USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 47
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Emil A. Voelz, postmaster of Danube, was born in Winfield township, this county, September 28, 1890, son of Fred and Emilie (Brown) Voelz. who were both born in Germany in 1860, were there married, came to America in June, 1882, lived for a short time in New York state, then stayed for a time in Chi- cago, and later moved to Wisconsin, from which state they came to Olivia, this county, in October, 1882. Six years later they bought 160 aeres in Winfield township, and added tracts at. various times until they owned 400 aeres on which they still reside. They are regarded as leading people in their neighbor- hood. In the family there are eleven children : Anna, now Mrs. Gustave Peterson, living at Bowman, N. D .; Frank and Fred, of Minneapolis ; William, of Danube: George, on the farm with his father; Emil A., the subject of this sketch ; Elsie, now Mrs.
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A. Tepfer. of Winfield township; Albert, of Danube: Paul, who is living on the farm with his father: August, who is dead; and Helen, who is at home. Emil A. Voelz completed his schooling in Danube. For a time he was employed at Minneapolis and elsewhere. In 1911 he came back to Danube, and was employed by H. W. Showmaker, general merchant and postmaster. Later he worked for the Danube Mercantile Co. In 1913 he bought a stock of general merchandise and opened a store. In Decom- ber. 1914. he was appointed to his present position as postmaster. and he operates the office in connection with his store. Mr. Voelz was married October 8. 1912. to Lydia Tepfer, born September 18. 1597. in Renville, this county. daughter of Gothlip and Otilda Keminitz Voelz. who were born in Germany, came to Ren- ville county in 1893, and located on a farm where the father died in 1907. and which the mother is still operating. In the Tepter Family there are ten children: Emilie. now Mrs. Gust R. Tistow. of Barrow. Wis .: Adolph, of Winfield. Minn .: Gust, who lives on the farm with his mother: Lydia. wife of Emil A. Toelz: and Bertha. Albert. Elsie. Martin and Herbert. all of whom are at home with their mother. Mr. and Mrs. Voelz have one child. Lyle Howard, born October 5. 1914.
Gust Nenow, a well known farmer of Osceola township, was born August 22, 1882. in Germany, his parents being Herman B. and Augusta Krueger Nenow, with whom he came to Amer- iva in 1885. Ile was raised in MePherson township. Blue Earth vonnty, Minn .. and remained at home until he was twenty-two years ofl. when he rented a farm in Osceola township, where he remained nine years. In 1913 he bought the southwest quar- ter of section 19. During that year he erected a house 24 by 26. and a barn 44 by 42 feet. The wedding of Mr. Nenow to Wil- helmina Sing ocenrred January 18, 1905. She was born Febru- ary 16, 1838. the danghter of Henry B. and Katrina (Surges) Sing. They have two children: Ilazel B., born October 28, 1906: Howard B., born June 1. 1911. The Family attend the German Lutheran church.
Herman B. Nenow was born in Germany. married Augusta Krueger in the fatherland, and came to America in 1885. locat- ing in MePherson township. Blue Earth county, on a rented farm. remaining there until 1889, when he came to Osceola township, Renville county, where he bought 240 acres, the south- west quarter and the south half of the southeast quarter of sec- tion 16, where he and his wife now live.
Henry B. Sing was born in 1865. in Joliet, Illinois. He mar- ried Katrina Surges, also a native of Joliet, in 1887. Mr. Sing is a farmer and came to Osceola in 1894. where he bought eighty acres, the east half of the southeast quarter of section 30. In 1903 he purchased 160 aeres, this being the southwest quarter
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of section 29. He retired in 1914, locating in Bird Island village.
Reinhard E. Sell, wholesale and retail dealer in meats, was born in Germany, May 14, 1865, son of August and Wilhelmina (Hartfield) Sell. The father, who was a German stock and grain raiser, owned a farm of 167 acres in Germany. He was born February 4, 1840, and died December 1, 1886. The mother was born April 29, 1828, and died October 1, 1913. In the family there were three children, Remhard E .; Augusta, the widow of R. E. Zabel; and Otto, who died in 1910. Reinhard E. Sell came to America in 1889, after having worked ten years at the meat business and served two years in the Germany army. He worked a few months in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and then came west and spent the winter at Fairfax, in this county. Then he went to Gibbon, in Sibley county, and worked at the meat business. April 13, 1891, he came to Buffalo Lake, and started in for him- self, occupying the location next south for some six weeks while his present building was being erected. The establishment is modern in every respect, and well deserves the excellent patron- age that it receives. Mr. Sell received his first papers at Gib- bon, Min., and his full citizenship at Olivia, in 1897. lle is a Republican, and has served five years on the village council, being president three of those years. Ile has been clerk of the German Lutheran church some ten years. Mr. Sell was married in Germany, February 11, 1889, to Emma Sehniek, born October 2. 1868, daughter of Julius and Matilda ( Knetter) Schnick, and this union has been blessed with five children: Lydia, born January 9, 1890, now Mrs. S. O. Johnson, of Minneapolis; Alfred, born August 29, 1892, now in business with his father; Elsie, who was born January 11, 1893, and died September 1, 1897: Rein- hold, who was born August 16, 1897, and Elsie, who was born September 8, 1902. The children of Julius Schnick and his wife were Amelia, now Mrs. Robert Steincke, of Germany; Albert. of New York City: Oscar, deceased; Emma, wife of Reinhard E. Sell; and Paul, now serving in the German army.
Samuel H. Funk, a veteran of the Civil War, was born in Pennsylvania, June 3, 1840, of German parentage, and came to Fort Wayne. Indiana, where he grew to manhood and engaged in farming. Ile later came to Waukesha county, Wisconsin, and settled on a farm, where he remained for fifteen years, coming to Minnesota, in 1880. Ile came to Renville county and rented a farm in section 30, Boon Lake township. Later he homesteaded in seetion 16 and built frame buildings. Ile had used oxen when farming on the rented place, but secured a team of horses when he homesteaded. Ile had driven into the county from Wisconsin with horses, the trip taking eighteen days. He lived there until 1901. improving the place, and then sold the farm
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and retired to Weyerhanser, Wisconsin. Mr. Funk served on the board of supervisors in his township. He was married in Wis- consin to Jane Niver, a native of that state, and of Dutch de- scent. They had the following children: Etta, Sarah. Kate. William. Robert, Charles, Edith, Emery and Emma, twins, and Samuel.
Robert H. Funk, manager of the Shippers' Association, of Buffalo Lake, was born February 8, 1875, in Waukesha county, Wisconsin, son of Samuel IL. Funk. He grew to manhood, at- tended the Church Hill school of Brookfield township and be- gan as a farmer on his father's place in Boon Lake township. Ile soon purchased eighty acres in section 30 and carried on general farming. In 1907 he began an extensive buying and selling of stock. Ile took prominent part in the organizing of the Lake Side Creamery, of Boon Lake township, and served on its board ten or twelve years. In 1912 he organized the Shippers' Association of Buffalo Lake and has held the position of manager ever since. He has also served on the conneil of Buffalo Lake. February 7, 1900, Mr. Funk was married to Nanna Anderson, born in Boon Lake township, daughter of Jolm and Mary Anderson. They have one child, Leroy.
Julius Manthei was born July 17, 1859, in Pomerania, Germany, son of Carl and Wilhelmina (Wilke) Manthei. The family came to the United States in 1875 with their five children : Carl, Ame- lia, Augusta, Julius and Herman, and located at St. Peter, in Nicollet county, where they remained for five years. In 1880 they came to Renville county, locating at Middle Creek, where the father died in 1881 at the age of fifty-five and the mother in 1903 at the age of seventy years. Julius Manthei first settled on a tract of 80 acres of prairie land on Middle Creek in Flora town- ship, where he built a small frame house and a barn. In 1897 he sold this farm, to which he had added 40 acres more, and moved to Troy township, seetion 19, where he secured 200 aeres of land, where he still lives. Ile has now increased the farm to 480 acres and improved it greatly, and raises a good grade of stoek. He also owns 240 aeres in Kittson county, Minnesota, which he has improved and rents. Mr. Manthei has been greatly interested in public affairs, has held several township offices in Troy township and has been on the school board of Flora town- ship. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers' Elevator at Dan- ube Ilis faith is that of the Evangelical church. December 13, 1883, Mr. Manthei was united in marriage to Mary Evert, born in Northfield, Minnesota, March 26, 1867, daughter of Joseph and Lizetta (Schultz) Evert. ller father is now living at Morton, Minnesota. Her mother died in February, 1908. The Evert chil- dren are Charles, George. August, William, Mary, Lonise, Lizetta and Anna. Matilda, Edward and one unnamed child are deceased.
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JULIUS MANTHEI AND FAMILY
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTER. LENOX AND QUE DATION
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Thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Manthei: George. born October 27. 1884, is a farmer of Troy township; Benjamin, born July 3, 1887. is a farmer of Troy township, married Ella Roper and has two children, Alice and Clarence; Sarah, born July 7, 1889, married Elmer Reck, of Troy township; Julius, born May 16. 1891; Marie, born April 19, 1893; Otto, born May 12. 1895; Anna, born May 13, 1897 : Lydia, born April 1, 1899; Hattie. born April 17, 1901; Ervin, born May 21, 1903; Harry, born Sep- tember 21, 1905; Wesley, born February 5, 1908, and Alvin, born January 10, 1911.
Charles O. Abrahamson, a progressive farmer of Preston Lake township, was born in Sweden June 27, 1855, son of Nels and Mary (Larson) Abrahamson, farmers of Sweden who started for the United States in 1864 with their three children, Josephine Augusta and Charles Osear, and after a nine weeks' voyage aboard a sailing vessel and a long overland trip reached Paxton, Illinois. where they remained two years. Here they met Christina Jacob- son, a daughter of Mrs. Abrahamson by a former marriage. In 1866 the family came to Minnesota, settling near St. Peter. The first year the father worked ont on the farms and the next year secured a homestead of 160 aeres of wild land in New Sweden township. He built a dugont cellar in the fall and in the spring the family moved into their new home. During the first year the neighbors helped him break the land, as he had no tools nor oxen. The next year he obtained a pair of steers. He was a mem- ber of the Swedish Lutheran church and died at the age of sixty- three years in 1886. His wife died at the age of eighty-five in 1896. Charles O. Abrahamson attended the publie schools of Paxton and St. Peter and grew to manhood on his father's home- stead. At the age of twenty-three he started farming for himself on a tract of 80 acres in New Sweden township, Nicollet county. A few improvements had been made on this place and a log house built. Here he lived five years. In 1886 he eame to Renville county and on the shore of Preston lake and Lake Allie in Preston Lake township, obtained 150 aeres on which some improvements had been made and a house built. Ile built a new house and made extensive improvements, giving the farm the name of "Lake Shore." Ile now owns a tract of 107 acres adjoining the first farm and has also bought ten aeres from D. S. Hall to complete 160 acres. Mr. Abrahamson has served on the school board for seven years. Ile is treasurer of the Swedish Intheran congrega- tion. this organization having so far no building of its own. Mr. Abrahamson was married August 8, 1878, to Mary Gunberg, born in Sweden May 3, 1857, daughter of Johannes and Eva (Larson) Gunberg. The parents brought the family to the United States in 1866, lived a time in Seott county, Minnesota, later located a homestead in Nicollet county, built a dugout, began farming with
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an ox team, and suffered the privations and hardships of the early settlers. Mr. Gunberg is still living at the age of eighty-one years and his wife died three years ago at the age of seventy-eight years. Four of their children died in Sweden: Mary, Andrew, Anna and Franz. The following were born in the United States: Frank. Justine. Augusta, Edwin and Emma. Mr. and Mrs. Abra- hamson have had seven children: Eugene. of Marshall. is presi- dent of the North Star College, of Marshall county, Minnesota. He married Hulda Magnusson. and they have three children : Linnea. Marie and Aino Magnalpha. Alvin married Alice Mills and lives at U'tica, Montana. The other children are: Emma and Eva, at home: Enos (deceased) : Florence. teacher of domes- tie science at Warren. Minnesota : and Ruth. teacher at Grafton. North Dakota.
John W. Erickson was born February 17. 1862, in Sweden, son of Erick and Anna Anderson. farmers who lived and died in that country. In the family were five children: Anton, Lars, Peter. Catherine and John W. John W. Erickson and his sister Cath- erine were the only ones to reach the United States, coming in 1858 to Nicollet conuty. Mimesota, where they had an unele and aunt. After working on farms in that county a while. John W. Erickson came to Renville county in 1890 and worked around among the farmers before buying a place of 6 acres on the shore of Preston lake. Mr. Erickson is an officer of the Swedish Lutheran church. He was married in 1897 to Anna (AAnderson) Rost, who was born in Sweden. February 18. 1857. daughter of Lars Anderson and Greta Christina Anderson, who had seven children : Ama. Anders (who died in Sweden). Johannes. Alfred, Christine (who died in Minneapolis . Emil and Carl. Alfred and Christine were the first to come to America, arriving in 1888. Carl came next, then Johannes, and later the parents, with Anna. They located in Renville county in Preston Lake township, where the parents died. Anna Anderson was married in 1883 to Gustave Kost, who was born in Sweden. September 27, 1849, became an engineer on a steamer, went to Russia, and died at Baku. in that country. in 1891. leaving a widow and two children. Ellen (now Mrs. Herman Andersoni and Carl (now of Minneapolis). who set out for America in 1894.
John Fischer, a thrifty farmer of Troy township, was born in Wurttemberg. Germany, May 6, 1851, son of David and Christina (Deile) Fischer. His parents died in Germany, the father at. the age of sixty-five in 1878 and the mother at the age of sixty in 1883. The father worked in the vineyards. There were eight children : Frederick, David. Christian. John, Carl, Albert, Chris- tine and Louisa. Christian was the first to come to the United States. Ile arrived in 1869 and was joined at Chieago in 1870 by his brother John. Christian worked as a carpenter and John
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JOHN FISCHER AND FAMILY
THE M'
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hired out to a farmer in Illinois for one year, and then went to the southern part of Illinois, where he remained for five years working on the farms. After his marriage in 1875 he came to Chicago and worked in a furniture factory until 1882, when he came to Brown county, Minnesota. In 1883 he brought his family to Renville county and located on a traet of land on the half section where F. A. Schroeder now lives. The land was not improved. They erected a small house and lived there for two years, after which they located on seetion 7, now a suburb of Danube, and here secured first 120 aeres and later 160 acres more. The land was broken and a fine modern house and buildings were erected. Mr. Fischer has held several township offices. He has been on the township board for the last ten or twelve years, being chairman part of the time. Ile has also served on the school board, and has also done valued service as president of Danube village. The first school house, 14 by 16 feet, was located on section 8, a part of his farm. He is a member of the Swine Breeders' Association and president of the Farmers' Elevator at Danube, being one of its organizers. He is a faithful member of the Evangelical church and has been the Sunday school super- intendent for the past fifteen years. He was one of the organizers of the Evangelical church at Danube in 1904 and was one of the first trustees. Mr. Fischer was united in marriage to Mary Sum- merlet, born May 14, 1856, in Fulton county, Illinois, daughter of Adam and Julia (Ball) Summerlet, natives of Hesse, Germany, who came to New York shortly after their marriage. The father was born March 12, 1819, and the mother was born October 8, 1825. They located on a farm in Mason county, Illinois. where the father died at the age of fifty-two years, March 6, 1872, and the mother July 5, 1901, at the age of seventy-eight. Mr. and Mrs. Fischer had the following children: Julia, born December 11, 1875, in Cook county, Illinois., died April 28, 1883; Albert, born in Cook county, Illinois, March 3, 1878, is now farming in Emmet township. He married Emma Byer and has four children : Orlinda, Lloyd. Mildred and Ruby. Edwin, born in Cook county, Illinois, April 2, 1880, is a farmer in Emmet township this county. He married Ella Byer and has three children, Floyd, Leslie and Pearle. Jesse, born in Sleepy Eye, Brown county, March 7, 1882, is farming in Troy township, this county, and married to Ella Kaska. Martin, born in this county June 7, 1884, and now em- ployed in the lumber vards at Danube. Elmer, born in this county May 1, 1886, is in the hardware business in Dannbe and married to Mabel Walner. Walter, born in this county August 7, 1888, is at home. Theodore, born in this county June 9, 1891, is cashier of the State Bank at Portal, North Dakota. Sarah, born in this county April 15, 1893. is married to William Schroeder and resides in Troy township. Laura, born in this county April 24, 1895. is
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at home. Henry. born in this connty lannary 31. 1897. died February 1, 1897. Lillie, born July 13. 1898. died May 4, 1899. Lawrence, born September 13, 1900. is at home.
Henry John Braun, a successful farmer of Troy township. was born on a farm in Muscatine county. Iowa, October 10, 1867. son of Martin and Caroline (Fogelle) Brann. Martin Brann was born in Hesse. Germany, November 9. 1828, and came to America and settled on a farm in Muscatine county, Iowa. where he still resides. He was married in 1864 and to this happy union five children were born. of whom two died in infancy and three are still living: Lewis, who resides at Muscatine. Iowa: and Henry and Angust, who reside on their respective farms in Troy township. Renville county. In 1876 Mrs. Braun died and later in the same year Martin Brann was nited in marriage to Bertha Augusta Hoffman. To this union were born the following: Anthony. now living on his father's farm in Muscatine, Iowa: and Mrs. Jacob Gamber. Davenport, Iowa. Since the death of his wife. January 10, 1894, Martin Brann has made his home chiefly with his son, who operates his father's farm. Henry John Brann. the second oldest son, was educated in a small country school in Muscatine county, Iowa. and then worked on his father's farm until 1895, when he moved to the farm in Renville county. Mr. Braun has always taken active part in public affairs and served as an officer on the town board for two years. held the office of town treasurer four years, and has held an office in the Modern Woodmen's lodge for over fifteen years. Ile was also clerk of School District No. 70 for over twelve years. Ile now resides on his farm of 160 acres in section 31 of Troy township and is a breeder of well-bred Poland China swine, full blooded white Wyandotte chickens and Mammoth Bronze turkeys. Henry J. Braun was united in marriage to Phoebe E. Reimers, of Lake Park, Iowa. May 6, 1896. She was born Decem- ber 31, 1874. the danghter of Peter and Christina (Brest ) Reimers. Peter Reimers was born in West Prussia. Germany, March 1. 1837, and when twenty-one years of age came to America, first locating in New York and later settling in Illinois. While in Illinois he was married, July 3, 1865, to Christina Brest. who was born in the state of Ohio. April 21. 1849. During her childhood her par- ents moved on a farm at Springfield, Illinois, where she lived until her marriage. After their marriage they lived at Davenport. Iowa, for two years. From there they moved to a farm in Tama county. Iowa, and in 1878 moved to Tama City, Jowa. next going to Garwin, Iowa. In 1888 they moved to Lake Park, Jowa. later moving to a farm near that place. where Christina Reimers still lives with her youngest son. Mr. Reimers died November 8, 1910. at the home of his daughter. who resides on a farm near Lake Park, Iowa. Eleven children were born to these parents. eight of whom are living at the present time. Mr. and Mrs. Henry J.
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Braun have two children: May Ethel Braun, born May 4. 1897, and Lauretta Fern. born November 15, 1898. They both have completed the eighth grade course in School Distriet No. 70 of Troy township and are now attending high school at Olivia, Min- nesota.
Reinhard T. Kiecker, a leading farmer of Wellington town- ship, was born in seetion 10, in the township where he still resides. son of Fritz and Caroline (Dettman) Kieeker, early settlers. He remained at home until twenty-three years of age, and then pir- chased 200 aeres in section 10, Wellington township, which he has sinee successfully condneted. He has added to his original pos- sessions until he now owns 550 aeres of fertile land, on which he condnets general farming and stock raising, making a specialty of feeding eattle and swine. His modern home, his roomy barns and his splendid equipment for farm work all combine to make his one of the best places in the township. A believer in education, he has been director of school distriet 54 for five years. Ile is an active supporter of the German Lutheran church at Wellington and serves that congregation as an usher. Mr. Kieeker was mar- ried June 15, 1900, to Martha Bradow, born Jannary 12, 1870, daughter of Albert and Hannah (Wosow) Bradow, natives of Germany. The father eame to America in 1857, and died at Water- town. Wisconsin, at the age of seventy-nine, in 1912. The mother died in July, 1898, at the age of sixty-eight. Mr. and Mrs. Kiecker have seven children : Adeline, born July 15, 1901 ; Theodore, born Deeember 6, 1902; Elmer, born November 28, 1903; Arnold, born December 1. 1905; Raymond, born March 12, 1906: Immamiel, born August 18, 1908; and Cornelius, born September 28, 1910.
Henry Clobes, an influential farmer of Wellington township, was born in Nicollet county, this state, January 19, 1873, son of John and Martha (Mans) Clobes. The father was born in Ger- many, came to America in 1869, worked in the Eagle Roller Mills, New Uhn, for nearly four years as engineer, and in 1872 moved to Nicollet county, where he still resides. He was married in London, and on December 25. 1934, he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Henry Clobes remained at home with his parents until sixteen years of age. Then he was employed for some ten years as a farmer. In 1899 he bought the southwest quarter of section 35, Wellington township, and there he has since resided and prospered. He owns 320 acres of well-improved land, carries on general farming and raises Short- horn cattle. He has made a hobby of red clover, and devotes twenty acres to this crop. raising it both for seed and for hay. He was town clerk eleven years, assessor two years, and director of school district No. 56, twelve years. Aside from his farm in- terests he has served as vice president of the Fairfax Farmers' Elevator Co., a director and one of the board of examiners of
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the Citizens State Bank of Fairfax: and a stockholder in the Farmers' Co-operative Creamery and the Farmers' Co-operative Store, both of Fairfax. The family faith is that of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Clobes was married April 26. 1899. to Bertha Wellner, who was born April 7. 1873, daughter of Henry and Lonisa (Kemper) Wellner. The father was born in Ger- many, came to America in 1858, secured a farm in Lafayette township. Nicollet county, this state, where he died in 1900. at the age of seventy-three. The mother was born February 5. 1833. Mr. and Mrs. Clobes have four children: Armin Il .. born March 14, 1900: Eher, born November 9, 1906. died June 1, 1907; Ilaroll, born August 23. 1908: and Edna, born November 16, 1912.
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