USA > Minnesota > Waseca County > Child's history of Waseca County, Minnesota : from its first settlement in 1854 to the close of the year 1904, a record of fifty years : the story of the pioneers > Part 63
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MR. GARRETT SHEEHAN,
of St. Mary, was born in County Cork, Ireland, about the year 1830. He came to this country In 1852, landed at New York and came Immediately to Detroit, Mich., where an uncle resided. Shortly afterwards, he com- menced work in the copper mines on the south shore of Lake Superior where he remained about two years. He also worked some time on the Sault Ste. Marle canal and afterwards in the Ontanagon, Mich., mines. He then started for Waseca county and arrived on election day in the
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fall of 1856, his brother Dennis and Mr. James Brown having settled here a short time before. Mr. Sheehan made a claim on section 20, town of St. Mary, where he still resides. He married Miss Ellen Daly in the fall of 1858. She passed to rest October 13, 1903. At this writing, (1905) he has one son and three daughters. His son, James, is on the farm with him, as are also two of the daughters. The third daughter, Mrs. Wm. Wheelock, resides in Waseca. Mr. Sheehan's experiences in hauling produce to the Hastings market in the early days, and with the Indians would fill much space. He was a strong, vigorous man, and few have done more than he in developing the natural resources of the country. He has two farms and has a competency for his old age.
MRS. SUSAN E. SMITH.
Mrs. Susan E. Smith, widow of Hon. Warren Smith, deceased, died at the family residence, June 21, 1896, after a lingering illness of some twelve weeks. She was prostrated at first with grippe from which she was un- able to recover. She was a sister of the well-known merchant, J. W. Johnson, of Waseca, and was born in Boston, Mass., August 8, 1825. She married Mr. Warren Smith, October 9, 1853, and came to Minnesota with him in 1856. They first lived in Faribault, but came to St. Mary, in this county, in 1858, where they made their home until 1862, when they removed to Wilton where they resided until the fall of 1870 when they settled in Waseca. Mrs. Smith was a model wife, mother, neighbor, and citizen. She was thoroughly devoted to the welfare of her family and neighbors, and enjoyed the highest esteem of all who knew her. She pos- sessed all the Christian virtues and graces. She left surviving a daugh- ter, Mary L., a son, Hon. Charles A., four sisters, and two brothers.
MR. HENRY J. MEYER.
This gentleman was born in Germany, February 12, 1832, and lacked only ten days of being seventy-three years of age at the time of his death. He came to Waseca county about the year 1860, and first lived in Wilton. He married Miss Justina Krassin, daughter of Gottlieb Krassin, April 1, 1861. They commenced married life on a farm in the south part of Wilton. He soon after sold that farm, and then bought and sold several in succession, finally settling in Freedom in the early seventies. October 15, 1873, his left arm was torn off in a threshing machine. He still car- ried on his farming operations, however, until a few years ago when he built a residence in Waseca and turned his farm over to his sons. For about two years prior to his death, which occurred Jan. 30, 1905, he suf- fered from bladder trouble. He was the father of three children-Mrs. S. J. Krassin, Hon. W. H. Meyer, and Julius Meyer, all of whom, with his wife, survive him. Mr. Meyer was an energetic, prompt man in business, thoroughly honorable and upright in his dealings, and a good citizen.
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
THE REVEREND FATHER HERMON.
This gentleman was one of the early priests of this county and of- ficiated for a long time in the St. Mary parish, some thirty years ago. He was an earnest, eloquent worker and did perhaps more than any other one person to promote temperance and total abstinence among his church members. The principles of total abstinence, which he inculcated in the hearts of the young men of this county, have been of uncounted value to the people of the parishes where he officiated and to all the people of the county. While he sometimes erred, as a rule, he was a worker for the right, and an efficient worker. He died Jan. 27, 1905, at St. Joseph's hos- pital in St. Paul, of Bright's disease, at the age of sixty-five. His funeral was held in the Catholic church of Waseca, Jan. 29, 1905, Father Treanor officiating, and his remains were interred in the Janesville cemetery beside those of relatives gone before.
WM. H. STEARNS.
This gentleman was the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Stearns, early set- tlers in the town of Otisco. He was born in that township in May, 1859. He resided the greater part of his life there, leaving the farm only a short time to buy wheat in this city for Everett, Aughenbaugh & Co. He spent a short time in the mercantile business in New Richland and then re- turned to the farm for awhile before settling in Waseca. He taught school for a number of winters while engaged in farming. In the spring of 1884 he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Armitage, who survives him. One daughter, Monna, was born to them. After a prolonged and severe illness, he departed this life, Jan. 10, 1905. Some six years prior to his death, he underwent an operation for tuberculosis of a bone of one leg. The operation cost him the loss of his entire limb. He had not been in robust health since that time, but had been able to keep about and attended to light work until about a year prior to his demise.
MR. FRED M. PAPKE.
This gentleman was born in St. Mary, this county, September 17, 1866, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Papke, of Waseca, being his parents. He was a pros- perous farmer, and one of the largest men, physically, in Waseca county. He was a genial, good-hearted citizen, a kind father and husband. He owned a good farm on section 36, in Blooming Grove, and was a success- ful farmer. He died June 16, 1904, of pneumonia after a short illness. His wife and two children-a son and a daughter-survive him.
MRS. JENNIE WEED STEARNS.
This lady, wife of Mr. George B. Stearns, of Otisco, died at her home, June 10, 1904, of Addison's disease of the kidneys from which she had been ailing for some time and for which she underwent an operation at the Mayo hospital in Rochester a few weeks prior to her death. Mrs. Stearns was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Weed and was born on the
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
home farm in Wilton in 1859; she grew to womanhood in that part of the county and was married at the age of seventeen. With the exception of a few years in New Richland, she and her husband made their home in Otisco.
Four children were born to them: Edwin, who is married and resides in Waseca, being a fireman on the C. & N. W. railway; Charles, Floyd, and Walter, who are yet at home.
MR. FREDERICK McKUNE.
This gentleman was born in Illinois, February 10, 1854. His father, Capt. Lewis McKune, who was instantly killed at the first battle of Bull Run, came with his family to Minnesota, and settled in Blooming Grove, in 1856. With the exception of a few years at Morristown, Frederick had been a resident of Blooming Grove to the time of his death. He married Miss Clarissa C. Gore, of Morristown, in 1883, and three children were born to them. Mr. McKune was elected county commissioner in 1900, and, although a very modest man, performed his duties with fidelity. His death from brain trouble occurred June 14, 1904. He had been sick for some time, but it was not generally known that his illness was or a se- rious nature.
MR. NICHOLAS J. BREEN KILLED INSTANTLY.
This gentleman, senior member of the firm of N. J. Breen & Sons, pro- prietors of the oatmeal mill, was instantly killed at Waseca, June 8, 1904, on the side track of the M. & St. L. railroad, at the Wood street crossing, near their mill. Freight cars were standing on the crossing, the rear end of the hind car being about half way across the sidewalk crossing. As Mr. Breen stepped upon the track, in going around the end of the car, the cars were suddenly shoved back. The bumper struck him and knocked him down. He attempted to get off the track upon his hands and knees when the wheels caught him at the waist and cut him in two-the skin only holding the body together. It is said that three cars passed over his body. One arm was badly broken as was one of his legs. Death must have been almost instantaneous.
Sympathetic citizens rolled the car wheel off the body and put the re- mains upon a stretcher, whence they were taken to the Comee & Pfaff undertaking rooms.
Mr. Breen was born in Dublin, Ireland, January 29, 1830. His parents died when he was twelve years old and he was cared for by an uncle who lived in county Wexford. While living there he learned blacksmith- ing. When only nineteen years of age he came to America, first stop- ping at Binghampton, N. Y. In the fall of 1849 he came as far west as Milwaukee where he lived two years. In 1851 he opened a blacksmith shop at Franklin, Wis., where he lived until 1866 when he came to the town of Iosco where he opened a farm. This he carried on until about 1871, when he came to Waseca to live and erected a blacksmith shop on the
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corner of First and Elm streets. This he sold to the city for a city hall, June 14, 1888, and at once erected the oatmeal mill situated at the side of the M. & St. L. railroad tracks.
He married Miss Rose Anna McAnany, a native of New York city, in 1857, by whom he had seven children: Margaret M., John J., Thomas, Francis M., Agnes C., Mrs. John Moonan and Alice, all of whom reside in Waseca. Mr. Breen was one of our most honorable, upright, and re- liable citizens. All his life he was a Father Matthew total abstinence advocate; a man well read and thoroughly informed, especially in mat- ters pertaining to America and Great Britain. He was a prominent, de- voted, and consistent member of the Catholic church, and if all men were such as he, there need be no fear of the Hereafter.
MRS. RUDOLPH BABLER.
. This good woman died at her home in Merton, Minn., Monday, May 30, at the age of seventy-four years, of cancer of the stomach. She was born at Canton Glarus, Switzerland, in 1830. On February 16, 1853, she was married to Rudolph Babler and on February 27, eleven days after their marriage, they started for the United States, reaching Greene county, Wisconsin, May 1, 1853. There they lived eleven years, and then came to Minnesota to the town of Woodville, Waseca county, in 1864. They ar- rived on May 1 of that year and lived there until 1887, when they moved to Clinton Falls, where they lived until May 1903, when they moved to Merton. The deceased was a most estimable woman. She was the mother of eight children, six of whom survive her, as follows: Mrs. A. C. San- ders, Merton: Mrs. George Irvine, Woodville; John Babler, Humbird, Wis .; Christopher Babler, of Hennepin county; Mrs. William Biram, of Idaho; and Rudolph Babler, Jr., of Perham, Minn.
Mr. Rudolph Babler died June 24, 1905, at Genesee, Idaho, where he was visiting his daughter, Mrs. W. L. Biram. He was born in Switzer- land Jan. 21, 1828. Mr. Babler was a good citizen, a kind husband and father, and an obliging neighbor.
MR. L. F. PETERSON.
Mr. Peterson was one of the prominent and influential men of Otisco. He was born June 25, 1825, in Smoland, Skarstad Socken, Sweden. At the age of twenty-eight, in the fall of 1853, he sailed for America, arriv- ing at New York, Oct 20, 1853. He then journeyed to La Fayette, Ind., and entered the employ of a farmer named Murdock where he worked until the spring of 1857. In the month of March, of that year. he was united in marriage with Miss Britta Christina Peterson, of Chicago, and they at once came to Minnesota, arriving the same month. He settled on section 21, in Otisco where he resided at the time of his death. His first wife died in August, 1862, leaving one daughter, Miss Mary C. Peterson.
In 1864, Mr. Peterson visited his native land, leaving America in May.
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
He remained in Sweden a year, leaving there in June, on his return trip, arriving at New York, July 4, 1865. On the 18th of August following, he was united in marriage to Miss Helena Johnson, of Otisco. Ten children were born to them, of whom only four are now living. He died at his home in Otisco at the advanced age of seventy-three, April 25, 1898. His son, Theodore Peterson, was born in Otisco, Sept. 26, 1871. He is an active, influential young man. He was appointed deputy county auditor, by Auditor Bailer, in 1901, and still holds the position, giving general satisfaction to all concerned.
MR. JOHN FRATZKE.
This gentleman was one of our Union veterans, and an early settler in the town of Freedom. He was a native of Germany, born Oct. 25, 1833. At the age of twenty years, he sailed for America on a sail ship, being nine weeks on the sea. He landed at New York, Jan. 3, 1854, and immediately came west as far as Princeton, Wisconsin. Three years later his parents, five brothers, and one sister, arrived at Princeton from Germany. He married Miss Gering in 1859. On the second day of De- cember, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company A, Sixteenth regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer infantry to serve for three years or during the war. He went South with his regiment the same fall. At Louisville, Ky., he was wounded twice. At Atlanta, Ga., he was in a hot place and received two gun shot wounds, one bullet passing through his left thigh and another through his left ankle. He was sent to the hospital and re- mained there five months. At one time the rebel firing was so hot that the hospital had to be moved seven times in one day. After his recovery, he again took the field, this time at the battle of Gettysburg, which con- tinued three days and nights. At the close of the war he marched to Washington and passed the Capitol in grand review. He was soon after honorably discharged and returned to his home in Wisconsin. In 1866, he and his brother William and their families came with ox teams and covered wagons to the town of Freedom, then a new settlement. Two years later his wife died, leaving three small children. For three years he lived with his brother William in a log cabin 12x14 feet, with a clay roor. Feb. 1, 1870, he visited Germany and there married Miss Gussey and returned to America in May, 1871. Three years later, his second wife died leaving a daughter, Hulda, and a son, Gust J., the latter only three weeks old. Gust J. was cared for and reared by Mrs. Henry Liferman. In 1875, Mr. Fratzke was again married, this time to Miss Mathilda Barb- knecht. Mr. Fratzke was treasurer of the town of Freedom for seventeen years. In 1894, he moved into the town of Wilton where he died in 1896 at the age of sixty-three years. He was an honorable, upright man, and a true patriot.
Two years after John and William came to Minnesota, their father and mother, three brothers, and a sister joined them. The father died at the age of seventy-seven years; the mother at the age of sixty-six.
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Wm. Fratzke still resides in Freedom. Carl Fratzke owns a large farm in Freedom, but resides on another farm near Cottonwood. Julius died in 1891 at the age of fifty-five years. Gustave, another brother of John, owns a large farm in Freedom, but resides in the village of Janesville and runs a general store. Another brother, Herman, is living in Ripon, Wisconsin. The only sister of the family married Mr. Ernest Miller, who owns a large farm in Freedom, while managing a store in Janesville where he resides with his family. John Fratzke had three sons by his first wife: Herman, a carpenter, who is married and lives in this county; William, who went to Wisconsin ten years ago, married and lives at Fox Lake; Charles, who left home at the age of fourteen years and has not been heard from since. John's daughter Hulda, by his second wife, at the age of twenty-one, married Fred Kelling, and died five years later at Janesville.
Gust J. Fratzke, the son by his second wife, married Miss Amy Lang, of Vivian, daughter of Mr. Herman Lang, one of the old settlers of that town. Gust J. ran a threshing machine for some time, and then moved to Janes- ville, at the same time becoming traveling salesman for a Minneapolis machinery company. After being with the company three years, he ac- cepted a position with the J. I. Case company, of Wisconsin.
John Fratzke had three sons by his third wife-Ed, now in Texas; Henry, who is married and lives on a farm in Wilton; and Frank W., who enlisted Dec. 23, 1901, in the army of the United States and served three years. He was a private of Troop H, Sixth regiment of cavalry, and served the most of the time in the Philippine Islands. Near the close of his term he was stationed at Fort Meade, Souh Dakota. He enlisted at the age of eighteen years, and was honorably discharged on the 22nd of December, 1904.
MR. H. W. REINEKE,
of Blooming Grove, was born in Deerfield, Steele county, Oct. 5, 1866, and is the son of Mr. Conrad Reineke, now of Faribault. His grandfather, whose name was also Conrad, was born in the Province of Hanover, Ger- many, and came to America with his family about the year 1853. They were eight weeks on the ocean. They first lived in Schonberg, near Chi- cago. In May, 1855, Conrad, Christian, and Henry Reineke, with their parents, started for Minnesota with ox teams and wagons. They arrived in Deerfield about the first of June 1855, where Grandfather Conrad Reine- ke made a claim. Here the family made their home in spite of the hard- ships incident to pioneer life. Conrad Junior, father of H. W., was then abont twelve years of age, having been born July 19, 1843. Grandfather Conrad died in the early sixties. Conrad Junior enlisted in Company F, Third Minnesota, in 1863, and served until 1865. Conrad was married soon after his return from the army to Miss Otelia Wilkowski. They have ten children: Henry W., Anna, George, William, Albert, Louis, Hulda, Ernest, Rudolph, and Stella. Henry W. was married to Miss Winnie
MR. AND MRS. CONRAD REINEKE.
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
Fehmer Oct. 23, 1900. She was born March 25, 1867. They have six children, one boy and five girls. H. W. has been secretary of the Deer- field creamery association and prominent in all public affairs. His broth- er, Dr. George Reineke, lives at New Ulm where he practices medicine. William and Albert are well-to-do farmers in Blooming Grove. Louis is a farmer in Deerfield. Ernest is studying for the ministry in the Ger- man M. E. church. Rudolph is attending school in Faribault. Fred and Edward Reineke, sons of Christian Reineke, of Deerfield, also reside in Blooming Grove. The Messrs. Reineke are all well-to-do people and very reliable.
MR. ELLING JOHNSON.
Mr. Johnson was born in Norway Jan. 6, 1840, and came to America in 1856, living first in McHenry county, Ill. In Dec., 1859, he, with others, went into northern Wisconsin and chopped and cleared the timber from a public highway which was being constructed at publie expense. From Dec. 2, 1859, to March 1, 1860, they camped out in the open air and slept in their working clothes. The only protection they had was a covering of evergreen honghs overhead and a hed of the same material with a big campfire in front. In March he went to work in the copper mines at Rockland, Michigan. From there he came to Dodge county, Minnesota, and in 1864 enlisted in Company H, Eleventh Minnesota Volunteer in- fantry. He served until June 26, 1865, when he was honorably discharged, and returned to Dodge county, Minn. There he engaged in the lumber business untit 1872 when he came to Waseca and took charge of the Winona Lumber company's business in Waseca where he has since re- sided. He married Miss G. Anderson while yet in McHenry county, III. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are prominent and leading members of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church.
MR. JOHN A. KRASSIN.
This gentleman is a native of this county. He was born in St. Mary township, Sept. 6, 1856. He followed farming until 1889, when he came to Waseca and went into the machine business with San Galli and Her- man Lawin. About a year later he sold his interest in the machine busi- ness and commenced the buying and selling of cattle and hogs, the busi- ness in which he is now engaged. He was married to Miss Emma Lawin, then of St. Mary, March 29, 1887. Mrs. Krassin was born near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, April 25, 1865, and came to Minnesota with her parents in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Krassin are the parents of five children-two boys and three girls. Mr. Krassin still owns his farm and other lands, in all about two hundred seventy acres.
MR. JEROME MADDEN.
Jerome Madden, who was born in County Galway, Ireland, in 1828, and who came to America in 1848, lived first in Illinois and afterwards in
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
St. Louis, Mo. He came to Waseca county with his family and settled in Wilton in 1856. He was the father of four sons and one daughter. Mary, now Mrs. Carroll of Waseca, was born in St. Louis, Mo., May 3, 1850; Jerome E. was born at the same place Dec. 14, 1854; Thomas was born in Lacon, Ill., Jan. 18, 1857; Francis was born in St. Mary, Minn., Jan. 30, 1859; and James was born at the same place July 27, 1862. Thomas Madden is a resident of St. Mary; Frank is at Dedham, Wis .; and James is in Minneapolis. The mother died August 30, 1888, and Jerome, the father, died Nov. 18, 1895. Other facts are given under the title "Jerome E. Madden."
MR. ROSCOE PERCY WARD.
Mr. Ward is the well-known cashier of the People's State bank of Waseca, and a son of Hon. W. G. Ward, deceased, who was one of the pioneers of the West and chief engineer in charge of the building of that portion of the C. & N. W. railway, known as the Winona & St. Peter brancn. R. P. was born in the city of Waseca, Jan. 5, 1872. He attended the city schools and graduated from the high school in the class of 1889. He then began the academic course at the State University of Minnesota; but, on the death of his father, which occurred Sept. 21, 1892, he was obliged to leave his university studies in order to look after the large business interests of his father's estate. He married Miss Daisy M. Cole of Minneapolis, Ang. 10, 1893, she being about his own age. They have one child, Emerson. Mr. Ward entered upon the duties of bank cashier in July, 1897, and under his administration, the business of the bank has been largely increased. In addition to his banking interests, he is large- ly interested in farming. He owns one of the finest farms in the state just west of Waseca. He has been alderman from his ward for a number of years and president of the city council for several terms. He resigned the office of alderman in the spring of 1905, having served less than half his last term.
MR. H. P. NORTON.
Mr. H. P. Norton, who came to Minnesota in July, 1855, is a native of Richford, Tioga county, New York. He was born May 26, 1823. His father was a blacksmith. H. P. attended the public school of his town, learned his father's trade, and worked at home until he reached his ma- jority. For two years he worked at his trade as a journeyman. In the spring of 1846 he came West, arriving at Woodstock, Ill., about the 1st of June. He remained there for several years, working at his trade, and then went to Chicago where he was employed in the railroad shops until 1856, when he came to Minnesota, arriving at Owatonna in July of that year. Here he found employment with "Uncle" Joel Wilson, the pioneer blacksmith, of Owatonna. He remained with "Uncle Joel" until fall, when he came to Wilton, then a new town, and opened the first blacksmith shop in that place. Those were the days that tried men's
H. P. NORTON.
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
souls. It was work and trust and trust and work, and barter and dicker and dicker and barter. Mr. Norton's books still show several hundred dollars of "trust" unpaid, but the "trusts" of those days were not like the "trusts" of to-day. His brother, C. O. Norton, also a blacksmith, joined him in 1857, and they carried on the business together for a long time. In 1859 H. P. Norton was appointed and elected to fill out the term of clerk of the district court, made vacant by the removal of Thos. L. Page. This office he held until Jan. 1, 1862, when he was succeeded by H. P. West. He was then made postmaster of Wilton for two years, when he was elected register of deeds. He served two years as register, and at the same time held the position of agent for the American Ex- press company. He was married at Woodstock, Ill., March 2, 1863, to Miss Anna G. Kimhall, an accomplished lady possessed of some property. They have one son, Charles N., who is married and resides in Waseca. In 1867, Mr. Norton and his wife became part proprietors of the First Addition to Waseca, and were among the very first to make their home in the new town. Mr. Norton still held the position of agent of the American Express company and opened the office in Waseca in the fall of 1867. In connection with the express business, he opened a real estate office, which he carried on until 1884, when he retired from active busi- ness. Mr. Norton was the first village marshal of Waseca and held various other positions of honor. His father's name was Amzi. He was a native of Connecticut and was born Feb. 12, 1783, and his mother was a native of the same state. They were the parents of ten children. At this writing-March 1905-Mr. Norton is nearly eighty-two years of age and is remarkably well preserved. The picture accompanying this sketch, was taken March 13, 1905. Financially he is well fixed, and in every way he is surrounded with all that is agreeable and comfortable.
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