Biography of John Matthias Shoudel, pages 862/863. History 
of DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 
Indianapolis, 1914.



In placing the name of John Matthias Shoudel before the 
reader as one who stood for many years in the front rank of 
the enterprising men of affairs and a leader in 
agricultural circles of DeKalb county, Indiana,  whose 
influence tended to the upbuilding of the locality of his 
residence and the advancement of the affairs of his county, 
simple justice is done a biographical fact, recognized 
throughout the community by those at all familiar with his 
history and cognizant of the important part he acted in the 
circles with which he was identified. His career presents a 
notable example of those qualities of mind and character 
which overcome obstacles and win success, and he was 
eminently deserving of the high place he held in the hearts 
of those with whom he was associated.  John Matthias 
Shoudel was born in 1814 in Bavaria, Germany, and was the 
son of John Shoudel. He was reared and educated in his 
native land, and there, on reaching mature years, he 
married Magdalena Miller, a native of the same locality and 
a daughter of John Miller. Mr. Shoudel learned the trade of 
a weaver in his native land and also gave some attention to 
farming. In 1854, desiring larger opportunities for 
advancement, he came to the United States.  After spending 
a few months in New York he went to Chicago, and while 
living there, in 1855, he sent for his family, who had 
remained in the fatherland. He was employed on the docks in 
Chicago, but in 1857 he joined, with four others, Frank 
Miller, John Miller, Xavier Schmidt and Frederick Schmidt, 
and they brought their families to DeKalb county, where 
they bought forty acres of land, for which they paid three 
hundred dollars, and then they divided the land between 
then, eight acres each. This land was located in section 
15, Smithfield township, and had not been disturbed by 
human hand since the red man left it. Mr. Shoudel at once 
cleared a spot on which he erected a log cabin, and applied 
himself to the strenuous task of felling the timber and 
getting the land in shape for cultivation. His first 
winter's efforts amounted to two acres of cleared land, and 
during the season the main diet of the family consisted of 
corn bread and wild game, of which latter there was an 
abundance. Eventually Mr. Shoudel was able to buy a yoke of 
steers, and after a while he secured a second yoke, which 
greatly facilitated this labors. He managed well, was 
wisely economical and at length was able to buy forty acres 
more land, and with this as a nucleus his affairs assumed a 
promising aspect. Industry, persistence and good management 
were the essential qualities which contributed to his 
success and he was able to buy more land from time to time 
until at the time of his death he was the owner of two 
hundred acres of splendidly improved farm land. John 
Matthias Shoudel died in 1880, and was survived a few years 
by his widow, whose death occurred in 1886.  In the affairs 
of the community Mr. Shoudel took a leading part and no 
movement of any moment was launched without his assistance 
and co-operation. When St. Michael's Catholic church  was 
instituted here during the eighties, Mr. Shoudel was one of 
the thirteen persons who requested the bishop of the 
diocese to establish the church, and for many years he was 
one of the leading members of the parish. He was one of the 
oldest men in the community, and to him many looked for 
advice and counsel in their temporal affairs, and he ever 
proved worthy of their confidence. His integrity and 
fidelity were manifested in every relation of life, and his 
plain, rugged honesty, his open-hearted manner, undisguised 
and unaffected, is to his descendants a sweet and lasting 
memory.  To John Matthias and Magdalena Shoudel were born 
the following children: Baltzer, Michael L., Matthias, 
Agnes and John, the latter dying at the age of twenty-two 
years.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com