PROFESSOR GERHARD SCHOOF
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL , SAN JOSE

 Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: MAETKE, NAEVE

            Professor Gerhard Schoof, teacher of industrial drawing in the public schools, has a beautiful home and well-cared-for orchard of five acres off of Willow Street between Lincoln and Myrtle Avenues.  There are on the place about 325 French prunes, 225 apricots, 50 cherries, and an assortment of fruits for family use.  All of these are in bearing.  In 1887 only three acres were in bearing, the returns amounting to $600, this being the first crop from the orchard.  Professor Schoof has also a ranch of 150 acres near Pleasanton, Alameda County, which he is gradually setting out in fruit.

            He was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1849. His parents, Louis and Mary (Maetke) Schoof, were also natives of that locality.  His father was Professor of Mathematics at the Mining Academy at Clausthal, Hanover, which position he resigned after fifty years’ service, and now resides at Wiesbaden.  The subject of this sketch was educated in the Gymnasium of Clausthal, graduating at that institution in 1869.  He then attended the University of Göttingen, joining the army from there on the breaking out of the Franco-Prussian War, where he was promoted to a Second Lieutenancy and received the Order of the Iron Cross for special service in the Battle of Beaune La Rolande.  His colonel recommended him for the Iron Cross for successfully carrying dispatches and bringing some flying batteries to bear on the French which were attacking a village defended by his regiment.  After the close of the Franco-Prussian war he graduated at the Military Academy at Hanover, and then served the army until he came to the United States in 1872.  His first employment was surveying in New Jersey.  In 1873 he came to California and was employed in the office of his cousin, the City Surveyor of San Jose.  In 1874 he went to San Francisco, and for nine months was on the staff of the California Demokrat.  He then commenced lithographing, which he followed until 1876.  In that year he passed his examination as teacher of industrial drawing, being employed in the San Francisco schools until 1884, when he came to San Jose, since which time he has been employed in a similar position in the State Normal school.

            In 1877 Professor Schoof was married to Miss Martha Naeve, of Kiel, Holstein.  They have three children, Percy, born in 1878; Ella, in 1880; and Julia, in 1883.  Professor Schoof takes great pride in the roses on his ranch, of which there are between fifty and sixty rare varieties, which he values highly.  He also claims to have the largest cherry tree of the county on his place.  In politics he is more or less in sympathy with the Democratic party.

 

Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.

Pg. 366

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

Proofread by Betty Vickroy

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