USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 54
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BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
der of their lives there, his death occurring in 1881, he then being seventy-nine years of age, his widow surviving until 1896, she being eighty-one years old at the time of her death. Both were Catholics and their children were reared in that faith. There were ten of these children, namely: Edward P., of Sleepy Eye, this county; Dominick, deceased; John J., of Sleepy Eye; John P., the subject of this sketch; Mary, wife of Nicholas Schmitz, of Home township, this county; Mary Ann, wife of Matthias Hoffman, of Sleepy Eye; Bar- bara, deceased, who was the wife of Nicholas Welter; Emma, wife of Charles Neid, of Kissimi, Florida, and two who died in early youth.
John P. Bertrand was twelve years old when he came to America with his family and he grew up as a farmer boy. He had received an excellent elementary education in his native land and upon coming to Minnesota continued his studies in the little old log school house on his father's farm in Scott county. When the family moved from Scott to this county he was twenty-one years of age and instead of accompanying his parents here went to Henderson, in the neighboring county of Sibley, where he learned the harness- making trade, which he has followed ever since, a period of a half century. In 1871 he came to Brown county and located at New Ulm, where, in partnership with Christian Schrader, he engaged in the harness business. This part- nership continued for two years and six months, at the end of which time Mr. Bertrand bought his partner's interest and continued the business alone. In 1877 he married and in 1878 he moved to Sleepy Eye, establishing himself in the general harness trade there, both as a manufacturer and as a merchant, and has been engaged in business in that city,
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having built up a large business in that line, long having been regarded as one of the leading merchants in that town, enjoying the confidence and regard of his business associa- ates generally. In addition to looking after this extensive business affairs, Mr. Bertrand has found time to give a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs and has served two or three terms as a member of the city council, having been president of the council during one of these terms.
On September 4, 1877, John P. Bertrand was united in marriage at New Ulm to Elizabeth Kioes, who was born in Weimas Kierschen, Luxemberg, March 29, 1857, daugh- ter of Philip and Elizabeth (Schmitz) Kioes, natives of that same province of Germany, who came to the United States with their family in 1869 and settled in New Ulm, where both died in the eighties. Mrs. Kioes was one of the eight children born to her parents, Joseph Schmitz and wife, natives of Germany and early settlers in Brown county, she having had four brothers, Peter, Nicholas, John and John P., the latter of whom was killed by the Indians during the uprising in 1862, and three sisters, Anna, Mary and Catherine. Philip Kioes and wife were the parents of six children, Pierre, Michael, Marie Frances, Catherine, Anna and Elizabeth.
To John P. and Elizabeth (Kioes) Bertrand eight children were born, as follow: Marie, born on August 1, 1878, who is organist in the Catholic church at Sleepy Eye; Aloysius Jacobus, June 20, 1880, partner with his father in the latter's business at Sleepy Eye, married Magdalena Steffen and has four children, Leonard John, Cornelius, Marcella and Margaret; Mary Elizabeth, November 28, 1882, now deceased; Mary Frances, May 12, 1884, died on
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July 3, 1891; Clara Catherine, August 8, 1886, who married E. P. Lilla, of Confrey, this county, and has two children, Elizabeth and Arthur; Anna, October 23, 1888, who is a clerk in a store at St. Peter, in the neighboring county of Nicollet; Matthias Philip, February 18, 1891, who is a jew- eler in the state of Mississippi, and Joseph, April 7, 1893, who died in December of. that same year. The mother of these children died on March 10, 1894, and on August 5, 1895, John P. Bertrand married, secondly, at Henderson, this state, Mrs. Catherine Grode, a widow, daughter of Mat- thias and Margaret (Rock). Bertrand, which union has been without issue. Mr. and Mrs. Bertrand are members of the Catholic church, in the various local beneficences of which they take a warm interest, and are held in high esteem by their many friends throughout the county.
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BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
AUGUST SCHWEIGER.
August Schweiger, well-known retired butcher, of Sleepy Eye, this county, who has been a resident of Brown county since 1873, is a native of Germany. He was born on November 28, 1849, son of Ferdinand and Rozina (Mor- ris) Schweiger, both of whom also were born in the Father- land. Ferdinand Schweiger was a carpenter and school teacher. He died in 1865 leaving a family of six children, five sons and one daughter, Fritz, Julius, Gustave, August Carl and Matilda, all of whom are residents of this county save Gustave, who remained in his native land.
August Schweiger's school days came to an end when he was fourteen years old, after which, for five years, he worked in a brickyard. He then, in 1868, at the age of nineteen came to the United States, landing at the port of New York, proceeding directly thence to the state of Illi- nois, where he worked on a farm for two years, at the end of which time he went to Chicago, where he worked in a packing house until 1873, in which year he came to Minne- sota and settled at Sleepy Eye. For more than three years after arriving there he worked in a butcher shop and then went over to New Ulm, where he worked in a butcher shop for five or six years, acquiring a thorough acquaintance with the needs of the retail meat trade. He then, in 1882, returned to Sleepy Eye and opened a butcher shop of his own and was thus very successfully engaged until his retire- ment from business in 1907, at which time he turned the shop over to his son-in-law, who is continuing the business
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at the old stand. Mr. Schweiger was a good business man and did well while actively engaged in business in Sleepy Eye. In his political views he is classed as an "indepen- dent." In his fraternal relations he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has occupied all the chairs in the local lodge of that order.
In 1878, August Schweiger was united in marriage to Charlotte Jent, who was born in Illinois, daughter of Charles and Johanna Jent, who came to Brown county in 1869, and to this union six children were born, one son and four daughters, Emma, Minnie, Gusta, August and Flor- ence. Of these children Minnie married F. W. Meyer, who is now conducting the retail meat business established by Mr. Schweiger at Sleepy Eye in 1882. To that union two children have been born, Elaine and Carrie. August Schweiger, Jr., who is assistant cashier in a bank at Monte- video, this state, married Sue Fisher and has one child. Mr. Schweiger's remaining children are at home with him. His wife died in 1909.
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THEODORE HAMMERMEISTER, M. D.
One of the most promising of the younger physicians of Brown county is Theodore Hammermeister, of New Ulm. He was born on July 25, 1887, in Morgan, Eden township, Brown county, and is a son of Carl and Emily (Strey) Hammermeister, both natives of Hinterpomieren, Ger- many, from which country they came to the United States when young in years and were married in Minnesota. The father was a blacksmith by trade, which he had learned as a boy in his native land, but after coming to America he followed farming. He is now living retired in New Ulm. He has five children, all living in Brown county but one, the doctor having been next to the youngest in order of birth.
The subject of this sketch received his early education in the public schools of the country, near his home in Brown county, then entered the high school at Sleepy Eye, from which he was graduated with the class of 1908. In the au- tumn of that year he entered the University of Minnesota, preparatory to taking the medical course in that institution, where he received the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1912. He was graduated with the class of 1914 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, soon after which he took up hospital work at the Northwestern Hospital of Minneapolis, where he worked a little over four months, then took up a similar line of work at the University hospital. On June 15, 1915, he returned to New Ulm, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profession in partnership with Doctor
(25a)
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Strickler. While in the university he specialized in sur- gery and the eye, ear, nose and throat, also immunity and laboratory work. All this required special attention aside from his regular medical course, but he believed they would be valuable assets in his future practice and of great bene- fit to his patients, hence redoubled his efforts and made a good record in each department.
On June 8, 1915, he was married in Minneapolis, to Isabelle M. Dunn, who was born on June 29, 1886, in Waseca, Minnesota. She is a daughter of James M. and Matilda (Turnecliff) Dunn, natives of Scotland and the United States, respectively.
The doctor and wife are members of the Lutheran church. He is a young man of pleasing address, has laid an excellent foundation in his chosen profession, is honor- able and energetic and held in high esteem by all.
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PETER ROLAND.
As miller and manager of the elevator at Hanska, Brown county, Peter Roland is doing a thriving business, being in the center of an excellent wheat country. He was born on September 27, 1858, in Foberg, Norway, and is a son of Nels C. and Lena (Gelberg) Roland, both natives of that country also. The father was a mason by trade and continued in the same until he was past eighty years of age. He came to the United States in 1866 with his family, which consisted of his wife and four children. They came direct to Minnesota, locating in South Bend, Blue Earth county, where they lived two years, then came to Brown county, locating in Lake Hanska township where the father home- steaded eighty acres in section 24, on which he lived until his death, which occurred on November 23, 1913, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. His family consisted of six children, namely: Christ, Peter, Mrs. Jorgena Sey- moure, Matt, Mary and Nels.
As a boy, Peter Roland received a very limited educa- tion, for the nearest school house to his home in Brown county was three miles. When about fourteen years of age he began working to earn his living, assisting his father on the home place, more land having been acquired, and he was thus employed at home until he was married. About that time he bought two hundred and forty acres in Stevens county, to which he removed. It was wild land, and after living there one year he gave it up owing to his wife object- ing to living in an undeveloped country. They came back
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to Brown county and bought property on the townsite of Hanska, where they built a house, which was the second in the place. He then started a dray business and followed that until the fall of 1910, when he became manager of the New Ulm Roller Mills and elevator in Hanska, and is still operating them with much success.
Mr. Roland was married in Brown county, September 17, 1899, to Tanethe Gibberg, who was born in Norway, a daughter of Jens Gibberg and wife. She was about twenty years old when she came to the United States, her father coming a few years later, her mother having died in Nor- way. The union has been without issue.
Politically, Mr. Roland is a Democrat, as was his fa- ther before him from the time he was naturalized and he and his sons were the first Democrats in Lake Hanska town- ship, in which there were but ten families at the time of their locating here. The country was wild, and there were deer and much small game, ducks, geese, prairie chicken, etc. Madelia was their nearest postoffice, which town at that time contained only about thirty-five people. Mr. Roland has held minor offices in the town of Hanska. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and wife belong to the Unitarian church.
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NELS J. OUREN.
An enterprising merchant of Hanska, Brown county, is Nels J. Ouren, who enjoys a good trade with the town and surrounding country, owing to his fair and courteous dealings with all his customers. He was born May 14, 1869, in Linden township, this county, and is a son of John J. and Johanah (Nelson) Ouren, both natives of Toten, Norway, from which country they came to the United States about the year 1862, locating at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they remained a short time, then came to Corn Prairie and later to Fillmore county, Minnesota, and in 1868 came on to Brown county, Minnesota, where the father bought a farm of about one hundred and sixty acres in Linden township, just east of the present town of Hanska. He later sold this farm and moved to Madelia, where he lived for ten years, engaged in blacksmithing, then returned to Brown county, buying a farm in Linden township again, and lived there until his death. Neither of the farms were improved when he got them, so he developed and improved two good farms in Linden township. His family consisted of seven chil- dren, of whom the subject of this sketch was third in order of birth, and the eldest boy living.
Nels J. Ouren received a good education in the com- mon schools and when a boy assisted his father with the general work about the place. Later, he attended the Ma- delia high school, but did not complete his education there, going to Onoka Business College. After completing the course there he worked for A. Hellesheim, of Madelia. In
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1899 he came to Hanska and took charge of the Hanska- Linden Company, which store was opened for business in 1893, and he has continued manager of the same to the present time, giving eminent satisfaction to all concerned. He has increased the business from thirty-three thousand dollars to sixty thousand dollars annually in that time. He has also added to the original building and introduced many new and modern improvements and changes. A large and well-selected stock of general merchandise is carried at all seasons.
Mr. Ouren was married on June 26, 1899, in Brown county, to Julia De Nora Ouren, daughter of Anton Ouren, and to this union four children have been born, namely: James Arnold, Julius Maurice, Evelyn Viola and Ernest.
Politically, Mr. Ouren is a Democrat and is active and influential in party affairs. He has been county committee- man for his party for the last ten years or more. He was mayor of Hanska for over twelve years, during which time he did much toward the general development and welfare of the place, whose interests he has ever had very much at heart and sought to promote in every legitimate way pos- sible. He supports the Unitarian church, of which his wife is a member. Although of the same name, he and his wife were not relations; however, both families came from the samne locality in Norway.
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HANS MO.
Hans Mo, the veteran president of the State Bank of Sleepy Eye, in the thriving little city of that name in this county, and one of the most enterprising, progressive and energetic citizens of Brown county, is a native of the king- dom of Norway, having been born in the village of Vaage, Gudbrandsdalen, March 17, 1850, son of Einar and Inge- borg (Paulsdatter) Mo, natives of that same district.
Einer Mo was the son of John and Thore (Olsdatter) Johnson, residents of that same district in Norway, both of whom lived to advanced ages, and his wife was the daughter of Paul Haugen and wife, neighbors of the John- sons. He received an excellent education in his youth and at the age of sixteen began teaching school in his home vil- lage and was thus engaged until the time of his death, a period of fifty years, during which time he exerted a most profound influence for good upon the common life of that community. For forty years he also was postmaster of the village, his first year's salary in that public capacity hav- ing been nine dollars. Einar Mo died in 1897, at the age of sixty-eight years. His widow survived until 1910, she hav- ing been seventy-two years of age at the time of her death. Both were stanch Lutherans and their children were reared in that faith. There were six of these children, namely: Knud E., of Minneapolis, this state; Hans, the subject of this sketch; Ragnald E., wife of J. O. Holen, of Stillwater, this state; Ingeborg, who died in 1914, after having been for twenty-five years actively connected with the State Bank
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of Sleepy Eye; Mary, wife of Engebrecht Uldalen, of Otta Station, Norway, and Thor, of Byron, this state.
Hans Mo received an excellent education in the schools of his native town and became a bookkeeper and deputy in the office of the sheriff, which position he held for four years. He served for one year as deputy postmaster in the postoffice in Sell and also served for one year in the roads department of the department of the interior, under the supervision of Hans Gragh. In 1872, he then being twenty-two years of age, Hans Mo came to the United States and upon landing on the shores of this country pro- ceeded immediately to Minnesota, stopping at Byron, where for a short time he was employed on the railroad section. He then secured employment as clerk in a store at Byron and was thus engaged until 1877, in which year he moved to Sleepy Eye, in this county, where for three or four years he was employed as a clerk in a store. He then received the appointment as postmaster of Sleepy Eye and served in that office for four years, at the end of which term of serv- ice his services were engaged by the bank of Sleepy Eye and he was put in charge of the real-estate loans depart- ment of that concern. At that time the bank of Sleepy Eye was a private concern owned by F. H. Dyckman. Mr. Mo proved a valuable assistant to the latter, retaining his con- nection with the bank as a clerk until 1888, in which year he and O. W. Hagen each bought a one-third interest in the bank with Mr. Dyckman, after which the concern was conducted as a partnership until 1891, in which year it was incorporated under the laws of the state as the State Bank of Sleepy Eye, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars, and has since then been operated as a state bank and
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is regarded as one of the soundest financial institutions in this part of the state. The bank has a surplus of fifteen thousand dollars and its present officers are as follow: President, Hans Mo; vice-president, Edward F. Berkner; cashier, J. A. Herzog; assistant cashier, E. P. Schmitz; directors, Arnold Hillesheim, Frank F. Romberg, P. D. Raverty, Joseph Seifert, Edward F. Berkner, George J. Vollmer and Hans Mo.
On August 23, 1877, Hans Mo was united in marriage to Anne Johnson, who was born in Vaage, Norway, which also is Mr. Mo's native town, on April 2, 1855, daughter of John and Ronnang Stockstadt, both natives of the same place. John Stockstadt died in his native land in 1875, after which his widow and her four children, Anne, Peter, Hans and Andrew, came to America, where she married Andrew P. Stockstadt, her deceased husband's brother, which second union was without issue.
To Hans and Anne (Johnson) Mo four children have been born, as follow: Elmer James, cashier of the Scandi- navian-American Bank of Big Timber, Montana, who mar- ried and has one child, a son, Hans; Rolf Ingvar, employed in the garage at Sleepy Eye, who married Ada Black and has two children, Lucile and Helen; Pearl Inez, who mar- ried Saxe Somerville and has three children, George, Alice and Inez, and Alice T., who is at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Mo are earnest members of the German Luth- eran church and their children have been reared in that faith. The family for years has been regarded as one of the leaders in the development of the social and cultural life of Sleepy Eye and is held in high esteem throughout the whole county.
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Mr. Mo is a stanch Republican and ever since becoming a resident of Brown county has taken a good citizen's part in the political affairs of the county. Few men in the county have a wider acquaintance with men and conditions here- about than he, and his counsels in the deliberations of the local managers of the party have much weight. He has been a natural leader in the direction of the educational in- terests of Sleepy Eye and for nearly twenty years was a member of the school board, in which official capacity he was able to render a very valuable service to the public, it being undoubted that his unremitting and earnest efforts in that behalf did very much toward the elevation of educa- tional standards in that thriving little city. He also has been a member of the library board ever since the organiza- tion of the same and in other ways has done all in his power to advance the general interests of his home community. Mr. Mo has prospered, as he deserves to prosper, since com- ing to America, and has long been recognized as one of Brown county's most substantial citizens. He owns a fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres near Tracy, this state, and a one-half joint interest in a farm of three hun- dred and seven acres in Brown county. He is a wideawake, progressive and public-spirited citizen and an excellent busi- ness man, cheerfully doing what he can to promote the gen- eral welfare of the people of this section of the state.
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BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
CHRIST SPELLBRINK.
One of Brown county's successful agriculturists is Christ Spellbrink, who, after long years of hard work and economy, is now living in retirement in his pleasant home in New Ulm. He was born on March 5, 1846, in Hanover, Germany, and is a son of Christ and Louise Spellbrink, both parents also natives of Hanover, where they grew up and were married. The father worked at different trades until shortly before coming to America, when he engaged in mer- cantile pursuits, which he continued until 1857, when he set sail for America, locating at New Ulm, Minnesota, entering one hundred and sixty acres of land in Milford township, broke up the sod, planted crops and built a small log hut. He prospered by hard work and there carried on general farming until his death. His family consisted of six chil- dren, three of whom are still living, namely: Christ, who is the eldest; Louis and Gustav.
Christ Spellbrink grew up on the homestead, where he worked during the summer months, and he received his education in the common schools in Germany and also in this country, being ten years of age when he accompanied the family to America. However, he was educated princi- pally by his father, with whom he worked on the farm until he was thirty years of age, then rented land and farmed for himself a number of years, then bought one hundred and ninety acres, which he improved, spending several thousand dollars in this manner, until his farm ranked with the best in the township. Here he continued to farm until 1902,
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when he moved to Lac qui Parle county, Minnesota, on a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, on which he farmed until 1912, when he retired, and located in New Ulm, where he has a well-furnished home. No man living in Brown county can give a better account of the famous Indian mas- sacre that took place here than Mr. Spellbrink, who was over sixteen years of age at the time, and he was one of the boys who helped to defend New Ulm, and he talks most interestingly on the subject. He assisted the editor of this work in preparing the chapter dealing with the famous battle.
Mr. Spellbrink was married to Louise Goede, a daugh- ter of William Goede, and to this union the following chil- dren were born: Louise, Martha, Adolph, Oscar, Anna, Thelma, Meta, Nancy, Flora and Clarence. Mr. Spellbrink has held public office. He was township clerk for twenty years, performing his duties most faithfully. He has also been assessor, justice of the peace and chairman of the board of supervisors. He is an independent voter. Fra- ternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
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HERMAN R. STEGEMAN.
The well-known architect and contractor, Herman R. Stegeman, of New Ulm, Brown county, was born March 9, 1872, in Pomerin, Germany, and he is a son of Carl and Wilhelmina (Buboltz) Stegeman. The father was a miller and engineer, also learned the brick-maker's trade. He was a stone-masonry engineer most of his life. In May, 1881, he came to the United States, making a quick trip for those times, the voyage requiring only eleven days. He arrived in New York on May 18, having boarded the ship at Hamburg. He and his family came direct to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where they spent three months, then the father bought a farm in La Crosse county, three and one-half miles from Bango, and he lived on that farm until he retired from active life and removed to Sparta where he lived with his daughter, Mrs. Olga Streeck, until his death. His wife died in 1890. They were the parents of four children that lived to maturity, namely: Olga, Mrs. Amanda Piska, Paul (deceased), and Herman R.
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