USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 62
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detachment to carry dispatches to Admiral Porter, who had preceded the land forces toward Shreveport, about eighty miles distant. The dispatch boat came near being captured before Porter's fleet was reached, seven men of the detachment being killed and twelve wounded, among the latter being young Bobleter, who was severely wounded in the left leg by a fragment of a shell. In December, 1864, he was honorably discharged and in the following month enlisted, for a third time, this time as a private in the Second Iowa Cavalry, with which he served until mustered out in the following September. In the following Decem- ber Joseph Bobleter for the fourth time offered his services to the government, re-enlisting in his old regiment, the Thirteenth United States Infantry, with which he served on the frontier for three years, being mustered out at Ft. Abercrombie in November, 1868.
Upon the completion of his military service, Joseph Bobleter located at New Ulm, which place his father had helped to found and had later helped to defend during the Sioux uprising, and there he spent the rest of his life, one of the most useful and energetic citizens of that place. Upon locating there he became engaged as a clerk in Doc- tor Weschcke's drug store and soon after established a drug store of his own. In 1878 he established the New Ulm Review, a Republican newspaper, which he edited until 1887. In the meantime, in 1883, he was elected repre- sentative from this district to the state Legislature and served one term as a member of the House. In 1886 he was elected state treasurer and showed such ability in the administration of the affairs of that office that he was suc- cessively re-elected in the years 1888, 1890 and 1892.
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Upon his retirement from public office he became finan- cially interested in the Columbia National Bank of Minnea- polis and for a time served as cashier of the same. Subse- quently he became associated with the Brown County Bank of New Ulm, serving that institution for some time as cashier and later as president. In 1885 and in 1886 General Bobleter served his home town as a member of the city council and in the spring of 1908 was elected mayor of New Ulm and was serving as the city's chief executive at the time of his death in the summer of that same year.
General Bobleter's military spirit did not rest upon his retirement from the army in 1868 and in 1871 he per- fected a local organization known as the New Ulm Mili- tary Company, which was mustered into the service of the state as an unassigned company of the Minnesota National Guard on May 25, 1871, and in August of that same year became Company E of the Second Regiment. When the Third Battalion was formed in July, 1873, Company E, of the Second Regiment, Captain Bobleter, became Company A of the Third Battalion and Captain Bobleter was pro- moted to the command of the battalion, with the rank of major. In the following winter, owing to the refusal of the Legislature to continue the appropriation for the National Guard, the militia organization went to pieces; but, nothing disheartened, Major Bobleter reorganized his New Ulm company in 1874 and in September, 1875, secured its formal recognition by the state, under the name of the Governor's Guard, the same being maintained up to 1878 as the only military company in Minnesota. In 1882 when the militia was formally reorganized, Major Bobleter was made major of the Second Battalion and four months later
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was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Second Regi- ment. In the spring of 1898, upon the breaking out of the Spanish-American War he was commissioned colonel of the Twelfth Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served in that capacity until the regiment was mus- tered out at New Ulm on November 5, 1898. In 1903 Col- onel Bobleter was elected brigadier-general of the Minne- sota National Guard and was thus serving at the time of his death, July 2, 1909, having only thirteen days before reviewed the Third Regiment at its annual encampment.
General Bobleter was twice married. On September 5, 1869, the year following his location at New Ulm, he was united in marriage to Mary Schneider, who died in 1907. In the year 1908 General Bobleter married, secondly, Mrs. Ida Schoregge, who survives, together with three children of the first union.
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FRANK H. RETZLAFF.
Frank H. Retzlaff, well-known hardware merchant of New Ulm, president of the city council at that place, one of the directors of the Citizens State Bank of the same city and a member of the board of trustees of the Dr. Martin Luther College at New Ulm, is a native of Germany, though a resident of Brown, county since he was three or four years of age. He was born near the city of Stettin, capital of the province of Pomerania, December 30, 1863, son of Gottfried and Wilhelmina (Grosse) Retzlaff, natives of the same district and sturdy farmers.
Gottfried Retzlaff was a soldier in his country's army during the war against Austria in 1866, and the next year 1867, emigrated with his family to the United States, pro- ceeding directly to Minnesota and settling in Brown county. He bought an eighty-acre farm in Cottonwood township and there established his family. He prospered from the very start and quickly became recognized as one of the most substantial farmers in that neighborhood, gradually adding to his land holdings until he became the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and sixty acres. About 1899 he and his wife retired from the farm and moved to New Ulm, where they have since resided and where they are very comfortably located. They are members of the Luth- eran church and their children were reared in that faith. Gottfried Retzlaff is the fourth of the five children born to his parents, the others having been Frederick, William, Wilhelmina and Sophia. His wife is the second of the
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two children born to her parents (Wilhelm who died here in Cottonwood township), and Wilhelmina Grosse (who died in Germany), she having a brother, Wilhelm, who owns a large coffee plantation near Rio Janeiro, Brazil.
To Gottfried and Wilhelmina (Grosse) Retzlaff ten children have been born, namely: Frank H., the immedi- ate subject of this review; Auguste, deceased, who was the wife of Ernest Thiede; Bertha, who married Albert Guth, of New Ulm; Anna, widow of C. A. Spalding, of Lamber- ton, this state; Emma, wife of Frank Guth, who occupies the old Retzlaff homestead in Cottonwood township; Ida, wife of Albert Spalding, of Wanda, this state; Henry, deceased; Martha, wife of George Kastner, of Lamberton; Henry, the second, deceased, and Herman, deceased.
Frank H. Retzlaff, eldest of the above children, was four years old when his parents came to America and set- tled in this county and he has lived here ever since except from 1884 to 1887 lived in Little Falls, Minnesota. He was reared on the homestead farm in Cottonwood town- ship, received his education in district school No. 3, and remained at home until grown. For a year he worked in the employ of the Minneapolis Harvester Company and then went to Little Falls, where he engaged in the Agricul- tural business in 1884, remaining there two years, at the end of which time, in 1887, he located in New Ulm, where he established his present business. At first Mr. Retzlaff engaged only in the sale of agricultural implements, but after two years added a general stock of hardware to his line of implements, and has thus been engaged, long having been recognized as one of the leading merchants of the city and of this section of the state. Upon the development of
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the automobile business he secured the agency for a popular make of car and has since made much of the automobile department of his extensive establishment. Not only has he been diligent in his own business, but he has found time to devote proper attention to the public service and for four years has been a member of the city council at New Ulm, being the president of that body one year. His finan- cial interests are not confined solely to his hardware busi- ness, and for more than eighteen years he has been one of the directors of the Citizens State Bank of New Ulm. He has also given proper attention to the general cultural development of the community and for twenty-five years has been a member of the board of trustees of the Dr. Martin Luther College.
On October 28, 1884, Frank H. Retzlaff was married to Minnie Fritsche, who was born on a homestead farm in Cottonwood township, daughter of Ernest and Christina (Schumacher) Fritsche, natives of Germany, the former born in Saxony, and the latter in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who were among the early settlers of Cottonwood town- ship. Ernest Fritsche, who is still living, is the eldest of seven children born to his parents, who emigrated with their family from Saxony and came to the United States, becoming early settlers in this county, where they spent the rest of their lives, his brothers and sisters having been, Friederick, Mrs. Victor, Mrs. Hauenstein, Mrs. Koehne, Mrs. Strasser, Louis and Carl, all of whom are living with the exception of Mrs. Victor and Carl. His wife, who died in 1886, at the age of forty-three, was one of six children born to John Schumacher and wife, who came to this country about the same time the Fritsche family came, and
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were also among the pioneer families of Brown county. Her brothers and sisters were John, Henry Sophia, Mrs. Walker and Jerome. To Ernest Fritsche and wife nine children were born, of whom Mrs. Retzlaff is the eldest, her brothers and sisters being Louis, Herman, Robert, Emil, John, Emma, Louise and Alfred, the three last named being deceased.
Frank H. Retzlaff and wife are the parents of seven children, as follows: Minnie, who married Rev. W. C. Albrecht, who is pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran church at Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, now living at Sleepy Eye, this county, has four children, Ruth, Gilbert, Armin and Philip; Alma, who died in early childhood; Selma, who also died young; Armin, who is actively connected with the work of his father's store; Waldemar, who is a student in the Northwestern College at Watertown, Wisconsin; Elsie, a student in the Bethany College, a ladies' finishing school at Mankato, this state, and Victor, who died in early child- hood. Mr. and Mrs. Retzlaff have long occupied a promin- ent place in the social and cultural life of the community and are held in high esteem hereabout. They are earnest members of the Lutheran church, in the general beneficences of which they take a warm interest, and Mr. Retzlaff is president of the board of trustees of that church. He is also a member of the Board of Regents of Dr. Martin Luther College, New Ulm. Mr. Retzlaff is secretary of the New Ulm Rural Telephone Company, of New Ulm, an office which he has held for ten years.
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ALBERT BEHNKE.
No history of Brown county would be complete with- out fitting and appreciative mention of the life and the works of Albert Behnke, venerable retired merchant of New Ulm, who perhaps has a wider personal acquaintance than any man in the county and who certainly is more widely and accurately acquainted with the history of New Ulm than any man now living there, for he witnessed the erection of the first building constructed in the town and has noted the progress of the community from the day of its inception to the present day. Though now past eighty- five years of age, Mr. Behnke is physically well preserved and mentally alert, his retentive memory being as clear on questions pertaining to pioneer days as ever it was.
Albert Behnke is a native of Germany, having been born in the city of Marlow, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Au- gust 28, 1830, son of Frederich and Sophia (Dietz) Behnke, who, with their two sons and two daughters, came to the United States in 1853, locating in the neighborhood of El- gin, Illinois, where they bought a farm and there made their home for about two years. Then hearing the good re- ports that were proceeding from this section of Minnesota, they sold their Illinois farm and drove through with ox- teams and horses (Mr. Behnke had the first team of horses in New Ulm), bringing with them about thirty head of cat- tle, arriving at the present site of New Ulm on June 26, 1855. They entered homestead claims there, the parents and the two sons, Albert and Henry, each entering a quar-
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ter of a section, and at once proceeded to erect claim shan- ties and establish their home. Not long afterward they erected a substantial hewed-log house, at that time the best and most commodious in the county, and there made their home, the family remaining together for some time. After the village had become well established, Fritz Behnke and his wife retired from the farm and moved into town, where their last days were spent, both living to advanced ages. As noted above they were the parents of four children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the eldest, the others being Amelia, who was the wife of Fritz Struckmann; Henry, who died in middle life and who was one of the most prominent figures in the civic life of this community in pio- neer days, having served the public as a justice of the peace, register of deeds, clerk of the court and in other public capacities, and Caroline, who was the wife of a Mr. Prichnitz.
Albert Behnke was twenty-four years old when he came to this country. In the fall of 1857 he married Mrs. Bertha Mueller, a young widow, who also was born in Ger- many and who had one son by her first marriage. After his marriage Mr. Behnke continued making his home on the farm until the Indian outbreak in 1862, after which he moved into New Ulm and engaged in merchandising with his brother. After the death of his brother he continued in business with his son and was thus engaged until his retire- ment in 1905. He and his wife lived together happily for fifty-two years, their golden wedding having been cele- brated in 1907, a gathering of their family and oldest friends marking the occasion. Mrs. Behnke died on De- cember 19, 1909, at the age of eighty years, and Mr. Behnke
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is now making his home with his youngest daughter, Mrs. L. G. Vogel, who leaves nothing undone that will insure his comfort in his old age.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Behnke were reared as Lutherans in the old country, but after arriving here were not actively identified with any religious denomination, although help- ful to all in the way of material contributions. Mr. Behnke for years was a member of the New Ulm city council and was ever foremost in promoting movements designed to advance the good of the city.
To Albert and Bertha Behnke seven children were born, namely: Henry and Annie, who died in the prime of life; Mrs. Ida Bobleter, Fred Behnke, Mrs. Bertha Hart- man, Albert Behnke, and Mrs. Meda Vogel. There are six grandchildren living.
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MAJOR LOUIS G. VOGEL.
Major Louis G. Vogel, of the Minnesota National Guard, for over twenty years auditor of Brown county, and one of the best-known and most influential citizens of New Ulm, is a native son of that city and has lived there all his life. He was born on May 24, 1867, son of Joseph P. and Margeretha (Serr) Vogel, natives of Germany and early settlers of New Ulm, where they are still living.
Joseph P. Vogel was trained to the trade of a wagon- maker and worked at that trade in his native land until he came to America with his parents at the age of ten years, the latter having joined the colony of German settlers in and about New Ulm. He followed the wagon-making trade until about 1883, when he engaged in the lumber business, in which he remained until about 1910. He is a Catholic and his wife is a member of the Lutheran church. They are the parents of five children, namely: Louis G., the sub- ject of this biographical review; Alfred J., Dr. Joseph H., Alma, wife of Louis B. Krook, of New Ulm, and Bertha, deceased, who was the wife of Louis J. Buenger. Joseph P. Vogel is the son of Simon Vogel and wife, who also were pioneers of Brown county, and who lived to advanced ages. They were the parents of seven children, namely: Joseph P., George, Christopher, Mrs. Anna Flor, Mrs. Dorotho Schieffler, Mrs. Caroline Schramm, and Josephine, de- ceased. Mrs. Vogel's father, Gabriel S. Serr, also was one of the pioneers of the New Ulm settlement. He and his
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wife were the parents of five children, those besides Mrs. Vogel being Conrad, Barbara, Mary and Lizzie.
Louis G. Vogel was reared at New Ulm and received his education in the public schools of that city. Upon com- pleting the school course he was employed as a bookkeeper in the office of the Empire mill at New Ulm, and was thus engaged until the time of his selection to the office of audi- tor of Brown county in 1896. So satisfactory to the gen- eral public did his services in that important public capac- ity prove that he has remained in the office ever since, hav- ing been re-elected at each succeeding election since his first incumbency. From the days of his boyhood Major Vogel has taken a deep interest in the Minnesota National Guard. On March 5, 1885, he enlisted as a private in Com- pany A, Second Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, and has ever since been connected with the service of the state mili- tia. On November 22, 1891, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant in Company A; July 27, 1896, commissary ser- geant of the Second Regiment; July 6, 1897, battalion ser- geant of the Second Regiment; January 29, 1898, serving as regimental adjutant. During the Spanish-American War, he served in the Twelfth Regiment, Minnesota Volun- teer Infantry, and on April 29, 1898, was recommended as adjutant, and in 1902 was made assistant adjutant-general of the brigade, continuing so until the death of General Bobleter. On July 29, 1912, Major Vogel organized the Ma- chine Gun Company, and on July 6, 1913, was again pro- moted to the rank of regimental adjutant, which position he still occupies.
In August, 1891, Major Louis G. Vogel was married to Meta Behnke, and to this union one child has been born, a
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son, Willard. Mrs. Vogel was born in New Ulm, her par- ents, natives of Mecklenburg, Germany, having been pio- neers of this section. Her father was for years a prominent merchant of New Ulm, and still resides in that city. His wife died in 1912. They were the parents of seven chil- dred, Henry, Fritz, Albert, Anna, Ida, Bertha and Meta. Major Vogel is a Republican and a member of the Lutheran church, while Mrs. Vogel is a member of the Congrega- tional church.
(34a)
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HALVOR HALVORSON.
Halvor Halvorson, well-known farmer of Linden town- ship, this county, and one of the pioneers of that section of the county, was born near the city of Skien, Norway, March 8, 1846, son of Ole Halvorson and Johanna Marie Johnson, farming people, who came to America in 1855, landing at Quebec after an ocean voyage of seven or eight weeks. After remaining in Quebec for a few hours, they went on to Buffalo, New York, from there to Niagara, New York, by rail, then to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by boat, remaining there but a few hours. Upon leaving Milwaukee they went by rail about sixteen miles, and owing to the railroad not extending any farther, had to walk ten miles to the home of Tolef Waller, a cousin of Ole Halvorson, who lived in Waukesha county, Wisconsin.
The family lost little time in becoming settled in Wau- kesha county, Wisconsin, where kinsfolk had preceded them, and for fourteen years they made their home there, Halvor in 1868, coming to Brown county, Minnesota. The next year, 1869, Ole Halvorson and the others of the family also came to Brown county and the father bought two hun- dred acres of railroad land in section 11, Linden township, paying seven dollars an acre for the same, and there he established his home and spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1879.
Halvor Halvorson was about nine years old when he came to this country, and he grew to manhood on the farm in Waukesha county, Wisconsin, where his parents had set-
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tled. In 1868, he came over into Minnesota and located in Brown county, for some time thereafter working at vari- ous occupations until presently he became connected with a bridge-building crew and for some time was thus employed in southern Minnesota and Iowa. In 1876 he married and purchased the homestead rights to eighty acres of land in section 20, Linden township, this county, and a "forty" adjoining, and lived there until 1882, in which year he moved over to his father's estate and finished paying for all of it, with the exception of eighty acres that his brother, John, had bought, and there has lived ever since, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Mr. Halvorson has erected all new buildings on the place, which is well im- proved. The original homestead house was destroyed by fire in 1891, together with almost all of its contents. Mr. Halvorson takes an active interest in neighborhood affairs, and was one of the organizers of the Linden Creamery Company. He has served in the public capacity of consta- ble and township supervisor, and in other ways has done his part as a citizen in the service of the public.
On October 1, 1876, Halvor Halvorson was married to Caroline Olson, who was born in Rock county, Wisconsin, daughter of Thor and Betsy Olson, natives of Norway, who came to the United States in 1853, settling in Rock county, Wisconsin, where they lived until 1856, in which year they moved to Minnesota, locating in Brown county, thus being among the very earliest settlers of this county. During the time of the Indian troubles the Olsons were forced to flee for their lives, their crops were destroyed, but their home was not burned.
To Mr. and Mrs. Halvorson ten children have been
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born, two of whom died in infancy, the others being as fol- low: Oscar T., a farmer of Linden township, who married Lena Larson, and has one child, Edna; Bessie J., who mar- ried Nels L. Lien, of Superior, Wisconsin, and has three children, two daughters, Stella L. and Mildred C., and a son, Chesley H. B .; Lawrence S., who lives at home; Emma L., of Superior, Wisconsin; Ella M., the wife of Clifton Hepworth, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Henry Clarence, at home; Albert, at home, and Lula L., also living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Halvorson and family are earnest members of the Lutheran church at Linden.
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SIVER HANSON.
Siver Hanson, well-known farmer of Brown county, proprietor of a fine farm of two hundred acres in section 10, Linden township, is a native of the kingdom of Norway, having been born in Gulbraudsdalen, December 31, 1864, son of Hans Siverson and Anna Jacobdater, natives of that same country, who spent all their lives there. Hans Siver- son was a miller and he and his wife were the parents of eleven children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the sixth in order of birth and all of whom are now residents of the United States.
Siver Hanson received his education in his native land, attending school for three months in the year until his con- firmation. In 1880, he then being sixteen years of age, he came to the United States and joined one of his brothers and a sister, who had preceded him some time before, in Brown county. He began working as a farm laborer and saved his money, with a view to being one day a farmer in his own right. He married in 1889 and then rented the farm on which he is now living and which he now owns. For twenty years he operated that farm as a tenant farmer and then, in 1909, bought the same, since which time he has made numerous important improvements to the place, hav- ing a good house, a good barn and other buildings in keep- ing. Mr. Hanson has ever taken a proper part in local civic affairs and for some time served his township as school clerk of the township.
In June, 1889, Siver Hanson was united in marriage to
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Mrs. Ellen (Olson) Halverson, widow of Jacob Halverson and mother of two children, Ole and Tilda, by her first mar- riage, and to this union three children have been born, Ja- cob, Henry and Gertee, all of whom are at home. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson and their children are members of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church at Linden and take an active part in the affairs of that congregation. Mr. Hanson is a mem- ber of the Modern Woodmen of America, associated with the lodge of that order at New Ulm, and a member of the lodge of the Mutual Benefit Association at Linden and in the affairs of both of these organizations takes a warm interest.
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