He emigrated to Dayton, Ohio, from the Kingdom of Bavaria, with his family, at the age of 6.
[1] Having no opportunity to attend school, he worked in a tobacco stripping house at a very young age.
Before reaching his teens, he worked for a local nursery, where he received training in the gardening industry.
[2] Spring Hill Nurseries was initially a wholesale garden store, providing plants and services to locals.
The garden center retained a smaller retail store, which is still functioning today.