FRED. NORDMAN, manufacturer, Mound City, is a native of Nienburg, Hanover, Germany, born February 16, 1834. His father, Freiderich Nordman, was born in Nienburg in 1800; was a farmer, a soldier in the German Army and participated in the battle of Waterloo. He died in 1880; he married Sophia Smith (subject's mother), who died in Germany, her native State, leaving five children as the result of their union, but two of whom are now living, viz., Diedrich, a farmer, residing in Germany on the old home farm, and Fred, our subject, who was educated in the schools of his native country. When he was eighteen years of age, he bade home and friends farewell, and set forth to gain his fortune in the new world; he landed at Baltimore on the 11th of November, 1852. In Baltimore, he learned the cooper's trade, and worked at the same until 1858, when the gold excitement at that time led him to California, where he followed mining for eighteen months, and at the expiration of that time returned to Baltimore, married and resumed working at his trade there until January, 1863, when he removed to Indianapolis and there divided his time in the cooper and stave factory business conducted on his own account. Having formed the acquaintance of some of the substantial business men of Mound City, Ill., he was induced by them to sell his business interests at Indianapolis, and to come to Mound City, which he did, and immediately started a white-oak stave factory in partnership with Mr. G. F. Meyer. Their business has steadily increased until it has assumed large proportions, doing at the present time business to the amount of $150,000 per annum. Mrs. Nordman is a native of Saxony, Germany, born in 1835; she came to America with her parents when quite young. She is the mother of the following children — Louisa, born July 14, 1860, the wife of George Wild; Katie, born November 2, 1862; Fred, born September 12, 1865; Anna, born April 5, 1869; George, born November 2, 1871; Earnest, born April 27, 1877; Gotfried, born December 31, 1879. Mr. Nordman is an enterprising man, well worthy of the high esteem of the community in which he lives. He and wife are religiously connected with the Lutheran Church: politically, he is identified with principles of the Republican party.
Extracted 02 Nov 2014 by Norma Hass from 1883 History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part V - Biographical Sketches, page 275.
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