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PROFESSOR ANDREW EMANUEL LIBKE,
since 1909 superintendent of schools in West Salem, and identified with the profession since 1900, was born on a farm immediately south of West Salem, on April 9, 1877. He is the son of Charles A. Libke and Catherine (Breining) Libke.
Charles A. Libke was born in Edwards county, February 23, 1854, and was the youngest son of Frederick Libke, a native of Germany, and the only one of the family to be born in America. Frederick Libke immigrated from Germany in 1852 and settled in Edwards county on a farm near West Salem. He had a family of eight children, all of whom were born in Germany with the exception of the youngest son, Charles, who is the father of Andrew Emanuel Libke of this review. One of the children died and was buried at sea while the family was making the passage from the Fatherland, and three of the number are now living,—Charles A., Frederick and Mrs. Lucy Felderman. Charles Libke owns a fine farm of one hundred and ten acres near West Salem, where he has lived the greater part of his life. He was twice married. His first wife was Catherine Breining, born November 12, 1852, in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Jacob Breining, a native of Germany, who first settled in Pennsylvania, later moved to Missouri and finally established a home in Wayne county, Illinois. She died on November 13, 1894, having reared a family of nine children. They are: Andrew E:; Mrs. E. A. Moody, living at Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada; Mrs. Daisy Elliot, living on a farm near West Salem; Samuel, a resident of the state of Washington; Harry, living in West Salem; Nora, married to Harry Voigt, living in West Salem; Lloyd, who lives at home; and Lora and Roy, who died in infancy.
Andrew Emanuel Libke was a student in the Little Brick district school just south of West Salem as a boy and was graduated from the West Salem high school with the class of 1898, after which he studied in the Southern Collegiate Institute at Albion. In 1900 he began teaching, for six years confining his labors to the country districts, four of which were in his home district. In 1906 he became assistant principal of the West Salem high school, and in 1909, 50 well had he fulfilled his duties, he was appointed 'to the position of superintendent of the
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schools of the town and principal of the high school. The high school has an average attendance of twenty-six students, while the schools of the town have an eiirollment of two hutdred and seventy-five, and he has a corps of six teachers as assistants. His success in his chosen line of work is in every way worthy of the approbation of his fellow men, who have expressed their pleasure and appreciation by giving him positions of higher importance with each succeeding year.
Professor Libke is connected with a number of fraternal orders, among them the Ben Hurs, the Odd Fellows and the Rebekabs. He has been financial secretary of the Odd Fellows for the past eight years. He is a Republican in his political faith, and firm in his convictions, although not in any sense a politician.
In 1905 Professor Libke was united in marriage with Miss Carrie J. Lopp, the daughter of Jacob and Eliza Lopp, of West Salem. Mrs. Libke also taught a number of terms in the village and country schools before her marriage, and has filled a number of vacancies, assisting her husband since her marriage.