USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 87
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James P. Avery, of the firm of Avery & Hurrle, dealers in pianos, organs and automobiles, was born in Litchfield, Meeker county, Minn., August 13, 1879, son of William H. and Cynthia (Fowler) Avery. He obtained his early schooling in Kimball, Minn., and took courses in the St. Cloud High School and in the St. Cloud State Normal School. After working five years in the employ of the George Tileston Milling Co., he engaged in the piano and organ business. January 1, 1913, J. H. Hurrle became his partner and an automo- bile department was added. Mr. Avery belongs to the Odd Fellows at Cooper- town, N. D., and to the Modern Woodmen, the Royal Arcanum and the Macca- bees at St. Cloud. Mr. Avery married Caroline Loudon, a native of Maine Prairie in this county. William H. Avery was born in Sheffield, England, and
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was brought to Canada by his father, William, and the rest of the family in 1846. After a while the family moved to Marion, Ill., where William, father of William H., and grandfather of James P., followed his trade as a tailor. In 1877, William H. came to Litchfield, Minn., where he engaged in farming. He now lives in St. Mary's, Idaho.
William F. Albrecht, Sr., was born in Prussia, Germany, October 13, 1828. He came to Canada, in 1854, and lived in Illinois; Lafayette, Indiana; and Davenport, Iowa; before locating in Clearwater, Wright eounty, this state. After operating a blacksmith shop there for ten years he moved to Maywood, Benton county, this state, where he farmed for five years. From 1873 to 1886 he condueted a blacksmith shop in St. Cloud. Then he retired. He died Au- gust 20, 1912, in his eighty-fourth year. Mr. Albreeht was married May 1, 1856, to Kathrina Simgen, who died August 24, 1901. In the family there were six children : Louisa, William F., Mary, Frederick, Amelia and Henry. Louisa was born December 25, 1857, and was married June 9, 1889 to Frank Peopke. Their children are: Louisa, now Mrs. MeIntosh, of Aberdeen, N. D .; Minnie, now wife of Joseph Hirschbaeh, of Grand Rapids, Minn .; Edna, now Mrs. Martin Stram, of Bear River, Minn., and Mildred. William F., Jr., the second ehild of William F. Albrecht, Sr., is appropriately mentioned else- where in this work. Mary, the third child of William F. Albreeht, Sr., was born Mareh 6, 1862, and was married October 16, 1881, to E. E. Horner. Their children are: Jennie, now Mrs. J. A. MeKay, of Brainerd, Minn .; George, of Staples, Minn .; and Leland, deceased. Frederick, the fourth child of William F. Albrecht, Sr., was born August 25, 1864, married Mary Krueger, lives in Larkins, Florida, and has five ehildren: Vera, Marion, Milton, Lawrence and Frederick. Amelia, the fifth child of William F. Albreeht, Sr., was born October 20, 1866, was married May 12, 1892, to Fred H. Gruenhagen, and lives in Brainerd, Minn. Henry, the sixth child of William F. Albrecht, Sr., was born May 19, 1870, and married Laura Mountain.
William F. Albrecht, Jr., was born in Clearwater, Wright county, Minn., December 13, 1859, son of William F. Albreeht, Sr., and Kathrina (Simgen) Albrecht. He was brought to St. Cloud by his parents, received a good educa- tion, and learned the blacksmith business from his father. Since 1886 he has been in business for himself. His present shop on Second street was ereeted in 1902. Mr. Albreeht is a thorough student of his work, and enjoys a large trade. Sinee 1885 he has been a member of the St. Cloud Firemen's Relief Association. He is a member of the Masonie Order and of the United Work- men. William F. Albrecht, Jr., married Minnie J. Swartz, and they have four sons, William L., Otto F., Harris V. and Listen P. The oldest son, Wil- liam L., married Angeline Steinbauer, and lives in Fargo, North Dakota. 'Min- nie J. Swartz Albrecht is the daughter of Louis and Sophia (Klostermeyer) Swartz, who brought her to America and settled on a farm in Springfield, this state, where they died.
J. Andrew Bensen was born in Odisheim, Hanover, Germany, October 8, 1852, son of Clause Henry and Anna (Shade) Bensen. He came to America in his teens, and before coming to St. Cloud, worked for a while as a grocery
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clerk in Brooklyn, New York, and St. Paul, Minn. In St. Cloud, he and his brother, John N., engaged in the grocery business. In 1903, John N. with- drew from the business, and since the death of J. Andrew Bensen, January 26, 1906, the enterprise has been carried on by Mrs. Bensen, and the two sons, J. E. and C. H. Bensen. Mr. Bensen belonged to the Masons, the Elks and the United Workmen. J. Andrew Bensen married Ellen J. Capple, Novem- ber 10, 1881, daughter of Edwin and Charlotte (Palmer) Capple, natives of Curryrival, Taunton, England, who came to America in 1857, lived for a while in Illinois, then came to Rockville, Stearns county, where Ellen J. was born, and then moved to St. Cloud, where Mr. Capple engaged in the dray business. Mrs. Bensen obtained her education in the Everett School in St. Cloud; she also attended the institution then known as the Seminary, and later other schools, including the St. Cloud State Normal School. She was reared in St. Cloud. Mr. and Mrs. Bensen had four children: Anna Char- lotte, Abbie Elma, John Edwin and Charles Harry. Abbie Elma married Robert W. Miller, has one child, John Bensen, and lives in Minneapolis. John E. married Mabel Klein, of Chicago.
Charles Lueg was born April 25, 1824, in Barmen, Germany, a flourishing city of 250,000 people, situated on the river Rhine. He received a thorough education in his native land, and served five years in the German army, being promoted to corporal in the Eleventh Cavalry. He brought his family to America in July, 1854, and worked for a time as foreman in a wholesale pack- ing house, in Waterbury, Conn. In 1855 he took up his residence in St. Paul, and entered the employ of Colter & Hartshorn, part of the time as foreman in St. Paul, and part of the time as a buyer of cattle in Texas. While still working for this company, he made his first trip to St. Cloud, in 1856, bring- ing a herd of cattle. In 1857 he located here, with his family, and opened a market, a business in which, with the exception of some two years spent in the army, he remained until his death. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he espoused the Union cause, assisted in recruiting a company, and was mus- tered in, November 22, 1861, as captain of Company G, Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He went at the head of the company to Georgetown, Minn., for the purpose of guarding the post of the Hudson's Bay Co., against the Indians. From there the company was ordered South. Captain Lueg was wounded in the battle of Iuka; and thus disabled, resigned April 22, 1863, and returned to St. Cloud. He was here elected a member of the city council by his grateful fellow citizens. He died June 18, 1872. Charles Lueg was mar- ried in Germany, to Amalia Kaiser. They had two children: Amalia C., now wife of Charles R. Berg, of St. Cloud, and Charlotte W., deceased wife of Elmer Merritt.
Charles R. Berg, son of George and Susan (Pathica) Berg, was born Octo- ber 26, 1839, in Prussia, Germany, near Danzig, a beautiful city of 150,000, situated on the Baltic sea. His parents died when he was only four years of age, and he was left in care of his oldest brother, Frederick, who was a district forester under the King of Prussia. At twenty-one years of age he entered the East Prussian Light Horse Artillery and served one year as pri- vate and two years as corporal. He then came to America and found em-
LORENZO J. ROCHOLL
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ployment in the shingle mill of Charles Coleman, at La Crosse, Wisconsin. In December, 1866, he came to St. Cloud for a while, but soon returned to La Crosse. He cleared a part of a farm, and was variously employed for sev- eral years. In 1872 he came to St. Cloud once more, his purpose being the settlement of the estate of his father-in-law, Charles Lueg. For a time he worked for Coates & Freeman. Then for four or five years he and Redmud Burk bought cattle and drove them to Winnipeg. For the next twelve years he purchased stock and shipped to St. Paul. Then he traveled through Wis- consin and Illinois, buying horses and selling them in the lumber camps of the Northwest and in St. Cloud. After a while, he took the contract for sprinkling the streets of St. Cloud. Later he took the contract for breaking the first land for the Great Northern shops. For a time he conducted a mar- ket. For twenty-one years. he has been in the employ of the Great Northern shops, first as a car repairer and now in charge of car repairers' supplies de- partment. For a time he was foreman of Hose Company, No. 2, of St. Cloud. Mr. Berg married Amalia, the daughter of Charles and Amalia (Kaiser) Lueg, and they have had six children. George C., Louise A., and Eleanor S., are living, and Charles E., Henry R. and Harry A., are dead. George C. is deputy United States Marshal at Nulato, Alaska. Louisa is the wife of Erwin W. Atwood, of St. Cloud, and they have a son, Harry. Eleanor married Paul P. Barthelmy, who is a foreman in the Great Northern shops at Hillyard, Wash- ington. They have four children: Carl R., Louise A., Eleanor C. and Robert F. Charles died at twenty-one years of age. Henry R. died at the age of seven years and four months. Harry A. died at the age of thirteen months.
Lorenzo J. Rocholl, who as one of the commissioners of St. Cloud, has sole charge of the city's finances, was born in Lebanon, Penn., February 6, 1858, son of Morris Andrew Rocholl. He was taken to Ft. Wayne, Ind., in 1866, there received his education and grew to manhood. He came to St. Cloud in 1882, and subsequently taught school in Avon and Spring Hill, Stearns county. For twelve years he did excellent service as county superintendent of schools. Then he took up the insurance business in which he is still engaged. In 1904 he was elected city treasurer, and in this capacity did much for the city of St. Cloud. He was made a member of the charter com- mission, and helped draft the present charter. At the election of April 1, 1912, he was chosen to his present position. He is a member of the Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Order of Foresters, the Court of Honor and of St. Joseph's Society. Mr. Rocholl is married, and has three daughters : Lucetta C., Henrietta Valeria and Priscilla J. Mr. Rocholl comes of a long line of sturdy ancestors. His father's maternal ancestors, the MeCords, came from Ireland in 1754, and settled in Lancaster, Penn. Morris Andrew Rocholl, father of Lorenzo J. Rocholl, was a shoemaker by trade. He lived in Lan- caster, Lebanon and Chester, Penn., and in 1866 took his family to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. His service as a bugler in the Sixth Volunteer Infantry had im- paired his health, and he died in 1873. His widow still lives in Ft. Wayne.
Paul Brauch, a pioneer, was born in Luxemburg, the son of Nicholas and Catherine (Roller) Brauch. He came to America with his five brothers in 1857, stopped at St. Anthony, took a boat from there up the river, and
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reached St. Cloud May 9. He settled in the township of Luxemburg, in this county, and secured a claim of 160 acres by the payment of $1.25 an acre. But when the railroads came through, his farm proved to be a part of the railroad grant, and he was compelled to pay $3 more an acre, a considerable sum for those early days. Mr. Brauch farmed here for twenty-six years, be- came a substantial citizen, and served for eighteen years as treasurer of the school board. In 1883 he moved to East St. Cloud. While there he was elected county commissioner and served with much credit. In 1900 he moved to St. Cloud, where he now resides, at 921 St. Germain street. He also owns a house on the east side of his home on Tenth avenue. This house, which is one of the first frame structures built in St. Cloud, originally stood on the corner of Ninth avenue and St. Germain street, and was owned by Jacob Grandelmeyer. Mr. and Mrs. Brauch celebrated the golden anniversary of their wedding, September 16, 1909, and received the congratulations of friends throughout the county. Mr. Brauch married Mary Arensdorff, who was born in Germany, in 1834. They have two children, Margaret and Mary, both of whom received their educations in the district schools and the St. Cloud State Normal School. Margaret married Nicholas Libert, a hardware merchant of St. Cloud, and they have seven children living. Mary lives with her parents.
George G. Magnuson, city clerk of St. Cloud, was born in the city where he still resides, June 2, 1885, son of Andrew G. and Sophia (Johnson) Mag- nuson. The father was born in Varland, Sweden, and came to America about the year 1873. He came west to Ishpeming, Mich., where he lived about four years, after which he came in 1877 to St. Cloud, where he now lives in re- tirement. George G. Magnuson attended the public and graded schools and a business college. After working a time for Clarence L. Atwood, in the real estate and insurance business, he engaged in a similar line for himself. He became chief of the St. Cloud fire department and in 1911 was appointed fire marshal. He resigned January 1, 1914. At that time it was said of him : "George G. Magnuson, who has efficiently served as fire marshal of this city for the past two years and eight months, yesterday afternoon tendered his resignation to the city commissioners from the position of fire marshal, saying that he had too many other duties to keep him occupied. At Mr. Magnuson's recommendation Fire Chief L. A. Moosbrugger was appointed as the new fire marshal for the Granite city. George Magnuson was appointed to the position on April 11, 1911, and during his service as marshal has accom- plished a number of things for fire protection and on a number of occasions he has received special mention by the men in the state department. During his service he has condemned fifty-three old buildings, 109 dangerous chim- neys and stovepipes have been removed and twenty-seven arrests for violations of fire ordinances have been made. In Benton county he secured an indict- ment by the grand jury against a man arrested by him. He has been most active in having fire escapes put on buildings, and during his service he has secured fire escapes on twenty-one three-story buildings. Doors to all public buildings, as churches, schools, halls and factories have been made to swing outward and 660 notices of warning have been placed in factories and indus-
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GEORGE G. MAGNUSON
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trial shops throughout the city. The fire alarm boxes have been arranged to be more efficient, glass doored key boxes having been placed on all the alarm boxes in the city. Much work has been done in bringing about the lowering of insurance rates. Photographs of the worst traps were taken be- fore and after removal and circulated throughout the state; 550 orders from the state marshal were carried out and countless fire traps removed. More efficient inspection of buildings has been established by Mr. Magnuson. At his suggestion Thomas Lacher, Theodore Tenvoorde and George Fowler were ap- pointed as special deputies to act without pay other than received for being firemen, whose duty it is to inspect all buildings, basements, chimneys and stoves. Following the successful service of George Magnuson the fire losses in St. Cloud have now been cut down more than half, fire insurance rates have taken a very noticeable decrease and the general beauty of the Granite City has been increased to no small amount by the removal of the large num- ber of old barns and other wrecked structures. Mr. Magnuson as a fire mar- shal has been fearless in the carrying out of his duties, he has lost a number of friends and has aroused much unpopularity for himself at times for having carried out his duties. Regardless of all consequences Mr. Magnuson enforced the laws and has proved himself to be the most efficient fire marshal the city ever had, and the Granite City's business men will regret to hear of his resignation." Mr. Magnuson was elected eity clerk in 1912 and is still serv- ing. He married May A., daughter of Axel Larson, and they have a daughter, Harriet, born May 4, 1909.
Leo P. Brick was born in Canada, learned the printers' trade, and came to the States and located in St. Cloud. He worked many years as foreman on Der Nordstern, and died in 1893. He was married in 1878 to Magdaline Pung, who was born in St. Joseph township, this county, daughter of Joseph and Katherine (Gilles) Pung, the pioneers, the former of whom died in 1896. In the family there were six children: Emma, Edward J., Benedict, Philip, Isabel and Mary. Emma is dead. Edward J. is chief of police at St. Cloud. Benedict is on the police force in New York city. Philip lives in Grand Forks, N. D. Isabel is the wife of August Doener, of Boone, Iowa, and they have one daughter, Eileen M. Mary married Neal Maloney, of Brandon, Canada.
Edward J. Brick, chief of police, of St. Cloud, was born in the city where he still resides, July 19, 1880, son of Leo P. and Magdaline (Pung) Brick. He attended the public and parochial schools, and the St. Cloud State Normal School. For a time he was locomotive engineer, but early turned his atten- tion to the preservation of peace and order. He was captain of the guards at the St. Cloud State Reformatory for five years, and was deputy sheriff under B. J. Morritz one year. Entering the police service he was first patrol- man, then sergeant and in 1911 was made chief. During the Spanish-Ameri- can war he served eighteen months in the Philippines as a private in Com- pany M, Thirteenth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen, the Eagles, the Elks, the Commercial Club and the Knights of Columbus. Chief Brick has given the city excellent service, He is just the man for the position, and an ideal officer, splendidly proportioned, muscu- lar and brave, standing six feet three inches and weighing 242 pounds. Mr.
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Brick married Hedwig A., daughter of Andrew and Katherine (Cramer) Henneman. They have one son, Cyrill, born January 20, 1907.
James R. Bennett, Sr., pioneer merchant, engaged in business in New York in the early fifties, brought his family to Superior, Wis., in 1857, con- ducted a store there, and in 1861 came to St. Cloud, where he opened a mer- cantile establishment on Fifth avenue.
Stacy B. Bowing was born in Maryland, and as a boy went to McKees- port, Penn., where he was employed as foreman of the W. D. Wood Roller Mills in the manufacture of Russian sheet iron. By promotion he became superintendent over three hundred men, and was one of the leading experts in his particular line, the mills in which he was engaged being the only place in the United States where this kind of iron was made. Failing health, how- ever, caused him to seek a milder climate in Florida for a winter, but not getting the desired relief he was advised to come to Minnesota. Accordingly he came to Stearns county, and settled on Winnebago prairie, in Le Sauk township, in July, 1870. The change did not benefit his health, and he died in March, 1871. Mrs. Bowing then moved to St. Cloud to educate her boys, leaving her brother, O. S. Ellis, in charge of the farm. The place is still owned by the family and the original tract of 160 acres has been increased to about 500. Mr. and Mrs. Bowing had two sons, Albert E. and Harry C.
Harry C. Bowing, of the firm of Bowing Bros., grocers of St. Cloud, was born in Mckeesport, Penn., November 24, 1867, son of Stacy B. and Isabel E. (Ellis) Bowing. He was brought to Minnesota in 1870, and attended the public schools of St. Cloud and the St. Cloud State Normal School. In 1889 he and his brother, Albert, purchased a grocery store from Edwin Robertson, and have since then enjoyed an increasing patronage. Harry C. Bowing belongs to the Commercial Club and is a charter member of the local lodge of Eks. He married Amelia L. Hockema, a teacher, born in Spring Valley, Minn., daughter of Henry W. Hockema, a native of Holland, who died in 1909, and Elizabeth Du Mez Hockema, who died in 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Bowing are the parents of one daughter, Elizabeth Isabel, born June 16, 1909.
Albert E. Bowing, of the firm of Bowing Brothers, grocers, of St. Cloud, was born February 14, 1868, and was reared in St. Cloud. Since 1889 he has been in partnership with his brother, Harry C. Albert E. Bowing mar- ried Retta Robertson, daughter of Andrew C. Robertson, a St. Cloud attor- ney. She died in 1895 leaving two sons, Stacy and Edwin E. In 1913, Stacy graduated from the University of Minnesota, and Edwin from the St. Cloud State Normal School.
John Buckman, of St. Cloud, was born in Sweden, July 26, 1857, son of Eric and Kaiser (Gustufson) Buckman. As a youth he learned the millers' trade from his father. He came to America on August 17, 1880, and for the next two years was variously employed, on the railroad, in the stone quar- ries, in a store and in a factory. August 5, 1882, he became janitor and en- gincer at the St. Cloud State Normal School. With the exception of a short period when he worked as a pile driver, he has remained with the institution since that date, being now chief engineer and general custodian. Through
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many generations of students he has been a feature of normal school life, and is regarded as an institution in himself. He is in constant touch with all the activities of the school, and has proven himself a valuable adjunct to its work.
Mr. Buckman married Anna M. Garert, a native of Sweden, who came to America in 1881, with Mr. Buckman's sister. Mr. and Mrs. Buckman have seven children living. Augusta W. is in the city clerk's office; Frank is a dry goods clerk; Herman is a mail clerk; Esther; Phoebe is a student in the St. Cloud State Normal School; Carl is a hardware clerk; Myrtle is in the St. Cloud High School.
Rolland C. Buckley, architect and building superintendent, St. Cloud, was born in Knoxville, Ill., November 26, 1882, son of Robert R. and Elvira (Charles) Buckley, the former of whom, for many years a prominent agri- culturist, is still living at Knoxville, at the age of ninety-one, and the latter of whom died in 1882. Rolland C. Buckley attended the public schools of Knoxville, and took his preparatory courses at the Culver Military Acade- my, Culver, Indiana. Then he entered the Armour School of Technology, and the Chicago Art Institute, taking a course in the Chicago School of Archi- tecture. After completing his course he was with Talmadge & Watson, archi- tects, Chicago; subsequently with Spencer & Powers, architects, Chicago; and still later with J. Grant Beadle, consulting architect, Galesburg, Ill. In 1910 he entered the employ of F. W. Kinney, consulting architect of Minne- apolis. September 11, 1912, Mr. Buckley opened an office in St. Cloud. His progress has been phenomenal, and his work of the highest character. The buildings which he has planned are in themselves visual encomiums of his ability. The beautiful Elks' club house, the Starland Theater, the Zapp State Bank building, the Frank Fandel block, all of St. Cloud; the German-Ameri- can Bank building at Little Falls; the Cochran Theater, at Sauk Centre, Elks building, at Bimidji, and many private dwellings in various places through- out this vicinity bespeak his industry, his art and his talent. Mr. Buckley is a member of the Elks and of the Masonic body. He married Effie, the daughter of F. W. and Betheny (Hall) Kinney.
Ernest Bostrom, a groceryman of St. Cloud, was born in Vermland, Sweden, November 19, 1870, son of Andrew and Katherina (Jang) Bostrom. In 1893 he came to America, landed at Quebec, found his way to Sauk Rap- ids, worked on a farm for a while, was employed by his brother in his stone quarry, and later became his partner. Then he worked for various firms several years as a stone cutter. While in the employ of the St. Cloud Gran- ite Works, his eye was injured by a piece of steel, and he was forced to seek other work. After carrying mail out of Sauk Rapids for a year, he opened a grocery store on St. Germain street, St. Cloud, and by unfaltering perseverance and pluck, and by foree of his active personality, he has built up a prosperous business. He belongs to the Swedish society. Mr. Bostrom married Freda A., danghter of A. B. Anderson, and they have four children : Harold, Mildred, Donald and Gladys D.
Charles S. Bunnell was born November 23, 1857, in Brandford, Ontario, Canada, son of Enos and Cornelia (Kennedy) Bunnell. In 1887 he came to
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St. Cloud and entered the employ of N. P. Clarke. He gradually became closely identified with Mr. Clarke's interest, and is now the manager of the estate. He is a member of the Elks and of the Commercial Club. Mr. Bunnell married Sarah A. Bingham, and they have three children, Edna M., Mar- guerite and Alfred.
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