Record from the Kirchbuch of St Gertrud Dekanat Damme, Lohne LDS #0909923 Nordrhein-Westfalen -

Lohne Taufen Vol. 8, film 0909923, page 60 - Baptism:1817 Nro 103 Geburt November 18 Tause 19 - Der Kinder Franz Henrick - der Eltern: Clemens August Schleper und Maria Engelmann - der Gevattern / gemiete in Bretberg/ Franz Henrick Kreyenborg und Alexandria Engelmann

1817 Nov 18 Frans Henrich Schleper was born to Clemens August Schleper and Maria Engelmann, renters in Bretberg. Baptized Nov 19. Godparents were Frans Henrich Kreyenborg and Alexandrina Engelmann.

Souvenir of the laying of the cornerstone of St. Francis Church, Teutopolis, Illinois, July 20, 1851 : historical sketch of the village of Teutopolis and of St. Francis Parish

Author : Hagedorn, Eugene

Published in 1926
Source: Internet Archive

Another sawmill seems to have been built on the same stream north of the cemetery about the years 1849-1852 by Frank Schleper and Theodore Pruemmer. It was a treadmill, and proved to be a failure, as it quickly wore off the hoofs of the animals that set it in motion.

Deer were often seen in droves of twenty to forty and used to come as far as F. Schlepers near the college to water.

On May 12, Mr. Francis Schleper, another pioneer, went to his eternal reward. He was a native of Oldenburg, where he was born Nov. 18, 1817. In 1835 he became a sailor and made a trip around the world in a sailing vessel. In 1844 he settled at Teutopolis, worked as a carpenter and later on tilled his farm adjoining the College. Of his union with Miss Caroline Niehaus nine children were born. While working at Vandalia, he once walked nearly 40 miles to hear Mass on Sunday and walked back in time for work on Monday.

[Above information courtesy of Find a Grave member Ronald J Repking #48426701]