My Genealogy Hound

John F. Kruel, foreman of the Corn Cob Pipe Factory, of Washington, Mo., was born in that town and State in 1843; and is a son of George Kruel. The father was a native of Hanover, Germany, born about 1800, and was a carpenter by trade. He married in his native country, and in 1842 immigrated to the United States, and settled in Franklin County, Mo. He bought a farm of 160 acres near Union, and commenced his career as a farmer. It was here he died in 1862. He was married three times, and was the father of eight children, one by his first wife, one by the second, and six by the third. John F. was born to the first union. He was educated in the common schools, and attained his majority on the farm. In 1867 he came to Washington and commenced working at the carpenter’s trade, which occupation he followed for three years, but afterwards became foreman of the entire business, machinery, etc. In 1869 Mr. Kruel married Miss Christina Cruell, who was born in Franklin County, Mo., in 1846, and who bore him six children: Louis, Mary, Jessie and Ella are living, and Mattie and Lizzie are deceased. Previous to this, in October, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-Sixth Missouri Regiment Volunteers, for three years. He was in the service nine months, and was honorably discharged at St. Louis, Mo., owing to disability. Our subject abandoned the carpenter trade in 1875, after which he worked at various kinds of employment until 1883, when he became employed by H. Tibbe to make machinery for the manufacture of Corn Cob Pipes, and to place the same in running order. Until August, 1886, he was foreman of a portion of the business, and since then he and Mr. G. W. Pike have taken the contract for manufacturing the same for so much per gross, and he has been foreman of the entire business since. Mr. Kruel is a skillful mechanic and a fine workman. He is a Republican and was a strong Union man during the war. He and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.