Charles Otto Lobeck (April 6, 1852 – January 30, 1920) was a

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

politician who served four terms as a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

. Born in

Andover, Illinois Andover is a village in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 555 at the 2020 census, down from 578 in 2010 census. History Andover is the oldest community in Henry County. Andover was the first area to be settled as a tow ...

, he attended German Wallace College (Now

Baldwin-Wallace College Baldwin Wallace University (BW) is a private university in Berea, Ohio, United States. Established in 1845 as Baldwin Institute by Methodist businessman John Baldwin, it merged with nearby German Wallace College in 1913 to become Baldwin-Wallac ...

) in

Berea, Ohio Berea ( ) is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 18,545 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A western suburb of Cleveland, it is a part of the Greater Cleveland, Cleveland metropolitan area. Berea is home ...

and the Dyhrenfurth Commercial College in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. He moved to Dayton, Iowa in 1869 finding a job as a clerk in a

general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...

. He was a commercial traveler in Iowa and Nebraska from 1875 to 1892. In 1892 he engaged in the hardware business in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

and worked until 1895. Also in 1892 he was elected as a Republican to the Nebraska

state senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

serving in 1893. From 1897 to 1903 he served in the Omaha

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

, also selling real estate and insurance on the side. He switched parties to become a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

. He was a

Presidential Elector In the United States, the Electoral College is the group of presidential electors that is formed every four years for the sole purpose of voting for the president and vice president in the presidential election. This process is described in ...

for Nebraska in 1900. He served as city controller from 1903 until 1911. He was elected as a

to the

Sixty-second United States Congress The 62nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1911, t ...

and to the three succeeding Congresses serving from March 4, 1911, to March 3, 1919. During his time in the house he became chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Expenditures in the Treasury Department during the Sixty-third through Sixty-fifth Congresses. He unsuccessfully ran for reelection in 1918, returning to the real estate and insurance business. He died in Omaha and is buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Omaha. He was a member of the

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

church.

References

# # * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lobeck, Charles Otto 1852 births 1920 deaths Methodists from Nebraska Burials at Prospect Hill Cemetery (North Omaha, Nebraska) Baldwin Wallace University alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska 1900 United States presidential electors Nebraska state senators Omaha City Council members Nebraska Republicans 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Nebraska Legislature