The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 38

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Renville County Pioneer Association
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago : H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.
Number of Pages: 986

USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 38

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Mr. Larkin has held the office of township assessor and has served on the school board for three years. He is a member of the Catholic church and for the past three years has served as trustee of that ehureh. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

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Peter Binger, a thrifty and industrious farmer of Flora town- ship, was born in Germany, Nov. 6, 1840, son of Valentine and Dorethea (Laubel) Binger. There were three children in the family : Adam, Andrew and Peter. Andrew and Peter left Ger- many in 1866 and reached New York after a nine days' voyage. They remained in New York until 1868, when they went to Min- nesota. Peter had learned the trade of a cabinetmaker in Ger- many and had followed that trade in New York. He located a homestead of 80 acres in section 20, Flora township, in 1868, where his home now stands. The land had been broken and there had been an old shanty on it, but it was burned at the time of the Indian uprising in 1862. He made a rude barn by driving stakes into the ground and covering the roof with straw. He had one ox team and at first borrowed a government wagon at St. Peter, but finally made one with wooden wheels. Beaver Falls was the nearest market and the grain was taken there to be ground. Ile now has three 80-acre traets and has erected new buildings and raises good stock. He is a member of the school board and of the German Lutheran church. Ile helped build the church and was one of its trustees for several years.

Mr. Binger was married to Sophia Masemann in New York, and they have had ten children, eight of whom are living : Louis (deceased) ; Edward (deceased) ; William, a farmer of Emmet township; August, a farmer of Flora township; Dora, now Mhrs. Gustave Mack, of Flora township; Bernhard, a farmer of Flora township: Henry, of Spokane, Wash .: Pauline, now Mrs. Thos. Zapf. of Spokane, Wash .; Herman, at home, farming with his father; and Marie, at home.

Charles F. Schafer was born in Indiana, Jan. 9, 1862, son of Henry Schafer, a pioneer of Renville county. He was five years old when his parents came to Rice county and eight years old when they moved to Renville county. Here he grew to manhood, attending the district school in the log house, and at the age of nineteen began working on the farms of the neighbor. Then he went to Rice county, where he remained for about one year, and then he came back to Renville county, where he worked out on the farms for about nine months. Then he bought his present place. a tract of 80 acres in section 23, in Flora township. He improved his land, built a granary with a hay roof, and also a barn. We lived in the barn for about two months before his house was completed. He has now increased his farm to 120 aeres and also owns another farm of 120 acres in section 25. and 40 acres in section 13. He raises a good grade of stock and has some fruit. Mr. Schafer was married March 22, 1889, to Minnie Ukert, born in Germany, July 16, 1860, and brought to America by her foster parents in 1862. They were four weeks on the ocean and came to Wisconsin, where they remained until 1883,

PETER BINGER AND FAMILY

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THE NEW YOU PUBLIC LIDI AT

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JOIN SCHLUETER AND FAMILY

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when they came to Minnesota and located in Flora township, seetion 22, where they secured 80 acres. Here the father died at the age of sixty-six in 1902, and his wife in 1913, at the age of seventy-six. Mr. and Mrs. Schafer have four children : Laura, born Nov. 22, 1889, graduated from the Renville high school, and is now a teacher; Walter was born Sept. 7, 1892; Earl was born Oct. 7, 1897, and Florence was born Feb. 8, 1904.

L. L. Palmer, hotel man and cattle dealer, was born in Switzer- land, May 5, 1859, son of Jacob P. Palmer, who died Oct. 19, 1897. Ilis mother, Anna Palmer, died Feb. 23, 1906, at the age of eighty-six years. He came to this country in 1865 and located six miles from New Uhn. He started his career as a cattle buyer at the age of sixteen, and in the forty years that have since passed has engaged more or less in that line. His first experi- enee was in the employ of Peter Orth, of Redwood Falls, Min., for whom he worked two years. Then he worked in a similar capacity for five years for M. Epple, of New Ulm. Next he oper- ated a roller skating rink at Lake Benton for a year. Then, for several years, he engaged in cattle dealing at New Ulm in part- nership with his brother, Jacob. In 1889 he came to Fairfax and started a hotel career which lasted over twenty years. He found his quarters too small and later purchased the Windsor Hotel, which he operated for many years. The hotel is a home- like place, has eighteen rooms, steam heat, electric lights, bath and other conveniences and is well patronized. Mrs. Palmer owns 320 aeres of land near Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Mr. Palmer was married Oet. 21, 1886, to Minnie Vogelpohl, who was born Sept. 25, 1862, daughter of Herman and Louisa (Sehroer) Vogelpohl, farmers of Brown county. The father died in 1901 at the age of seventy-two. The mother is now liv- ing at New Ulm. It is interesting to note that Mrs. Palmer has taught sewing school for thirty years, and in that time had 648 pupils in New Ulm and Fairfax. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer have had four children : Lunita, now Mrs. David Rondahl, born Nov. 20, 1889; Viola, a teacher at Searles, Minn., born Aug. 2, 1891 ; Ro- man, born Sept. 20, 1901, a student at the Dr. Martin Luther College, at New Uhn; and Arthur, a twin of Lumita, who died at the age of four days.

David Rondahl, proprietor of the Topic Theater. Fairfax. was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He came to this country in 1909. In 1912 he reached Fairfax, worked a time in a mereantile estab- lishment, and later opened the Topie Theater. He has worked hard, has built up a splendid business and conduets a creditable place. Mr. Rondabl was married Feb. 2. 1915, to Lunita Palner. daughter of L. L. and Minnie (Vogelpohl) Pahner.

John Schlueter, an estimable farmer of Flora township, was born in Herzhorn, Ilolstein, Germany, Feb. 20, 1855, son of Clans

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and Rebecca (Fitz) Schlueter. The father died in Germany, and the mother came to America, bringing her son, John, in 1857. She was married at Buffalo, N. Y., at once upon her arrival to Franeis Schumacher, later known as Francis Shoemaker. John Schlueter spent his early boyhood in Le Sueur county, this state, and came to Renville county with his family in 1866. As a young man he worked as a farm hand. In 1882 he went to North Da- kota and took a claim of 160 acres in Sargeant county, where he proved up and remained for two summers. In 1878 he lo- eated in Henryville township, this county, and bought 160 aeres of wild state land in section 6. He put up a shanty, broke the sod with the aid of an ox team, and gradually erected substantial buildings and brought the farm to a high stage of eultivation. In 1902 he sold out and bought a farm of 395 acres in Flora township, a part of which was the old homestead. He has re- modeled the house, erected a barn and a machine shed, and made many other improvements. He now carries on general farming and stoek-raising. While in Henryville township, Mr. Schlueter served on the town board. He is now a stockholder in the Farm- ers' Elevator at North Redwood, and in the Redwood Falls Rural Telephone Co. The family faith is that of the Evangelical As- sociation.

John Schlueter was married May 7, 1885, to Christina Anton- sen, born in Le Sueur county, this state, Dec. 26, 1862, daughter of John and Louisa (Kahle) Antonsen, natives respectively of Denmark and Germany, who came to this country, were married in Missouri, and settled in Le Sueur county, where they engaged in farming. In the Antonsen family there were nine children : Caroline (deceased) ; Mary, of Le Sneur county; Minnie, of Anoka county : John (deceased) ; Louisa (deceased) ; Rachael, of Colorado; Peter, of Sibley county : Fred, of Buffalo Lake, this county ; and Christine, of Flora township, this county.

Mr. and Mrs. Schlueter have eight children: Floyd F. is at home. He was born Aug. 9, 1887. Rebecca L. was born June 4, 1889. She married Gustave Oelke, a farmer of Cooperstown, North Dakota. Fred, born May 14, 1893, and Esther, born March 12, 1898, arc at home. Herman was born May 1, 1896, and died Sept. 26, 1896. John Il. was born March 31, 1886 and died Sept. 15, 1886. Henry J. was born Jan. 31, 1891, and died April 15, 1891. Laura was born Nov. 9, 1894, and died Ang. 3. 1895. Ar- thur. twin of Esther, born March 12, 1898, died April 26, 1898.

Elias H. Anderson, a progressive farmer of Wang township, was born Ang. 13, 1838, in Norway, son of Andres Evenson. He received his early education and training in Norway. At the age of twenty he became a teacher, and after four years of this work he took a two-year course at a seminary, after which he re- sumed his work as teacher at the place where he had been be-

E. H. ANDERSON

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

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fore. After four years he moved to another district and here, in addition to his work, he was also the choir leader of the church for several years. He was always a very strong politician and held a position similar to that of judge of probate in America. On two occasions he was a candidate for the Storthing or Par- liament, but was defeated by a very close margin. and at one time this caused a rejection of the election, and as it was too late for a new election no representative was sent from that dis- triet that year.

Being a progressive man and not finding conditions as con- genial as he wished, he decided to locate in America. where he had been before and where the opportunities for his progress were more numerous. He came to America in 1889 with his two boys, his wife having died. His oldest son was sent to college and his youngest remained with his father. In 1890 he bought 40 acres of land in section 35, in Wang township, for $600. There were no buildings on this place. Adjoining his forty acres of land there lived a young widow who had $0 acres of land. An agreement was made between the two to work the 120 acres to- gether, the result of this agreement being that she became his wife.

Mr. Anderson has been president of the IIawk Creek Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, of Sacred Heart, which includes six townships. He has been the secretary of the Farmers' Elevator Company. of Sacred Heart. and treasurer for the school district for the past fifteen years. While connected with the elevator company, he also had charge of the ordering of the supphes needed by the farmers. He is a member of the Norwegian Lu- theran church and has been the deacon ever since he came to this township. He is also a member of the school committee of that church and of the revision committee.

His first wife was born May 7. 1844. and died Sept. 28. 1957. She was one of the pupils attending his first school. She left the district and engaged in the study of dressmaking and housekeep- ing and, after perfecting herself in those branches. she went to Bergen, where she entered the state school for nurses. llere she completed the course for nurses and returned to her home a professional nurse and expected to work as such. However. when she returned she found her former teacher still there. and after a short time they were married. To this union were born several children. only two of whom grew to manhood. They are Ingvald Legnus and Berner Legnns. Ingvald is cashier in the bank in Bricelyn. Faribault county, Minnesota. and Berner is cashier in Russell, Lyon county, Minnesota.

His second wife was Mrs. Olans Rude. formerly Margont Arons. She was born in Norway and had one child by her first marriage. By Mr. Anderson's second marriage there are five children : Olaf. born May 21. 1891 : Anna Pauline, born June 18, 1893: Ed-

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win Ilelberg, born April 22, 1895; Emma Margret, born Dec. 3, 1897 ; and Alma Bolette, born July 24, 1900.

Hans Berg, a well-known farmer of Wang township, was born March 11, 1837, in Norway. He left Norway in 1867 and came to America in a sailing vessel, landing at Quebee, and from there went on to Rochester, Olmsted county, where he had friends. He began working on farms, and after about two or three years he also worked on the railroad for a time, but finally came to Ren- ville county, making the journey with an ox team. Here he se- cured a homestead, locating across the road from where he is now living. in section 4, Hawk Creek township. On this tract of 80 acres he built a Jog house, 14 by 16 feet. Meetings were often held in this log house. He also built a barn of sod and logs. Hle had two steers, and when one of them died it was a long time before he could get another. Times were not very prosperous and two years passed by before he felt that he could afford to have a cow. After four or five years the log house was replaced by a small frame building, 12 by 14 feet, which is now a part of the present house, additions having been made. He also bought 80 acres more across the road in Wang township, section 34.

Mr. Berg earries on general farming and raises good stock. Fle is a stockholder in the Farmers' Elevator Company at Sacred Heart. He has served on the school board and is a member of the Norwegian Hawk Creek Lutheran church, which he helped build.

In 1875 Mr. Berg was married to Marit Stavne, born Jan. 28, 1836, in Norway, the daughter of Ole and Marit (Bankal) Stavne, who both died in that country. She came to America with her brother and sister in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Berg have had two children. George O., born Feb. 13. 1875, is now professor in Greek at St. Olof's Coffege, Northfield, Minnesota ; Annie, born Sept. 15, 1876, has been a teacher, but is now at home.

Christian A. Evenson, a venerable and respected farmer of Wang township, was born in Norway, Sept. 29, 1843, son of An- ders and Pauleta (Elarson) Anderson. The family name in Norway was Anderson, but on coming to the United States he took the name of his grandfather, who was named Even, thus making Evenson. His parents died in Norway. They had five children : Hogan, Elias N., Christian, Thomas and Lena. Chris- tian A. was the first to come to America, in 1867: Elias, in 1882, and Lena in 1887. The other two children died in Norway. In the spring of 1867, Christian Evenson left Norway in a sailing vessel, landing at Quebec after a twelve week voyage. From there he went to Lansing, Michigan, not being able to go further on account of lack of funds. While on the boat, running between Quebec and Michigan, a fire broke out, which greatly frightened the passengers. At the time, the cause of the fire could not be

C. A. EVENSON AND FAMILY

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ascertained, but a long time afterward it was discovered that it was caused by whiskey. At Lansing, Mr. Evenson decided to find work on a farm and started out into the country. On the road he met a farmer who needed help. As Mr. Evenson could not speak English and as the farmer was German, they had rather a hard time understanding each other, but finally came to an agreement and Mr. Evenson worked there for three months. The next spring he went back to Lansing because he wished to be near the water. In Mareh he worked about two weeks on one of the steamers. Then he took charge of a raft of logs and for some time made several trips even as far as St. Louis. This was during the springs, and during the summers he worked in the harvest fields. He planned to go to Texas, but one day met a fellow countryman who advised him to go to Indiana, which he did. On his arrival he was hired by an Irishman to work in the harvest fields. The next year he worked in the harvest fields in Illinois, and the next in Iowa. Then he took passage up the Mis- sissippi river as far as Winona and from there went by rail as far as Rochester, where he worked in the harvest fields. He returned to Iowa and remained there for five years, and then he eame to Minnesota again and located on a homestead in section 34, in Wang township, of 80 acres. There was a little log house on the place. He paid $500 for the land and also paid the ex- pense of having the claim filed at the land office, as this had not been properly filed before. He was not able to have a pair of steers for about a year, and then he began breaking up the land. He has now increased his farm to 220 acres and has built a fine modern house and barn. He raises a good breed of stock.

Mr. Evenson has been one of the supervisors of Wang town- ship for three years and has been chairman of supervisors for two years. He has also been township assessor for two years. and has served on the school board for nineteen years. He is a member of the Farmers' Elevator Company and has been one of its officers for many years. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers' Telephone Company. and has been publie anetioneer for twenty-five years. Mr. Evenson is a member of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church and was one of the organizers of this church and helped build it. He has been a deaeon for the past twenty-five years and is now the choir leader, a position in which he has served for forty-three years past. During his first year in Minnesota he was married to Pernilla Thoreson, who was born in Norway. Eleven children have been born to these parents. Those living are: Thomas. Carl. Otto, Sigvert, Amel, Harold, Anna, Marie and Clarissa.

Ferdinand H. Breitkreutz, a prosperous farmer of Flora town- ship, was born Nov. 22, 1865, in Germany, son of Ferdinand and Anna (Straneh) Breitkreutz, who came to the United States by

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a sailing vessel with their two children, Ferdinand and Matilda, in 1867, being sixteen weeks on the ocean. They landed at New York and went to Wisconsin, where they stopped a few weeks and then moved to Le Sueur county, Minnesota, where they set- tled on a farm of 40 acres. In 1870 the family eame to Renville county, coming in a covered wagon drawn by oxen. The father had been to Renville eounty the year before and had located a homestead of 80 acres and a preemption elaim of 80 aeres in see- tion 28, Flora township. They lived in the wagon until the cabin was built, 14 by 20 feet, made of logs, and began breaking up the land with the oxen. The early meetings of the German Lutheran church were held in this cabin, and Mr. Breitkreutz was an active worker in the church and Sunday school. When in Le Sueur eounty, he had taught in the German parochial school during the winter. He helped organize, and was a trustee of the Middle Creek Lutheran church of Flora township. He improved his farm and built a good substantial frame house, the frame house and log cabin still standing across the road from the fine modern house erected by his son on the farm. He prospered and added to this farm until he had 600 acres of land and kept a good grade of stock, having brought his hogs, cows and sheep with him from Le Sueur county. In those early days his wife spun the wool into yarn and wove cloth. He died in 1891 at the age of fifty-four years, and his wife is still living at the age of seventy-five years. They had six children : Matilda, Ferdinand, Emma, Hulda, Paul and Anna. Ferdinand H. Breitkreutz grew to manhood on his father's farm. He took charge of 240 acres of the home farm and has gradually enlarged it. until now he has 870 acres. Ile has built a modern house and barn and raises ex- cellent stock. Mr. Breitkreutz has been supervisor of the town- ship for the past twenty years and has also held the office of treasurer. He is a member of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Breitkreutz was married in 1905 to Augusta Schmidt, daughter of Christian Frederick and Johanna Wilhelmina (Ileimke) Schmidt, pioneers of Renville county, who left Germany in 1862, first coming to Wisconsin, then. in 1868, located in Flora town- ship, Renville county. They came to the county by team and brought three children with them. Mr. Schmidt secured a home- stead of 80 acres in section 24, where he built a log cabin and improved the place. at his death having 480 acres of land. He was born Nov. 17. 1836, and died March 11, 1908, at the age of seventy-one, and his wife was born Nov. 15, 1839, and died May 25, 1911, at the age of seventy-one years. Their children were: Herman, Richard, Ida, Reinhold. Martha, Anne. Bertha. Arnold, Frederick (deceased). and Augusta. Mr. and Mrs. Breitkreutz have five children: Herman, Alfred, Rhenhart, Herbert and Gerhart.

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Adolph Kaiser, a progressive farmer of Winfield township, was born July 12. 1863, in Clinton county, Iowa, son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Green) Kaiser. His parents were natives of Ger- many. coming from Prussia, in 1866. They moved to Clinton county, Iowa, with their two children, Gus and Emma, and lo- cated on a l'arm of SO aeres in that county. The father was a tailor by trade and knew very little about farming. The farm he secured was an okl one and there was only an old shanty on the place. The family lived here for eight years and then moved to Johnson county, Iowa, where they bought 120 aeres of prairie land in Lincoln township. Ilere they built a frame house and began to break the land, using an ox team, living here till the father's death, in 1886, at the age of sixty-four. His wife died at the age of fifty-seven. They were both members of the Pres- byterian church. There were six children: Emma, Gus, Her- mina, Minnie. Adolph and Agnes.

Adolph Kaiser was educated in the country schools of John- son county. After a time he began farming and continued in this work in Johnson county for three years, then he moved to Minnesota, locating in Renville county. in Bird Island township. He bought a prairie farm of 120 acres in section 29 in 1888, which was entirely wild land and had no buildings. Here he built a house and, in a short time, bought 80 acres more and still later 91 acres more, living on this farm until 1899, when he sold out and came to Winfield township, buying 160 acres of land. There were no buildings nor improvements made upon this land, so Mr. Kaiser put up buildings and made fine improvements. He keeps a fine grade of stock, raising Shorthorn eattle, and does general farming. While in Bird Island township, Mr. Kaiser served for three years as a member of the school board, and as member of the township board. Ile is a stockholder in the Farm- ers' Elevator at Danube and helped organize it. being at one time one of the directors. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers' Co-operative Telephone Co. Since his coming to Winfield town- ship he has held several township offices. He is also a member of the Presbyterian church. Feb. 8, ISSS, Mr. Kaiser was united in marriage to Sadie Kile, born in Muscatine county, Iowa, April 10, 1864. She was the daughter of Jerry and Elizabeth (Lee) Kile. Her father was born Oct. 30, 1817, in Pennsylvania, his father being one of the early German settlers of that state. He died Nov. 28, 1888. Her mother was born in Ohio, Dec. 20, 1834. the Lee family being one of the early families of Ohio. After five years of married life, Mr. and Mrs. Kile left their home in Ohio and moved to Iowa, taking up a prairie farm in Muscatine county. Here they built a frame house and spent their remain- ing days. They had eight children: Madison, Mary, George, Sadie, Lydia, Minnie, Callie and Louis.

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Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser have had four children: Fred ; Blanche, now Mrs. Frank Kuether, of Danube: George, and Mabel, who died Oct. 9, 1903.

Ernest J. Miller, son of Henry and Augusta (Prehl) Miller, was born in Steele county, Minnesota, Feb. 11, 1874. Henry Mil- ler was born in Germany and came to America in 1845. He came to Renville county in 1897 and engaged in farming, locating in Norfolk township, where he remained until his death, in 1908, at the age of eighty-four years. His wife is still living at the age of seventy-five years. Ernest JJ. Miller began renting a farm in Norfolk in 1898. In 1905 he bought 80 acres in section 18, the western hall of the northeast quarter, Norfolk township, where he still lives. He has built a fine eight-room house and a barn, 24 by 40 by 14, both buildings being erected in 1912. He raises Holstein cattle and does dairying. Mr. Miller is a stockholder in the Farmers' Elevator Company at Olivia and also of the Luce Electrie Line. He served as postmaster for one year and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and Modern Wood- men of America at Olivia. Mr. Miller was married Feb. 2, 1898, to Selma Fogelquist, born March 3, 1880, daughter of John Fogel- quist, a farmer of Saskatchewan, Canada, aged seventy years. well known as one of the pioneers of Waseca county, Minne- sota. They have four children: Le Roy, born July 29, 1899: Homer, born April 28, 1906; Ivan, born April 28, 1911 ; and Dale, born March 28, 1914.

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The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 38

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Renville County Pioneer Association Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Chicago : H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Co. Number of Pages: 986

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Renville County Pioneer Association
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago : H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.
Number of Pages: 986