost me but $11 for illness during our life."
Mr. Oberlander is active both mentally and physically. He is well able to make his way about Salt Lake as he pursues his duties as messenger between the Murray plant and the Salt Lake office of the American Smelting and Refining Company.

HIS ANCESTRY
From the banks of the Rhine, more recently in prominence in world affairs, a youth named Bender, who was to become the father of Mr. Oberlander's mother, was sent to Paris by his father, a tanner of hides, in 1775 that the youth might become educated to the method of tanning as perfected by the workmen of Paris.
But adventure called. George III of England had oppressed the American colonies and General Lafayette of France was recruiting an army to sail for American to aid the patriots. It's a well known story, but young Bender was in that army, and that's where our story begins.
The war over, Bender returned to France and along about 1812 his daughter married the father of John Oberlander. Years slipped along and the father pursued his trade of cabinet making. Presently the couple left Coblenz on the Rhine and went to Bremen to begin an ocean journey of five weeks to Baltimore. They landed in Baltimore in 1827, spent five weeks going overland across the Blue Ridge mountains and settled in Cincinnati, where, on June 9, 1829, John Oberlander first saw the light of day.
Times were different then. There were no lights save tallow candles made at home, and all travel was by horse and wagon or by flatboats on the Ohio river. John went to school, as schools were then. Incidentally his father was the man who put a bill through the Ohio legislature providing for the teaching of German in Ohio schools.
Years slipped along and John grew to manhood. The town's general storekeeper, Thomas Reed, was a first cousin to James K. Polk and one day there came a daughter and she was named Isabella.
John was 21 when Isabella was born and as the baby became large enough to move about, John hitched old Dobbin to the family wagon and took the baby riding. Friends chided him saying, "Why don't you get married, John?" The reply was, "I'm going to wait for her." And he did.

FOUGHT FOR LINCOLN
The slavery question came up. There were many heated speeches and threatening times. At the general election, Abraham Lincoln was named president of the United States and when he went to Washington to be inaugurated, he was disguised when he passed through towns along the route.
When the battery of guns at the White House boomed their salute, and while what was then the American navy lay at anchor in the historic Potomac, John Oberlander was present and saw and heard Abraham Lincoln place his hand upon the Bible and pledge his best efforts to the good of the country.
The return of John Oberlander to Cincinnati. The passing of Harper's Ferry and the question, "Did they kill him?" (meaning Lincoln) all give one an intimate acquaintance with the great crisis in national history.
The south seceded, Lincoln called for 75,000 men and John Oberlander, in 1861, enlisted at Cincinnati in I company of the First Ohio volunteer infantry. He was assigned to what is now called "intelligence work" and had the dangerous duty of carrying messages between commanders and headquarters sometimes through the enemy lines with the orders, "Get this through and spare no horse-flesh."
"Were you decorated at the close of the civil war?" he was asked.
"There were no decorations and we didn't ask for a bonus, times were different then. All we received was $13 a month and hard tack and pork."
At the end of the war Mr. Oberlander obtained a farm near Davenport, Iowa, and in 1867 made a trip west, returning again to the farm. Two years later he realized his dream and married the baby he had taken for airings, Isabella Reed.
Then there followed twenty years of farm life after which Mr. Oberland received a request from Thomas Austin, superintendent of the old Germania smelter at Murray, to come west. The railroad had been laid then and in 1887 Mr. Oberlander brought his family to Salt Lake, traveling over the Union Pacific system to Ogden, and making the journey to Salt Lake by team from that point.
The American Smelting and Refining company obtained control of the Germania smelter and for thirty-seven years Mr. Oberlander has been with that company. Yesterday he said he didn't believe he had missed more than two weeks of work in all that time.
For the past twenty-three years he has been messenger for the company and daily makes trips between Salt Lake and the Murray plant. Mr. and Mrs. Oberlander have six children, all living. There are three boys and three girls, Arthur and John in Idaho; Felix in Peru; Mrs. Martha Barnard of Ida Grove, Iowa; Mrs. Laura From of Boise, and Mrs. May Erickson of Murray. There are fourteen grandchildren.
"Early to bed and early to rise is my program," he said. "I am up at 5 o'clock, at work at 6 o'clock, leave for Salt Lake at 7:17 and get back so that I'm through work by noon. I want to thank the American Smelting and Refining company for allowing me to remain at their service for these years. I want to thank the officers of the company, for they have been kind to me. Mr. Newhouse entertained me at luncheon at the Alta club today."
With these few words Mr. Oberlander closed the interview and left the reporter wondering whether half the story had yet been told.
Published in The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) on Monday May 2, 1927
John Oberlander, an old employee of the American Smelting and Refining company, died Sunday at the age of 97 years at his home, 2873 South State street. Mr. Oberlander was born in Cincinnati, O., and came to Utah thirty-eight years ago. He was first employed as a furnaceman at the old Germania smelter at Murray. This was soon afterward taken over by the American Smelting and Refining. Mr. Oberlander was actively employed until three years ago, when he retired.
Surviving him are his widow, Isabella Reid Oberlander, and three daughters and three sons as follows: Mrs. Laura Frahm, Salt Lake; Mrs. Martha Bernard, Durango, Colo.; Mrs. John B. Erekson, Murray; A. R. and J. R. Oberlander, both of Upper Burma, India, and F. R. Oberlander, at present of Salt Lake. The two sons residing in India are general superintendent and smelter superintendent, respectively, of Burma Mines, Ltd., an English enterprise. F. R. Oberlander is an engineer for the Cerro de Pasco Copper company, recently returning from Peru because of his father's illness.
----------
Published in The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) on June 10, 1924
Trail Blazer and War Vet Active at 95
John Oberlander, Born in Jackson's Times, Served Under Lincoln, Still Works Every Day

John Oberlander, 2873 South State street, whose grandfather fought in the American revolution under Lafayette, who was present in Washington at the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, who met his wife when she was a babe in arms, and waited years to marry her; who served with the union forces in the civil war; who was present at the first smelting of copper in Utah, and who has been with the American Smelting and Refining company for thirty-seven years, yesterday was the guest of Edgar Newhouse, general manager of the western department of the A. S. & R. at luncheon at the Alta club in honor of Mr. Oberlander's ninety-fifth birthday.
"My wife is the best woman in the world. We always consult each other before taking action in our plans and we have yet to have our first quarrel. She gets up in the morning at 4 o'clock and at 5 o'clock, just as regular as the sun comes up over those mountains, she calls me and says, 'Daddy, your coffee is ready.' "
This is the tribute that Mr. Oberlander pays his mate who is 74 years of age, hale and hearty, and hasn't "cost me but $11 for illness during our life."
Mr. Oberlander is active both mentally and physically. He is well able to make his way about Salt Lake as he pursues his duties as messenger between the Murray plant and the Salt Lake office of the American Smelting and Refining Company.

HIS ANCESTRY
From the banks of the Rhine, more recently in prominence in world affairs, a youth named Bender, who was to become the father of Mr. Oberlander's mother, was sent to Paris by his father, a tanner of hides, in 1775 that the youth might become educated to the method of tanning as perfected by the workmen of Paris.
But adventure called. George III of England had oppressed the American colonies and General Lafayette of France was recruiting an army to sail for American to aid the patriots. It's a well known story, but young Bender was in that army, and that's where our story begins.
The war over, Bender returned to France and along about 1812 his daughter married the father of John Oberlander. Years slipped along and the father pursued his trade of cabinet making. Presently the couple left Coblenz on the Rhine and went to Bremen to begin an ocean journey of five weeks to Baltimore. They landed in Baltimore in 1827, spent five weeks going overland across the Blue Ridge mountains and settled in Cincinnati, where, on June 9, 1829, John Oberlander first saw the light of day.
Times were different then. There were no lights save tallow candles made at home, and all travel was by horse and wagon or by flatboats on the Ohio river. John went to school, as schools were then. Incidentally his father was the man who put a bill through the Ohio legislature providing for the teaching of German in Ohio schools.
Years slipped along and John grew to manhood. The town's general storekeeper, Thomas Reed, was a first cousin to James K. Polk and one day there came a daughter and she was named Isabella.
John was 21 when Isabella was born and as the baby became large enough to move about, John hitched old Dobbin to the family wagon and took the baby riding. Friends chided him saying, "Why don't you get married, John?" The reply was, "I'm going to wait for her." And he did.

FOUGHT FOR LINCOLN
The slavery question came up. There were many heated speeches and threatening times. At the general election, Abraham Lincoln was named president of the United States and when he went to Washington to be inaugurated, he was disguised when he passed through towns along the route.
When the battery of guns at the White House boomed their salute, and while what was then the American navy lay at anchor in the historic Potomac, John Oberlander was present and saw and heard Abraham Lincoln place his hand upon the Bible and pledge his best efforts to the good of the country.
The return of John Oberlander to Cincinnati. The passing of Harper's Ferry and the question, "Did they kill him?" (meaning Lincoln) all give one an intimate acquaintance with the great crisis in national history.
The south seceded, Lincoln called for 75,000 men and John Oberlander, in 1861, enlisted at Cincinnati in I company of the First Ohio volunteer infantry. He was assigned to what is now called "intelligence work" and had the dangerous duty of carrying messages between commanders and headquarters sometimes through the enemy lines with the orders, "Get this through and spare no horse-flesh."
"Were you decorated at the close of the civil war?" he was asked.
"There were no decorations and we didn't ask for a bonus, times were different then. All we received was $13 a month and hard tack and pork."
At the end of the war Mr. Oberlander obtained a farm near Davenport, Iowa, and in 1867 made a trip west, returning again to the farm. Two years later he realized his dream and married the baby he had taken for airings, Isabella Reed.
Then there followed twenty years of farm life after which Mr. Oberland received a request from Thomas Austin, superintendent of the old Germania smelter at Murray, to come west. The railroad had been laid then and in 1887 Mr. Oberlander brought his family to Salt Lake, traveling over the Union Pacific system to Ogden, and making the journey to Salt Lake by team from that point.
The American Smelting and Refining company obtained control of the Germania smelter and for thirty-seven years Mr. Oberlander has been with that company. Yesterday he said he didn't believe he had missed more than two weeks of work in all that time.
For the past twenty-three years he has been messenger for the company and daily makes trips between Salt Lake and the Murray plant. Mr. and Mrs. Oberlander have six children, all living. There are three boys and three girls, Arthur and John in Idaho; Felix in Peru; Mrs. Martha Barnard of Ida Grove, Iowa; Mrs. Laura From of Boise, and Mrs. May Erickson of Murray. There are fourteen grandchildren.
"Early to bed and early to rise is my program," he said. "I am up at 5 o'clock, at work at 6 o'clock, leave for Salt Lake at 7:17 and get back so that I'm through work by noon. I want to thank the American Smelting and Refining company for allowing me to remain at their service for these years. I want to thank the officers of the company, for they have been kind to me. Mr. Newhouse entertained me at luncheon at the Alta club today."
With these few words Mr. Oberlander closed the interview and left the reporter wondering whether half the story had yet been told.


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