Source: "History of Manitowoc County Wisconsin" by Dr. L. Falge, 1911-1912, v.2, p.381-382.

F. Adolph Rodewald, who is a native resident of Manitowoc county, was born near Newton, September 25, 1858, the son of Ernst and Henrietta (Meyer) Rodewald. Ernst Rodewald was born in Lippe-Detmold, Germany, and came to the United States in 1847, when he was thirty-one years of age, settling in Pennsylvania, where he worked on a farm for about one year. While there he married Miss Henrietta Meyer, whom he had known in his native country and who had come to America and was living in Boston. He journeyed to that city for the purpose of seeing her and there they were betrothed. Soon afterward he came to Wisconsin, settling in Newton, on the farm on which the subject of this review was born. Here he built a log cabin, cleared some land and then returning to Boston, brought his wife back to this farm, where they spent the remainder of their lives. The father died October 4, 1892, and the mother, November 6, 1889. In their family were six children, Theodore, Ernst Jr., F. Adolph, William and twins, who passed away in infancy.

F. Adolph Rodewald received his early education in the district schools of his neighborhood and for one term attended the public schools at Herman, Sheboygan county. Later he was a student for three and one-half years in the Mission House College, near Franklin, Sheboygan county. On leaving college he went to Wausau, where he was employed for one summer in a sawmill, in which the men worked eleven and one-half hours per day, the mill being in operation night and day and there being only two shifts of hands. During his leisure hours there he prepared to take a teacher's examination, which he successfully passed the following fall. That winter he taught a seven months term of school at Wien, seven months being the longest school term then in the county. The following spring he taught in a German school at Rhine, where he had been engaged the previous spring. In the fall he returned to the same school at Wien, teaching there that winter, and by the spring term he was again teaching at the German school. He then retired from the profession of teaching having been in that work in all for three terms in the German school and two terms at Wien. In 1883 he purchased his present farm, to which he has since devoted his time and energy. He has greatly improved the same and now has on it excellent farm buildings and a beautiful modern home. He engages quite extensively in farming but gives most of his attention to dairying, which industry he carries on quite extensively. Ever since his residence on the farm he has been a member of the board of directors of the Mutual Farmers Fire Insurance Company of Newton, has held several offices in the same and is now serving as secretary.

In 1884 Mr. Rodewald married Miss Eliza Tasche, who is a native of Sheboygan county and a daughter of August and Mary Tasche. The parents emigrated from Germany in 1855, settling in Sheboygan county, where the mother still lives, at the age of seventy-three years, the father having passed away in 1885. To Mr. and Mrs. Rodewald have been born eight children, three of whom are deceased, namely August, who died at the age of seventeen months; Emma, who died at the age of nineteen years; and Maria, who died aged thirteen. Those living are, Zilla, Ida, Lydia, Hattie and Paul.

Politically Mr. Rodewald belongs to the democratic party and he has given much attention to local party work. At the age of thirty he was elected town clerk and served for two terms. In 1891 he became town chairman, which office he held for ten consecutive terms and then, being out of office for four years, was again elected for three terms in succession. He has taken a most careful and helpful interest in the schools of his district and since 1885-a period of over twenty-six years-he has served as clerk of the school district. Mr. Rodewald has resided in this county all his life and has not only seen the progress and development that have here occurred but has been a cooperant factor in all measures of reform which were instituted for the good of the public. Able and energetic, he has many friends both in the business and social world. In youth, while engaged in teaching, he always gave his work careful consideration, discharging his duties in the most efficient manner, and was, therefore, a highly successful teacher. Turning his attention to farming and dairying, he pursued that vocation with the same thorough interest in his work that has always been so characteristic of him and as a result he is one of the substantial business men of his community today.

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