General Info

About Karl Schoening & Sons, Inc Karl Schoening, founder of Karl Schoening & Sons, Inc, established one of the best known decorating concerns in the Rockford area. Born in Hoexter, Westphalia, Germany, in 1880, his background is both thoroughly substantial and interesting. After the rigid rules of an apprenticeship, which included many hours of both hard work and trade school, his first business was established in Germany. In 1923, Karl left Germany to come to the United States where a real freedom awaited his ability and ambitions. His remarkable talent for Cathedral decoration soon became apparent to architects both in the East and the Central West of the U.S. From then, his progress was assured ; however, not without hard work and many denials. Karl's very fine work in churches in the East, Chicago, and Milwaukee was called to the attention of a local architect, Wybe VanDerMeer, who encouraged Mr. Schoening to relocate to Rockford, where he subsequently opened Karl Schoening and Sons, Inc In the spring of 1952, Karl Schoening died and Karl Schoening, Jr. assumed leadership of Schoening's. The company was incorporated in 1954 and current owner, Joe Maring, began his apprenticeship shortly after arriving from Germany in 1960. In 1983, Mr. Maring and his wife, Maniena, assumed total ownership of Karl Schoening & Sons, Inc Under their joint leadership, Schoening's is still the Rockford area's leading painting and decorating contractors.