KAMMEYER, HERMAN C.

Copyright 2011-2018 John N. Lupia, III

Herman "Henry" C. Kammeyer (1879-1949), was born at Lace, Downers Grove, Cook County, Illinois, on October 15, 1879, son of immigrant farmers from Hanover, Germany, Friedrich Herman Kammeyer (1841-196), and Dorothea Kammeyer (1853-1941).

In 1885, he and his family moved to Fredericksburg, Iowa.

In 1895, he moved to Brookfield, Illinois, then called Grossdale, and later on at La Grange, where he worked as a clerk in a grocery owned by the Mandel Brothers. While there he became fascinated by coins he encountered over the counter and began collecting.

From 1903 to 1906 he continued working in the grocery business opening his own store at Hinsdale, Illinois, in a town where he remained the rest of his life.

On May 5, 1904 he married Wilhelmine "Minnie" Dorothea Dieke (1881-1961). They had for children : Alvin (1905-1984), Dorothy (1909-2001), Robert (1913-2000), and Ralph (1917-1997).

From 1916 to 1928, he opened a garage selling automobiles on Chicago Avenue and Lincoln Street, keeping both the grocery store and garage while he still kept a sideline selling insurance.

From 1928-1949, he remained in the insurance business at Hinsdale.

From 1932 to 1948, he served as Town Clerk at Downers Grove, Cook County, Illinois.

He applied to the ANA in September 1937, and in October he became ANA Member No. 6501.

In 1937, he published a small sized leatherette coin booklet buying and selling coins. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library.

On January 4, 1939, he became a member of the Chicago Coin Club.

From 1944 to 1949, when he retired he suffered five strokes.

He joined a local stamp collecting club at Hinsdale.

He died on Wednesday night, September 7, 1949, of cerebral hemorrhage. He was a little more than a month short of 70 years of age. He was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church. He is buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery.

Bibliography :

The Numismatist, November (1949) : 688

The Numismatist, January (1950) : 41 obituary

Chicago Coin Club Annual Bulletin, Vol. 11 (1949) : 15