USA > Minnesota > Redwood County > The History of Redwood County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 16
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Norris W. Cobleigh, successful farmer, man of affairs, and for- mer register of deeds, was born in Lauderdale county, Mississippi, December 9, 1850. His father, Simon, was born in Vermont, July 7, 1811, living there until 1840, then went to Mississippi and there lived until 1851, when he moved to Baraboo, Wis., where he lived until his death in 1887. The mother, Oril E. Way, was born in Connecticut in 1818, and died March 26, 1889. The sub- ject of this sketch was reared in Wisconsin, and at the age of twenty-one years, struck out for himself, alternating teaching with farm work until 1879, having in the meantime in 1876 grad- uated from the Northwestern Business College in Madison, Wis. It was in 1879 that he purchased 280 acres of land in section 36, Willow Lake township, this county. This farm he successfully operated for some years, winning the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens to the extent that in 1896 he was elected regis- ter of deeds of Redwood county, serving from January 1, 1897, to January 1, 1903. Upon retiring from this important office, he purchased a farm of 277 acres in the west half of section 3 of Redwood Falls township to the improvement and development of which he has since devoted his attention. He has erected a two-story house of ten rooms with all modern improvements, hot water heat, running hot and cold water, acetylene lights, and other improvements, making the place one of the finest in the
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township. The house is surrounded with a beautiful lawn, orna- mented with neat walks, with side shrubbery, and flower beds. The out buildings include a barn, 36 by 80 feet, and a tile silo with a capacity of 150 tons, a reservoir with a capacity of two hundred and fifty barrels furnishes an ample water supply. Surrounding the house is a splendid grove and the value of the farm is further enhanced by a two-acre orchard of fruit trees. Mr. Cobleigh suc- cessfully carries on general farming, makes a specialty of Poll- Angus and Redpoll cattle, Duroc-Jersey swine and shropshire sheep. The business connections are with the State Bank of Red- wood Falls of which he is a director, the Farmers' Elevator Com- pany of Redwood Falls of which he is secretary, and the Redwood County Rural Telephone Co., of which he is a stockholder. Fra- ternally he affiliates with the Odd Fellows. The family faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Redwood Falls, of which Mr. Cobleigh is one of the trustees. Mr. Cobleigh has taken a sincere interest in the early history of the county and from 1880 to 1896 served as secretary of the Old Settlers' Asso- ciation of Willow Lake, Sundown and adjoining townships. Mr. Cobleigh was married February 5, 1879, to Jennie L. Patterson, who was born in Columbia county, Wisconsin, April 21, 1858, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Patterson) Patterson. Thomas Patterson was born in Ireland, May 26, 1839, came to Wisconsin in 1853, living there ten years, came to Olmsted county, Minnesota, in 1863, living there until 1904, then moved to St. Charles in Winona county, and there died, December 30, 1909. Mrs. Elizabeth Patterson died in Olmsted county in 1874 at the age of forty-two years. Mr. and Mrs. Cobleigh have been blessed with three children, Clarence, Myrtle M. and Winnifred. Clar- ence was born September 26, 1884, was educated in the Redwood Falls public schools and now operates the home farm. Myrtle M. was born August 14, 1886, graduated from the Minnesota Commercial College at Minneapolis and resides at home. Winni- fred was born February 13, 1892, and is now Mrs. Stanley Bou- shek of Carrington, North Dakota.
Anthony A. Praxel, pioneer merchant of Lamberton, was born in Austria in 1845, and married Mary Shandera, who was born in Germany in 1852. He came to America as a young man and in 1872 came to Cottonwood Crossing, near Lamberton, where, for two years he and Frank Shandera engaged in the mercantile busi- ness under the firm name of Praxel & Shandera. In 1874 they moved to Lamberton. In 1885 Mr. Praxel sold out to his part- ner. He died in 1895 in Montana, and his wife is still living in Lamberton. In the family there are four children: Peter, of Walnut Grove; Theresa, now deceased; Anthony J., an attor- ney of Lamberton; and Julia, who married Richard M. Hamer, of Lafayette, Ind., and has two children, Leha and Daniel.
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Anthony J. Praxel, M. A., L. L. B., a leading attorney of this region and prominent in fraternal circles throughout the state, is a native of Lamberton where he still resides. A man of genial temperament and well trained native ability, he has made his own way in the world and having already achieved a degree of success unusual for one of his age, his friends predict for him a brilliant future of limitless possibilities. He was born in Lam- berton where he still resides, January 8, 1878, the son of Anthony A. and Mary (Shanders) Praxel, pioneers of that village. He attended the district schools, and graduated from the Academy of Carlton College at Northfield, this state, in 1900. With this preparation he entered the law college of the University of Min- nesota from which he was graduated in 1904 with the degree of L. L. B. His master's degree was granted by that university in 1907. In 1906 Mr. Praxel entered the law office of Ayers & Mc- Donald of Minneapolis. In 1908 he opened an office in Lamber- ton, a year later he formed a partnership with Senator Frank Clague which continued until 1911, when Senator Clague moved to Redwood Falls. Since that date, Mr. Praxel has practiced alone. Mr. Praxel has been village recorder of Lamberton since 1910. He is now candidate for a seat in the lower house of the Minnesota Legislature, as representative at large from Redwood and Brown counties. Fraternally Attorney Praxel is affiliated with the Masons, the Elks, the Knights of Pythias, and the Odd Fellows, in all of which he has taken a prominent part. The Knights of Pythias have signally honored him by electing him Grand Chancellor of the state of Minnesota and in this capacity he is doing most efficient service, having previously demonstrated his ability in the office of Vice Chancellor.
Alva D. Wyman, a mail carrier of Vesta, was born in Under- wood township, Redwood county, Minn., July 10, 1886, son of Frederick A. and Janet (Barber) Wyman. He grew up on the home place and learned farming from his father, but at the age of eighteen met with a severe fall which incapacitated him for that kind of work. He then became carrier on the rural free delivery mail route from Vesta. He owns 160 acres in section 11, Under- wood township. For two years he has served as village assessor. Mr. Wyman was married June 17, 1914, to Minnie Lemke, who was born March 17, 1886. He and his wife have one child, Har- old, born June 27, 1915.
William J. Barber, a dealer in farm implements and automo- biles at Vesta, was born in Vesta township, February 6, 1877, son of Thomas D. and Adelaide (Garry) Barber. The father was born in Canada and came to the United States in 1862, securing a homestead in the southwest quarter of section 6, Vesta town- ship. There he lived until 1904, when he came to Vesta and subsequently resided here until his death in 1913, when he was
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64 years old. He served as township clerk for 18 years. His wife, Adelaide, now in her 57th year, makes her home at Redwood Falls. William J. Barber farmed in Vesta township from 1899 to 1902, after which he was engaged in the hardware and imple- ment business in Vesta for four years. He then went into his present business, that of dealing in farm implements and auto- mobiles. He handles the Ford cars. Like his father, interested in public affairs, he has served as village recorder for three years and for two years was a member of the council. Mr. Barber was united in marriage October 24, 1899, to Rosa Becker, who was born February 5, 1881, daughter of Herman and Amelia Becker. Her father, a native of Germany and a pioneer in Minnesota, is now a retired blacksmith and wagonmaker of Echo, Minn. Mr. and Mrs. Barber have two children: Lucile, aged 13 and Cecil, aged 11 years. The family attend the United Brethren church, of which they are members.
Harry Clifford Wood, owner and proprietor of the Vesta garage, was born in Cumberland county, Illinois, March 21, 1891, son of Elmer E. and Ellen (McGillivray) Wood. Elmer E. Wood was born in Ohio and came to Illinois when a child. In March, 1913, and he bought 160 acres of land in Vesta township, Redwood county, Minnesota, where he engaged in farming. Harry C. Wood remained at home with his parents until 1911, in which year he went to Kansas City, Mo., and worked in a garage. In March, 1915, he bought the Vesta garage and machine shop of E. T. Swenson, and on July 15 of the same year he moved into a new modern building, 50 by 75 feet, built of cement blocks and lo- cated on Front street, which had been erected for him by James McGregor. Here he does all kinds of repair work and steam vulcanizing. Mr. Wood is a member of the Presbyterian church. He was married January 18, 1914, to Daisy Peters, who was born May 21, 1894, daughter of Amos and Ida Peters. Mrs. Wood's father is proprietor of a restaurant at Mattoon, Ill.
George Leroy Crooks, manager of the Bingham elevator at Vesta, was born in Redwood Falls, June 28, 1882, son of George F. and Margaret (Penny) Crooks. The father, who erected the first brick building in Redwood Falls, died in North Yakima, Wash., at the age of sixty-two, December 23, 1911. His wife still lives in North Yakima. George Leroy Crooks in 1901 be- gan working for the Bingham brothers, being employed in their grain business at New Ulm for nine months. He then became manager of their elevator at Vesta, a frame building with a capac- ity of 25,000 bushels. He has been clerk of the Vesta schools for four years. Fraternally he is affiliated with the I. O. O. F. Mr. Crooks was united in marriage June 26, 1912, to Florence E. Barber, who was born March 18, 1888, daughter of Thomas D. and Adelaide (Garry) Barber.
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Charles Kuhfeld, of the Dahl and Kuhfeld garage of Vesta, was born in Sibley county, Minnesota, February 27, 1884, son of Charles and Paulina (Flotz) Kuhfeld. The father. was a native of Germany who came to America in 1870, farming for a time in Sibley county and then moving to Redwood county, where he secured 240 acres in section 1, Westline township. He died there in 1909 at the age of 83 years. His wife is still living in Vesta. Charles operated the home farm in Westline township from 1898 to 1907 when he became its owner and resided on it until 1914. Then he retired to Vesta and in June, 1915, opened a garage in partnership with C. H. Whiting. July 15, that year, M. H. Dahl bought Mr. Whiting's interest and the firm is now know as Dahl and Kuhfeld. They handle automobile accessories and do garage work. Mr. Kuhfeld is the oldest of five children, having one brother and four sisters, namely: William, born April 16, 1886, who is connected with the railroad at Winthrop; Mary, who married Leopold Stoge, a farmer of Granite Rock township, Red- wood county; Amelia, wife of Ed. Schwede, a farmer of Ward county, North Dakota; Martha, residing at home, and Elizabeth, who married Henry Bauer, a farmer of Vail township, Redwood county.
Martin H. Dahl, of the Dahl and Kuhfeld garage of Vesta, was born in Sacred Heart, Renville county, Minnesota, March 19, 1892, son of Halvor and Mathilda (Hanson) Dahl. The father was a native of Norway who came to America in 1882. He lived in Sacred Heart until 1894 when he bought 80 acres in Vesta town- ship, Redwood county, where he remained until 1902 and then moved to Murray county, where he engaged in farming. His wife, Matilda, died in 1901. The children in the family were: Hannah, now wife of Martin Severson, a farmer of Springdale township, Redwood county; Martin H., subject of this sketch, and Henry, Louis and Sena. Martin H. Dahl remained at home until the spring of 1912, when he engaged in farming in Springdale town- ship and was thus occupied for two years. Then he worked for two years in Vesta. July 15, 1915, he bought the garage. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
George I. Alexander, a rising young farmer of Vesta town- ship, was born in section 12, this township, June 19, 1887, son of David and Catherine (Johnson) Alexander. David Alexander was born in Scotland and came to America when one and a half years old, his father, Adam Alexander, homesteading in the northeast quarter of section 12, Vesta township, Redwood county, Minnesota, in 1869. There he lived until 1887, when he moved to Redwood Falls and died. David homesteaded the northwest quarter of the same section and now owns 640 acres, including the homestead of his father. In 1901 he moved to Redwood Falls where he now resides. His wife, Catherine, was a native of Can-
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L. T. BRAAFLADT AND FAMILY
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ada. There were nine children in the family: Lorena, now the wife of George Whittet, a farmer of Delhi township; Cora, who died in childhood; Ormie, a farmer of Vesta township; George I., subject of this memoir; one that died in infancy; Grace, now the wife of George Whittet, a farmer of Delhi township; Cora, who makes his home with George, and Charles and William, residing at home. George I. Alexander attended school in Redwood Falls and worked on his father's farm until the spring of 1910, when he rented 320 acres of his father's place and began farming for himself. He raises graded Polled Angus cattle and makes a specialty of feeding one carload of cattle for the market every year. He has built a good house and barn and made many improvements. Since 1908 he has been in the threshing business with his brother, Ormie. In addition to his holdings in Redwood county, he also owns 160 acres of land in Spink county, South Dakota. Mr. Alexander was married January 7, 1914, to Dora Williams, who was born July 6, 1887, daughter of William Will- iams, a pioneer farmer of Blue Earth county and keeper of Min- neopa Park, who died in Mankato in 1914, at the age of 67 years, and his wife, Margaret (Olson) Williams. Mr. and Mrs. Alex- ander have one child, Margaret June, born June 3, 1915.
Lars T. Braafladt, a retired farmer of Belview, and who was the first president of the Farmers State Bank of Belview, was born September 9, 1853, in Nummedal, Kristiania Stift, Nor- way, son of Tosten H. and Helga (Roon) Braafladt. The father, who was born in 1821, and whose life was spent in farming, died in 1869. He had been a widower for about six years, his wife, who was born in 1824, having passed away in 1863. Lars T. Braafladt came to America in 1875, locating in Swedes Forest township, Redwood county, Minnesota, where he found work as a farm hand and was thus engaged for two years. During the winters, however, he attended school. In 1877 he homesteaded 160 acres of land in Underwood township, this county. This he sold in 1884, buying 160 acres in another section of the same township. Later he increased his holdings by purchasing an addi- tional tract of 80 acres. In 1886 he sold his farm and bought 190 acres in Kintire township, section 9, where he resided until 1913, continuing his farming operations. He then sold that prop- erty and took up his residence in Belview, where he bought a house and nine acres of land and is now engaged in farming this small tract. In 1910 Mr. Braafladt was one of the organizers of the Farmers State Bank of Belview and was its first president. While a resident of Underwood township he served three terms on the town board and he was a member of the town board of Kintire township for seven years. Religiously he is affiliated with the Norwegian Lutheran church. Mr. Braafladt was mar- ried in 1878 to Marie Heir, who was born in Norway, September
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1, 1859, and came to America with her brother in 1876, they settling in Clayton county, Iowa. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Braafladt: Theodore O., Ida H., Louise E., Louis H., Ole A., Martha, and one child that died in infancy, unnamed. Theodore O., a dentist of Cloquet, Minn., married Ida E. Mattson, of Cokato, Minn., and has three children, Louis E., Myrtle L. and Theodore H. Ida H., the wife of Sanford Nelson, of Kintire, has two children, Walter S. and Iona M. Louise E., who is the wife of Harold Olson, a farmer of Ottertail county, has two children, Clayton L. and Lola M. Louis H., who studied for the ministry and also graduated from Rush Medical College, is preparing to go to China as a medical missionary. He married Anna Olson, of Swedes Forest, and has two children, Borghild and Chester L. Ole A., who is now practicing dentistry in Bellingham, Wash., married Myrtle Price, of Mt. Vernon, Wash., and has one child, Marjorie E. Martha is a teacher.
Henry A. Dreyer, a well-known business man of Belview, was born March 17, 1871, in Flora township, Renville county, Minne- sota, son of Henry and Regina (Korth) Dreyer. Henry Dreyer was born March 11, 1828, in Germany, and came to America in 1852, locating at Freeport, Ill., where he worked with a railroad construction crew for two years. He then went to Watertown, Wis., where he became a wagon maker and made sixty-two wagons by hand in the two years he remained there. One of these wagons was the first wagon in Rochester, Minn., in 1857. He then went to Le Sueur county, Minnesota, where he remained for ten years engaged in farming. In 1867 he went to Flora township, Renville county, and bought 160 acres of land. He lived there until 1901, when he retired to North Redwood and died December 23, 1906. His wife, Regina (Korth) Dreyer, was born June 24, 1833, in Germany, daughter of William Korth, who came to America in and died
in Jefferson county, Wisconsin. Henry A. Dreyer remained at home until twenty-one years of age. He received his education in the common school of his neighborhood and in 1892 was grad- uated from the St. Paul College at St. Paul Park, Minn. He then acted as clerk in the general stores at Morton and Renville for two and a half years. At the end of that time he returned to the home farm and remained there until 1896. From 1896 to 1899 he worked as a carpenter and bought 160 acres in section 23, Kin- tire township, where he remained until 1908. Then he bought half interest in the hardware store of Sandager and Hegdal at Belview, but after three and a half years sold his interest to Sandager. He now sells and installs gas lighting plants for country homes. He has served as school clerk for two years and has been a member of the board of health for six years. Mr. Dreyer was married July 10, 1901, to Lydia E. Kohls, born
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October 13, 1874, in Columbia County, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Frederick Kohls, born January 1, 1840, in Germany, and came to America in 1870, and his wife, Anna C. (Bohl) Kohls, born February 14, 1851, in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Dreyer have one child : Forrest R., born August 12, 1902.
William G. Mahoney, of Wanda, Minn., who has been engaged in the draying and livery business since 1914, was born in Fair- fax, Minn., September 12, 1885, son of Michael and Julia (Black) Mahoney, extensive farmers of that neighborhood. In his boy- hood he attended the district schools and was reared on the home farm. In 1914 he was married to Marion Molitor, daughter of Steven and Margaret (Rock) Molitor, natives, respectively, of Iowa and Wisconsin and now farming in Renville county. Mr. Mahoney is a steady and industrious young man, well adapated to make a success of his present business. Michael Mahoney, father of William G., is an extensive land owner of Renville county. He was born in Ireland, came to this country as a young man and was married at Springfield to Julia Black, a native of Wisconsin. After their marriage they lived for a time at Red- wood Falls, and then they located near Fairfax on a farm, where they owned a thrashing machine operated by horse-power. From a small start they made good progress and prospered until they owned 640 acres of land. A few years ago they moved to Granite Rock township, Redwood county, where they now own 540 acres. Michael Mahoney is a prominent man and has served on the school board. He and his good wife are the proud parents of thirteen children. The family faith is that of the Catholic church.
Christian Leuther, mayor of Wanda, was born in Germany, August 28, 1862, son of Hilary and Margaret (Grommes) Leuther. The parents spent their lives in Germany and died there, the father at the age of eighty-six and his wife at that of fifty-one. They had five children : Nicholas, Mary, Catherine, Christian and Johan, of whom Christian was the only one who came to America, which he did in 1893. In his native land he had been a farmer, and on arriving in the United States he came directly to Willow Lake township, this county, where he worked out for the farmers during the first year. The second year he was employed in a brick yard at Springfield. Then, in 1895, he bought a tract of 160 acres in section 26, Willow Lake township. He built a house 14 by 18 feet, set out a grove of trees in 1896 and later added a new barn. He carried on general farming, raised good stock and in time added 80 acres more to his farm. Moving to Wanda in 1901, he built the first hotel at that place, his interest in which he sold out in 1914. He also engaged in the meat business. In 1912 he was in the implement business. In 1914 Mr. Leuther built a fine modern house in Wanda. He was elected mayor of Wanda in 1904 and held the position ever since with the excep-
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tion of one year. He is a stockholder and director of the State Bank of Wanda and is also a stockholder in the Wanda creamery. Mr. Leuther was married in Germany July 27, 1892, to Catherine Jennings, who was born March 13, 1865, daughter of Peter and Anna Catherine (Knauf) Jennings, who lived and died in Ger- many as farmers. They had seven children: Eva, Mary, Ger- trude, Mathew, Anna Mary, John and Anna Catherine. Of these, the present Mrs. Leuther and her brother John were the only ones to come to the United States. They came first in 1883 but returned to Germany in 1886 when she was married to Mr. Leuther. Mr. and Mrs. Leuther have seven children: Hilary, Gertrude, now of the Sisters; Nicholas, John, Margaret, Ludwina and Peter. The family faith is that of the Roman Catholic church.
Frank Altermatt was born in Buffalo county, Wisconsin, May 18, 1854, son of John B. and Dorethea Altermatt, natives of Germany, who, coming to America, engaged in farming in Wis- consin. After a time the family came to Minnesota, locating eight miles east of Springfield, where they bought land and where the parents lived for the rest of their lives. There were eleven chil- dren in the family, of whom Frank was the fourth oldest in order of birth. He was nine years old when he arrived in Minnesota and grew to manhood in this state. He worked for two years in Owatonna and then located on 160 acres of wild land in Willow Lake township, which he homesteaded in 1875. He has made many improvements on his place and has increased his land hold- ings from time to time, so that now he has over 560 acres. He retired from active work and moved to Springfield in the spring of 1915. Mr. Altermatt married Freda Schneider, a native of Germany, and the children born of this union are: George, F. H., John, Minnie, Elizabeth, Augusta, Rosa and an unnamed infant. The family faith is that of the Lutheran church.
Otto C. Kuehn, a prominent merchant of Wanda, was born in Sigel township, Brown county, May 5, 1875, son of John and Doretha (Schumacher) Kuehn, who had located there in 1863 and engaged in farming. During the first year they rented a farm and then bought one of 160 acres at $12 an acre. All they owned to begin farming with was an ox team. Building a rude sod house, they began the strenuous work of improvement, endur- ing all the hardships of pioneers in a new country. For three years the grasshoppers destroyed their crops. A grove was set out and in time conditions improved so that now they have a fine farm and a modern house. They were members of the Lutheran church and in the early days religious services were often held in their sod hut. Otto C. Kuehn was the fifth of eleven children and received his early education in the district school. He grew to manhood on his father's farm and learned the trade
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