| Notes |
- Louis Bernreuter, son of Dr. Conrad Bernreuter (*) was born in St. Charles, MO on April 11th, 1863 where his parents had fled during the Civil War to escape harassment by local Southern Sympathizers. At the close of the war the family returned to Nashville, Illinois.
Louis was the youngest of three sons and began his career as a school teacher in the Nashville High School. In 1892 he married Minna Krughoff, of Hoyleton Township, who was the daughter of Fred Krughoff and his wife Wilhelmina, nee Peithman.
As a young teenager he drove for his father on medical calls, which at this time were made by horse and buggy, and often assisted him in amputations which in those days was about the limit of surgery. At this time he became interested in Art and went to classes via the L. & N. and Illinois Central trains to the Irvington Community where a colony of New Englanders had settled bringing some of their culture and talent with them.
Louis was a avid reader and student and began his Law studies by reading in the Law Office of Charles T. Moore and by attending Apellate Court Sessions in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. He passed the Illinois State Bar examinations in 1894. He ran for County Judge on the Republican ticket and was elected in 1903, serving one and half terms before he ran for Circuit Judge of the 3rd Judicial District of Illinois in 1909. He held this office four successive terms, totaling 24 years. The 3rd Judicial District consisted of Seven Counties as follows: Madison, Bond, St. Clair, Washington, Perry, Monroe and Randolph (**). As a judge he was always tolerant and patient with young inexperienced lawyers in his court, who in later years referred to him affectionately as "Unle Louis". It should be mentioned also that he was a man of high integrity and fairness to the guilty as well as the non-guilty. After retirement in 1933, at age 70, he returned to a leisurely Law practice and died in 1943.
Judge Bernreuter and his wife Minna were the parents of two children. Ruth born in 1896 and Edward Louis born in 1906. Ruth the writer of this sketch married James Albert Watts, Jr. of Nashville in 1922 in New York City. He was the son of J. A. Watts, Sr. an Attorney of Nashville. They were the parents of three children, David, James and Joan.
David, who lives in Nashville, was born in 1923, and operates a Mimeographing Service.
James, known as "Bud" was born in 1925, who is a farmer and Land Manager also lives in Nashville. He married Imogene Decker in 1948 after being discharged from the Submarine service after World War II. They have three sons, Bill, Tom, and Eric. Bill married Pamela Boone of Mt. Vernon, Il. in 1978 and they have one daughter, Beth Melinda, born in 1979, also two sons, Blaine and Mickey Middleton, sons of Pamela by a former marriage. Bill's field is in construction.
Thomas, Bud's second son, married Katherine Alonzo of St. Louis, MO in 1973. Their First child Brian, was born in 1975 and died in infancy the same year. Two more sons, Christopher and Steven were born in 1976 and 1979 respectively. He is associated with his father in farming in Nashville.
Eric, the third son, married Eve Linsner of Palatine, Illinois in 1979. He is employed by Stotlar Grain at the Chicago Board of Trade.
Joan, the third child of Ruth and Albert was born in 1928 and married Wm. Huffman, Jr. of Carbondale in 1947 where they own and operate a Funeral Home. They are the parents of two daughters, Jane, born in 1948 and Elizabeth, born in 1950. Jane married Mark Koprucki of Chicago in 1976. He is a Financial Analyst in the First National Bank of Cincinnati. Elizabeth married Bakr Abolkhair in 1977. He is an Economist from Ryadh, Saudi Arabia. They have one son, Abdullah, born in 1979 in Berkeley, California where they live.
All the last five generations in this history were born in Nashville, Illinois, except Jane and Elizabeth Huffman born in Carbondale, Illinois.
*Further information may be found in the 1879 History of Washington County on page 56.
**Further Information can be found in "History of Southern Illinois" by George Washington Smith, Dean of the History Dept. of Southern Illinois University in Vol. III on page 1234.
1979 WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORY
|
1863 - 1944 (81 years)
