Frederick C. Orthwein

Orthwein was born on May 11, 1871, in St. Louis,[1] where his father, William D. Orthwein, was a German-born grain merchant.[1]

Orthwein was the owner and president of the William D. Orthwein Grain Company, founded by his father.[1] In 1900, he co-founded the Gulf Ports Grain Exporters' Association, a trade organization whose aim was to set common rules of grain exports among merchants in St. Louis, Chicago and Kansas City, Missouri.[2] Orthwein served as its secretary and treasurer.[2]

Orthwein also served as the president of the William F. Niedringhaus Investment Company, his father-in-law's investment firm.[1] Like his father, he served on the boards of directors of the Mississippi Valley Trust Company and the Kinloch Telephone Company.[1] He also served on the boards of the St. Louis Coke & Chemical Company, the Gilbsonite Construction Company, and Anheuser-Busch.[1] From 1913 to 1915, Orthwein served on the board of the National Bank of Commerce of St. Louis.[1]

In 1896, Orthwein married Jeannette F. Niedringhaus, the daughter of William F. Niedringhaus and niece of Frederick G. Niedringhaus.[1] They had three sons—William D. Orthwein II, Frederick C. Orthwein Jr., and Richard Walter Orthwein—and one daughter, Janet.[1] They were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.[1]

Orthwein was a member of the St. Louis Club, the Racquet Club of St. Louis, the Sunset Hill Country Club, and the Bellerive Country Club.[1] He was an avid golf player.[1]

Orthwein died in 1927. He was buried at the Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.