My Genealogy Hound

Christ Reister, successful merchant, influential citizen and former treasurer of Posey county, was born in the town of Stein, province of Baden, Germany, on December 28, 1848, the son of Christ and Katherine (Zippese) Reister. Christ Reister, Sr., a tailor by trade, served in the German army during the revolution of 1848. He came to the United States in 1852, landing in New Orleans, and enlisted in the regular army. He was joined by his family in 1852 at Oswego, N. Y., and about three months afterward brought them to Evansville, Ind., where he located. The following year he became a resident of Haubstadt, Gibson county, and engaged in the manufacture of brick, in which he continued until he retired from active business, in 1876. His service in the United States army covered two terms in the regular and one in the volunteer army. He served throughout the Civil war and was captain of Company D, Thirty-second Indiana infantry. Christ Reister, Jr., was reared in Haubstadt and secured his education in the schools of that town. He became an employe in his father’s brickyard and remained in this occupation until 1879, when he located in Cynthiana and engaged in the retail liquor business. In 1881 he established a general store and remained in this line of endeavor until 1903, when he retired. He was successful as a merchant and amassed a considerable fortune, which he has invested to advantage. Among his properties is a farm of 146 acres, situated one and one-half miles north of Cynthiana. Mr. Reister is best known to the citizens of Posey county through a residence of four years in Mt. Vernon, during which time he occupied the office of treasurer of the county. He has for many years been actively identified with the political life of the county and has been a leader in the Democratic party, of whose policies and principles he has been a consistent advocate. He served as inspector of the election board of Smith township for ten years, has attended, as a delegate, state and congressional conventions and has been one of the mainstays of his party in the county. He was honored with the nomination for treasurer in 1906, and was elected by practically a unanimous vote, only seven ballots being in the count against him. His conduct of the business affairs of this office was marked by the same business acumen as had characterized his commercial career. He was elected to succeed himself in 1908. His record as treasurer will stand as highly creditable to himself and his constituents. Since retirement from the office he has been occupied in the management of his farm and supervision of his various investments. Mr. Reister married on September 23, 1875, Miss Mary Triple, a daughter of George W. Triple of Haubstadt. They were the parents of one child, Ada Reister, born July 18, 1876, the wife of Jesse Wade, a successful lawyer of Mt. Vernon. Mrs. Reister died on October 19, 1879. On April 30, 1885, Mr. Reister married Miss Carry Deiteile, a daughter of Jacob and Anne M. Deiteile of Mt. Vernon. She is a native of that city and her father was for many years engaged in the retail market business and one of the four butchers who conducted stalls in the old city market building, erected from the fund donated by Dan Rice, the famous clown and circus owner. Three children have been born of this second marriage of Mr. Reister, two of whom died in infancy. Carolyn Reister, born December 27, 1904, is a student in the Cynthiana schools. Mrs. Reister is a member of the Christian Science church and popular in the social life of her home town. The family residence is one of the handsomest in the county and noted for its hospitality. Mr. Reister and his wife are generous in their support of the various churches and charities in Cynthiana.