USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 35
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To Dr. Ora C. and Emily (Doehne) Strickler two chil- dren have been born, daughters both, Vera E., a graduate of the University of Minnesota, who is now a teacher of
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German in the high school at New Ulm, and Leola M., a senior in the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The Stricklers are recognized as among the leaders in the social and cultural activities of their home city and are held in the highest esteem throughout this whole community. Doctor Strickler is a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of Charity Lodge No. 98, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at New Ulm; New Ulm Chapter No. 57, Royal Arch Ma- sons; DeMolay Commandery No. 26, Knights Templar; Minneapolis Consistory, Ancient Scottish Rite Masons, and Zurah Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at Minneapolis, in the affairs of all of which several branches of Masonry he takes a warm interest.
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BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
NICHOLAS MANDERFELD.
Nicholas Manderfeld, of New Ulm, was born in Prussia, Germany, October 18, 1848, and is a son of John H. and Gertrude Manderfeld, both natives of Germany, where they grew up, were married and established their home. The father was a teamster, also followed farming in a small way in his native land until in May, 1857, when he came to America, locating in New Ulm, Minnesota. Soon thereafter he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 1, four miles south of New Ulm. He turned the virgin sod, put up a small shack and planted his crops. By hard work and persistence he developed a good farm. Later he pur- chased forty acres of timber land and continued farming until he retired and moved to New Ulm. He was among the early settlers of Brown county. He took an interest in public affairs, and became township supervisor. He was living here during the Indian massacre. His family con- sisted of nine children, five of whom are still living, namely : John, Kate, Peter, Nicholas and Eva.
The subject of this review grew up on his father's farm, he having been but nine years old when he was brought to America. He worked hard when a boy and received a meager education in the public schools in Sigel township. He continued to work with his father on the homestead until his marriage, then purchased one hundred and twenty acres in Sigel township and started farming for himself in a small way, but he persevered and after adding many improve- ments on his farm sold out and bought two hundred and
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sixty acres in Milford township, where he farmed until he retired from active life, moving to New Ulm in 1906. He had at one time four hundred and twenty acres, and was very successful as a general farmer. He was working near New Ulm when the Indian massacre took place. When the alarm was given he ran to his home in Sigel township and warned his parents and many of their neighbors and there- by saved their lives. They all hastened to New Ulm for pro- tection. When he reached town one of his duties was to herd the oxen which the people had driven into town.
Nicholas Manderfeld was married on October 19, 1871, to Isabelle Richards, a daughter of Theodore and Elizabeth (Kaufenbach) Richards, and to this union fourteen children have been born, only six of whom are now living, namely: Kate is the wife of Louis Adam and they have six children, Isabelle, Louis, Katherine, Loretta, Charles and Theodore; William; Theodore married Clara Dorn, and they have two children, Jerome and Adaline; Edward married Maggie Dorn, and they have two children, Deloris and Bernedett; Charles married Anna Dietz, and they have two children, Isabelle and Manella; Henry married Elizabeth Arnold, and they have seven children, Nicholas, Michael, Anthony, Edward, Carrie, Gertrude and Florenda.
Mrs. Manderfeld was born in Germany. Her parents were natives of Prussia. The father died in 1900 and the mother in 1889. Mr. Richards devoted his life to farming, came to America in 1855, two years in Albany, New York, and then located near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he re- mained until 1867, when he removed to Brown county and bought a farm of two hundred acres and engaged in farming
(4a)
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here until his death. His family consisted of twelve chil- dren, seven of whom are now living, namely: Gertrude, Anthony, Joe, Maggie, Theodore, Angeline and Isabelle. The eldest boy in the Manderfeld family was killed during the Indian outbreak at Big Stone lake where he was work- ing for the government. Mr. Manderfeld is a member of the Catholic church.
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WILLIAM J. JULIUS.
William J. Julius, sheriff of Brown county and one of the best-known citizens of this county, having formerly been a member of the police force at New Ulm, is a native son of Brown county, having been born on a farm in Milford town- ship, May 15, 1869, son of Fred and Mary (Kalb) Julius, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Switzer- land, pioneers of this section of Minnesota, the latter of whom is still living.
Fred Julius was but a boy when he came to America from his native home in Mecklenburg-Schwerin with his parents, Fred Julius and wife, the family proceeding almost immediately after their arrival in the United States to Min- nesota, settling on a farm in Nicollet county at a very early day in the settlement of this section of the state. The elder Fred Julius became a prominent pioneer of that section, even before the days of the Indian massacre, and spent the rest of his life there, both he and his wife dying on the home- stead farm, well along in years. They were the parents of four children, Fred, Joseph, Mary and Louise. Fred Julius, the elder of the above children, grew to manhood on the homestead farm in Nicollet county and engaged in farming on his own account after his marriage, being the owner of a quarter of a section of fine land there. He married Mary Kalb, daughter of Ferdinand and Katherina (Ochs) Kalb, natives of Germany and early settlers in Brown county, who were the parents of nine children, Sophia, John, Anton, Berthold, Bertha, Herman, Amelia, Helena and Ferdinand.
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During the Civil War Fred Julius served the Union cause as a member of the Mounted Rangers. Some time later he left the farm and moved to New Ulm, where he engaged in the mercantile and livery business and died there at the age of thirty-nine years. His widow still survives him. She is an earnest member of the Catholic church, as was her hus- band, and their children were reared in that faith. There were ten of these children, four of whom survive, as follow : William J., the subject of this biographical sketch; Bertha, wife of Henry Vedder, of New Ulm; Mary, widow of Charles Roeder, of New Ulm, and Roas, wife of Emil Hoff- mann, of Maquoketa, Iowa.
William J. Julius received his education in the public and parochial schools of New Ulm and early learned the printer's trade, which he followed for some years in his home town, having been foreman of the New Ulm Volksblatt when that paper was first issued and also foreman of the New Ulm Fortschritt. Presently he went to Minneapolis, where he for some time was employed in the office of the Freie-Press Herold and then went to Fremont, Ohio, where he was employed for a few months, at the end of which time he returned to New Ulm, where he temporarily abandoned the printing trade and became a painter, which vocation he followed for about five years. He married in the fall of 1891 and afterward resumed his place at the printer's case and was thus engaged up to 1897, in which year he was appointed a member of the police force at New Ulm and served in that public capacity until the time of his election on the Republican ticket in the fall of 1902 to the office of sheriff of Brown county, which office he ever since has held, having been re-elected at each successive election since then,
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a most flattering attestation of the people's indorsement of his administration of the affairs of that important office.
On November 23, 1891, William J. Julius was united in marriage to Charlotte May Blass, who was born in Nicollet county, daughter of William and Mary Blass, early settlers of Nicollet county, whose last days were spent in New Ulm, the parents of nine children, Sophia, Louise, Henry, Anna, Christina, Minnie, Caroline, Fred and Charlotte. To Mr. and Mrs. Julius six children were born, Hildegard, Louise, Henry, Florence, William and Walter. Hildegard Julius is a well-known teacher in Brown county; Louise married Herman F. Jahnke, deputy sheriff of Brown county, and has one child; Henry died in infancy and the others of the above named children are at home. The mother of these children died in the fall of 1908, at the are of thirty-eight years.
Sheriff Julius is a member of the Catholic church and is associated with the Knights of Columbus, the St. Joseph Society and the Catholic Order of Foresters, in the affairs of all of which organizations he is warmly interested. He occupies a high place in the regard of his official associates about the court house, among all of whom he is deservedly popular, and is held in high esteem throughout the entire county.
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JOHN BENTZIN.
John Bentzin, veteran flour miller, of New Ulm, this county, and still head of the John Bentzin Milling Com- pany, though he has been practically retired from the active duties of management for several years past, having turned the mill over to his sons, William F. and Charles, in 1913, after nearly thirty-five years as an operative miller in the picturesque Cottonwood roller mills, is a native of Ger- many, having been born in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, fourth in order of birth of the five children born to his parents, the others having been Christian, Carl, Christina and William.
John Bentzin grew to manhood in his native land and completed a thorough apprenticeship in a flour-mill there. Upon completing his army service he married Mary Wolter, a neighbor girl, and with his bride came to the United States, proceeding from their port of landing directly to New Ulm, where they have resided ever since. Upon his arrival here, John Bentzin secured employment in the old Globe mill, then a saw-mill, and was there engaged for sev- eral years, after which for a time he was employed at the Eagle saw-mill and later at the old City flour-mill, in which latter mill he worked for five years. In the meantime he had renewed the acquaintance of a boyhood chum, William Frank, who had been a miller's apprentice at the same time he was learning his trade in the old country and who had located in New Ulm in 1856, and in 1879 Mr. Bentzin and
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Mr. Frank erected and established the Cottonwood mill on the banks of the stream bearing that name, about two miles distant from the center of the town, which mill has ever since been performing an excellent and valuable service in this community. At first the mill was operated by water power, but the uncertainty of the source of this power caused the proprietors later to put in an engine and it has since been operated by steam. The old buhrs were sup- planted by rollers in 1882, the buhrs being retained for the milling of rye flour, and other alterations have been made from time to time, conforming to the advances of the milling industry, the old Cottonwood mill ever keeping abreast of the times, and for five years it has been recognized as one of the best custom mills in this part of the state.
In 1893 William Frank retired from the partnership which had so long continued, he having come to the conclu- sion to "take things easy" in his later days, and Mr. Bentzin then became sole owner of the mill, continuing to be ably aided in its operation by his sons, William F. and Charles. In 1895 the mill was completely remodeled, in further con- formance with modern requirements, and in that year the present popular brand of flour, "Bentzin's Best," was es- tablished. It has always been the aim and pride of the pro- prietors to turn out a clean, pure article, unadulterated mechanically or artificially, as good as the best that can be made from the grain grown in this vicinity and incorpo- rated in the finished produce which goes under the name of "Bentzin's Best" for the wheat flour and "Bentzin's Ger- man Rye Flour" for the rye product. The latter is still made in the old style, on mill stones, as is done in the old country, this process giving the flour and the bread made
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of it that fine nutty flavor and smell, so much desired by all lovers of old-fashioned rye bread. In 1913 Mr. Bentzin retired from the active management of the mill, turning the same over to the management of his sons, though he still continues to take an active interest in the business as the senior and advisory partner of the firm, which at that time was changed to the John Bentzin Milling Company. Upon retiring, Mr. and Mrs. Bentzin moved into the city and built a home on South State street, right alongside that of Mr. Bentzin's old partner, William Frank, and thus the two old cronies are inseparable in their declining years as they were in all the busy years of their earlier lives. Mr. and Mrs. Bentzin are members of the Evangelical church, in the beneficences of which they ever have taken a warm interest, and they are held in the very highest regard throughout the entire community. Three children were born to them, the sons above mentioned, and a daughter, Emily, who died when she was eight years of age.
Both the Bentzin brothers were born at New Ulm and have been associated with their father in the mill ever since boyhood, thus being thoroughly familiar with all depart- ments of the business. William F. Bentzin looks after the business and general management of the mill, while Charles Bentzin has charge of the mechanical and engineering work. The capacity of the mill is seventy-five barrels of wheat flour and twenty-five barrels of rye flour a day, besides two hundred sacks of feed a day. This report may appear small in comparison with those of the great milling plants of the city, which is a milling center, but, as William Bentzin smil- ingly remarked: "Our mill has capacity enough to supply the largest family with the staff of life."
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On June 19, 1900, William F. Bentzin was united in marriage to Rose Guth, daughter of George and Catherin (Scheible) Guth, and to this union two children have been born, Alfred and Elfrieda.
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WILLIAM G. ALWIN.
William G. Alwin, well-known druggist and pharma- cist, of New Ulm, this county, is a native son of that city, having been born there on May 24, 1865, son of William and Wilhelmina (Gruening) Alwin, natives of Germany and early settlers of Brown county, the latter of whom is still living here, being now more than ninety years of age. Her husband died in 1910, for some years previous to that date having been living retired in the city of New Ulm.
William Alwin was born and reared in the province of Posen, fifth in order of birth of the six children born to his parents, the others having been Mrs. Katie Klingbeil, Mrs. Saunders, Mrs. Siefert, Mina and Michael, all of whom came to America save the last named. William Alwin married Wilhelmina Gruening, who was also born in Posen, eldest of the four children born to her parents, she having had three brothers, Gottlieb, Herman and Edward, and in 1853, shortly after their marriage, he and his wife came to the United States. For about a year after coming to this side they were located in Milwaukee and then, in 1854, came with a small party of others of their nationality to Minnesota, settling in the New Ulm neighborhood, then practically all wilderness, being thus among the very earliest pioneers of this section of the state.
Upon locating here William Alwin pre-empted a tract of land on the Big Cottonwood river, at the edge of New Ulm, and there established his home, quickly becoming rec-
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ognized as among the most substantial residents of that neighborhood. During the time of the Indian uprising in 1862, he served as one of the defenders of New Ulm and in many ways during his long and useful life displayed his interest in the general welfare. Both William Alwin and his wife were reared as Lutherans, but later transferred their connection to the German Methodists and were among the charter members of the church of that faith in New Ulm, in which church Mr. Alwin served as a trustee until his death. He made his home on the Cottonwood river homestead until 1885, in which year he and his wife re- tired from the farm and moved to New Ulm, where Mr. Alwin died in 1910. His widow still survives him, being now past ninety years of age. They were the parents of nine children, all of whom are still living, as follow: Fred, of Sleepy Eye, this county ; Herman, of St. Paul, this state; Adolph, of New Ulm; Rudolph, of the same city; Emil, of Milnor, North Dakota; Albert, of Mound, this state; Ed- ward, of New Ulm; William G., the immediate subject of this biographical sketch, and Elvina, who married Herman Breitkreutz, of Arlington, in the neighboring county of Sibley.
William G. Alwin was reared on the home farm on the outskirts of New Ulm, receiving his education in the public schools of that city, and at the age of fourteen went to St. Paul, where he entered the Adolph Stieile pharmacy, with which he remained until he had acquired a thorough ac- quaintance with the drug business. He then returned home and in 1892 bought the "City" drug store at New Ulm, which he conducted until 1905, in which year he became con- nected with the "Pioneer" drug store, his present popular
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place of business, where he has ever since been quite suc- cessfully engaged.
On November 29, 1899, William G. Alwin was united in marriage to Meta Seiter, who was born in New Ulm, daughter of Adolph and Helen (Erd) Seiter, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Cincinnati, Ohio, both now deceased, who were the parents of thirteen children, Adolph, William, Otto, Albert, Alma, Oscar, Ella, Fred, Emma, Meta and three who died in youth. To William G. and Meta (Seiter) Alwin four children have been born, Howard Lind, who died at the age of eighteen months; LaMyra, Norman and Robert. Mr. and Mrs. Alwin are members of the New Ulm Turners Society, in the affairs of which they take an active interest, and are held in high esteem by their many friends hereabout. Mr. Alwin is a member of the local lodges of the Knights of Pythias and of the Modern Woodmen of America and takes a warm in- terest in the affairs of those popular organizations. He has long been recognized as one of the leading business men of the city and occupies a prominent place in commercial circles in New Ulm and throughout the county.
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P. H. FURTH.
P. H. Furth, well-known general insurance agent at New Ulm, this county, and until a few years ago a progres- sive farmer and stockman of Milford township, is a native of Germany. He was born on September 4, 1870, son of M. J. and Barbara D. (Stotfelt) Furth, both natives of the Fatherland. His mother died in 1879. She was the mother of thirteen children, of whom six are still living, M. J., John A., Joseph, P. H., Mrs. Christina Golb and Mrs. Bar- bara Phillips. In the early eighties the elder M. J. Furth came to the United States with his children. He located in Chicago, where he became employed with the Chicago Free Press and continued thus engaged for years, or until his retirement from active service. He is still living in Chicago, aged ninety-three years.
P. H. Furth was about twelve years old when he came to this country with his father and the schooling which was interrupted upon leaving Germany was resumed in Chi- cago schools. Upon leaving school he took service with the Rascher Map Company of Chicago and later became asso- ciated with the Sanborn Map Company, with which con- cern he was actively connected for twenty-five years, his work in that connection taking him to all parts of the coun- try, with the exception of the Pacific coast, drawing maps of cities for the special information of insurance companies, with particular reference to the data upon which rates are based. During his travels through this part of Minnesota Mr. Furth had become much impressed with conditions here-
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about and in 1908 he came to Brown county and located on a farm in Milford township, where he engaged in general farming and stock raising, paying special attention to the raising of Holstein cattle, having some of the best graded cattle in the county. He put about three thousand dollars worth of improvements on his place and farmed there until 1913, in which year he left the farm and moved to New Ulm, where he entered the general fire- and life-insurance busi- ness, in which he ever since has been quite successfully en- gaged. He also continues his connection with the Sanborn Map Company and in addition to looking after his extensive affairs gives his earnest attention to the general interests of the city. Mr. Furth is a Republican and during his resi- dence in Milford township served as justice of the peace. He also served for two years as assessor and clerk of school district No. 50.
In 1900 P. H. Furth was united in marriage to Mary Dorothy (Metzen) Richartz, daughter of George and Kath- erine (Schroeder) Metzen. To this union no children have been born, but Mrs. Furth has a son by her former marriage to William Richartz, Theodore Henry. Mr. and Mrs. Furth are devoted members of the Catholic church and are warmly interested in parish affairs. Mr. Furth is a member of the Knights of Columbus and takes an active interest in the affairs of that organization.
George and Katherine (Schroeder) Metzen, parents of Mrs. P. H. Furth, were both born and reared in Prussia, Germany. They were married in their native land and two years later, in 1854, they came to America and located first at Detroit, Michigan, where they lived one year. They then went to Hudson, Wisconsin, where they stayed two years,
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then moved to LeSeuer, and three years later came to Brown county and located on a farm in Sigel township during the summer of 1862, just prior to the Sioux Indian outbreak. During the uprising Mr. and Mrs. Metzen and their chil- dren sought safety in New Ulm, and after the danger was over they moved to a homestead in Cottonwood township, where they lived until the death of Mr. Metzen in 1898. Mrs. Metzen then made her home with her sons Joseph and Will- iam in Milford township and later lived with a daughter in Chicago until 1913, when she came to live with her daugh- ter in New Ulm. Here Mrs. Katherine (Schroeder) Metzen died on November 20, 1915, at the age of eighty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Metzen were the parents of eight children, namely: Mrs. John Wehye, who died in 1880; Nick, Jo- seph, William and Mrs. P. H. Furth, who reside in New Ulm; Mrs. Paul J. Nuessle, of Minneapolis; Mrs. Kate Ball, of Livingston, Montana, and Mrs. A. J. Furth, of Chicago.
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HERMAN BEUSSMANN.
Herman Beussmann, farmer of Milford township, Brown county, Minnesota, was born in West Newton town- ship, Nicollet county, this state, on November 2, 1869, being a son of Diederich and Mary (Rosmann) Brussmann, both natives of Germany. Diederich was a farmer in his native land and when a young man emigrated to America. He located in Cincinnati among people of his nationality, where he worked for a few years and then returned to his native land and was married. Together he and his wife made the trip to America and this time he came to this section of the country, living in Milwaukee for a time. They then came on to Nicollet county, where they remained a short time, and then moved to Brown county, locating on the land where Herman, the immediate subject of this sketch, now resides. They reached Brown county but a short time before the first of the Indian outbreaks in the early sixties, and at that time lost all their possessions, home and all being burned. They were glad to find safety in New Ulm and to the defense of that town Mr. Beussmann gave his best efforts. They then went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and remained there a few years. Then the family returned to Nicollet county and farmed there a few years, eventually returning to their land here, where Diederich passed his remaining years. His farm at first contained one hundred and twenty acres, but at the time of his death in 1897, he was farming two hun- dred acres. His widow still survives, making her home in New Ulm. His farm at first contained one hundred and
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