Louis Frank Newman was born on December 19, 1857 in Montgomery, Alabama and was the son of Rebeka and Seeman Newman. His father was a German emigrate as a result of the REvolution of 1848. He lived in Montgomery until the close of the Civil War and then his parents took him abroad. He was educated at Segnitz in Bavaria at a famous boy school where he spent the years from 1867 to 1871 and returned to this country at the age of 14. He entered into his fathers store to learn the dry goods business. Three years later, he left for New York and worked his way from Norfolk, VA on an Old Dominion steamship. Once in New York, he obtained employedment by making picture frames. A year later in 1876 he was drawn to the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelpha where he went to work as entry clerk with Sharples & Sons, a leading dry goods store in the city. He then became involved with the Young Men's Christian Association and resigned from all business life for at least ten years. In October of 1880 he was appointed the general secretary of the association at Richmond, Va. After leaving there, he was transferred to Detroit, Mich in February of 1883 where he was to occupy a similar position. He resigned in December 1890 after working there for 8 years and brought forth a flourishing insitution with a membership of nearly two thousand. During this time, he became a widely known speaker on social and relgious topics. He owned a very nice library and had one of the best collections of etching in the country. Since his retirement from the Young Men's Christian Association work, he then devoted his attention to real estate, making is home in Springfield. In May of 1893, he purchawed a fifty acre tracrt of land in Springfield and by the end of one year, he had built a dozen fine houses. He married Lura Barden on May 11, 1893 and they had one son, Gwendel Barden Neuman.

Note: Above information from Men of progress : one thousand biographical Louis Newman - Google Books website)

Death certificate shows that Lewis Newman's parents as unknown, male, white, married, occupation (not sure of what is written), born December 19, 1857 Alabama and died on April 15, 1912 in St. Louis, Gratiot Co., Michigan at the age of 54 years 3 months and 27 days, cause of death cerebral hemorrhage. Informant Mrs. Lura Newman of St. Louis, Michigan. Burial was on April 18, 1912 Oak Grove, St. Louis, Michigan.

Name: Louis F Newman
Age in 1910: 52
Estimated birth year: abt 1858
Birthplace: Alabama
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Germany
Mother's Birth Place: Germany
Spouse's name: Lura
Home in 1910: St Louis Ward 3, Gratiot, Michigan
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Louis F Newman 52
Lura Newman 44
Gwendell B Newman 16
Pauline Lawrence 52