USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 47
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neighborhood of his home. For some years he farmed with his father and then bought a nearby quarter section and began farming on his own account, becoming quite success- ful in his operations. Mr. Miller gave considerable atten- tion to the dairy features of his farm and helped to organize the Woodlake Creamery Company, of which he was the first secretary, and was the first manager of that company's plant. He was otherwise active in promoting the best in- terests of the community and was long regarded as one of the most energetic members of that community. Mr. Miller is a Republican and from the days of his youth had given close attention to local political affairs. For a number of years he was township clerk and justice of the peace in and for Mulligan township and in 1898 was elected register of deeds for Brown county, after which he moved to New Ulm, which has ever since been his home. Mr. Miller en- tered upon his official duties on January 1, 1899, and served for six years, being re-elected at two succeeding elections. Upon retiring from office Mr. Miller engaged in the real estate business and for seven years also was engaged as secretary and manager of the New Ulm Stone Company ; at present devoting his entire attention to his extensive real estate transactions, as president of the New Ulm Land Company, occupying a high position in real estate circles in this part of the state.
In 1895 Wesley C. Miller was united in marriage to Anna Langhoff, daughter of August and Wilhelmina Lang- hoff, and to that union two children have been born, both sons, Walter W. and Arthur J. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are Members of the Methodist church and take an earnest part in the general social and cultural activities of their home town.
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BENEDICT I. VETTER.
Benedict I. Vetter, well-known grocer and retail liquor dealer at New Ulm, this county, is a native son of Minne- sota, having been born on a farm in the neighboring county of Nicollet on May 16, 1885, son of Leonard and Anna Vet- ter, well-known residents of the neighborhood in which they lived. Leonard Vetter was born in Germany and was but two years old when his parents came to the United States and located in Illinois. Later they came to Minnesota and homesteaded a farm in Nicollet county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Leonard Vetter grew to man- hood in Nicollet county, married there and began farming on his own account, presently becoming the owner of a farm of two hundred acres in West Newton township, on which he made his home until his retirement from the farm, after which he moved to New Ulm. To him and his wife eight children were born, of whom five are still living.
Benedict I. Vetter was reared on the paternal farm in West Newton township, Nicollet county, receiving his edu- cation in the district school in the neighborhood of his home, and remained with his father until the latter's retirement from the farm, in 1907. He then worked on various farms in that neighborhood until his marriage, in 1912, after which he rented a farm in Cottonwood township, this county, and there made his home until in June, 1914, at which time he moved to New Ulm, where he opened a grocery and retail liquor store and has ever since been thus engaged.
In 1912 Benedict I. Vetter was united in marriage to
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Clara Weisner, daughter of Joseph Weisner and wife, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Lorraine. Mr. and Mrs. Vetter are members of the Catholic church and take an active interest in parish affairs. Mr. Vetter is a member of the St. Joseph Society and takes a warm in- terest in the affairs of that organization. He is a Democrat and gives to the political affairs of the county considerable attention.
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CARL W. A. KROOK.
A venerable and honored citizen of Brown county, whose life has been lived along useful and commendable lines is Carl W. A. Krook, now in his eighty-second year and living in retirement in New Ulm. He was born in Swe- den, November 21, 1834, and is a son of Lars and Marie Anderson. He took the name Krook when he came to the United States on account of the name Anderson being so common. His mother's parents died when she was quite small, and she went to the town of Malmo where she re- ceived a good education and later studied medicine. Lars Anderson was a mason by trade, which he taught to his son, Carl W. A., who followed the same for fourteen years, and he also did plastering. He had little opportunity to attend school, having begun working some when only nine years old as a sheep and goose herder. He came to the United States in 1869, landing in New York on May 11. He came on West to Chicago, but after looking for work in vain for a few days he went to Missouri and was employed on rail- road construction work one month, then came to Minnesota, locating first in St. Paul. He had married before leaving his native land and while in the Twin Cities he wrote his wife to sell the home in Sweden (she having remained there) and join him in America. She did so and they came to Leavenworth, Brown county, to reside, he buying land there on which he built a house and this was their home for three years. After the first year he worked at his trade as a brick-mason in New Ulm, during the summer. After
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selling the farm he bought property in New Ulm and started a grocery store, also kept boarders for a period of twenty- six years, when he sold his store and also closed his boarding house, then retired from active life and built his present cozy home in Washington street, New Ulm, in 1900, where he has lived ever since.
Carl W. A. Krook was married in Horby, Sweden, in March, 1861, to Hanna Johnson, who was born on Septem- ber 18, 1831, in Sibarp, Sweden. To this union six children have been born, four of whom were born in the old country and three of them died in Sweden. They were named as follow: Lewis, born on March 20, 1864, in the town of Horby, married Alma Vogel and they have one child, Fran- cis Bertha Juthilda. Carl Gustave was born in Brown county, Minnesota, he is unmarried. He received an excel- lent education and became a successful lawyer, was district judge for some time in Arizona, where he still resides. Franz Hilding, the third child to grow to maturity, was born in Brown county, Minnesota, married Linsie Hirsch, a daughter of Doctor Hirsch, and they have five children, Beata, Aimee, Marjory, Helen and Florence. Thus Mr. Krook has six granddaughters but no grandsons, a fact which he very much regrets as the name will die out with the present generation. Although there were six children in his father's family, he and his sister, Beata, are the only ones living at this writing. She makes her home in Sweden in the town of Wexio. Mrs. Hanna (Johnson) Krook is the only one living of her family.
Mr. Krook has been a member of the New Ulm school board for a period of sixteen years, being a member at the time the new high school in New Ulm was built. He is at
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present treasurer of the board. For many years he was a Republican, but now votes independently. His eldest son was active in local politics, having been county auditor, also postmaster in New Ulm and held other minor offices. Mr. Krook was one of the trustees of Dr. Martin Luther College at the time it was built. He was also treasurer of that insti- tution for many years. He and his family were formerly members of the Lutheran church, but finally joined the Congregational church. Mr. Krook's youngest son is cash- ier in the Citizens State Bank at New Ulm.
(17a)
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REV. CHRISTIAN HOHN.
The Rev. Christian Hohn, pastor of the German Meth- odist Episcopal church at New Ulm, this county, is a native of Germany, having been born in the village of Prevorst, Wurtemberg, March 28, 1878, son of Jacob and Rosina Horn, both natives of that same place. Jacob Hohn was a government forester. He also had served in the German army. In 1891 he and his family came to the United States and settled at Enterprise, Kansas. For one year he worked on the railroad section there and then moved to Salina, same state, in the neighborhood of which he was engaged in farm- ing for about two years, at the end of which time he moved to Seward county, Nebraska, where he bought a farm and where he is still living, though now retired from the active duties of the farm. To him and his wife twelve children were born, of whom ten are still living; the only one of these living in Brown county, however, being the subject of this sketch.
Christian Hohn was about thirteen years old when he came to America with his parents and he lost little time in beginning his studies in English in the common schools at Enterprise, Kansas. He early recognized his call to the gospel ministry and upon completing the course in the com- mon schools entered a preparatory school at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, after which he entered Central Wesleyan College at Warrenton, Missouri, from which he was graduated five years later, being ordained as a deacon by Bishop John W. Hamilton on September 5, 1904. In the meantime, in 1902,
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he had served as a minister at New Ulm, later going to St. Paul's College, where he served as a teacher for a year. On October 7, 1906, he was ordained to the ministry and was installed as pastor of the Central Methodist Episcopal church at Minneapolis, and was there engaged for three years, during which time he also continued his studies by taking a course in the University of Minnesota. He then was called to the Dayton's Bluff German Methodist church at St. Paul, in which charge he served for four years, at the end of which time his services were engaged as an instructor in the Charles City College at Charles City, Iowa, where he remained until accepting the call to the German Methodist church at New Ulm in 1912. During his pastorate at New Ulm, the Rev. Mr. Hohn has performed a fine work in ex- tending both the spiritual and material interests of the church under his charge.
In 1902 the Rev. Christian Hohn was united in mar- riage to Anna Rockel and to this union two children have been born, Ronald and Winfried. The Rev. Mr. Hohn is widely known throughout the conference of his church and is now serving as assistant secretary of the Northern Ger- man conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a Mason and in the affairs of that order he takes a warm in- terest. In his political beliefs he is independent, declining to be tied to any party, preferring to exercise his suffrage in behalf of such candidates for public office as he regards best fitted for the performance of the duties of the offices to which they aspire.
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EUGENE KOEHLER.
Eugene Koehler was born on June 22, 1865, in New Ulm, Minnesota, and is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Vernie) Koehler, natives of Alsace, Kumberschuppen and Alsace-Lorraine, respectively. The father was nineteen years old when he came to America, and the mother was a young girl when her parents brought her to this country. Her mother died during the epidemic of cholera in Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania, and Catherine Vernie was then adopted by the Reined family, and her sister was adopted by another family whose name is unknown, neither has her whereabouts ever been known since. Eugene Koehler's parents were married in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Mr. Koeh- ler followed his trade of pattern-maker, working for the Hall Safe & Lock Company, which at that time employed only four men. In 1857 he came west, locating in the town of New Ulm, Minnesota, where he followed the carpenter's trade, at which he was working in Ft. Ridgely during the Indian massacre, and he took part in the defense of that place, his name now appearing on the monument there as one of the defenders. He erected a great many of the early buildings in the town of New Ulm. He finally worked in Seller's planing mill for a period of fifteen years, and after that was a member of the police force as night watchman, for five years, after which he lived in retirement in New Ulm until his death in February, 1899. His family con- sisted of eleven children, six of whom are now living, Eu- gene and a sister, Mrs. Minnie Vendlant, being the only
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ones of the family who still make their homes in Brown county.
Eugene Koehler received a common-school education, leaving school when twelve years old. He then went to work for the Schell Brewing Company as a teamster and stable boy. A year later he started in to learn the cigar- maker's trade at which he remained one year, then began learning the barber's trade under Frank Liebald, working under him two years, then went to St. Paul where he worked as a barber for two years, after which he went to Chicago and worked nearly two years in the shop in the Palmer House, which was at that time the finest shop in that city and one of the best in the world. Returning to New Ulm about 1886, he bought out a shop which he ran a few years, then sold out and bought a shop in Red Wing, Minnesota, which he ran for five years, returning to New Ulm about 1893 and bought out Henry Vetters' shop, which at that time contained two chairs. He has remained here ever since, built up a large trade, now conducting the most up-to- date and largest barber shop in Brown county, operating five chairs.
Eugene Koehler was married on July 13, 1886, to Em- ily Veumler, a native of New Ulm and a daughter of Ed- ward Veumler. Her parents were natives of Germany and were very early settlers in Brown county, coming here from Chicago about 1859. They were here during the Indian outbreak and two of their sons were slain by the savages, and an infant child was wounded. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Koehler, namely: Earna, who mar- ried Edward P. Walthier, lives in Minneapolis, where he is employed in the railway mail service, running between
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that city and Chicago, and they have one child, Lowell; Stanley, an instructor of physical science in the high school at Harmony, Minnesota, is a graduate of the State Univer- sity; Armin will graduate from the New Ulm high school with the class of 1917; Louis is in the eighth grade in the local schools, and Catherine, the youngest child, is in the seventh grade. Mr. Koehler and wife are members of the Lutheran church, and he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
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OTTO MEYER.
Otto Meyer, one of the best-known and most progres- sive citizens of New Ulm, this county, and for years travel- ing representative of Die Volkszeitung, the popular Ger- man daily newspaper at St. Paul, is a native of Germany and has been a resident of New Ulm since 1897. He was born on August 24, 1849, at Holzminden, a son of Frederick and Matilda Meyer, both natives of the Fatherland, the former of whom was a banker and both of whom died in their native land. They were the parents of six children, three of whom are still living, but of these children the sub- ject of this sketch and Albert, living in St. Paul, are the only ones who ever came to America.
Otto Meyer was well educated in his native land, spend- ing eight years in the gymnasium, after which he engaged in the mercantile business and was thus engaged until he came to the United States in 1885. Upon arriving in this country he located at Osage, Iowa, but a short time later moved to Stillwater, this state, where he remained eight months, at the end of which time he went to St. Paul, where his services were engaged by Die Volkszeitung, with which excellent old newspaper he ever since has been conncted for thirty years, in the capacity of a traveling representative, his territory covering Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Washington, he now being the oldest agent in the news- paper's service.
In 1898 Otto Meyer was united in marriage to Louise
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Baarsch, daughter of William and Louise Baarsch, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Julia. Mr. Meyer is a Democrat and a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
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REV. C. J. ALBRECHT.
The Rev. C. J. Albrecht, pastor of St. Paul's Evangeli- cal German Lutheran church at New Ulm, this county, is a native of Germany, having been born in the kingdom of Wurtemberg in 1847, son of Henry and Christina (Schill- ing) Albrecht, well-to-do viticulturists, whose lives were spent in their well-kept vineyard, the former dying in 1892 and the latter in 1914. They were the parents of seven children, five of whom are still living; and of these five, four are living in Minnesota, as follow: Rev. Christian, a min- ister of the German Lutheran church at Alcoma; Rev. C. J., the subject of this biographical sketch; Rev. Gottlieb, a minister of the same denomination at Emmett, and Mrs. Lena Luehl, of Ellington.
C. J. Albrecht was educated to the ministry in his native land and was ordained there. In 1872 he married Mary Fry, daughter of John Christian Fry, and shortly afterward came to the United States. In November of that same year he was installed as pastor of the German Luth- eran church at Lewiston, in Winona county, this state. After three months of service there he was called to take charge of the church at Greenwood, in Hennepin county, and was pastor of that church until 1882, in which year he accepted a call to the parish of St. Paul's church at New Ulm, where he ever since has been stationed and where he has done an admirable work, the interests of the parish having been extended both in a spiritual and a material way since he was installed as pastor. When the Rev. C. J. Al-
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brecht took charge at St. Paul's the parish had a population of but ninety-five families. At the time of the last official report it had a population of more than three hundred and all its departments of labor in a flourishing condition.
To the Rev. C. J. and Mary (Fry) Albrecht ten chil- dren were born, five of whom are still living, namely : Lydia, wife of the Rev. F. Kohler, now stationed at Nicollet, in the neighboring county of Nicollet; Adelaide, at home; the Rev. Emanuel Albrecht, who married Fredia Toppe and is now pastor of the English Lutheran church at Fairfax, in the neighboring county of Renville; the Rev. Gustave Al- brecht, who married Martha Brown and is pastor of the English Lutheran church at St. Peter, and Martha, who is at home. The mother of these children died in 1897.
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FRED HAMANN.
Fred Hamann, well-known driven-well contractor and dealer in windmills and member of the New Ulm common council, is a native son of Brown county, having been born on a pioneer farm in Cottonwood township, September 14, 1865, son of Henry and Louisa (Bott) Hamann, natives of Germany and early settlers of this section of Minnesota.
Henry Hamann came to the United States in 1853 and settled at Blue Island, Illinois, in the neighborhood of Chi- cago, where he bought a forty-acre farm on which he made his home for three years, at the end of which time, in 1856, he joined the considerable German colony which not long before had settled in the New Ulm neighborhood in Brown county. He homesteaded a tract of land in Cottonwood township and spent the rest of his life there, he and his wife being among the earliest settlers of that section. They went through all the terrors of the Indian uprising and be- came substantial citizens. Henry Hamann died on his homestead farm in 1878. He and his wife were the parents of thirteen children, four of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Harry, William and Louise.
Fred Hamann was reared on the homestead farm in Cottonwood township and assisted very materially in the development of the same. His school days came to an end when he was thirteen years old and thereafter, until he was twenty two-years old, he gave his time to the work of the farm. In the meantime he had become interested in the
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work of drilling wells in that community and he then en- tered into the business as a definite vocation and has fol- lowed it ever since, long having been regarded as one of the best well-drillers in this part of the state. For more than twenty-five years Mr. Hamann has been engaged in that line and he and his machines for driving wells are known far and wide hereabout. Mr. Hamann also for years has acted as agent for a popular make of windmill in this sec- tion and has done a big business in that line. Mr. Hamann is a Republican and has long given his earnest attention to local political affairs, at present serving as councilman from his ward in the New Ulm city council.
On January 18, 1900, Fred Hamann was united in mar- riage to Dora Gribel, who also was born in this county, the daughter of Michael and Kunigunda (Dauer) Gribel, na- tives of Germany and pioneers of Brown county, and to this union four children have been born: Elmer, Edna, Clarence and Louise. Mr. and Mrs. Hamann are attendants at the Congregational church and take an earnest interest in the good works of the community.
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JOSEPH A. HERZOG.
Joseph A. Herzog, cashier of the State Bank of Sleepy Eye and widely known throughout the county, being gen- erally recognized as one of the most energetic and enter- prising young business men in Brown county, is a native son of Minnesota, having been born at Melrose, in Stearns county, this state, June 3, 1886, son of Frank H. and Eliza- beth (Blommel) Herzog, both natives of Germany.
Frank H. Herzog, who is still living at Melrose, this state, was born in the province of Oldenburg, Germany, son of Henry and Agnes Herzog, who were the parents of seven children, Bernard, Frank H., Joseph, Agnes, Elizabeth and Frederick. Shortly after locating at Melrose, in Stearns county, this state, Frank H. Herzog married Elizabeth Blommel, eldest of the five children of Joseph Blommel and wife, who had also come from Germany, they having been natives of Hanover, and settled in the Melrose neighbor- hood, where they engaged in farming. Mrs. Blommel died there, after which Joseph Blommel went to St. Joseph, Florida, where he spent his last days in the home of one of his sons. He and his wife were the parents of five children, Elizabeth, Bernard, Henry, Bernardina and Joseph. To Frank H. Herzog and wife eleven children have been born, as follow: Joseph A., the subject of this sketch; Bernard, of St. Joseph, Stearns county, this sketch; John, of Free- port, in the same county; Frank, of Rockville, in the same county ; Rose, who married Frank Meyer, of Freeport, and Agnes, William, Leo, Christina, Hilda and Bertha, at home
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with their parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Herzog are earnest members of the Catholic church and their children were reared in that faith.
Joseph A. Herzog was reared on the paternal farm near Melrose and received his elementary education in the dis- trict school in that neighborhood, assisting his father in the work of the farm until at the age of nineteen he entered St. John's University at Collegeville, this state. On April 15, 1907, he went to work in the First National Bank at Brain- ard, this state, and was thus engaged until June 8, 1910, at which time he entered the service of the International Har- vester Company at St. Cloud and was thus engaged until the following December, on the fifteenth day of which month he transferred his services to the State Bank of Sleepy Eye at Sleepy Eye, this county, and has ever since been connected with that old financial institution. Upon entering the State Bank of Sleepy Eye, Mr. Herzog was made assistant cashier of the bank and on February 17, 1912, was advanced to the position of cashier of the bank, which responsible position he since has held and in the per- formance of the duties connected with which he has earned not only the full confidence and regard of the stockholders and other officers of the bank, but the esteem of the com- munity generally.
Mr. Herzog is a member of the Catholic church and takes a good citizen's part in all worthy movements de- signed to advance the general welfare of the community in which he lives. He is a member of the Knights of Colum- bus and of the Catholic Order of Foresters, in the affairs of which popular fraternal organizations he takes a warm in- terest. Mr. Herzog is inclined to be somewhat independent
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