"An Illustrated history of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties : with a
brief outline of the early history of the state of Oregon." Chicago?: Western
Historical Pub. Co., 1902.  Page 622.  Malheur County.

FREDERICK GELLERMAN

     One of the real pioneers of this section as also of others heretofore, and
a principal builder of Malheur county, is the subject of this sketch, and he is
a man who is deserving mention in any compilation that has to do with the
history of this section, being a man of enterprise, industry, and capabilities,
far above the average, and withal manifesting stanch principles of uprightness,
wisdom, and excellent judgment in all of the trying scenes through which he has
passed in the course of his frontier experiences.
     Mr. Gellerman, as so many of our best citizens, was born in Germany, the
spot being Hanover, and the date of this important event being September 4,
1839, and his parents Bernard and Ann Gellerman.  In his native land he was
educated, learned the blacksmith trade, and remained until 1858, when he left
the Fatherland for the opportunities of the new world.  Landing at the
well-known Castle Garden, he was soon on his way to Greene county, Iowa, where
he followed both blacksmithing and farming.  On December 4, 1862, occurred the
marriage of Mr. Gellerman and Miss Hannah, daughter of Henry and Mary Drodge,
who were immigrants from Berlin, coming thence in 1851 and locating in Clayton
county, Iowa, where the marriage just mentioned occurred.  Mrs. Gellerman was
born in Germany on July 12, 1844.  In 1862 the adventurous spirit of our subject
led him to seek further in the west and so over the plains he came with his
newly wedded wife, having the thrilling experience of nearly losing her in a
serious runaway.  They settled in Lander county, Nevada, having their near
neighbors at a distance of eleven miles, thus demonstrating the true pioneer
pluck of the worthy couple.  He at once began to mine and later to raise stock
and as the range was eaten off he came further north and in 1879 sold his
possessions down there and came through to lower Willow creek, Oregon.  Deciding
that he had found the right place, Mr. Gellerman purchased the raw land where
his fine estate is today, three miles west from Vale.  He at once set to work to
improve, and that was no small task, seeing that he had to go to Baker City for
provisions and to Emmonsville, forty-five miles distant, for lumber.  He
steadily plodded along in the work of improvement and raising stock and now has
one of the finest places in the vicinity, an excellent house and other
buildings, three hundred and forty acres of fine soil and a goodly band of
cattle.  Of late years Mr. Gellerman has retired from the more active labors of
the farm and rents his land and stock.  Seven girls were born to this worthy
couple, named as follows, Amelia M., wife of F. Scott; Lillie B., wife of I. W.
Hope; Alice F., wife of J. Pederson; Hattie, wife of L. Teter; Matilda P., wife
of F. Zutz; Vidella, wife of L. Jones; and Lavina.  Mr. Gellerman is a charter
member of  the I.O.O.F., Vale Lodge, No. 100.  In politics, Mr. Gellerman is a
Republican and is a man of intelligence on the intricate questions of management
of the government.  While in the various places of the frontier he has had
considerable trouble from hostile savages and in that as in the other hardships
of his life, he has manifested the bravery, calmness, and steady continuity in
the prosecution of the right and fearlessly he has walked in his course and now
triumph is his to enjoy.
     Mrs. Gellerman's father died of cholera four days after arriving at their
destination in this country and the widowed mother was left with her little
flock in a strange land.  She died in 1890.  Mr. Gellerman's parents died in the
old country.
     By way of reminiscence it is interesting to note some of the hardships of
Mr. Gellerman's life and one among them is as follows:  He and his hired man
went out to explore the country and became lost in a terrible fog and at last
they were forced by exhaustion to camp in the snow on the summit of the
mountain.  They ate their rations in bed, the cold was so intense.  The animals
had been hobbled to prevent being lost and the next morning the icicles hung
from their nostrils to the ground.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in February 2006 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.