USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 77
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Mr. Mohr was married in Germany Nov. 3. 1873, to Caroline Rostermund. To them have been born the following children: Klaus, of San Francisco: Fred. at home; Henry, of Texas; Matilda (Mrs. Allen Law. renee), of Summit Lake township: Teresa (Mr -. Sandford Peters). of Dewald township; Minnie (Mrs. John Whalen). of Summit Lake township. Mr. Mohr has held the of- fice of school director for the last three years.
JOHN A. LOOSBROCK. president of the St. Kilian Store company and manager of the store at St. Kilian. in addition to his mercantile duties, manages his farm of 200 arres on section 20, Willmont township. He is a native of Dubuque county. lowa, where he was born Oct. 15. 1861. llis parents, Frank L. and Johanna (Jansen) Loosbrock. were natives of Holland. The father died when our subject was a child: the mother lives in Cresco, lowa.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
Mr. Loosbrock spent nearly his entire life in Dubuque county. He was raised on a farm and at the age of twenty-four years engaged in farming for himself, which he followed in Dubuque county until he came to Nobles county in the spring of 1904. Ar- riving here he bought his present farm, where he has since made his home. Mr. Loosbrock was one of the organizers of the St. Kilian Store Co. and is its president. Since December 1, 1907, when the store was opened, he has been its manager. The store is the only one in the little village of St. Kilian. and it is really a creditable insti- tution.
In the town of Dyersville, Iowa, Mr. Loos- brock was married May 25. 1886, to Johanna Johanning. She was born in Germany June IS65, and came to the United States 1 when fourteen years of age .. As a result of this union there have been born the follow- ing named children : Frank. born April 13, ISS7; Josepha, born Sept. 10. ISSS; Emil, horn April 1, 1890; Leo. born July 27, 1892; Alfred. born April 28. 1894: Rosie, horn June 22, 1897; Alvin, born June 11. 1899; FIenrietta, born June 18. 1901; Arthur, born April 22, 1903; Olive, horn June 27, 1905.
Mr. and Mrs. Loosbrock are members of the Catholic church of St. Kilian. and he has served as treasurer of the church organiza- tion for the past two years. lle also holds a membership in the Roman Catholic Mutual Protective society.
FRANK ULVELING is one of the pioneer residents of Adrian. where he was in Inisi- ness for many years. He was born in Luxemburg, Germany, but when one year of age he came with his parents to the I'nited States. The family settled in Wash- ington county, Wis., where his father died.
Soon after the founding of Adrian Frank and his brother. Peter, and his sisters and mother moved to that town. Frank and Peter engaged in the mercantile business under the firm name of Ulveling Bros. Up- on the death of Peter Uveling. in August. 1889. Frank engaged in the grain business with Faragher Bros. and continued in it until 1903.
Mr. Ilveling was married in Chicago in IN96 to Sarah MI. Dingeen. To them have
been born the following children: Frank llenry. born in Worthington Sept. IO, 1897; Edwin Victor, born in Adrian Jan. 19, 1899; Raphael Vincent. born in Adrian- May 9, 1902: Loretta Marie (deceased), born in Ad- rian Nov. 20, 1903; Raymond Emmett, born in Adrian April 27. 1905.
J. A. FARAGHIER is one of the early day settlers of Grand Prairie township, having made his home there for the last thirty years. He is a native of Dodgeville, Wis., where he was born Oct. 9. 1864, the son of James and Isabel (Tyre) Faragher, who now reside at Watertown. S. D. James Faragher was born in the Isle of Man in 1833. He first came to the United States when a young man in his twenties and made sev- oral trips back and forth before he located permanently. By occupation he was a miner and finally became permanently located in Dodgeville.
When the subject of this biography was a baby the family moved to Idaho territory, where the father engaged in placer mining for some time. They returned to Dodgeville in 1868 and located on a farm. It was in the fall of 1878 that the family came to Nobles county. The father bought a home- stead relinquishment to the northeast quar- ter of section 26, Grand Prairie township, from William Williams and proved upon it. Our subject resided at home until 1891, when he rented a farm in Grand Prairie and be- gan business for himself. He lived on the rented place until 1898. when he bought his present farm of 120 acres in section 2.
Mr. Faragher was married at Worthington April 2. 1892. to Kittie Smith, a native of Wisconsin. She is the daughter of the late John Smith and Catherine Smith. To Mr. and Mrs. Faragher has been born one child -Ray.
For four years Mr. Faragher served as a supervisor of Grand Prairie, and he now holds the office of clerk of school district No. 49. Mr. Faragher holds membership in many lodges. Ile belongs to the I. O. O. F. and Rebeccas. of Adrian; the Encampment, 1. 0. O. F., of Luverne; and the M. W. A. and Royal Neighbors. of Adrian. He has heen the representative of all these orders in the grand lodges.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
EMIL W. SCHARPING, farmer, dairyman and stock raiser of Hersey township, has been a resident of Nobles county since he was six years of age. Ile was born in Mon- roe county, Wis, June 11, ISTS, and is the son of Carl and Marie (Tank) Scharping, of Brewster.
Carl Seharping was born in Germany in 1542 and eame to the United States when 21 years of age. For six years he lived in LaCrosse, Wis., where he was employed as freman in a large saw mill. From there !e moved to Monroe county, Wis., where he engaged in farming until 1884. Then came to Nobles county and engaged in farm- ing in llersey township. until a short time ago, when he retired from active pursuits and moved to Brewster. Marie (Tank) Scharping was born in Germany and is now living with her husband in Brewster. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Seharping are the parents of the following children: Louisa (Mrs. A. Ilanenstein). Summit Lake; Annie (Mrs. Geo. E. Ilagerman). Lorain; Clora (Mrs. James M. Hagerman), Lorain; Henry, LaCrosse, Wis .; Emil W., of this sketch.
In 1884 Emil Seharping moved with his parents from Wisconsin to Nobles county and for twelve years lived on his father's farm on section 10. Hersey township. Since that date he has resided on his present farm, the northeast quarter of section 9. Mr. Seharping served as constable of Hersey township from 1900 to 1905; as assessor in 1903; and as member of the board of supervisors from 1905 to 1908. He was also clerk of school district No. 85 from 1903 to 1905.
Mr. Scharping was married in Vernon county, Wis., June 3. 1907, to Ella M. Scharping. who was born in Veruon county Oct. 22, 1887. She is the daughter of Fordi- mand W. and Amelia (Dittmer) Scharping. who were natives of Germany and who now reside in Vernon county. Wis. Both Mr. and Mrs. Scharping affiliate with the German Lutheran church of Brewster. To theen las been born one son, Ferdinand C. E., born May, 1908.
JOHN GEISEL. of Wilmont, is a retired fariner who has made Nobles county his home for the Inst twenty years. By birth he is a German, having been born in the
town of Schwartz, Ilessendamstadt, Nov. 14, 18ti. llis father, George Geisel, died in Germany in IS64; his mother, Mary (Dur) Goj-el, died in America in 1875.
Mr. Geisel lived in his native land until 1863. Although only sixteen years of age when he left his old country home, he had secured his education and learned the weay- er's trade. llis first home in the new world was Berlin, Canada, where he lived about six years, engaged in farm work and as an employe in a chair factory. Elinwood, On- tario, was his next home, and there he lived for many years. engaged in farm work and at his trade. In 1888 he moved to Nobles county and located in Willmont township. near the little hamlet of St. Kilian. He purchased the south one-half of section 21, which he farmed until 1901, when he moved to the village of Wilmont. Ile still owns that property, as well as an eight-acre tract in the village. He is retired from active pursuits. except taking care of the small place in the village.
Mr. Geisel was married at Elmwood, On. tario, Canada, in 1869, to Caroline Kur --. and to this union have been born ten child- ren, as follows: Henry. living in north- western Canada; Hannah. living at home; John, died in 1902; Ezra, living in Indiana. near the city of Chicago; Levina, died in 1906; Lizzie (Mrs. Jager), Mankato; George, Sioux City, Iowa; Christina (Mrs. E. Latour- elle). Wilmont : Daniel, died in infancy : Samuel. Sioux City. Iowa.
GUSTAF SCHREIBER, Graham Lakes township farmer, was born in Germany Jan. 21, 1861, the son of John and Minnie (Now- house) Schreiber. The father lives in Gra- ham Lakes township; the mother died Feb. 6. 1908, aged 71 years.
Gustaf came to America with his parents when three years of age. and the greater part of his life was spent in Milwaukee, Wis. IEr received a common school educa- tion there and when fourteen years of age began working in a tannery. Twenty-two years of his life were spent as nn employe of the tannery where he began work, all of the time under the same management. During the last five years of his employ- ment he was foreman of one of the depart- ments. In 1895 Mr. Schreiber came to No-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
bles county and bought an eighty acre farm in section 14, Graham Lakes township, and engaged in farming four years. He then re- turned to Milwaukee and spent four years in the tannery, completing the twenty-two years' service. Ile came back to Nobles county in 1903 and bought the farm where he has since lived on the north shore of West Graham lake. He holds a metr ber. ship in Odd Fellows lodge No. 193 at Dun- dee.
Mr. Schreiber was married at Milwaukee Dec. 6, 1882, to Annie Rassh, a native of Cedarburg, Wis. They are the parents of two children: Paul, aged 24 years, now residing in Montana; Hattie, aged 20, who lives with her parents.
JOHN EDWARD ERICKSON, one of the members of the Worthington Plumbing com- pany, is a native of Nobles county. He was born in Bigelow township, five miles south of Worthington, on Dec. 21, 1874. His father was Lars Erickson, who was born in Sweden, came to the United States in 1869 and settled in Goodhue county, Minn., to Bigelow township in the fall of 1871, and who died at Worthington in 1904. Our sub- jeet's mother is Mary C. Eriekson, who re- sides in Worthington.
John secured his education in the country sehools, and for a time was a student in the Worthington schools. He worked on his father's farm until 1901, and thereafter until 1906 farmed the place for himself. In the last named year, in partnership with Oscar F. Blood, he formed the Worthington Plumbing company, and has since been en- gaged in the plumbing business. Mr. Erick- son served as a member of company 1I, of the Fifteenth Minnesota volunteer infantry, during the Spanish-American war, his period of enlistment being from July, IS98, to March 27, 1899.
At Worthington on Oct. 15, 1905, oc- eurred the marriage of Mir. Erickson to Manda Jacobson, a native of Sweden. Both Mr. and Mrs. Erickson are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Worthington.
C. E. KINSMAN, a Worthington COW !!- ship farmer, is a native of Lodi, HI1., where he was born Dec. 23, 1865. His father, T.
b. Kinsman, was a native of England, and came to America in 1864. lle was a black- sinith by trade and worked at his trade in Lodi for 30 years. He died in October, 1902. The mother of our subject was Harriet (Cotton) Kinsman; she died in 1903.
Mr. Kinsman spent nearly his entire life in the town of his birth. There he se- cured his education and there, when he had grown to manhood, he engaged in business. In partnership with his father he was en- gaged in the hay business seven years. Then he began farming in the vicinity of Lodi, at which he was engaged until the spring of 1903. Ile then went to Swan liver, Manitoba, did not like the country, and on Oct. 24, 1903, came to Worthington. He remained in town that winter, and the fol- lowing spring rented 210 acres in sections 34 and 27, Worthington township, and he ha- since been engaged in farming that prop erty.
Mr. Kinsman was married at Lodi, Ill .; March 20, 1891, to Anna Ahrens, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Ahrens, of that Illinois town. Mrs. Kinsman was born in the town in which she was married. To them have been born five children, all of whom are liv- ing at home. They are Raymond, Fred, Burton, Lillian and Beula.
CHARLIE 0. WELLS. Among the com- parative new-comers to Nobles county is C. V. Welts, who owns and farms the east half of the southwest quarter of section 24, Dewald township. Ilis farm is small and therefore he rents several hundred acres in addition to his own farm, and engages ex- tensively in stock raising.
Mr. Wells was born in Jefferson township, Green county, Wis., Sept. 24, 1867. His father is John S. Wells and his mother Minerva (Clark) Wells, natives of Ohio and Indiana, respectively. Both parents still live and reside in Green county, Wis.
The subject of this biography secured a country school education and during his boy- hood days worked on his father's farm. After becoming of age he worked out for a few years, but in 1894 bought a small farm and engaged in business for himself, which he followed in Green county until 1901. In the last named year he eame to Nobles conn- ty and located on the place where he now
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
lives, and which he had purchased the year previous to his coming to the county.
Mr. Wells was married Feb. 12. 1895, in Monroe, Wis, to Nellie Lois Cherry, daugh- ter of Frederick and Ellen (Porter) Cherry, who now reside near Lamar, Mo. Mrs. Wells was born in Lafayette county, Wis., Jan. 21, 1875. To them have been born two children, as follows: Frederick G., born April 27, 1899; Nat Cherry, born June 12, 1907.
During the last four years Mr. Wells has served as clerk of school district No. 42. 1. raternally, he is affiliated with the Mac- cabee lodge of Worthington.
JOSHUA SCHECHTER, JR., is an Elk township farmer and minister of the Ger- man Baptist (Dunkard) church of Elk. lle is of German descent, although the Schech- ter family have resided iu the United States for several generations, the grandfather of our subject having been born in America and having resided in Maryland. The father of our subject was born in Maryland and is now living in Pope county, Minn. The mother. Sarah (Clements) Schechter, died in 1877.
Joshua Schechter, Jr., was born in Ma- baska county, lowa, Jan. 29. 1875. There he lived six years and then moved with his father to Polk county, lowa. He lived there ten years and then four years in Marshall county. In the fall of 1894 father and son came to Nobles county and located in Elk township. llore the son completed his edu- cation with a one year term, his previous schooling having been obtained in the schools of lowa.
lle resided with his father until the spring of 1899, then lived one year on seetion 31, Elk, and in 1900 moved onto his own land the north half of the southeast quarter of section 33 -which he had purchased some years before.
Mr. Schechter was married July 13, 1898, in Dewall township lo Minnie Sundberg. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sundberg. pioneers of 1872. Mrs. Schechter having been born in Dewald township. To this union have been born three children, Sarah Elnora, Joshua Ray and Opal Pearl, all living.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Schechter are mem- bers of the Dunkard church of Elk township, Mr. Schechter being a second degree minis- ter of that church. About two days of cach week are taken up with his church duties. For three years Mr. Schechter was clerk of school district No. G, and now holds the office of school treasurer.
TIM HEFFRAN is one of the earlier set- llers of the Ellsworth country, having been engaged ju farming just outside of the vil- lage of Ellsworth for the last twenty-eight years.
He is a native of county Kerry, Ireland, where he was born in 1858, the son of Morrisy Heffran, who came to the United States in 1863 and died in the city of Bos- ion in 1870. The subject of this biography came to America in 1868 and grew lo man- hood in the city of Boston. There he learn. (dl the mason's trade, which he followed until he joined the Catholic colony and came to Nobles county in ISSO. It was on the first day of April, 1880, that he landed in the little village of Adrian. Ile at once purchased the southwest quarter of section 29, Grand Prairie township, which is now within the limits of the village of Ellsworth, and on that place he has ever since made hi- home. Later he purchased 130 acres of land in the same vicinity, which he gave to his son, Patrick.
Mr. Heffran was married in Boston in February, 1878, to Hannab Sullivan, who is also a native of Ireland. To them have been Lorn the following children: Patrick, Ted, Kate and Nora. Mr. and Mrs. lleffran are members of the Catholic church of Ellsworth.
ALEXANDER WILSON, farmer, thresher, cattle ferder and breeder of Percheron horses and thoroughbred sheep. owns the west half of section 7, Lorain township. only a short distance northeast of the village of Worth- ington.
He was born in Marshall county, Ill., and the date of his birth was May 5, 1876. The father of our subject is William Wil- son, who now resides on a farm near Pon- tiac, Ill. He was born in Scotland, came to America when twenty-one years of age and has ever since lived in Illinois. The mother
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
of our subjeet was Mary (Ilastings) Wil- son, a native of Marshall county, Ill. She died when Alexander was two years of age. A few years after the birth of our sub- ject the Wilson family moved to Livingston county, Ill., and there Alexander obtained Hi- education and worked on his father's farm until he was twenty-four years of age. lle then came to Nobles eouuty and bought bis present farm, where he has since lived.
Mr. Wilson was married at Yorkville, Ill., Jan. 17, 1900, to Hannah E. Rowe, a na- tive of Kendall county, Ill., and a daughter of Gabriel Rowe. To this union have been born the following children: Mabel, Mildred, Cecil, Ilannah and llelen. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are members of the Presbyterian church of Worthington.
HIERMAN G. DOEDEN is an Indian Lake township farmer whose farm lies just sonth of Ocheyda lake. lle owns 113 acres of the northwest quarter of section 7 and 150 acres in the south half of section 6. Mr. Doeden was born in llanover, Germany, Sept. 30, 1860, and is the son of George and Gretje (Jansen) Doeden, of Worthing- ton.
Ilermau came to the United States with his parents in 1881 and located in Wood- ford county, IIL, where he resided two years. lle then took up his residence in McLean county, where he resided until he came to Nobles county in 1891. During the first three years of his residence in Illinois he worked out by the day and month. Then he rented land in MeLean county, and dur- ing the rest of the time he resided in Il- linois he was engaged in farming.
In the year 1891 Mr. Doeden came to No- bles county and bought the 113 aere traet on section 7, Indian Lake township, where he has ever since made hi- home. lle had very little money when he came to the county and bought his land on time. The only improvement on the farm when he bought it was a small shack, there were no fences on the place, and no tiling had been clone. He has erected most of the buildings on the farm, has the place well fenced and has done considerable tiling. In 1901 he purchased the land adjoining on section 6, and at present has both places free from debt.
Mr. Doeden was married at Metamora, Woodford county, III., June 10, 1881, to Jen- nie Feken, daughter of Peter and Gretje (Ilagen) Feken, both deceased. Mrs. Doeden was born in llanover, Germany, Nov. 20. 1861. They are the parents of the follow- ing children: George, born Ang. 26, 1882; Peter. born Alay 12, 1884; John, born Jan. 24. 1886; Willie, born Aug. 15, 1888; Fred, born Jan. 16, 1891; llerman, born May 12, 1893; Andrew, born July 25, 1895; Gracie, born July 31. 1897; Edward, born Dec. 16, 1899; Rosetta, born Dec. 12, 1001; Helen, born April 18, 1905.
Mr. and Mrs. Doeden are members of the Evangelical Association church of Worthing- ton. He served as director of school dis- triet No. 83 for 12 years.
WILLIAM SHAW has been a re-ident of Little Rock township for twenty-eight years, having come to the county in 1880 when a boy ten years old. fle was born in Grant county, Wi -. , Nov. 20, 1870, the son of William and Annie (Campbell) Shaw.
William Shaw, the elder, was boru in Ireland and came to the United States in 1851. Atter living six years in New York rity, he moved to Grant county, Wis., where he engaged in farming. lle came to Nobles county in the spring of 1880 and farmed in Little Rock township until his death. which occurred Jan. 15. 1906. He was 75 years years old at the time of his death. Our subject's mother was also a native of Ireland. She was married to Mr. Shaw in New York city and died in 1896.
In the fall of 1880 the subject of this biog- raphy . came to Nobles county with the family. the father having preceded them a few months. The father bought a home- stead relinquishment to the southwest quar- ter of section 12, where the son now lives. and on that farm William Shaw was raised. He was educated in the distriet schools of Little Rock. About 1896 he be- gan to farm the home place for himself, and lias been so engaged ever since.
GEORGE W. BAKER, real estate dealer of Wilmont. has been a resident of Noble- county only a few years, but he was a pio-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
neer settler of Luverne and takes an ac- tive interest in the history of this part of the state. Ile was born in Princeton, Ill., .Aug. 12, 1858, the son of James Baker, who met his death in the army in 1862, and Martha (Austin) Baker, who died at her home in Luverne in April, 1906.
The first three years of the life of Geo. W. Baker were passed in his native town; then his mother moved to Florenceville, lowa. That was the family home only one winter, when Caramona, Fillmore county, Minn., became their home. For one and one- half or two years Mrs. Baker and her son lived there, and then they moved onto a farm in Harmony township, of the same county. There George secured his edu- cation and grew to manhood. In 1876, be- fore there was a railroad in that little frontier village. they moved to Inverne, Rock county, and there Alr. Baker lived un- til the year 1900.
During his residence in Luverne Mr. Baker was engaged in the carpenter and contract- ing business, having learned the carpen- fer's trade under the instruction of Harry Gasco, of Perry, Iowa. While residing in Rock county's capital he served four years as constable of the village. Ile took an ac- tive interest in national guard matters and served many years in the militia compan- ies at that place, having been a member of company il, of the second regiment, and of company F. of the third. During his period of enlistment he was corporal, and during the last six years was first sergeant of his company.
He came to the new village of Wilmont August 20, 1900, and for two years was a contractor and builder, and erected many of Wilmont's business honses and residences. Then for two years he was in the Wilmont drug store. In 1905 he opened a real es- tate office, which he has since conducted. In addition to his real estate business he does a general collection business and writes fire, tornado, hail and life insurance in some of the leading companies. During the last four years he has served as justice of the
ANTON PINT, of Grand Prairie town- ship, has been a resident of the county since he was eight years of age. lle is a
son of the late Matthias and Lucy ( Lichter) Pint. Matthias Pint was born in Germany feb. 21, 1834, came to the new world abont 1868 and located in Canada. He lived there a short time, was in Chicago two years, and then resided in Scott county, Minn., until he came to Nobles county in 1884. Ile died Nov. 4, 1907. Lucy Pint was also a native of Germany. She died near Belleplaine, Minn., in 1883.
To these parents Anton l'int was born in Scott county, Minn., Jan. 6, 1876. Hle came to Nobles county with his father and other members of the family, arriv- ing March 18, 1581. In the fall of 1883 the father had been out to the county and bought the northeast quarter of section 4, Grand Prairie township, where the son now lives, and erected a house on it, and when the family came out they located on the place. Anton has made his home on this farm ever since, with the exception of the year 1893, when the family lived in Adrian. Anton has been farming the place for himself since 1898. He raises stock quite extensively, and has exceptionally fine herds of horses and hogs.
Mr. Pint was married at Adrian Feb. 20, 1900, to Tracy Lenz, a native of Scott county and a daughter of John Joseph and Anna Maria Lenz. They are the parents of the following children: Alvina, born Jan. 15, 1901; Joseph, born Sept. 10, 1903; Al- fred, born June 18, 1905; Herbert, born Oct. 9, 1906. The family are Catholics, and Mr. Pint is a member of the C. O. F., of Adrian.
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