Peter  Stohry

          No member of the large class of German citizens who have come to the Hoosier state and assisted in its development is deserving of mention in a book of the province of the one at hand more than  Peter Stohry , who was born in Steinweiler, Germany, the son of  George  and  Mary Stohry , the date of his birth being July 26, 1852.  His parents were natives of the same place where the subject was born.  George Stohry  was a stone and brick mason by trade and worked at this trade all his life.  He and his wife both died in Germany, after becoming the parents of two children, Peter   of this review, and  Valentine , who was a gardener and died in Addison township, November, 1904.  Peter Stohry  received a common school education in the German schools, and he remained at home until 1869, when he came to America, landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September of that year.  He first secured work in a shoe factory of that city, where he remained for one year.  He also worked awhile at gardening.  He went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked for nine months and from there to Dearborn county, Indiana, where an uncle resided remaining there for about one and one-half years and then came to Shelbyville, Indiana.  He first worked out as a farm hand until 1882, when he married  Anna L. Kuhn , of Haupshower, Germany, daughter of  Heinrich and  Marie (Falk) Kuhn , both natives of the above named place, and both died in Germany.  Mr. Kuhn was a weaver by trade.  They were the parents of six children, namely:  Henry , living in Syracuse, New York;  Conrad,  Mary,  Katie,  Maria;  Anna L. , wife of the subject.  Two children have been born to  Mr. and Mrs. Peter Stohry --- Lizzie M. , wife of  Jacob Cores [Coers] , of Addison township, Shelby county, and they are the parents of two children, Floyd  and  Herbert .  William B. , the subject's second child, is single and is living at home with his parents.  Both these children were educated in the Shelbyville schools.
          In 1882 Mr. Stohry bought forty acres of land in section 33, Addison township, where he now resides.  It was known as the  Denny   place.  It is a valuable farm and kept in a highly productive state.  In 1905 Mr. Stohry built his beautiful home, which is modern in every respect.  It is equipped with steam heat, hot and cold water, etc.  His excellent barn was built in 1899.  He is engaged in general farming and dairying and has been eminently successful, being a hard working man and a good manager, as his attractive place indicates.  At present he owns thirty-six head of cattle.  He ran a dairy wagon for five years, selling mild in Shelbyville.  He now makes a great deal of excellent butter, having some fine Jersey cattle.  He also keeps some excellent breeds of Durock hogs, and has a fine lot of White Wyandotte chickens.  He and his son have just added eighty acres to the farm in section 34 Addison township.  He started in life very poor, and even when he landed in Shelbyville had only seventy-five cents, but being a hard worker and a good manager he has succeeded, and such a man deserves a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished.  He is a Republican in politics, but has never aspired to public office.  He belongs to the German Presbyterian church.  This family bears an excellent reputation in Addison township, and have many friends throughout the county.
Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana , by Edward H. Chadwick, B.A., assisted by well known local talent, B.F. Bowen & Co, Publishers: Indianapolis, IN, 1909, pg 606-607.
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming

Biography Index       Main Page