Frederick Remann

Frederick Remann (May 10, 1847 – July 14, 1895) was an Illinois Republican politician who served in the Illinois House of Representatives and was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Illinois. His single term in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, in which he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents as a member of the Republican Party.

Remann was born in Vandalia, Fayette County, Illinois, on May 10, 1847. He attended the common schools of Vandalia before continuing his education at Mifflin Academy in Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Seeking further training in business, he enrolled at Iron City Business College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in April 1865. His early life thus combined the experience of small-town Illinois with formal academic and commercial education in other states.

During the closing phase of the American Civil War, Remann entered military service in the Union Army. He served as a corporal in Company E of the 143rd Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. This regiment was one of the short-term units raised in Illinois in 1864, and his service as a noncommissioned officer provided him with early leadership experience and exposure to public duty at a formative age.

After the war, Remann resumed his education. He again attended Mifflin Academy in 1866 and 1867, and then pursued collegiate studies in Illinois. He was graduated from Illinois College at Jacksonville in 1868. Following his graduation, he returned to his native Vandalia, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits. His work in business anchored him in the commercial life of his community and helped establish his standing in local affairs.

Remann’s involvement in public life began at the local and county levels. He served as county supervisor of Fayette County, Illinois, where he participated in the administration of county government. In Vandalia, he also held municipal office as an alderman, contributing to the governance and development of the city. In addition to these elected roles, he became active in party politics and served as a delegate to numerous Republican state conventions, reflecting his growing influence within the Republican Party in Illinois.

Building on this local and party experience, Remann advanced to state legislative office. He was elected a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and served in that body in 1877 and 1878. As a Republican legislator, he contributed to the legislative process in Springfield during a period of post–Civil War adjustment and economic development in Illinois, participating in debates and decisions affecting both his district and the state at large.

Remann later attained national office when he was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress. He was chosen to represent Illinois in the United States House of Representatives and officially began his term on March 4, 1895. His service in Congress, however, was cut short. Although he had been elected and his term had commenced, he died in office in Vandalia, Illinois, on July 14, 1895, before the formal convening of Congress. His tenure thus consisted of one term in office, during which he stood as the duly elected representative of his Illinois constituency in the national legislature.

Frederick Remann was interred in South Hill Cemetery in Vandalia, Illinois. His career traced a path from Civil War service and local business to county and municipal office, state legislative service, and ultimately election to the United States House of Representatives, marking him as a figure of note in the political history of Illinois in the late nineteenth century and as one of the members of Congress who died while in office during that era.