The village of Leonore, LaSalle county, Illinois, includes among its
leading and prosperous citizens the subject of this sketch, John Over, a
Prussian by birth and an American by adoption. It was less than ten years
ago that he left his native land, and since his arrival here we find him
rushing into financial independence at a remarkable speed and succeeding in
business at an age when most men have either made their stake or have
retired from the arena in despair.
John Over was born in the province of Prussia, February 28, 1858, the son of
Henry Over, a farmer. Selecting the trade of carpenter, John served an
apprenticeship therein and followed that branch of mechanics as a business
while he remained in Prussia. Being influenced by relatives and friends who
had come to this country, he decided to try his fortunes here, and
accordingly, in company with Conrad Eschbach, he set sail from Bremen,
Germany, in 1890, on the ill-fated steamship Elbe. Arrived in New York, he
came west to Illinois, and the first two years of his residence here he
spent in work at his trade. Then, with a small capital, he began business as
a merchant in Leonore. October 1, 1892, was the date of his debut as a
"kaufman," and the popularity of his place of business is a fact noted by
all who have in any way come in contact with it.
Mr. Over is a man of family. He was married April 25, 1893, to Miss Anna
Berninger, whose father, Alexander Berninger, was a Prussian emigrant to
LaSalle county. They have two children, — John and Alvis.
Extracted 17 Jul 2017 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois, published in 1900, volume 2, pages 482-483.
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