Charles Fredrich Offerman, 1876-1931

Family history post – April 14, 2023

147 years ago today, one of my Great Grand-Uncles was born.  Charles Fredrich Offerman was born on April 14, 1876, on his parent’s farm in Otto Township in Kankakee County, Illinois.  He was the 5th known child and 5th son of Heinrich (Henry) Christian and Maria Sophia (Doscher) Offerman. At the time of his birth, his parents had left Germany and had been living in the United States for 9 years.  A few months after Charles’ birth, his father became a United States citizen.

Kankakee County map showing Otto Township

A distant cousin wrote of him… “Charles attended school for four years.  As soon as he was old enough, he was hired out as a hired hand.  He worked by the week, coming home on Sunday for clean clothes and a plug of tobacco.  He turned all his pay over to his father.  He continued to work as a hired hand until he married.”

1898 Offerman family - Charles is back row, far left

That marriage happened on October 15, 1902, in Kankakee.  His new wife was Emily Scheppler.  Charles and Emily had 7 known children, from 1903 to 1923.  The 1910 census tells us that Charles owned a farm in Otto Township.  Next door to him was his brother John (my Great Grandfather).  Three farms down the road was their brother Frank’s farm… and another four farms down was their sister Minnie’s family’s farm.

1910 census

By 1914, however, Charles had decided to get out of farming.  He moved his family into Kankakee, and into a large 2-story house (5 bedrooms, large yard and garden) at 1194 South 6th Street.  He and his brother August went into the dray business together.  Their first location was on East Water Street, on the south side of the river.  According to a distant cousin, this business prospered and they expanded into the moving and hauling business.  A new partnership was formed with Charles and August, including Charles’ brother in law, Emile Scheppler.  They moved their location to 186 North East Avenue in Kankakee (now a parking lot), and called themselves “Offerman and Company.”

1929 Kankakee City Directory

In 1918, Charles filled out a registration card for WWI.  His description was stated as… “Tall, stout, gray eyes and brown hair.”

A cousin once wrote this… “The family had a custom of getting dressed up on a Sunday afternoon and going for a ride in the big seven passenger Oldsmobile touring car.  At the end of the ride, they stopped at Kohler Drug Store on South Main Street for ice cream sodas.”

1918 7-passenger Oldsmobile... an example of what the family might have had

date unknown... wife Emily, son Victor, Victor's wife Myrtle, and Charles

Sadly, Charles died on December 28, 1931, at the age of 55.  It’s mentioned that it was a “sudden and untimely” death, however, I do not know the cause at this time.  My curiosity got the best of me, though… and I have sent off for a copy of his death certificate.  So we’ll find out when I get that back.  There are no Kankakee newspapers digitized on the newspaper website that I use, either… so I was not able to find an obituary.  I have contacted the Genealogy person at the Kankakee Library, though, in hopes that she can find one for me.

1920's downtown Kankakee