clodiusc
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
CLAUS H. CLODIUS. One of
Ritzville's leading grain merchants is Claus H. Clodius, who was born in
Illinois, September 19, 1871. His father, Christopher F. Clodius,
a native German, who came to the United States in 1868, is now living the
life of a retired farmer and land owner near Ritzville. His mother,
Gretje (Hoyt) Clodius, is also a native of Germany, and married the elder
Clodius in Illinois.
In his fifteenth year Claus H. Clodius came
with his parents to Ritzville, where, for some years he attended the Ritzville
graded school, afterward taking charge of the farm while his father engaged
in the lumber and grain business. In 1894 he entered into partnership
with F. G. Spanjer and D. Von Holt in the merchandise business, in which
the three continued as partners until the year 1899 when the firm was changed
to Clodius & Von Holt, which endured until 1901, when they sold out
to Kendrick & Company, and Mr. Clodius engaged in grain buying until
May, 1904.
In addition to his grain business, Mr. Clodius
is interested with his brothers and his father in mining property in Ymir,
British Columbia, in the development of which they have expended a considerable
amount of money. They are interested also in a marble quarry in Stevens
county, besides which our subject has a large share in the Washington Monumental
& Cut Stone Company, of Spokane, and holds the office of vice president.
He is also the president of the Tenino Sandstone & Townsite Company
of Tenino, Washington. Mr. Clodius possesses one-quarter section
of land near Ritzville, thirty-five acres of which is devoted to hay culture,
while twenty acres is platted into town lots; five sections of raw land
in Douglas and Adams counties: a fine home where he lives; besides extensive
interests in conjunction with his father and brothers.
Mr. Clodius has two brothers, P. Fred and
John C., both of Ritzville and three sisters; Tena M., wife of J. G. Vehrs,
a farmer living near Ritzville; Mary A. and Sena, both at home.
At Ritzville, in December, 1894, Mr. Clodius
was married to Minnie Pfannekuchen, a native of Wisconsin. The father
of Mrs. Clodius, Otto Pfannekuchen, who died in Ritzville in 1896, was
a native of Germany. The mother, Caroline Pfannekuchen, also a German,
lives on a farm near town.
Mrs. Clodius has four brothers and one sister,
William E., John F., Henry, Fritz, and Emma, wife of Jacob Schott, of Ritzville.
Mr. and Mrs. Clodius have four children, Carl
C., Arthur O., Clara C., and H. Theodore.
Both Mr. Clodius and wife are members of the
German Congregational church. Politically, our subject is a Republican,
and has served his party as delegate to both county and state conventions,
Nothing could much better indicate the vigor
and enterprise of Mr. Clodius than the fact that since the above was written,
he has worked with various others so successfully that he stands at the
head of the large German-American State Bank, which opened its doors in
Ritzville on July 1, 1904. Its home is in a commodious modern fire
proof structure at the corner of Second avenue and D street, one of the
choice locations in the town. Mr. Clodius is a member of the board
of directors and also is president of the institution. It is capitalized
for one hundred thousand dollars and is backed by the most substantial
men of Adams county. Mr. Clodius has been a moving spirit in the
organization of the bank and his sagacity and keen business ability insure
for it a successful career.
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