USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 39
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Frank H. Manderfeld, Kingman township, was born May 22, 1871, in Brown county, Minnesota, son of John and Katherine (Thrach) Manderfeld. When twenty-three years old. Frank left home and went to Brown county, where he rented a farm and remained for four years. He then purchased 124 acres in sec- tion 3. Kingman township, where he now owns 408 acres. In 1913 he built a modern eight-room house. He is an enthusiast on the subject of blooded stock and owns nineteen head of reg- istered Shorthorns and 125 registered Duroe Jersey hogs. For three years he was on the township board and for six years has been a director of School District No. 82. Ile is a stockholder in the Farmers' Elevator of Bird Island. He is a member of the Catholic church and the Catholic Order of Foresters. Mr. Man- derfeld was married Feb. 25, 1894, to Caroline Manderfeld, born Jan. 12. 1872, the daughter of Anton and Annie (Holm) Man- derfeld. They have six children: Lydia, Roman, Elsie. Elden, Loretta, Anthony. John Manderfeld, born in Germany, came to America with his parents in 1855 and settled in Brown county. Ilis wife. Katherine (Thrach) Manderfeld, died in 1877 at the age of twenty-six years. Mr. Manderfeld is a retired farmer, aged seventy-two years, and is living at New Ulm. Anton Man- derfeld was born in Germany and came to America in 1855. He
FRANCES SHOEMAKER'S LOG CABIN IN 1869
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F. M. SHOEMAKER'S FARM RESIDENCE
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married Annie Ilohm and made his home in Brown county, where he resided until his death, in 1897, at the age of 52 years. llis wife died in 1896. at the age of 42 years.
Francis Shoemaker, one of the earliest pioneers, one of the first county commissioners, and for many years the leading resi- dent of Flora, was born in Holstein, Germany. Dec. 22, 1817. At the age of fourteen years he set out as a sailor and continued for about fifteen years, touching at many important ports in va- rious parts of the world. For a while he was first mate of the vessel "Northerner." Then he decided to go to the mining camps of California and become a gold digger. After spending six years in California he went to New York by way of Cape Horn, and from there came to Minnesota, where he obtained a preemption elaim two and a half miles east of what was known as Le Suenr Center, walking to the place from Faribault. He knew nothing abont farming and went back to Germany to get some of his relatives to come and help him. He brought back with him twenty-two people, most of whom were relatives. Among the number who came from Germany was his future wife, whom he married at Buffalo, New York. As the Civil war broke out at this time several of them enlisted in the Union army. Mr. Shoe- maker built a log house and cleared 40 aeres. In 1865 he came to Renville county and located a homestead in sections 1 and 2, 80 acres being seeured in each, in Flora township. As the Home- stead Aet was not yet decided upon. he took a preemption claim. afterwards relinquishing it and taking the land as a homestead. He drove over from Le Sneur with a horse team, bringing his wife and six children, John Schlueter, a step son, by his wife's former marriage, Francis, Herman, Celia, Martha and Elsby. In Flora township two more children were born. Henry and Minnie. He had located this land a year before the family came and had built a rude shack into which they moved. and where they lived until the next summer, when he built a log house, one of the first to be built in the county after the Indian massacre. It is still standing. It was 16 by 22 feet, with a board floor and clap- board roof, made of native Imber worn down instead of being planed. Here he lived until 1890, when he moved to North Red- wood, where he died. He owned 400 acres of land at the time of his death and had built a modern frame building on his farm and improved it in many ways. Mr. Shoemaker was greatly in- terested in public affairs and held many public offices. He helped organize the township, school and county, and was one of the first county commissioners of the new county. He was judge of probate one term. Ile held the office of township elerk for about twenty years and served on the school board. He was one of the organizers of the old Grange and was also a member of the I. O. O. F. of Redwood Falls. He was a member of the German
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Evangelical church and helped to organize it. Ile died at North Redwood, Feb. 26, 1901, at the age of seventy-four years, two months and four days. Ifis wife is still living at North Redwood, at the age of eighty-two years.
Francis M. Shoemaker, one of the prominent and progressive men of Flora township, was born in Le Sueur county, Minnesota, Det. 14, 1858, son of Francis and Rebecca (Fitz) Shoemaker. He was about eight years old when his parents moved to Renville county and here he has since remained. Ile learned the trades of carpenter and engineer, but has devoted the greater part of his life to farming, coming from the home place directly to his present farm. When he located on this place it consisted of a traet of 180 acres in sections 2 and 3, Flora township, forty of which were preempted and forty purchased. Ile has greatly im- proved and developed the place and now has a splendid estate of 250 acres on which he has erected a modern home and many suitable and commodious buildings. In addition to this he owns land in Dakota. Mr. Shoemaker carries on general farming on an extensive and successful seale and makes a specialty of rais- ing good Belgian horses and Holstein cattle. Being interested in agricultural progress, he is a stockholler in the Farmers' Ele- vator Company, of Delhi, and the present president and one of the charter members of Flora Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which covers a territory of sixteen townships. He is at present supervisor of Flora township and served for ten years as town- ship assessor and as clerk for seven years. He has also held office of school clerk for twenty years. Mr. Shoemaker is a member of the A. O. U. W. He is a prominent communieant of the Evan- gelical Association church and was on the building committee of the church, built in 1911, which is said to be the finest church of that demonination in a country district in the state.
Mr. Shoemaker was united in marriage April 5, 1888, to Regina Dryer, born in Flora township, April 30, 1867, daughter of Henry and Regina Dryer. Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker have three . children : Francis H., of New London, Wis., a traveling salesman ; Vern W., who is at home; and Crystal, a student at the Redwood Falls high school. The children have all received a good edu- cation. Vern completed the four years' course in the Northwest- ern College at Naperville, Ill., in three years. Crystal has been especially interested in local history and is a fluent writer. When prizes were offered in 1912 for the best essays on various phases of Renville county history, she won the sceond prize of $10. She is the author of the article on Flora township, which appears in this work.
Henry P. Serbus, a successful farmer of Henryville township. was born in Brown county, Minn., Aug. 29, 1873, son of John and Rosa (Bertek) Serbus. Henry Serbus remained on the home
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farm and after his father's death in 1897 took charge of the farm, remaining there until 1899, when he bought 160 acres of land in the northeast quarter, seetion 26, of Henryville township. IIe has developed this farm and has erected a fine monolithie con- crete silo, a good barn, chicken house and hog house. He raises the large type of Yorkshire hogs which are registered, and feeds one car each of eattle and hogs for the market every year. Ile has served as township constable for five years and is a member of the Renville County Swine Breeders' Association and township director of same. He is of the Catholic faith. Mr. Serbus was married Nov. 24, 1896 to Mary Kubesh, born Ang. 15, 1875, daugh- ter of John and Josephine (Moravitz) Kubesh. Mr. Kubesh, a retired farmer of Olivia, came to America in 1855, moved to Le Sueur county, in 1882 came to Henryville township and then moved to Olivia in 1911, where he has lived ever since. Mr. and Mrs. Serbus have the following children : Henry, Jr., born June 11, 1898; Anton, born March 15, 1900; Beatrice, born Nov. 1, 1902; Angela, born Oct. 8, 1905; Peter, born April 1, 1908: Bes- sie, born March 6, 1910; Helen, born Aug. 21, 1912, and also her twin, Hattie ; and Mildred, born Oet. 29, 1914.
Timothy Hurley, the real estate and insurance man of Bird Island, was born March 26, 1879, in Brandon township, Ren- ville county, the son of James and Johanna (Farrell) Hurley. He remained at home until he was of age then entered the grain business. He now deals in land and sells insurance. He is see- retary of the Democratic county committee and a member of the Commercial Club.
James Hurley, born in Ireland, married Johanna Farrell, who was also born in the Emerald Isle. She died in 1909 at the age of 69. Mr. Hurley came to America in 1852, coming to Minne- sota in 1865, when he located at Rochester where he remained five years. He then homesteaded on the northwest quarter of section 18 in Bandon township. From time to time he purchased other land until he owned 1,000 acres. He did a land business and general farming until 1900 when he retired to Bird Island where he now lives.
William Jungers was born in Germany in 1827, and at the age of eighteen came to America with his parents and located in New York. He married in New York and came to Goodhue county, Minn., in 1865. His wife died in 1868 at Red Wing. They began life in this new county in a log cabin on llay ereek and with their oxen carried on farming. The land was covered with timber when he came and there were no roads. He cleared up the place and lived there seventeen years, when he moved to Nicollet county where he spent the rest of his life. He was married three times. By the first wife there were the following children : Adam, Kate, Mary, John, May, Helen and Michael.
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By the second wife there were Teresa and an infant who died. By the third wife, who is still living there were the following : Peter, Christian, Anna, Charles, Joseph, Frank, Benjamin and Elizabeth. He was a member of the Catholic elmurch.
Michael Jungers was born in New York state. April 17, 1864, son of William and Mary (Redding) Jungers. He received his education in Goodhne county and later located in Renville county. For a time he rented a farm and then purchased the present place of 160 acres, there being no improvements. He has since erected modern buildings, and raises good stock and has added 40 aeres to his farm. He has been chairman of the township board for twelve years and secretary of the Farmers' Insurance Company for eighteen years. He is president of the Farmers' Elevator Company at Bird Island and school elerk and is also a member of the Stock Breeders' Association. He is a member of the Catholic church. He was married Oct. 26, 1887, to Catherine Lafontaine, born at Lake Superior, April 30, 1864, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Klass) Lafontaine. The father was a native of Belgium and came to America at the age of fifteen, being a poor boy, and went to Washington county, Wisconsin, where lie worked on the farms and in the mines. He now lives in Man- kato. He was married in Wisconsin shortly before coming to Minnesota, and in 1869 located in Nicollet county on a farm. The children born were Nicholas, John, Anna, Mary, Liza, Marga- ret. Jennie and Catherine. Mr. and Mrs. Jungers have the fol- lowing children : William, born Ang. 1. 1888, who married Tillie Girg and lives on a farm at Sleepy Eye, having one child, Myrlin ; Edward, born Nov. 7, 1891 : Leonard, born Oct. 13, 1904.
Alex. J. Richardson, a leading publie man of Bird Island, was born in Rochester, New York, son of Joseph and Lydia B. (Reed) Richardson, Dec. 23, 1865, was brought to Gleneoe, this state, in 1872, and in 1884 to Bird Island, where two years later he beeame manager of the Richardson & Co. store. Though not a seeker of public office he has been called to serve on the village council of Bird Island for six years and as its mayor for two years. For ten years he was clerk of the Bird Island school board. He is now a director of the Renville County State Bank. at Bird Island. Aside from his prosperous business interests and his holdings in the village he owns several valuable farms scat- tered throughout the county, and is in every way regarded as a successful man. Mr. Richardson was married Inne 16, 1896, to Jessie E. Burlingame who was born June 16, 1879. Her father, Anson Burlingame, died in Martin county this state at the age of sixty-six. Her mother, Maria A. Hill, after his death mar- ried G. S. Livermore, upon whose decease she took up her home with Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, with whom she now lives. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson have one daughter, Lucile, born Oct. 14,
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1907. Joseph Richardson, successful business man and organizer, was born in Maine, June 4, 1822, and there lived until the age of twenty, when he went to Boston, Mass., and engaged in the produce business a few years. Then he went to Rochester, New York. There he organized and for ten years served as president of the Vacuum Oil Co., now merged in the Standard Oil Co. In 1872 he came to Glencoe, Minn., and engaged in the general merchandise and grain business in the firm of A. Il. Reed & Co. In 1884 he organized the firm of J. Richardson & Co., with head- quarters at Bird Island, though he himself continued to reside in Glencoe until his death, June 3, 1905. ITis wife, Lydia B. Reed, was born Nov. 11, 1828, and died in January, 1897. The firm has continued to grow and prosper. When it was organized Joseph Richardson was president; W. J. Richardson, M. D., of Fairmont, Minn., vice president ; and C. M. Tifft, of Glencoe, Minn., secretary. The presideney is now vacant and Alex. J. Richardson is the treasurer. Originally the firm owned a grain elevator, a store, and two ereameries, but now confines its activi- ties to the store at Bird Island, where they have a large busi- ness which is constantly increasing in importance.
James O'Neill was born in Ireland in 1831. Here he grew up to manhood and married Catherine Flanagan. This marriage re- sulted in ten children: John, James, Charles, Stephen, William, Patrick, Ellen, Margaret, Catherine and May. He and his fam- ily came to Quebec where he remained a few years and then moved to Rochester, and later to Northfield in 1859, where he engaged in farming. The oldest sons, John and James, served in the Civil war returning home in 1865. The family moved to Henryville, Renville county, Min., where the father and sons took a homestead and farmed until the winter of the "Big Bliz- zard." Jan. 7, 1873, a journey was made to Willmar with loads of wheat by John, Charles and Stephen O'Neill in company with Thomas and Michael Holden. A terrible snow storm came up and the men lost their way and of the five, Michael Holden was the only survivor. William and Patrick remained on the farm until a few years ago when both retired and moved to Olivia. James went west and engaged in the mining business until his death in 1905.
Patrick O'Neill was born in Quebec, Canada, Jan. 29, 1850, son of James and Catherine (Flanagan) O'Neill. He attended the common school of his neighborhood and grew up on the farm. Ile was married to Catherine Noonan, Sept. 5, 1871, born in Albany, New York, May 14, 1850. She came with her parents William and Bridget Noonan to Stillwater, Minn., where she was married. Eight children were born to this marriage: Mary E., James P., Agnes, John B., William J., Stephen F., Charles E., Arthur T., all residents of Renville county. Mary E., the oldest
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was born June 22, 1872, in Henryville township on the old home- stead and remained with her parents until her marriage, Sept. 8, 1897, to Thomas J. Kelly. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly still live on the old homestead.
Thomas J. Kelly, a well-known farmer of Henryville township, was born April 16, 1861, in MeHenry county, Illinois, son of Thomas G. and Ann (Corcoran) Kelly, both native of Roscom- mon, Ireland, and married in Baltimore, Maryland. Thomas G. Kelly had come to America with his two brothers when a young man in 1842. The father had died in Ireland when the children were young and after four years the mother came to America, accompanied by her daughter Catherine. She was seventy years of age when she died. Thomas G. was a blacksmith and followed that trade till thirty-three years ago when he took up farming in MeHenry county, Illinois, where he had a tract of 240 acres of land. This was in 1860. Ile spent eight years on this farm in Illinois and then moved to Minnesota, to Renville county, and located on section 1. Henryville township. Half of the section was wild prairie land. The son, Thomas J., came first and located the land before the rest of the family came. A frame building was erected and they had only one team at first, but in time good buildings were built on the farm. Here the parents lived until their death, the father dying in 1897 at the age of sixty-six and the mother in 1901 at the age of seventy-six. They were faithful members of the Catholic church and the father helped build the Catholic church at Olivia. There were ten children in the family : Mary, Katie, Sarah, Thomas J., Ellen (deceased), Rebecca, Eliz- abeth (deceased), William, Edward and Julia (deceased). Thomas J. Kelly has held several school offices and was one of the found- ers of the handsome school house in Distriet 137. He has been the director of the Farmers' Elevator of Olivia for the past four years. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and of the Knights of Columbus. He is also a member of the Catholic church. The subject of this sketch lived with his father until his marriage in 1897 to Mary O'Nell, born in Henryville township. There are seven children all living at home, Leo, Hazel, John, Gladys, Gordon, Charles and Francis.
Ole H. Docken, a successful farmer of Erieson township, was born in Norway, April 23, 1850, son of Ilans and Emjor (Docken) . The parents were farmers in Norway and died there, both being nearly ninety years of age. The father was born in 1813 and the mother in 1807. They had six children, Hans, Ingebret, Anna. Carrie, Ole 1I., and Emma. Four of these eame to the United States, Ingebret coming first in 1866 and Ole H. in 1867. Anna and Emma eame later. Ole II. Doeken was a lad of seventeen when he left his home in Norway and eame to America, eoming
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to Quebee in a sailing vessel, the voyage taking nine weeks. From Quebec he journeyed on to Rushford, in Fillmore county, where his brother Ingebret had arrived the year before, this trip taking one week. Ile went by way of the Great Lakes, across Wisconsin to La Crosse and overland to Rushford. At Rushford he began work on a farm in Pilot Mound township, re- eeiving $30 per month during the harvest season. He also oper- ated a threshing machine that first fall. That winter he attended school in the log school house at Pilot Mound, making his home with John Hall, working for him all the next spring and sum- mer. The following winter he worked near Preston and the next year he and his brother, who had now come to the United States, rented the John Hall farm. The next summer was spent in work on Ole Wilson's farm near Preston. During the next six or seven years he worked for Andrew Hamilton of Winona. He then returned to Pilot Mound township where he remained about a year. After his marriage he and his wife, in the spring of 1879, moved to Renville county, making the trip with a team of horses and a covered wagon. His brother had already located on llawk Creek. Mr. and Mrs. Doeken located on section 8. Erieson township. There were no buildings and all was prairie as far as the eye could see. Ile built a rude hut, putting posts into the ground, nailing boards on the sides of then and covering the room with sod, also laying sod along the sides of the hut. The floor was of boards. When he settled here he had two eows and 80 acres of land. Since that time he has increased his farm to 250 aeres and after five years in the sod hut built a good mod- ern house which was burned in 1904. Another modern house has been erected since and also a fine barn. Mr. Doeken has been chairman of supervisors and treasurer of Ericson township for many years. He has also served on the school board several years, and is a member of the Sacred Heart Lutheran church. He is a stockholder of the Sacred Heart Farmers' Elevator Company.
November 29, 1878, Mr. Doeken was united in marriage to Martha Hanson of Pilot Mound. born in Fillmore county, Sept. 7, 1861, daughter of Hans and Bertha Hanson. Her parents were both born in Norway and came to America, first locating in Wisconsin, then in Pilot Mound township, Fillmore county. They had seven children : Ilans, Anna, Erick, Martha, Rena and Mary (twins), and Hannah. They seeured a homestead and built a log cabin, their nearest market being Winona, which they reached by ox team. Here they lived the rest of their lives, the father dying in 1905 at the age of seventy-four and the mother died twenty-three years ago at the age of sixty-two. They were members of the Lutheran church. During those days school houses were very few, and school was held for a time in their
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log cabin. Mr. and Mrs. Docken have had fourteen children : Henry, born April 11, 1879; Bent, born Aug. 19, 1880; Emma, born July 24, 1882; Hogen, born Jan. 28, 1885; Lena, born Dee. 4, 1886; Clara, born Jan. 27, 1889; Matilda Ovidia, born Dec. 7, 1890; Othia, born March 27, 1893, and died in April, 1893; Oscar, born Sept. 24, 1894; Alwin, born Oet. 17, 1896; John Gilbert, born Jan. 16, 1900; Thomas Wilhelm, born June 7, 1901; Alida Theoline, born Aug. 10, 1902; Loie Catherine, born Aug. 21, 1905.
William A. Schneider, who lives on the rural delivery route No. 1, Renville, where he owns 480 acres, 320 in seetion 25, and 160 in section 36, was born January 11, 1871, in Germany, the son of August and Christina (Leis) Schneider. Ile obtained his edu- cation in Kankakee county, Ill., remaining with his parents until their death. Hle devoted his time to assisting his father on the farm which he still owns. He also owns three farms of 80 acres each in Sacred Heart township. He votes the Republican ticket and is now serving his second term on the school board. Ile is also a township supervisor and is serving his second term in that capacity. All of the improvements on the home farm were made by himself and his father, it having been unimproved at the time of its purchase. Ile is a member of the German Presbyterian church, a stoekholder and director of the Farmers' Elevator at Renville.
Mr. Schneider wedded Johannah Karthuis in 1893. She was born in Holland, March 18, 1874, daughter of Klaus and Johannah (Derviek) Karthuis. She came to America with her parents in 1884. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Schneider: Chris- tina, born Dec. 4, 1893, the wife of A. Dannen, now living on a part of his father's home farm; Herman, born Sept. 5, 1895, who departed his life July 20, 1906; Willie A., born March 29, 1897; Annie, born Dee. 8, 1898; Clarence, born Nov. 8, 1900; Arthur born June 28, 1902; Frank, born Dec. 6, 1904; Herbert H., born March 7, 1908; Theodore U., born April 29, 1912; Eveline Mary, born April 4, 1914.
Angust Schneider, born Feb. 13, 1830, died June 25, 1911, in Erickson township. He married Christina (Leis), born Mareh 29, 1838, in Germany. She died March 3, 1907, in Erickson town- ship. Mr. and Mrs. Schneider came to America in 1882 and set- tled in Kankakee county, III., where they lived on a rented farm eight years. They then removed to Renville county, where Mr. Schneider bought 160 acres in Erickson township, this being the farm William is now living on. They had four children: Chris- tian, Gustav and Henry, who are dead, in addition to William. Klaus Karthuis, born in Holland Sept. 14, 1839, married Johannah Derviek, born Sept. 24, 1836, in Holland. They came to Ameriea in 1884, and settled in Butler eounty, Iowa, living on a rented farm for seven years. Moving to Crooks township, Mr. Karthuis
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bought a farm which his son John now manages, his home now being with Mr. and Mrs. Schneider. His wife died in April, 1907. They had eight children: Hannah, Ellie and Dean, who are dead; Maggie, now Mrs. L. Mulder, of this county; Harm, of Lisbon, North Dakota; John, on his father's farm; Joseph, of Pipestone, Minn.
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