"Biographical Record of Ogle Co." by S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, 1899

Hon. Charles Schneider, Mayor of Oregon, and cashier of the First National Bank, of that city, is a native of the city, and was born October 19, 1843, and is the son of John M. and Rebecca (Etnyre) Schneider, the former a natice of Bavaria, andf the latter of Washington County, Maryland.

John M. Schneider was born June 8, 1808, and in his native country grew to manhood, Ge came to the United States in 1834, settling first in Baltimore, Maryland where he remained for a time, removing from there to St. Louis, and later to Galena, Illinois. In 1836 he settled in Oregon, which at that time contained two log houses. He was a tailor by trade, but at Oregon opened first a grocery store and engaged in the grocery business, later establishing a clothing store and continued in the clothing business up to the time of his death, which occurred September 30, 1893. He was a successful business man and accumulated a good estate. In pollitics he was a Democrat, and religiously a Catholic. His wife, who was born at Smithsburg, Washington County, Maryland, August 20, 1808, was the eldest child of John and Catherine Etnyre, and came with her parents to Ogle County in 1839. In religious beliefs she was a Lutheran. She died in the spring of 1895. They were parents of three children, Charles, Mary and Ellen. Both daughters died in young womanhood.

Charles Schneider was reared in Oregon, and after obtaining his primary education in the public schools, entered the University of Notre Dame, at South Bend, Indiana, where he completed his course. After leaving that institution he returned to Oregon and clerked for a time in a store and in 1870 entered the banking house of Bayard & Company, as a bookkeeper. One year later this bank was converted into the First National Bank of Oregon, Illinois, and in 1874 Mr. Schneider was elected cashier, which position has held since. He was a little later elected one of the directors of the bank, and is still serving as such. The bank was chartered in 1871 with a capital of fifty thousand dollars. The present officers are George A. Mix, President; J. L. Rice, Vice-President and Charles Schneider, Cashier. In addition to those named, the directors are William H. Guilford and John Matmiller.

Mr. Schneider was married September 14, 1871, to Miss Fannie Weller, a native of Martinsburg, Virginia, and daughter of Daniel and Mary (Timmons) Weller. At an early day her parents located in Pine Creek Township, Ogle County, where she grew to womanhood. He father was born in Baltimore, Maryland, December 1, 1805, and died in Ogle County, December 26, 1890. He mother, who was a daughter of John Timmons, was born in Martinsburg, Virginia, and died November 11, 1886. With the exception of her brother Charles, now living in Pine Creek Township, Mrs. Schneider is the only one of her family now living. To Mr. and Mrs. Schneider, eight children have been born-Frank B., Charles J., William D., Leo, Mary, Bert A., Ellen and George E., all of whom are living but Mary, who died in infancy.

Mr. and Mrs. Schneider are members of the Catholic Church. In politics he is a Republican. In 1885 he was elected alderman and was re-elected three times. In 1893 he was elected Mayor of the city, re-elected in 1895, and again in 1897, and is yet serving in that office. No other Mayor ever served such a length of time. He is a public-spirited citizen, and believes in pushing things, desiring his city to take a position which it is entitled by its natural advantages. He is keenly alive to the demands of the age, and under his administration the city of his birth will not suffer in comparison to others. He is treasurer of the Rock River Electric Railroad, a new enterprise of which he is one of the promoters.

"History of Ogle Co., IL", Munsell Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, 1909.

Hon. Charles Schneider - Not the least of the legacies left Ogle County by its early pioneers are the sons who hear their name and maintain the reputation of their ancestors for honest and painstaking labor. Something of the iron of these courageous settlers has entered into the lives of their progeny, who, placed in entirely different and less exacting circumstances, fulfill their destiny with equally commendable zeal and conscientousness. Belonging to this class is Hon. Charles Schneider, a contributor to the commercial standing of the community of Oregon for the past thirty-four years, as cashier of the First National Bank and politically prominent as ex-alderman and Mayor of this town.

Mr. Schneider was born in Oregon, Ogle County, Ill., October 19, 1843, a son of John M. and Rebecca (Etnyre) Schneider. Joihn M. Schneider was born in Bavaria, Germany, and there learned the trade of tailor to which he devoted many years of his life. He was born June 8, 1808 and died September 30, 1893. Arriving in the United States the summer of 1834, he worked at his trade in Balitimore, St. Louis and Galena, and in 1836 settled in Oregon where he continued to make clothes for his male contemporaries. Subsequently he opened the first grocery store in the town and later still conducted a clothing business for the balance of his active life. He was a Democrat in politics and a Roman Catholic in religion. His wife was born in Maryland, August 20, 1808, and was the oldest of the children of John and Catherine Etnyre, who came to Ogle County in 1839. Mrs. Schneider died in 1895, leaving one child, Charles, Mary and Ellen having died previous to their mother.

After his graduation from Notre Dame University, South Bend, Ind., Charles Schneider began his independent career as clerk in store, and in 1870 became bookkeeper in the bank of Bayard & Miller. When this institution was converted into the First National Bank in 1872, he was advanced to the position of Cashier, and ever since has maintained this responsibility, being also a director of the bank. This institution is one of the strong and dependable monetary concerns in Ogle County, deriving its standing from the high character and extended experience of men directing its affairs.

At. Dixon, Ill., September 14, 1871, Mr. Schneider was united in marriage to Fannie Weller, who was born in Pine Creek Township, Ogle County, a daughter of Daniel and Mary (Timmons) Weller. To Mr. and Mrs. Schneider have been born the following children: Frank B., Charles J., William D., Leo, Mary (who died in infancy), Bert A., Ellen and George E. Mr. Schneider is a staunch upholder of Republican measures and principles, and for many years has been active in local political affairs. Beginning with 1885 he served three terms as Alderman, and in 1893, 1895, 1897 and 1900, was elected Mayor of Oregon, which office he held until the spring of 1907. Mr. Schneider is a wide-awake, genial and approachable gentleman, notwithstanding the conservatism hedging in all successful bankers, and which, of necessity, is a part of their business qualifications. He keeps abreast of the strenuous times in which he lives and is ever alive to ways of bettering his own condition and that of the community of which he is a respected and influential member.

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