USA > Minnesota > Watonwan County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 40
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ADOLPH SUCKER.
Adolph Sucker is of German ancestry, but is himself a native American. He was born in Jackson county, Minnesota, March 30, 1876. He is a son of Richard Sucker, born in Germany, April 4, 1840, and Rosalie (Weber) Sucker, born in Germany, April 8, 1844, and died in Jackson county, Minne- sota, April, 1887.
Richard Sucker came to America about 1863. He first located in Jefferson, Wisconsin, and remained there until 1872, when he removed to Jackson county, Minnesota, where he located on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of government land. He here established his home and engaged in farming until about 1903, when he removed to Lake Crystal, Minnesota, where he is at present living. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sucker were: Gustav H., William F., Minnie, Ida, John, Adolph, Herman, Conrad and Otto. The father and mother were members of the German Lutheran church. Politically, he is a Democrat.
Adolph Sucker was educated in the public schools of Jackson county and in Wilder Farm College and Cedar Rapids Business College. In his early manhood he learned the carpenter trade and followed this occupation for about three years. For about three years he was employed in a hard- ware store at Lakefield and Amboy, Blue Earth county, Minnesota. Then
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he engaged in the real estate business, in Amboy, for about one year. In January, 1902, he came to Lewisville and organized the Merchants State Bank and was made cashier of this institution, a position which he has held since the organization.
In 1903 Adolph Sucker was united in marriage to Ida Redetzke, daugh- ter of Fred Redetzke, of Hebron, North Dakota. To this union five children have been born: Soezetta, Kermet, Fern, Kinten and Richard. Mr. and Mrs. Sucker are members of the German Lutheran church; he is at present treasurer of the local congregation; treasurer of village of Lewis- ville, and a director of Midland Trust and Savings Bank of St. Paul, Minn.
M. W. PARR.
M. W. Parr, the subject of this sketch, was born in Wabasha county, Minnesota, November 29, 1869, a son of Thaddeus Parr, born in Frank- lin county, New York, and Esther ( Washburn) Parr, a native of Canada.
Thaddeus Parr was a farmer boy in Franklin county, New York, and, while still a youth, came West and located in Wisconsin. In 1862 he enlisted in Company G. Twentieth Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry. On December 7, 1862, this regiment was part of the army of the frontier and was engaged in the battle of Prairie Grove, or Fayettville, Arkansas, in which the Federal forces sustained the loss of a considerable number of killed and wounded. Thaddeus Parr was among those wounded in this engage- ment. He never sufficiently recovered from this wound to enable him to return to his regiment for active duty, and consequently was discharged after service as soldier for nine months. He returned home and some after the war he bought a farm in Wabasha county, Minnesota, and turned his attention to farming. He followed this occupation for thirty years and then retired from active work. He is now living in Owatonna, Steele county, Minnesota.
Mrs. Esther (Washburn) Parr was the mother of three children: M. W., Esther, who married L. W. Godfrey, and Catherine, who married Dr. G. A. Grove.
M. W. Parr was educated in the public schools of Wabasha county, Minnesota, and worked on a farm during his youthful years. Beginning in 1892 he was for five years employed as a clerk in a store, at Plainview. Minnesota. About 1897 he decided to turn his attention to agricultural pur-
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suits. He went to South Dakota and located on a farm and was engaged in farming for fourteen years. In 1911 he disposed of his Dakota interests and returned to Minnesota, locating in Kenyon, Goodhue county, where he was engaged in the real estate business for three years. In March, 1915, he disposed of his business in Kenyon and came to Madelia. Here he opened up a hardware and implement store, in which business he is at present engaged.
Mr. Parr was married to Louisa M. Burgess. To this union three children have been born: Roland, Esther and Thaddeus.
Mr. and Mrs. Parr are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Parr is a Republican. His fraternal affiliations are with the Order of For- esters, and with the American Order of Woodmen.
CARL R. BISHOP.
Although the life of a railroad man is a hazardous and strenuous one, there is something very fascinating about it. Carl R. Bishop, of St. James, Watonwan county, has long been in railroad service and is a trusted and efficient locomotive engineer.
Mr. Bishop was born in Garden City, Minnesota, October 4, 1869. He is a son of LeRoy H. and Emily S. (Howard) Bishop, both natives of Winthrop, Maine, the birth of the father occurring December 23, 1840, and that of the mother, August 16, 1846. They grew up in their native town and were married there on December 25, 1866. They came to Garden City, Minnesota, in the spring of 1867. George S. Thompson and wife coming at the same time, and Mr. Thompson and Mr. Bishop engaged in general mer- cantile pursuits in that town for some time, both moving with their families to St. James in June, 1870, and opened a general store here, also bought grain, under the firm name of Thompson & Bishop, continuing in business until about 1880, when they dissolved partnership, Mr. Thompson taking the store and Mr. Bishop continuing in the grain business until about 1883, when he turned his attention to buying and selling live stock in partnership with W. D. Rice, under the firm name of Rice & Bishop. Mr. Bishop con- tinued in the stock business until the fall of 1886, when he removed with his family to Minneapolis; moving to St. Paul in the spring of 1887 and engaged in the real estate business until his retirement from active life about 1906. His death occurred in St. Paul, October 29, 1910, and his wife died
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011 December 27, 1912. After retiring from the real estate business, LeRoy H. Bishop went to northwestern South Dakota, taking up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Butte county. His son, Carl R. Bishop and family also took up a homestead there in 1908. Politically, the father was a Republican, and active in party affairs. He represented his district in the state Legislature for some time, while living at St. James. Fraternally, he belonged to the Masonic Order. He was a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, in which his wife was an active worker. and who later was active in the Presbyterian church, being a member of the choir and also organist for some time, while living in St. Paul. She was also active in the work of the Federated Women's Club. She was for some time head of the Ladies Aid Society in Merriam Park church, which had restaurant concessions at the Minnesota state fair grounds for several years. She was a woman of many strong attributes and was popular and influential in the circles in which she moved. She was educated at Kent's Hill Academy in Maine, from which institution she was graduated, as was also her husband. To these parents the following children were born: Eugene A., born on March 10, 1868, died on April 6. 1906; Carl R., Hattie Blanche, born on November II, 1877, is the wife of George A. Marvin and they live in Tacoma, Washington; Howard W., born on January 28, 1888, married Hazel M. Strong, and they live at Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Carl R. Bishop received his education in the schools of St. James and the Minneapolis high school. In 1887 he began his railroad career by accepting a position with the Omaha road, in November of that year, and he was promoted to engineer in 1895. He was transferred to St. James in 1889 and he has since made his home there, and has been regarded as one of the most efficient and trustworthy engineers on the Omaha for the past twenty years.
Mr. Bishop was married on August 5, 1899, to Mary E. Sickler, a native of Gordon Plains, Illinois, where her birth occurred on September 9, 1869. She is daughter of John and Mahetabel (Macumber) Sickler, both natives of Delaware county, New York, from which place they eventually removed to Illinois, prior to the Civil War. When the war came on Mr. Sickler enlisted, after which he moved with his family to Iowa, where he spent one year at Ogden, removing to Martin county, Minnesota, about 1874, locating on a farm. He also conducted a hotel at Fairmont, this state, for some time. His death occurred in 1909, but his widow sur- ยท vives.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bishop four children have been born, namely : LeRoy,
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born in 1901, died in infancy; Beth S.,. September 24, 1904; Elnah M., April 25, 1907: Frances H., in 1910; died in infancy.
Politically, Mr. Bishop is a Progressive. Fraternally, he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, also the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
HEINRICH SCHROEDER.
A type of the better class of farmers in Cottonwood conty is Heinrich Schroeder, of Midway township. He is a man who uses brain as well as brawn in operating his place, and he has been successful in the various depart- ments of his general work as a husbandman.
Mr. Schoeder was born at Paulsheim, southern Russia, May 11, 1856, and is a son of David and Katherina (Newfeld) Schroeder. The father was born while his parents were moving from Germany to Russia. The mother was born in Lectfeld, Russia. The birth of the father occurred on February 27, 1821, and he died in 1885, at the age of sixty-four years. His father devoted his life to farming in Russia and there he farmed until he immigrated with a colony to Elkhart, Indiana, in July, 1873. The elder men of the party left their families at Elkhart for seven weeks, while they traveled in the West, hunting a suitable location. They decided upon Yankton, South Dakota, and thither they brought their families. About this time another colony from the same locality in which they had resided in southern Russia had determined to locate at Mountain Lake, Minnesota. The father of the subject of this sketch remained at Yankton, South Dakota, until December, 1873, when he came to Mountain Lake, where he had a number of friends. He purchased land in section 9, Mountain Lake township. Cottonwood county, paying four dollars per acre. The land had a small house on it, and here he and his family were soon located and here he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. He was a Mennonite preacher. The denomination had but one church, known as Bethel, which was organized in 1877, in the granary of the father of the subject of this sketch. To David Schroeder and wife the fol- lowing children were born: David. Jr., John, Heinrich, Jacob, Peter, Frank, George, and William. It was to better rear his sons that the father of these children came to America, and is was also largely due to militarism that they left the church.
Heinrich Schroeder grew up on the home farm and received a common
HEINRICH SCHROEDER.
THE NE PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR LENOX TILIEM - THIDAT
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school education in Russia, learning the German language, also some Russian. He has devoted his active life to general farming and the threshing business. Upon his marriage he purchased a part of his father's home place on which he resided from 1880 to 1895, then moved to the farm on which he now resides in the edge of the village of Mountain Lake, his place containing one hundred and sixty acres in section 32. He has rebuilt all the buildings on his land and has a well-improved and valuable farm. In connection with gen- eral farming he breeds full-blooded Percheron horses. He has been engaged in threshing since 1876, operating a machine each autumn, and is one of the best known men in this line in the county.
Mr. Schroeder was married in 1877 to Anna Regier, who was born in 1855 at Rudnerweid, southern Russia. She came with her parents to Mountain Lake, Minnesota, in 1876. To this union seven children have been born, namely: Anna, David, John, Henry, Katherina, Helena and Elizabeth. Besides their own they have reared another child, Samuel, a son of George Schroeder, brother of the subject of this sketch, the lad being six years old when he came to their home.
Heinrich Schroeder was for a period of fifteen years a trustee of Bethel church, and was also a Sunday school teacher many years. He is now not a member of any church, being somewhat broad in his religious views, but his family affiliate with the Mennonite church. Politically, he is independent. He was for eleven years assessor of Mountain Lake township, and for seven years was chairman of the Midway township board. He was president of the German school at the time the present school building was erected, remaining in that position for seven years. He has been a prominent man in his com- munity and has done much for the general public welfare.
LEWIN M. PURRINGTON.
Modern methods of husbandry are clearly understood and carried out by Lewin M. Purrington of Great Bend township, Cottonwood county, who has by his own efforts become one of the best general farmers of his town- ship. He was born in Howard county, Iowa, July 2, 1866, and is a son of John B. and Orinda (Peterson) Purrington. The father was born in Ver- mont, in 1833, and the mother was a native of Massachusetts. They spent their earlier years in New England, coming West about 1858 and locating
(27a)
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in Iowa, where they resided until the spring of 1872, when they located on a farm in Dale township, Cottonwood county, the father homesteading a place, on which he lived about three years. He spent the rest of his life in Cottonwood county, with the exception of some three years spent in the far West. He first came to this state about 1855, soon after his marriage, locating on a farm now covered by the city of Minneapolis, owning one hun- dred and sixty acres there. At that time St. Paul was a mere village in which one horse was sufficient to take care of all the draying. Years later he filed on a claim in Colorado, intending to have his son, Lewin M. prove it up when he became of legal age. When he had returned to the claim he found that someone else had proven up on it. but he bought out the stranger. John B. Purrington was a soldier in the Civil War, serving in Company C, Thirty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. His family consisted of the fol- lowing children: Nelson, Addie, Olive (deceased), Lewin M., John W. and William, the latter deceased; Charles, Clifford.
Lewin M. Purrington grew up on the home farm, and received his edu- cation in the common schools. With the exception of two years spent in Colorado he has lived in Cottonwood county continuously since he came here. He has always followed farming, and owns eighty acres, on which he has made many improvements, including good buildings. He is now treasurer of the school board.
Mr. Purrington was married on January 5, 1893, to Minnie Peterson, a native of Cottonwood county, and a daughter of Elias N. Peterson and wife. Ten children have been born to them, namely: Addie, Lyndon, Orrin, Pearl, Melvin, Marvin, Marie, Ernest, Herbert and Mildred.
Elias N. Peterson, mentioned above, was born in Stowe, Vermont, and was a son of Cyrus and Ellen M. (Nason) Peterson, who removed with their family in 1869 to Cottonwood county, locating in section 12, Springfield township, the father taking up a homestead there. The mother died at Windom. Elias N. lived in Cottonwood county during his active life, with the exception of two years spent at Long Prairie, this state. He was a soldier in the Civil War, in the Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. At the time of the memorable Indian massacre, Cyrus Peterson and wife were at St. Peter, Minnesota. Elias N. Peterson was married at Kasota, this state, to Irene Haddock, who was a native of Pennsylvania, where her father died, after which the family came to Kasota in pioneer days. To Elias N. Peterson and wife five children were born, namely: Ella D., Minnie M., Lettie, Arthur H. and Calista.
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BERT MILLIGAN.
Bert Milligan was born in Mower county, Minnesota, September 22, 1872, a son of John C. and Martha (Lambert) Milligan, both natives of New York state. John C. Milligan came with his parents to Minnesota when a mere lad and located in Mower county. As a young man he was engaged in lumbering along the St. Croix river, later he was employed as a carpenter in the building of the state prison at Stillwater, Minnesota. In 1878 he went to Dovary township, Murray county, and located a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of government land. To this place the family moved, in 1880, and began the work of improving the land. The father lived upon this homestead until his death. The mother is still living. He was a member of the Baptist church, and affiliated with the Republican party.
Bert Milligan was educated in the public school of Westbrook town- ship, Cottonwood county, that school being much nearer to his home than any school in Murray county. He then engaged in teaching, and taught in the first school in the village of Westbrook. He taught one winter there and then took up the business of well drilling, and in the summer season he operated a threshing machine. He followed this line of business for about fifteen years. In 1901 he was employed as stationary engineer for the Westbrook Milling Company, continuing in that employ for about six years. Then for three years he was electrician and chief engineer for the Marshall Milling Company, at Marshall, Minnesota. In July, 1911, he returned to Westbrook to take a position as manager of Farmers' elevator and has since continued in this employment. This plant is one of the best equipped and one of the most successful elevators in the state, the success being due largely to Mr. Milligan's capable management.
Mr. Milligan was married in 1901 to Esther Buswitz, daughter of Aug- ust and Minnie (Krause) Buswitz. To this union four children have been born: Lloyd, Gladys, Wayne and Vera.
Mr. Milligan is independent in politics. He is president of the Farmers Club of Westbrook; also president of the Westbrook Co-operative Company. His fraternal affiliations are with the Woodmen and the Royal Neighbors.
. Among the first things Mr. Milligan had the distinction of doing in the village of Westbrook, was teaching school in the first school house in the village; he drilled the first well in the village, in May, 1900, and broke the first ground at the same time. He bought the first lots sold in the vil-
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lage, and paid the rental for the first box in the postoffice of the village, thus showing that he was there at the beginning of things, with a faith in the future growth and prosperity of the village; and he is still here with the same optimistic opinion as to the future of the village in which his pioneer activities were manifested and his pioneer investments were made.
BENJAMIN J. RATZLAFF.
In the Russian settlement in Mountain Lake township, Cottonwood county, one sees evidence of progressiveness on every hand, well-kept farms, modern homes and prosperous, contented people. One of these careful farm- ers who own a valuable place and comfortable home is Benjamin J. Ratzlaff. He was born in Russia, January 10, 1865. He is a son of John and Anna (Buller) Ratzlaff, both natives of Russia, where they resided until August, 1876, when they brought their family to Minnesota, renting land for one year northeast of the village of Mountain Lake, Cottonwood county. In 1878 they moved to the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch, the father buying eighty acres of school land, later adding to his holdings until he owned one hundred and sixty acres. He made all the improvements on this land, which was covered with tall prairie grass when he came here. He turned the sod, planted crops and erected all his buildings, and here he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. Their family consisted of ten chil- dren, namely: Henry J., Peter, Anna, Helena, Abraham, Maria, Benjamin J., and John, and two others who died in Russia. The parents of these children were members of the Mennonite church.
Benjamin J. Ratzlaff received his education in the common schools of Russia and Mountain Lake township, this county, also attended school in the village of Mountain Lake. He has remained on the home place, having bought out the other heirs and also the various parties to whom some of the heirs had sold. He has kept the place well improved and under a high state of cultivation. He has enlarged the barn and erected other buildings. He keeps a large herd of Shorthorn cattle. He has shares in the Farmers' elevator and creamery at Mountain Lake. He also engages to some extent in thresh- ing each autumn, but not so extensively as formerly.
Mr. Ratzlaff was married in 1891, to Helena Bese, a native of Russia, a daughter of John Bese, also a native of Russia, who brought his family to South Dakota in an early day, later moving to Saskatchewan, Canada, where
MR. AND MRS. BENJAMIN J. RATZLAFF.
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he became well-to-do, and there he spent the rest of his life. To Mr. Ratz- laff and his first wife three children were born, namely: Benjamin, John, and Anna. The wife and mother passed away in 1895, and in that year he married for his second wife, Anna Pankratz, a native of Russia, and a daughter of Peter Pankratz, who brought his family to the village of Moun- tain Lake, Minnesota, where he spent the rest of his life. To Mr. Ratzlaff's second union five children have been born, namely: Lena, Peter, Mary, Net- tie, and Lizzie (deceased).
Politically, Mr. Ratzlaff is a Republican. He has been clerk of the local school board during the past eighteen years, up to the recent meeting of the board, when he resigned, or declined to hold the office longer. He has also served as road overseer. He is a member of the Mennonite church.
JOHN EDWIN MOORE.
For many years John Edwin Moore, the present postmaster at Lewis- ville, has been one of the most public-spirited men of Watonwan county and influential in public life, and he has the confidence of those who know him. He was born in Polk county, Wisconsin, November 14, 1872, and is a son of John R. Moore, a contractor and builder, who lived in Wisconsin, Washington and Virginia. He died on April 25, 1916, at Richmond, Vir- ginia.
John R. Moore, subject's father, was a veteran of the Civil War. He served in the Tenth Wisconsin Light Artillery, and was mustered out with his regiment at the close of the war, having seen service throughout the entire war, and participated in many battles, but was never wounded or captured.
John E. Moore grew up in his native state and there attended the public schools, after which he engaged in farming for some time, finally moving to Minnesota and lived on farms in Cass and Blue Earth counties, prior to coming to Lewisville, in 1901. Here he purchased the barber shop and jewelry business of T. A. Barker, which he conducted three years, then sold the barber business to Elmer Olson, but continued to handle jewelry, drugs, books and confections, until April 17, 1909, when he succeeded Richard Lewis as postmaster, and has held the office ever since, to the satisfaction of the people and the department.
Mr. Moore was married on August 29, 1897, to Ethel H. Kelley, of
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Vernon Center, Minnesota, a daughter of John C. Kelley and wife, and to this union three children have been born, namely: Kermit, Lyle, Elsie Ruth and Elmer Dale.
Politically, Mr. Moore is a Republican. He is now president of the village council, which office he has held several times since coming to Lewis- ville. He is also clerk of the local school board. While living in Hiram township, Cass county, Minnesota, he was a member of the township board. He has always been active in public affairs wherever he has lived. Fraternally, he belongs to the Free and Accepted Masons at Madelia. Mr. Moore and family affiliated with the Christian churches.
WILLIAM A. COOK.
Those who succeed usually look at life from an optimistic viewpoint, finding this attitude more conducive to success. Understanding this, William A. Cook, of Windom, Cottonwood county, who holds the responsible posi- tion of state road overseer, never permits the little things of daily life to unduly annoy him.
Mr. Cook was born at Ripon, Wisconsin, July 19, 1861, and is a son of W. B. and Jane E. Cook, both natives of the state of New York. The father spent his boyhood in that state and attended school, finally mov- ing with his parents to Ohio, where he was married. He took up the wagon-maker's trade, also that of wheelwright, continuing to follow these all his life, becoming quite expert. He removed with his family to Ripon, Wisconsin, about 1854, working at his trades there until 1873, when he came to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, taking up a homestead of eighty acres, one-half mile northeast of Windom, where he farmed and followed his trades for about fifteen years, then moved to Windom and retired from active life. He had increased his holdings to one hundred and sixty acres. His death occurred on April 4, 1909. His wife preceded him to the grave in 1906. They were parents of five children, namely: Eva, who married C. P. Lyman; Frances, who married B. F. Clement; William, the subject of this sketch; Alice, who married Leonard McClintock, and Josie, who married C. W. Lowrey.
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