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NEWTON V. ALLEBACH. The beginning of the career of Newton V. Allebach was characterized by hard work and conscientious endeavor, and he owes his rise to no train of fortunate incidents or fortuitous circumstances. His rise has not been of the meteoric type, but has been steady and slow. The major portion of his life has been devoted to railroad service, having been on the Frisco system for a number of years, and he is the present popular general chairman of the Order of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, in which he has long been active and influential.
Mr. Allebach was born in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, August 6, 1860. He is a son of Abraham H. and Catherine (Kramer) Allebach. The father was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, September 27, 1810, and the mother was also born in the old Keystone state in the year 1833. There they grew to maturity, received limited educations in the early-day schools and they were married in Clarion county and established the family home there, Mr. Allebach engaging in the mercantile business. He was twice married, our subject being a child by his second wife, and is one of six sons, four of whom are still living, namely: Ansen M. lives in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Rufus D. is deceased. Newton V., subject of this sketch, Arlington H. is deceased; Melvin C. lives in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Victor L. lives in East Brady. The death of Abraham H. Allebach occurred June 14, 1881, his wife, mother, of our subject, surviving until in January, 1912, both dying in Pennsylvania, where they spent their lives. Politically he was a Lincoln Republican, and fraternally was a member of the Masonic Order, while his wife belonged to the Eastern Star.
Newton V. Allebach grew to manhood in his native community in Clarion county and he received a common school education. When he was seventeen years of age he went to Minnesota and worked in various parts of that state. For some time he engaged in lumbering at the head of Lake Superior. In 1881 he went to. North Dakota, and in 1884 he began his career as railroader at Fargo, that state, on the Northern Pacific as fireman, and was later promoted to engineer on switch engines and freight trains. He remained in the North until 1889, when he had a run into Montana and Wyoming, then was in the employ of the Southern Pacific until in September, 1895, when he came to Monett, Missouri and went to work for the Frisco system as freight engineer, his run being from that city to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and in 1906 he was given a passenger train and was in that service about seven years. His career in the trains service on all the above named roads has been eminently commendable and satisfactory, and is a record of duty ably and faithfully performed.
Mr. Allebach has been actively engaged in the work of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers since 1895. He moved to Springfield in 1910, where he has since resided. Since his election to general chairman in above order he has devoted his time exclusively to the interests of the order. His position is one of importance and considerable responsibility, and he is kept very busy looking after adjustments and the man things constantly coming up to be attended to, which requires a man of tact, diplomacy and forceful personality, as well as energy and fidelity. The splendid record Mr. Allebach has made in this important office with which he has been honored would in dictate the wisdom of his selection and his services are entirely satisfactory to all concerned. He is one of the best known and most universally liked railroad men in the South West, being a good mixer, friendly, genial, honest and conscientious.
Mr. Allebach was married in Monett, Missouri, December 25, 1897, to Nora Blakeslee, who was born in northern Pennsylvania in 1870, where she spent her early girlhood, being eight years old when her parents, Lafayette and Delia (Cook) Blakeslee removed with her to Barry county, Missouri. These parents were natives of Pennsylvania, where they grew to maturity received limited educations in the common schools and were married. The death of the father occurred in Barry county, Missouri, where Mrs. Allebach was reared to womanhood and educated in the common schools. The mother is still living. Mr. Blakeslee devoted his active life to farming and contracting. His family consisted of eight children.
To Mr. and Mrs. Allebach four children have been born, namely: Franz, born October 3, 1898; Vernon V., born September 13, 1901; Karl A., born November 3, 1904; Catherine, born May 22, 1907, died December 4, 1908.
Politically Mr. Allebach is a Democrat. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic Order, is a Knights Templar, and a member of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Religiously the family belongs to the Presbyterian church.
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