The following excerpt is from:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Stephenson County, Illinois. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1888. (page 490)
Andrew Gochnaur, a retired farmer of Rock Grove Township, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., Aug. 23, 1823. He is the son of Jacob Gochnaur, a grandson of James, whose father, a native of Germany came to America at an early day, leaving but one child, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who was a farmer. Possessing unusual intelligence and a fine discrimination between right and wrong, he was chosen arbitrator to settle the disputes which arose among the people of the community in Pennsylvania where he lived. He died at the age of eighty years.
The father of Mr. Gochnaur was born in Lancaster County, Pa., and lived with his parents until he was married to Miss Mary Staman, whose people were Pennsylvania farmers. In 1832 the ather migrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and bought a farm in Linn County, on which he lived severeal years. Disposing of this farm he moved to Stark County and rented a farm fro two years, but preferring Wayne County as a place of residence removed to that county and purchased another farm. Two years later he sold this farm and moved to Steuben County, Ind., where he purchased a farm on which he remained until he died, at the age of seventy-five or eighty years. The mother also died there, at the age of about seventy-two.
Mr. Gochnaur remained at home with his parents until he arrived at the age of fifteen, when he went out to work by the month, at which he continued until the spring of 1850. In the winter of that year he came to Stephenson County, where he located and worked that season. The next spring he went to Wisconsin and engaged in running a sawmill for eighteen months. He then returned to the farm in Stephenson County, which he had bought the first year he came to this county. He lived there until 1881, when he retired from active farm life and moved to the town of Rock Grove.
Mr. Gochnaur was married, in 1847 to Miss Mary A. Brenizer, daughter of John Brenizer, who was the son of David Brenizer, a native of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Gochnaur was born Dec. 14, 1823. Her father came to Stephenson County in 1849, and died at the age of eighty-one in Rock Grove Township. His wife died in the same township, aged seventy-six. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Gochnaur are as follows: John B., born the 6th of January, 1850, married Miss Addie Barnes, and is now farming in Nebraska; William H., born Dec. 1, 1854, is working at the harness trade in Los Angeles, Cal.; Catherine E., born Feb. 5, 1859, is the wife of John Candy, a farmer of Rock Grove Township; Frank A., born Sept.12, 1863, married Miss D. Emery, and is farming in Nebraska; Harrison D. was born March 25, 1868, and Mary E., Dec. 26, 1870. The father and mother of Mr. Gochnaur were members of the society of Dunkards and the father and mother of Mrs. G. belong to the River Bretheren Church.
Mr. Gochnaur is a Republican in politics and takes much interest in the drift of political affairs in the State and Nation, as well as in Stephenson County. He has been Collector in Dakota Township and a School Director. Being a man in whom confidence is universally reposed, it has fallen to him to settle the estates of a large number of decedents, and it may be said to his credit that those estates have been settled economically, promptly, and without the loss of a dollar. He owns 285 acres of valuable land in Dakota Township, and fifteen acres adjoining Rock Grove, also twenty acres of timber land and 320 acres in Nebraska.