Joseph Obermayer
Joseph Obermayer, one of the earliest settlers of Jefferson City, Mo., was born in Bavaria, Germany, April 8, 1823, and is the youngest of the family of eight children born to Selegman and Fannie (Zelein) Obermayer, also natives of Bavaria. The parents both died in their native country, where the father was a merchant. Of their eight children only two are living, August, in Bavaria, and Joseph. The latter was reared and educated in the country of his birth, where he engaged in the manufacture of knit goods until he came to the United States, taking passage at Havre in 1845, and after a five weeks’ ocean voyage landing in New York City. He reached Jefferson City, Mo., in September, 1845, which at the time was but a small hamlet with no railroad, He engaged in merchandising for some years, and later admitted into partnership his brothers, the firm successfully continuing several years, when the brothers died, and Mr. Obermayer has since conducted the business alone. He is an enterprising citizen and one of the leading business men of the city. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge since 1849, and is one of its leaders, having been District Deputy Grand Master and Grand Patriarch, a member of the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment, and treasurer of Capital Lodge No. 37, I. O. O. F., for the past twenty-five or thirty years. He has taken an active part in building up the fraternity, and still devotes a great deal of his time and attention to the organization of which he is an honored member.
This biography was published in History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries, and Osage Counties, Missouri, Goodspeed Publishing Company (1889)
Morris Obermayer
Death of an Estimable Citizen
Daily Tribune
Nov 1, 1876
Mr. Morris Obermayer died at his residence in this city on Sunday, last October 29, 1876 at 10 1/2 o’clock after a painful and lingering illness.
His remains were yesterday forwarded to St. Louis in charge of a Masonic Lodge in this city, composed of H.W. Long, E. T. Manchester and A. Heim. Mr. Joseph Obermayer, brother, and Samual Obermayer, son of the deceased, also accompanied the remains. The funeral will take place in St. Louis from the residence of Mr. Simon Obermayer, and the remains will be interred at the Jewish cemetery of that city.
The Masonic Order of this city and a large number of citizens followed his remains to the depot.
Mr. Obermayer died in the fifty-sixth year of his age, and leaves a wife and five children to mourn his loss. Mr. Obermayer came to the United States from Bavaria in 1846 and settled in this city in 1847, where he ever since remained, engaged in mercantile pursuits. His intercourse with people of this and neighboring counties, as a business man has always been marked by the highest honor and integrity, and he died justly bearing the character of an upright, honorable citizen. Mr. Obermayer possessed fine social qualities; was a pleasant companion and enjoyed the company of his friends above all things. He had no taste for politics and such things, but applied himself assiduously to the business, and for relaxation sought the companionship of genial friends. Mingling actively with the people of this city for nearly thirty years, his death will create a vacuum not easily to be filled, and his loss will be most sincerely regretted by a large number of warm personal friends, who valued him for his solid worth and merit.