From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 

Typed by Laurie Birks Dean

pp. 415-416

Fidelius RIESTER, who is secretary of the German Fire Insurance 
Company of Wheeling, which is by far the leading company of its kind 
in West Virginia, has been a resident of Wheeling for a number of 
years.  He was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, and in 1869 came to the 
United States.  He located at Zanesville, Ohio, where he remained for 
two years, and in 1871 settled in Wheeling.  For three years he was 
in the employ of P. Welty & Company, wholesale liquor dealers, as 
traveling salesman.
	Mr. Riester became secretary of the German Fire Company of 
Wheeling in 1874, and has held that position ever since, with the 
exception of three years, - from 1884 until 1887.  This company was 
organized May 15, 1867, by a company of 145 German citizens of 
Wheeling, who from their number chose officers and directors who 
attended to the business of the organization.  All records have been 
kept in the German language from the outset.  The first officers 
were:  President, John Oesterling, deceased, who was also president 
of the Central Glass Company; vice-president, August Wiedebusch; 
secretary, Joseph Seybold, who is also deceased, and who was cashier 
of the Bank of Wheeling; and treasurer, Anton Reymann.  The first 
directors were John Oesterling, August Wiedebusch, Anton Reymann, 
John Pfarr, John Roemer, B. Kammer, Philip Schnehle, William Klieves 
and Christian Hess.  The present board of directors consists of 
William F. Stifel, Henry Bieberson, Augustus Pollack, Frederick 
Schenk, H. F. Behrens and F. Riester.
	The headquarters of this company were originally at the office 
of Mr. Seybold, who was at that time sheriff of Ohio county.  One 
year later the company removed to the Beck Block, on Market street, 
and in 1878 to its present location at No. 29 Fourteenth street, 
where it occupies two large rooms.  William G. E. Goering is 
assistant secretary and S. W. Rice is special agent, while Christian 
Vieweg, Jr., is city agent.  The company started with a paid-up 
capital stock of $10,000; it now has a paid-up capital of $100,000, 
besides a surplus, over all liabilities, of $140,000.  The stock has 
been paying dividends regularly since 1876.  The company operates in 
West Virginia, Ohio and Illinois, having local agents in those 
states, who are supervised by the special agents.
	Mr. Riester married a daughter of Sebastian Welty.  Mr. Riester 
is a Democrat.  He is a member of the Arion Association, of which he 
was once of the founders.  He is a member of St. Alphonsus' German 
Catholic church.  He is an honest, upright citizen, and is highly 
esteemed by all as a man worthy of the confidence reposed in him.