Stearns County, Minnesota - Biographical sketches, 1915 (part 6 of 12)

Alfred Talbot Watson, of the Central Minnesota Power and Milling Co., was born in England, April 25, 1859, son of Richard and Louisa (Talbot) Watson, the former of whom traced his ancestry back to 1580, and the latter of whom was of traditional Norman blood. Alfred T. came to America in 1881, and from Owatonna, Minn., went to Waseca, a few miles away. Then he located in Paynesville, in Stearns county. He became a prominent man and was elected the first recorder of New Paynesville. He assisted in organizing the Protestant Episcopal Church, he and his wife being two of the original five members. In 1899 he came to Sauk Centre. He has been identified with the Northwestern Radiator Co., and with the Keller Manufacturing Co. His present position dates back some three or four years. Mr. Watson is a member of the Odd Fellows, the M. B. A. and the A. 0. U. W. He is senior warden of the Sauk Centre Protestant Episcopal Church. Mr. Watson was married August 8, 1883, to Mary Lee, a native of New Jersey, a daughter of the Englishman, James Lee, who brought his family to Owatonna in 1863. Mr. and Mrs. Watson have two children. Mary C. graduated from the Illinois Women's College at Jacksonville, 111., in 1914, receiving the degree of B. S. in domestic science. Marguerita L. is a student at the same school.

Mathias Wanish, a retired farmer of Sauk Centre, was born in Bohemia, February 24, 1840, second son of Frank and Mary Wanish, who in 1854, settled in Manitowoc, Wis., with four children, Frank, Mathias, Anna and Rachael. In 1862, Mathias enlisted in Company F, Twenty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served three years, following the fortunes of that regiment throughout the Civil War. After the war he returned to the home of his parents. In 1868, he came to Sauk Centre, and secured a farm on the southern line of the township. At first he built a log cabin, and cultivated a small piece of land. Prosperity came with the years, and in time he became the owner of 400 acres of valuable land. About twenty-five years ago he and his wife retired and moved to the village of Sauk Centre, where they now make their home. Mr. Wanish is a member of Palmer Post, No. 40, G. A. R., of Sauk Centre. Mr. Wanish was married June 28, 1867, to Mary Yench, born in Bohemia, February 20, 1850. To them have been born nine children: Libbie, Mary, Rose, Joseph, Anna, Mary, Mathias, Emma and Hattie. Libbie is dead. She was born April 28, 1868, married Joseph Ringsmith, and left five children : Mabel, Leo, Pearl, Pauline and Mathias. Mary died in infancy. Rose was born April 1, 1873, married Herman Donart, and is the mother of four children: Carl, Paul, Helene and Anna Virginia. Joseph was born February 22, 1875, and is now farming at Great Falls, Montana. He married Mary Appel and they have three children : Harry, Lillian and Olive. Anna was born April 16, 1877. She married Harry Leisen, and they live in Chicago. Mary was born July 3, 1880. She married Samuel Kendrick, and they live in San Diego, California. Mathias was born June 1, 1882, and lives in Seattle, Wash. Emma was born August 15, 1884, and married James Mathies. They live in Sauk Centre and have four children : James, Elvira, Leonard and Pearl. Hattie died in infancy.

Josiah Wood, a retired farmer of Sauk Centre, and a veteran of the Civil War, was born in Ephrata, Montgomery county. New York, September 2, 1828, son of Gardner and Fannie (Cook) Wood, who moved in 1840 to Dodge county. Wis., where they spent the remainder of their days. Josiah was brought to Wisconsin by his parents, but at the age of fifteen started out to see the world, going first to Illinois, and then back to New York. Later he again came to Wisconsin. He spent his early life as a teacher. In 1861 he located with his wife's people in Blue Earth county, Minn., and on December 24, 1863, he enlisted in Company E, Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He followed the career of that regiment, and was mustered out, November 22, 1865. In March, 1866, he brought his family to Sauk Centre. For a time, they lived in a stockade which had been erected for the protection of the settlers against the Indians. He acquired a farm of 160 acres, one mile and a half west of Sauk Centre, and combined farming with school teaching. By hauling lumber from Sauk Centre with an ox-team, he was enabled to build a large frame house which was one of the show places of the early days. His hard work won success and in time he added eighty more acres to his place. In the late eighties he retired and moved to Sauk Centre village, where he has since resided. Mr. and Mrs. Wood are members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Mr. Wood was married in 1861, to Naomi S. Cooper, who was born in Cataraugus county, New York, July 21, 1842, a daughter of Ezra and Theresa (Armes) Cooper, who came to Wisconsin in 1829, and to Blue Earth county, Minn., in 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Wood had three children : C. A., Amy T. and Grace. Amy T. is the wife of H. J. Hagen, a banker of Fargo ; Grace died at the age of six years. C. A. Wood lives on a farm near Grey Eagle and Josiah Wood and wife are now living near him on the same farm.

William Carl Woodruff was born in Spencer township, Tioga county. New York, December 5, 1836, son of John S. and Nancy (Cowell) Woodruff. He lost his father when he was twelve years of age, at which time the family was living in Illinois. When the Civil War was raging, the subject of this sketch enlisted, in 1864, in Company C, 146th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the conflict. Upon his return from the army he was employed in engineering and construction work in the vicinity of Pecatonica, Illinois. In 1869 he came to Minnesota, and secured 160 acres of land in Faribault county. Later he came to Sauk Centre, where he continued to engage in construction work. He has a pleasant home on the outskirts of the village, and is highly regarded in the community. Mr. Woodruff is an enthusiastic member of B. R. Palmer Post, G. A. R., of Sauk Centre.

William Carl Woodruff was married at Freeport, 111., October 3, 1859, to Huldah Jones, born October 22, 1840, daughter of Livingston and Hannah (Woodward) Jones. Mr. and Mrs. William Carl Woodruff have had nine children. Isaac was born November 8, 1862, and died June 23, 1903 ; Niles was born December 12, 1863, and died January 20, 1864; Jay was born April 3, 1865, and died March 2, 1894; Ralph was born March 18, 1867, and died April 1, 1869 ; Harry was born November 20, 1869, and now lives in Milwaukee ; William was born March 28, 1872, and died December 6, 1893 ; Alta was born June 14, 1874; Belle was born August 3, 1876; Joey was born June 17, 1878, and died September 15, 1878. Alta married Hugh Watson of Minneapolis. They have two children : Harry, born December 10, 1897 ; and Robert, born December 21, 1902. Belle married R. W. Borland, of Sauk Centre, and they have two daughters, Alta, born December 8, 1905; Alberta, born January 23, 1913.

John S. Woodruff was born in Connecticut about 1802, the son of Isaac Woodruff. He was married in New York state in 1827 to Nancy Cowell, the daughter of Abram and Elizabeth Cowell. Some years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. John S. Woodruff located in Illinois, and took up land one and a half miles west of Rockford, on the state road. He died suddenly in 1848 in Chicago, to which city he had gone to sell some wheat and purchase some lumber. His wnfe was left with six children. Later in life she married Henry Mease. At the time of her death, January 16, 1890, she had reached the good old age of eighty years. The children of Mr. and Mrs. John S. Woodruff are as follows. An unnamed child was born May 13, 1828, and died in infancy. Lewis was born November 20, 1830, and died October 22, 1840. Harvey was born August 4, 1833, and was killed in a well on the farm, August 12, 1849. William Carl, the subject of this mention, was born December 5, 1836, and lives in Sauk Centre. Lydia was born July 22, 1840. She married George LaFollette, and died December 29, 1877. Isaac was born June 21, 1843, and died December 25, 1883. He was a veteran of the Civil War. John was born February 15, 1847, enlisted in the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, and died in service, April 1, 1865.

Livingston Jones was born in Rockland county. New York, son of Benjamin and Mary Jones, February 2, 1812. He died February 19, 1894. He was married February 2, 1835, to Hannah Woodward (later shortened to Woodard), the daughter of Joseph and Rachael (Towner) Woodward. Hannah (Woodward) Jones was born in Bath, Steuben county, New York, April 22, 1818, and died November 27, 1912. Livingston and Hannah (Woodward) Jones had the following children : Mary, born December 15, 1836 ; Rachael, July 23, 1838; Huldah, October 22, 1840; Rosetta, February 8, 1842; Winfield Scott, January 30, 1845; Patience, July 3, 1848; Hannah, July 2, 1849.

Uriel Montague Tobey, formerly a prominent resident of Sauk Centre, was born at Sullivan, N. Y., on May 21, 1826, and was married to Mary Scougell at Fayetteville, N. Y., January 15, 1851. Five years later they removed to Riverside, Illinois, and in 1862 came to Stearns county, settling in St. Cloud, where they lived fourteen years. In 1876 he came to Sauk Centre, where he engaged in the flour and feed business. The family followed in 1877. Later he added a fine stock of groceries to his line of business, and was the first one in Sauk Centre to establish the system of delivering goods to the homes of the customers. In 1893, Mr. Tobey was elected mayor of Sauk Centre. He was appointed postmaster by Grover Cleveland. He was an influential member of the Democratic party, and was keenly interested in local, state and national affairs. He died March 12, 1901, leaving two daughters, Alice F., wife of W. I. Henshaw, and Mary L., wife of Howard E. Wilcox. Mrs. Tobey died June 12, 1894.

Ven G. Wedge, vice-president and treasurer of the Wedge Hardware Co., of Sauk Centre, and one of the rising young men of the village, was born in Zumbrota, Goodhue county, this state, January 25, 1890, son of N. T. and Nannie E. (Grover) Wedge. He attended the public schools of Zumbrota, and the Business College at Minneapolis. He taught school for a year, and then worked in Minneapolis, doing accounting and making a few sales of land. November 1, 1911, he and A. H. Grover bought the hardware business of Schleusener Hardware Co., of Sauk Centre. The firm continued as the Grover & Wedge Co. until February, 1914, when N. T. Wedge, the father of Ven G. Wedge bought Mr. Grover 's interests, and established the Wedge Hardware Co., with Ven G. Wedge as vice-president and treasurer. Mr. Wedge is a capable business man, and his methods have won substantial reward in constantly increasing business. The company installs heating plants, does general plumbing, and has a full equipment and stock of everything usually found in a hardware store. Mr. Wedge has taken an active part in business matters and is popular with his associates. He is secretary of the Central Minnesota Credit Association and belongs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter

John J. Moormann was born in Germany, January 26, 1872, and at the age of 16 came to America alone, and worked for his relatives in Meire Grove, in Grove township. His father having died in Germany at the age of fifty, his mother came three years later to Grove township, Stearns county. Now he has a good farm of 100 acres in Sauk Centre township. He attends the Roman Catholic Church. John J. Moormann married Annie Teuber, and they have eight children: Henry, Katie, Clara, Herman, Frank, John, Lewis and George. Henry was born in Ashley township, Stearns county, Kate, Clara, Herman, Frank, John and Lewis were born in Westport township, Pope county, and George was born in Sauk Centre township, Stearns county.

W. S. Pesheck, a successful young farmer of Sauk Centre township, was born in Getty township, this county, July 22, 1884, son of John Pesheck. He is assisting in operating his father's land in this county. W. S. Pesheck married Eva Van Vleck, of Todd county, and they have two children. Fern and Francis. John Pesheck, now living in Williston, North Dakota, is engaged in the investment and loan business. He owns 640 acres in Stearns county, and lived here some forty-five years. His five children are : Annie, Joseph, Charles, Frank and Wilfield S.

Henry Anderson was born in Benson, Minn., December 28, 1886, son of Nels and Annie (Munson) Anderson, with whom he came to Sauk Centre on October 1, 1901. Henry Anderson is one of the successful young farmers of the township, and is engaged in operating one of his father's three farms. The other children in his parents ' family are : Alfred, Godfrey, Gus, Sigried, Hulda and Annie, all born in Benson, Minn.

Reinhold Gamradt was born in Germany, February 20, 1853, and spent his early life as a sailor. He came to America in 1878, worked in the mines of Michigan a number of years, and in 1893 came to Sauk Centre. He has a good farm of 160 acres, and is one of the substantial men of the community. He has done good service on the school board of his district and has been road commissioner for a period. He votes the Republican ticket and attends the Lutheran Church. Reinhold Gamradt was first married to Henrietta Stork. By his second wife, Henrietta Foss, he had ten children: Arthur, Amiel, Albert, George, Macks, Edward, Emma, Rose and Edith, and one who died in infancy.

Frank Tank was born in Germany, July 23, 1849, and came to America in 1881, living in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, for many years before coming to Sauk Centre. He has a well-stocked place of 180 acres and carries on general farming. Mr. Tank is married, and has seven children : Anna, Otto, Elmer, Frank, George, Clara, and Dorothy.

Otto J. Hedin was born in Sweden, June 7, 1878, and in 1891 came to Sauk Centre township where he has a farm of eighty-two acres. Otto J. Hedin married Dena Holmberg, and they have two children: Herman and Hilma. The parents of Otto J. Hedin were John and Mary (Pierson) Hedin, the former of whom is dead, and the latter of whom makes his home with the subject of this mention. They had eight children : Minnie, Lewis, Peter,

C. W. Hutchison was born in Stearns county, Minnesota, November 13, 1854, and has lived on a farm in Sauk Centre township since October 15, 1912. He is the only son of Lawrence and Amelia (Johnson) Hutchison, the former of whom was a merchant. Mr. Hutchison married Anna Easterly, of Montevideo, Minn., and they have two children, Nona and Roger.

David M. Smith, of Sauk Centre township, was born in Van Buren county, Iowa, October 10, 1840. From 1883 to 1902 he farmed in North Dakota. By his first wife he had six children: William L., John G., Isaac W., Henry M., Milton and Margaret E. His second wife was Mrs. Isabella Osborn. She had by her first husband, three children, Henry H., Aylette and Annie E.

John Smith was born in Jefferson county, Iowa, July 18, 1865, and as a young man went to South Dakota. There he became a prominent citizen, serving in such offices as justice of the peace, deputy county sheriff, and deputy United States marshal. Since 1906 he has lived on a farm in Sauk Centre township. He is an active member of the Modern Woodmen. Mr. Smith married Ida Philley, a native of Iowa. They have four children: Hazel, Vera, Clara, and Edna, all born in South Dakota.

Frank Quade was born August 15, 1880, and came to Sauk Centre in 1896. He is a successful farmer and owns 120 acres of good land. Mr. Quade married Annie Kind, of Sauk Centre, and they have two children: Elnora and Alfred

The father of Frank Quade bore the same name and was a Wisconsin farmer. He died October 26, 1908, He married Minnie Olleman, and had fifteen children: Minnie, Anna, William, Fred, Lena, Henry, Frank, Robert, Gus, Martha, Richard, Fred, Amelia, Albert and Tina.

Charles Ross Lamb, a retired farmer of Sauk Centre, was born in Iowa county, Wisconsin, September 2, 1858, son of Abner M. and Rachael E. (Vanhorn) Lamb, who brought him to Minnesota in 1865. He was reared on the home farm in section 11, Getty township, and in his mature years came into possession of the place. His experience has not been limited to this locality, however, for he has spent several years in Montana, and also in Crookston, Minn. He has now disposed of his real estate interests, and makes his home in the village of Sauk Centre. He was married, October 19, 1904, to Clara Shaw.

Abner M. Lamb was born in Bucks county, Penn., April 28, 1833, and was reared in that county. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to a stone-mason. In 1857 he moved to Maryland, and in 1858 to Iowa county. Wis. California was the center of his activities from 1863 to 1865, after which he came to Minnesota and took a homestead in section 11, Getty township. The warrant, signed by Andrew Jackson and his secretary, is still in the possession of the family. Abner M. Lamb married Rachael E. Vanhorn, January 18, 1855, and this union resulted in two sons.

John J. Hickman, a retired farmer living in Sauk Centre, was born in Cape May, New Jersey, August 16, 1855, son of Peter S. and Deborah (Ingersoll) Hickman, the pioneers. As a child he was brought to Minnesota. He worked on the home farm north of Sauk Centre for a while, then learned the harness-making trade, and finally became a barber, an occupation which he followed for twenty years. Afterward he turned his attention to farming and stock raising, paying especial attention to agricultural and live stock exhibitions. He is highly honored in this vicinity and has occupied many township offices. He is a popular member of the I. 0. 0. F. Mr. Hickman was married in 1881, to Irene Harris, who was born in Steuben county. New York, in 1857, and died in Stearns county in 1899. She was a daughter of Andrew Harris, who came to Minnesota in 1879 and located in Grove Lake township.

Peter S. Hickman was the son of John Hickman, and descended from Puritan ancestors. In 1857 he brought his family from New Jersey, with the intention of settling near what is now Sauk Centre. Upon coming up the Misissippi river, however, he was favorably impressed with the location of Nininger, three miles from Hastings in Dakota county. Accordingly he and his family left the boat there, and took up their residence on a farm. In 1861, Mr. Hickman came to Sauk Centre and located two miles north of the village at the mouth of Ashley creek, where he secured 160 acres of government land. The family joined him there September 18, 1862. During the Sioux outbreak they felt perfectly secure, and unlike their neighbors they did not feel the necessity of taking refuge in the stockade at Sauk Centre. They always considered the Indians as their friends; a daughter, Sarah, taught Indian school at Long Prairie when Bad Boy was chief there, the family was in constant touch with the Winnebagoes and the Chippewas, and they felt sure that if there was any danger from the Sioux bands that they would be warned. Mr. Hickman was a prominent man in his township, and served in a number of town and school offices. He had been made an Odd Fellow before coming to Minnesota. In 1874, Mr. and Mrs. Hickman moved to Sauk Centre village, where they ended their days. They were the parents of ten children: Denelia, Eliza, Sarah, Henrietta, Richard, John, Marietta, Emma, Addie, Minnie, the last three being born in Minnesota.

H. T. Austin, who is operating a farm purchased by his father in Sauk Centre township, was born in Glencoe, Minn., October 10, 1892, son of A. "W. Austin, a retired banker of Sauk Centre. H. T. Austin married Mary Marshall, of Sauk Centre. He is one of the rising young men of the community.

Joseph Jenc, a leading farmer of Raymond township, was born in Cold Spring, Minnesota, May 24, 1868. He has a farm of 386 acres, and carries on modern farming on an extensive scale. A friend of education, he has served as school treasurer for twenty years. He has served as a member of the board of supervisors and has also been chairman of that body. "While of independent thought and action in local affairs, in national politics he is a Republican. He and his family, as is befitting the substantial people of the community, attend the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and contribute to its support. Mr. Jenc married Anna "Wehrhahn, a native of Raymond township, and they have four children: Idela M., Edwin A., Arthur J. and Inez.

John Jenc, a farmer, was born in Bohemia, and came to America in 1854. For a number of years he lived in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, and then came to Sauk Centre township where he purchased 200 acres of land. He married Anna Schenmak, and they had four- children : Antonie, Joseph, John and Anna. August Wehrhahn, a farmer of Getty township, and also a landowner in Saskatchewan, Ca»ada, was born in Germany and settled in Stearns county in 1875. He married Marie Pinkernella, and this union has been blessed with nine children : Marie, Anna, Minnie, August, Albert, Ernestine, William, Andrew and Etta.

John Ceynar, the elder, lived, for a part of his life in Getty township, Stearns county. He married Verna Heble, and had two children, John and Verna. By his second wife, he had two more children, Frank and Joseph. John Ceynar, Sr., the son of the above, was born in Bohemia, came to America in 1864, located in Steele county, Minn., and in 1871 came to Sauk Centre, where he now has a splendid farm of 240 acres. He married Mary Tarish, and they have nine children : Martha, Lewis, Andrew, Vernie, John, "William, Winfield, Blanche and George.

John Ceynar, Jr., was born on the home farm in Sauk township, February 16, 1889, and now lives on the Veeder farm in Getty township. He married Ethel Veeder, and they have one son, Wesley M.

Thomas R. Lamb is a successful man of Getty township. He was born in the township where he still resides, September 13, 1867, and makes his home with his brother, Alvin. Winfield S. Lamb died in 1908 at the age of sixtyseven years. He married Caroline Nelson, of Denmark, and they were the parents of four children: Thomas R., Winfield S., Jr., Orville E. and Alvin E.

James Fergus Crossen, deceased, for many years a prominent miller in Melrose, was born in Belfast, Ireland, August 9, 1843, son of William and Charlotte (Walker) Crossen, who spent the span of their years in Ireland, being the owners of a large farm some eight miles from Belfast. In the family there were ten children, eight daughters and two sons. James received a splendid education in Ireland, and came to Toronto, Canada, at the age of seventeen. By trade he was a wheelwright and miller. In time he acquired a mill at Smith's Falls, Province of Ontario, Canada. Finally he came to Minneapolis, and started work in the Washburn mills. It was in 1870 that he came to Melrose as head miller in the Clark mills. Here he erected the first two-story house in the village. Its site is now occupied by the City Hall. In the meantime, Henry Crossen, a brother of James, had been sent to Vienna, to study the mills there, and had drawn the plans for the present Washburn mills at Minneapolis. He used his influence for his brother, and in due time, James Crossen was installed as head miller at Minneapolis. Some five or six years later, however, he returned to Melrose, where he operated the Clark mills for some twelve or fifteen years. In 1892 he retired from active life. For many years he was justice of the peace and thus won the title of Judge Crossen, by which he was popularly known. For a time he was assessor. In addition to his milling interests he had farm lands and property in the city. He died April 9, 1907, at the age of sixty-six years. It is an interesting matter of history that after his retirement, Mr. Crossen was in two wrecks while returning from a trip to the Pacific coast to see his son. The first was at Hot Springs, Green River, Wash., near the summit of the Cascade tunnel. The otlier was near the Missoula Mountains on September 20, 1902. In this wreck, Mr. Crossen's body was hurt, and his head was cut by broken glass, but he never attempted to recover damages from the company.

Mr. Crossen was married in Toronto, Canada, to Hannah Tierney, in 1866. She died March 23, 1893, at the age of fifty-one. She was a good wife and a loving mother, and her memory is deeply revered by her descendants. In the family there were eleven children. Mary is the wife of E. H. Pushor, grain merchant for the St. Anthony Elevator Co., Minneapolis, at Kempton, D. D. Henry was drowned at the age of nine years in Minneapolis. Charlotte lives in Melrose. She married D. E. Ercanbrack, for many years a locomotive engineer on the Northern Pacific. They lived at Livingston, Mont., until 1909, and then retired and moved to Melrose, where he died May 23, 1911. Edward is in the dray business in Indianapolis, Ind. Amelia is now Mrs. George West, and they have a large ranch near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Theresa is dead. Felix is train dispatcher at New Rockford, North Dakota. Hannah, named for her mother, is dead. Marriet is wife of A. J. Riley, manager of the Puget Sound Machinery Depot, at Seattle, "Wash. Henry is a train dispatcher at Livingston, Mont., at the entrance of the Yellowstone National Park. James is a conductor on the Canadian Pacific out of Winnipeg, Canada.

John J. Kraker, who in the few years of his life, achieved as much as many men who are alloted twice his portion of days, was born in Albany, this county, June 29, 1875, son of Joseph and Maria M. (Bohmer) Kraker. He came with his parents to Melrose, when he was ten years of age, and made this his home, with the exception of his years in college, until his death. He attended the common schools, and during the years 1888, 1889 and 1890 he took courses at St. John's College, in Collegeville, this county. During the following year he was a student at Mt. Angel College, Mt. Angel, Oregon, In 1893 he entered into business. In company with his father, he bought the Dowes Hardware store, then the only store of its kind in Melrose. The new firm was known by the name of Kraker & Son. In 1895 they sold out to Wardian & Dederick, but in about six or eight months that firm sold the store back to Kraker & Son, who conducted the place until 1898. In that year, Joseph Kraker sold his interest to W. J. Bohmer, and Mr. Bohmer and John J. Kraker carried on the business under the firm name of Kraker & Bohmer. In addition they became proprietors of the Farmers' Lumber Co. This they sold in 1900. It was in 1900 that they opened "The Big Store" the first real department store in the city. In January, 1902, the partnership was dissolved, and John J. Kraker became sole owner of the hardware store, which he moved across the street to the Kraker block. He continued in the hardware business until June, 1908, when on account of ill health he sold out to his brothers, Joseph and Anthony Kraker. Outside of his immediate interest in the store he had many other activities. In 1903 he was cashier of the Bank of North America, at Melrose. For a time he was stockholder in the Scandinavian State Bank, of Brooten. He was secretary of the Commercial Club of Melrose, from the time it was organized until 1908. In 1897, when he was but twenty-two years of age, he was elected city treasurer. This position he held continuously until 1907, when he declined to serve further. He died November 29, 1908. Mr. Kraker was married October 30, 1906, to Margaret Slavin, of St. Paul, who survives him. At the time of Mr. Kraker 's death, it was said of him: "He was for a number of years one of Melrose's most trusted and enterprising business men. He was a practical matter-offact man, but ever ready to extract merriment from life as he went along. He numbered his friends by his acquaintances and was generous to a fault. For years to come, kind memories will endure in the hearts of his friends.

Henry Joseph Emmel, a leading citizen of Melrose, was born in Cumberland, Maryland, March 17, 1844, son of Joseph and Kunigunda (Fischer) Emmel, natives of Germany. Joseph Emmel was a painter and decorator. He came from Germany to Cumberland, Maryland, and was there married. On May 6, 1856, he brought his family to Minnesota. They reached St. Cloud on a steamboat, and found here a few scattering log houses and shanties. Joseph Emmel erected a crude dwelling, and took up work at his trade. His work was always good, and some of his more notable contracts included the decoration of several of the early churches of St. Cloud. Joseph Emmel was born March 31, 1812, and died in 1887; his wife was born October 14, 1820, and died in 1898.

Henry J. came to St. Cloud with his parents, at the age of twelve years. On November 10, 1857, he was the first of the six boys who entered St. John's Seminary, then located a mile below St. Cloud, on the river, and now known as St. John's University and located at Collegeville, in this county. His teacher was the Benedictine, Rev. Father Cornelius Wittman. After he had finished his schooling Mr. Emmel became a clerk for the J. C. Burbank Co., which operated a series of stage routes through the Northwest. Later he became assistant to J. E. West, at that time the postmaster at St. Cloud. Subsequently he taught school for two years, one year at Richmond and one year at St. Augusta. At the completion of this time he became a clerk in the general store of J. Schoenborn, at Spring Hill. Mr. Schoenborn was killed by lightning, and Mr. Emmel married the widow. He took over the management of the store, and conducted it for many years. In connection with this he also engaged in farming in a small way on eighty acres of land. So prosperous did he in time become that at one time he owned and operated 1,100 acres of good land. He was a very prominent man. His services as postmaster at Spring Hill, and at various times as notary public, town clerk and justice of the peace of Spring Hill township were greatly appreciated. In 1878 he was elected to the legislature. This was during the grasshopper raids, and Mr. Emmel was successful in getting an act passed by the legislature, authorizing the residents of Lake Henry, Lake George and Spring Hill townships to raise money to buy their own seed wheat. The plan was so admirable that it was finally applied to all the devastated districts. For many years Mr. Emmel lived in Spring Hill. In 1907 he retired and moved to Melrose, where he now lives. In 1908 he was again elected to the lower house of the state legislature. The newspapers spoke of him as Rip Van Winkle, for, after thirty years absence, he had returned still strong and vigorous, and still ready to take an active part in the state's affairs. Mr. Emmel is the father

Anton Luckemeyer, president of the Melrose Granite Co., was born July 4, 1867, a son of Anton, Sr., and Bernardina Luckemeyer. Of the five children born to this family, three died, and two, John and Anton, came to America in 1896, and found their way to Melrose, where they inaugurated on a small scale the concern now so widely known as the Melrose Granite Co. Anton Luckemeyer married Anna Huhne, born in Oldenburg, Germany, daughter of Henry Huhne, who brought his family to the United States and settled in Melrose. Mr. and Mrs. Luckemeyer have three children : John, Dina and Rosa.

The Melrose Granite Co., an enterprise that has attained nation-wide recognition, was organized by the Luckemeyer Brothers, Anton and John, in 1896. The founders now relate with amusement the fact that on the day they opened business their entire cash capital consisted of thirty cents which they had borrowed. The little shop in which they started measured but twelve by ten feet, and here the brothers who could then speak but a few words of English, began their work of dressing and selling monuments for the retail trade. Their hard work and persistent attention to business brought rich reward, and it was not many years before they had a large manufacturing and wholesale department. In 1904, when H. Kalkman came into the business, its volume was still further increased. Finally the retail department was sold, and the firm devoted its attention exclusively to the larger aspects of the business. February 2, 1911, the firm was incorporated with Anton Luckemeyer, as president ; John Luckemeyer, as vice-president ; and H. Kalkman, as secretary and treasurer. The growth from the little ten by twelve shop has been phenomenal. The present plant in Melrose covers about six acres, and includes the main plant, the office building, the blacksmith shop and the storage building. The engine room is equipped with 145 horsepower engines, three air compressors, and a dynamo. The surfacing and polishing departments are especially interesting. From 160 to 170 men are employed, and the output in 1913 was valued at $175,000. The plant at Melrose is one of the best equipped in the state, and has the distinction of being the first of its kind to introduce electricity as a motive power for the operation of machinery and the moving of cranes. The great trip-hammers represent a wonderful advantage over the days when all such work was done by hand. It is interesting to note that labor trouble is unknown to this concern. The plant is steam heated, comfort and safety are the watchwords, and employers and employees maintain the pleasantest of personal relations. After the Melrose venture became an assured success, the firm branched out, and secured land in the St. Cloud granite district, where they now own 300 acres. In this district they have three red stone quarries and one gray stone quarry. They also own and operate the Dublin Green Quarry at St. Cloud, and the Gray Quarry at St. Cloud. Their field of operations covers the United States. At the present time the concern is planning to erect at St. Cloud, a plant 700 by 42 feet, fully supplied with engine rooms, finishing rooms, blacksmith shops and offices.

H. Kalkman, secretary and treasurer of the Melrose Granite Co., was born in Richmond, Minn., December 19, 1859, son of Henry and Margaret (Holtman) Kalkman, the pioneers. The subject of this mention attended the district schools and also St. John's University, at Collegeville. As a young man he entered the mercantile business as a clerk. In 1881 he became the proprietor of a mercantile concern in Melrose, after which he sold out in 1886, and in 1887 moved to Duluth, Minn., where he resided. In 1904 he became identified with what is now the Melrose Granite Co.

Mr. Kalkman married Minnie Pogatchnick, a native of Austria, and a daughter of Mathias Pogatchnick, who settled in Minnesota. There are seven children in the Kalkman family: Joseph, Margaret, Albert, Millie, Edward, Norbert and Cyril.

Henry Kalkman and Margaret Holtman, the parents of H. Kalkman, were born in Germany, and in the early fifties started for America, being married at St. Louis, Mo., after the arrival of the boat, which brought them over. They came at once to Richmond, in Stearns county, and preempted 160 acres in Munson township. They built a log cabin and started farming with a team of oxen. They lived on the farm during the stirring days of the Sioux massacre. They were true pioneers and often the father walked to St. Cloud for provisions. From Munson township, the family moved to Meire Grove, in Grove township. In 1866 they went to Sauk Centre and opened the Minnesota Hotel. Two years later they sold out and entered into the hotel business at New Munich. In 1881 he retired and moved to Melrose. Henry Kalkman died in 1897. He was born in 1824. His wife is still living. She was born February 10, 1828.

Arthur Lloyd was born in Sauk Centre, December 16, 1874. He has resided in Melrose township for over twenty years and now has a farm of 120 acres. He married Anna Tank, the daughter of Frank Tank, and they have a son, Henry. Mr. Lloyd has two sisters, Ada and Amy. His parents live in Sauk Centre.

Frank M. Morehouse, Sr., veteran of the Civil War, and retired farmer, living in Melrose, was born on a farm in Herkimer county, New York, December 16, 1839, son of John and Olive Morehouse, the former of whom was a carpenter by trade and died in Melrose. Frank M. spent his boyhood in New York state. In 1861 he enlisted in Company A, Second Michigan Volunteer Infantry, was mustered in at Detroit, Michigan, and followed the fortunes of that regiment until mustered out at Alexander, Virginia, with the exception of a short time after the first Battle of Bull Run, when he was in the camp hospital suffering from typhoid fever. To recount the numerous battles and skirmishes in which he participated would be to give the history of his regiment. Mr. Morehouse had been married April 9, 1861, to Julia Lowngsbury. After the war he joined her once more, and they set out for Michigan. In 1866 they came to New Ulm, Minn., and after a short time there, arrived in Melrose. He was a mason by trade, and did some work in this line in connection with operating his farm in Melrose township, one mile from the village. It is worthy of note that he worked on the first house erected within the village limits of Melrose. In 1893 he retired and took up his home in the village. While he has never cared to seek public life, he nevertheless served thirteen years as constable. As a veteran of the war he has allied himself with the Van Ransler Post, No. 140, G. A. E., and has been its commander for two years. He also belongs to Melrose Lodge, A. F. & A. M., while his wife is a member of the Eastern Star. Of the eleven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Moorehouse there are living five : Sovelen, John, Frank M., Jr., Laura and Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Morehouse on April 9, 1911, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary; over five hundred friends and relatives were present. Mr. Morehouse had four brothers in the Civil War. They were : Omar, Eichard, Elam and William. Mr. and Mrs. Morehouse, at this date. May 5, 1914, are occupying a claim of 160 acres in Eoseau county.

Simon Pfau, a retired farmer, living in Melrose, was born in Germany, July 10, 1840, son of Ferdinand and Mary (Blank) Pfau. Ferdinand Pfau brought his family, then consisting of his wife, and three children, Simon, Anna and Joseph, to America, in 1852. The voyage was made on a sailing vessel, the trip consuming thirty-five days. The family settled in Ozaukee county, Wisconsin, There two more children, Louise and Ferdinand, were born. In 1865 the family came to Stearns county, and secured a homestead in Oak township, near New Munich. In the meantime, Simon Pfau had followed the fortunes of his family. December 7, 1863, he enlisted in Company C, 35th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He was a good soldier, and received an honorable discharge at New Orleans, May 30, 1865, Upon his return from the war he returned to the home of his parents, in Stearns county, and secured a homestead in Oak township. He then took up farming, which he successfully followed for many years. In 1901 he retired and moved with his wife to the village of Melrose. Mr. Pfau was married January 5, 1867, to Catharine Metzger, who was born in Germany, October 18, 1842, daughter of Leonard and Eva (Hiltner) Metzger, the pioneers. Mr, and Mrs. Pfau have two children. Philomena, now deceased, married George Knobloch. Mary married Joseph Temmer, and they have one son, Simon, born November 28, 1913.

Leonard Metzger and his wife were born in Germany, and came to America in 1854, and located in Ohio. With them were their five children : Catherine, John, George, Joseph and Barbara. In the sixties they came to Stearns county, and located in Oak township. They built a log cabin, partitioned only by curtains, and there started pioneer life. With an ox team they began farming operations. Many years later he was enabled to build a modern home, and he added to his land until he owned 400 acres. He also assisted in erecting the two successive churches of the Catholic faith at New Munich.

Charles M. C. Pennison, Melrose, street commissioner, retired farmer, and veteran of the Civil War, was born in England, October 25, 1845, son of Daniel and Eliza (Holmes) Pennison, who brought him to St. Louis, Mo,, in 1847, Shortly afterward they moved to Lafayette county. Wis., where he grew to manhood on a farm, receiving his education in a log schoolhouse. He was a mere youth when he enlisted in Company E, 31st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the first division, third brigade, of the twentieth army corps. He served two years and eight months, and participated in all the engagements, skirmishes and campaigns for which that regiment is noted, inarching with Sherman through Georgia, and taking part in the Grand Review at Washington. He was mustered out at Madison, Wis., in July, 1865, and returned to his home. Some two years later he took a trip to Iowa for a short time. In 1869 he came to Melrose in this county, and spent some twenty-one years as a grader of wheat for the Clark interests. In the meantime he had acquired eighty acres adjoining the village of Melrose. This he worked for several years. He now lives in the village, where he is respected and honored as a leading citizen. For a number of years he was a member of Van Rensselaer Post, No. 245, G. A. R., of Melrose, now defunct owing to the dwindling ranks of the veterans. Mr. Pennison has served continually as street commissioner for the past ten years. Mr. Pennison was married in 1874 to Amelia Witcho, born in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, daughter of William and Mary (Gorr) Witcho, the pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Pennison have four children : George, employed on the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie, with headquarters at Kenmar, North Dakota; Charles (deceased) ; William, of St. Paul, and Laura, at home. George married Susan Steidl, and they have five children : George, Jr., Ruth, Heartly, Emma and Frank. He also has two children by a former marriage : Ray and Georgena. William Witcho brought his wife and daughter, Augusta, from Germany in the fifties and located in Wisconsin, where three more chilren, Amelia, Emma and Lena, were born. Mr. Witcho enlisted in the Eleventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and died in a hospital in Missouri at the age of thirty-three. His widow married Joseph Platts, now deceased. She now lives at Melrose at the age of eighty-six. Daniel and Eliza (Holmes) Pennison Avere born in England, and brought their family to America in 1847. She died shortly afterward and he married Sarah Ann Jenks. He is dead and she makes her home in Wisconsin. By the first marriage there were two children : Charles M. C. of Sauk Centre, and Mary Ann (deceased). By the second marriage there were five children : Joseph, Thomas, Byron, William and George.

Joseph Primus, machinist and implement dealer, Melrose, was born in Wisconsin, March 18, 1857, son of John and Catherine Primus. The parents were born in Germany, and were there married. In 1855 they started for America with their two children, Elizabeth and Anna, and finally landed in the new country after a voyage of nine weeks. In 1862 they came to Grove township, this county, and settled near Meire Grove, then known as Myer's Grove. Here they secured 160 acres of land, and erected a log cabin. The cabin was a primitive affair, with no floors and no windows, and only the kitchen stove for light. They had an ox team for farming, but they had no suitable winter shelter for them, so often on a winter night, the oxen and the members of the family slept in a row on the hard floor, with nothing in the way of a bed but some coarse grass cut from the river bottoms. During that first winter the family had absolutely nothing in the way of purchased provisions except 100 pounds of flour. Their principal fare was deer and rabbit meat cooked in various fashions, and eaten without any vegetables, even potatoes being unknown during the whole winter. After having braved the first winter, circumstances improved,, and the Primus family became one of the first in the community. John Primus served several terms as supervisor of Grove township. He was an active man, and assisted in erecting the three successive churches at Meire Grove. The buildings on his own farm were improved and rebuilt as circumstances permitted. In 1891, John Primus and his wife moved to Melrose, where they ended their days, John at the age of eighty-eight, and his wife at the age of seventy-four. The parents of John Primus were John, Sr., and Elizabeth Primus, who came to Meire Grove with the rest of the family, and there ended their days.

Joseph Primus was reared on the home farm. As a young man he married Christiana Michaels, born on a farm in Wisconsin, daughter of Henry Michaels. The young couple continued farming for several years. While still living in the country they had four children: Henry, Michael, Elizabeth and Mary. Upon leaving the farm, Mr. Primus went to West Union, in Todd county, this state, where he conducted a general store. A son, Joseph, Jr., was born there. After disposing of the store in West Union, Mr. Primus came to Melrose, where he engaged in a varied line of business. The children born here are : Paul, Frank, Anthony, Hubert, Christian, Kate, Benjamin, Margaret (deceased), and John (deceased). Mr. Primus has one of the best implement concerns in this part of the country, and carries a full line of agricultural machinery, tools and equipment. He is well known in the community and has served on the city council eight years. Previous to this he had been chairman of Grove township.

Gerhard Richter, for many years a blacksmith in Melrose, was born in Germany, on the Rhine, May 1, 1843, son of John and Elizabeth (Schreiner) Richter. He came to America in 1865, having at that time thoroughly mastered the trade of a blacksmith. Upon landing he came directly to St. Cloud, where he followed his trade as a helper to Peter Shedler, one of the first blacksmiths in that place. A year later, Mr. Richter established a shop for himself in Richmond, also in this county. In 1872 he moved to Melrose, where he conducted a shop until 1912, when he retired. He was one of the earliest councilmen of Melrose, a school director nine years, and census enumerator two different times, once for the state of Minnesota, and once for the United States government. Mr. Richter was married at St. Cloud in 1868, to Margaret Grun, born in Germany, on the Rhine, July 4, 1845, daughter of Jacob and Appalonia (Lohskiel) Grun. Mr, and Mrs. Richter have had nine children, of whom there are living, seven: Claudius (deceased), Jacob, John, Frederick (deceased), Catherine, Theresa, Joseph, Barbara, and Elizabeth. John Richter and his wife, the parents of Gerhard Richter, came to St. Cloud in 1866, and spent the remainder of their days on a farm on the St. Augusta road, south of St. Cloud. They had seven children: Catherine (deceased), Barbara, Catherine, Elizabeth, Bernard and Mary. Jacob and Appalonia (Lohskiel) Grun were born in Germany. Jacob was a cabinet maker by trade. He lost his wife when the daughter, Margaret, was but eight months of age. Thus bereft, Jacob never remarried, but remained a widower until his death at the age of seventy. In the family there were four children : Francis, Margaret (deceased), Susan and Margaret. Margaret, now the wife of Gerhard Richter, is the only one living. She came to St. Cloud in 1867 with a small colony of people seeking homes in the new country.

Peter P. Stalboerger, secretary and treasurer of the Melrose Brewing Co., was born in Spring Hill township, June 6, 1891, son of Andrew and Anna Stalboerger. He received his education in the district schools of his neighborhood, in the Melrose High School, and in the Melrose Commercial School. "When the Melrose Brewing Co. was organized in 1911 he assumed his present position, and is distinctly "making good."

The Melrose Brewing Co. is an important institution and is yearly increasing in volume of output. It was organized in 1911, with Andrew Stalboerger as president, Peter P. Stalboerger as secretary and treasurer, and John F. "Winter as manager. The Melrose keg beer, made by this company, has a large sale, and the "Old Bohemian Style," bottle beer, is in wide favor. When the present company was organized the annual output had been about 1,200 barrels or less. Now it is over 3,000 barrels annually. The cold storage vaults have a capacity of 1,000 barrels. The dimensions of the plant are as follows: Brewing house, 48 by 27; salt house, 15 by 16; boiler house, 18 by 32 ; wash house, 20 by 26 ; engine house, 18 by 19 ; pitching house, 16 by 18; lager cellar, 26 by 48; fermenting cellar, 19 by 20; malt cellar, 19 by 26. Bottling house, 24 by 36.

Andrew Stalboerger, retired farmer, and president of the Melrose Brewing Co., was born in Prussia, Germany, May 29, 1844, son of Gerhard Henry and Elizabeth (Klipper) Stalboerger. Gerhard H. Stalboerger was born in Germany, and was married in early manhood. His first wife died, leaving him two children, Gerhard and Henry. Later he married Elizabeth Klipper, and the son, Andrew, was born. Gerhard H., the father, and Henry, one of the sons, died in Germany. The mother, Elizabeth Klipper Stalboerger, brought the two boys, Gerhard and Andrew, to America in 1852, the voyage aboard the sailing vessel occupying four weeks. For four years they lived in Iowa. In 1856 they came to Stearns county, and settled in Spring Hill township, where the mother and each of the tAvo sons, obtained claims. They erected a cabin, with the ground for floor, and "shakes" for shingles, and here started pioneer life. The good mother passed away in 1877 at the age of seventy-eight. Andrew Stalboerger lived on his homestead in Spring Hill township, for many years. He increased the farm to 320 acres, and erected modern buildings. He was assessor of Spring Hill township for several terms, and was also chairman of the board of supervisors. He helped build the Church of St. Michaels, in Spring Hill. Mr. Stalboerger was married June 28, 1876, to Anna Loehr, of St. Joseph, daughter of John Loehr. They have nine children : Elizabeth, Gertrude, Mary, Anna, John, Kate, Henry, Peter P. and Edward.

Horace Stratton, a retired farmer of Melrose, was born in Ohio, February 1, 1846, one of the three children of Theodore and Susan (Berdge) Stratton, who took their family first to Michigan, then to Mankato, Minn., in 1865, and in 1866 to Melrose. The father was a cooper by trade and Horace was trained in that pursuit, but upon reaching Melrose, both became farmers. Horace Stratton has been a prominent man in the community and has served his town in such offices as clerk and supervisor. His farm is located in section 10, IMelrose township. Mr. Stratton was married April 14, 1878, to Annett (Johnson) Wedge, widow of John Wedge. Mr. and Mrs. Stratton have one son, Ray Stratton. Ray Stratton married Maude Murphy, and they have a daughter. Myrtle. By her previous marriage, Mrs. Stratton had one son, Fred Wedge. He married Viola Coe, and they also have a daughter, Myrle.

John H. Spieker, leading hardware merchant of Melrose, was born in Todd county, Minn., October 25, 1881, son of Henry and Mary (Hermes) Spieker. He attended the district schools of his neighborhood, and then secured employment as a clerk in a store in Long Prairie, Todd county. Later he and J. C. Buss opened a grocery store there, which they conducted some two and a half years. In 1907 Mr. Spieker opened his hardware store on Third street, in Melrose. He carries a full line of hardware equipment, and has a large trade. Mr. Spieker was married June 21, 1905, to Catherine Bogarding, daughter of Henry Bogarding. They have two children: Helen and Charles.

Joseph F. Thiers, manufacturer of soft drinks, in Melrose, was born in Jasper county, 111., December 15, 1875, son of Joseph and Margaret (Schulthise) Thiers, and grandson of John and Catherine Thiers. The grandparents came to America, when the father, Joseph, was three years of age, and settled in Gibson, Indiana. Later they went to Illinois. The grandfather, John, and the father, Joseph, came to Minnesota, and located at Brockway. When the Indian troubles came on, they returned to Illinois. Joseph, however, later in life again came to Stearns county, and engaged in the implement business in Sauk Centre. He now lives in St. Paul. His wife died many years ago. The children in the family were John, Antoinette, Antoin, Mary and Joseph F. Joseph F. received his early education in Illinois. Finally he came to St. Paul and was in the market business two years. In 1898 he enlisted in Company M, and saw service from July 15, 1898, to March 27, 1899. After his discharge he went to Sauk Centre, Minn., and engaged in the manufacture of soft drinks, under the firm name of Robschon & Thiers. In 1900 he came to Melrose and established the Melrose Bottling Works, of which he is the sole owner and proprietor. His goods include a wide variety of flavors and names, are made from the purest of materials, are in high favor and have a wide sale. He is a splendid business man, and has well deserved the success with which he has met. He started in a 12 by 12 room, and did all the work by hand. Now he has a place 24 by 30, equipped with a five-horsepower engine. Fraternally, Mr. Thiers belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Knights of Columbus. He has served ten years as a member of the Melrose Volunteer Fire Department, and is now a member of the Firemen's Relief Association. Mr. Thiers married Mary Deters, born in Meire Grove, this county, daughter of Fred Deters. Mr. and Mrs. Thiers have two children : Evelyn and Irene.

John Fred Winter, manager of the Melrose Brewing Co., was born in Spring Hill township, this county, November 9, 1883, son of Joseph and Anna Winter, farmers of that township. He received his education in the district schools of Spring Hill, and at St. John's University. He engaged in business in Richmond, Roscoe and Belgrade, all in this county, and at the organization of the Melrose Brewing Co., in 1911, became its manager and part owner. He married Mary Stalboerger, daughter of Andrew Stalboerger.

Peter Winter, a retired farmer of Lake Henry township, was born in Prussia, Germany, January 6, 1831, son of John and Catherine (Thielen) Winter. The father died in Germany, and the mother with her nine children, came to America. Peter Winter arrived in this country in 1852, and from New York came to Detroit, Mich., where he did railroad work for a while. From there he went to the Lake Superior copper regions, where he was employed several years as a miner. In 1857 he came to Jacob's Prairie, taking a claim of 160 acres in St. Joseph township. There he built a log shanty with a basswood roof, and cleared a few acres of land. In 1865 he came to Lake Henry, secured 160 acres, erected a log cabin and started to improve the land. He had an ox team, and in the early days had to drive as far as Minneapolis for mill material. As time passed he added to his holdings until he owned 420 acres. He also erected modern buildings. He assisted in building the church at Spring Hill. Mr. Winter is highly esteemed, has been chairman and treasurer of Lake Henry township, and has done good service on the school board. At the good old age of eighty-three he is still hale and hearty, and though retired from the more strenuous activities of life, still takes a keen interest in the progress of events. Mr. Winter was married in the Lake Superior region, in 1863, to Anna Miller, born in Aldenburg, Germany, in 1850. She died in 1885 at the age of thirty-five. Seven children are living. They are : Catherine, Anna, George, Peter, John, Matt and Rosa. Four died in infancy. For his second wife, Mr. Winter married Elizabeth Schoenhoff, who was born in Germany, in 1850, and died February 9, 1904.

Matthew J. Winter, a leading merchant of Melrose, was born in Lake Henry township, this county, February 24, 1882, son of Peter and Anna (Miller) Winter. He attended the district schools and the Sauk Centre Business College. Then he worked in a hardware store at Sauk Centre for two years. Subsequently he was employed a similar period by the Gund Brewery Co., at Sauk Centre. Then he came to Melrose. He worked two years for C. J. Hoeschen and was in the general mercantile business four years at Melrose. In 1911 he engaged in the furniture business in Melrose. He does a large business, carries a large line of goods, and has one of the best stores of its kind in the county. In addition to the furniture store he also conducts an undertaking establishment. He is a member of the C. O. F. and the K. of C, both of Melrose. Mr. Winter was married April 14, 1906, to Helen Ostendorf, a daughter of August Ostendorf, of Melrose township. They have two children, Ernest and Viola.

Joseph Van Havermoet was born in Belgium, and there spent his early years. He came to America some twenty years ago, and before locating in Minnesota, worked for a time in the mines of Michigan. He now owns forty acres in Melrose township, and carries on general farming. Mr. Van Havermoet has considerable linguistic ability, reading and speaking several languages. Mr. Van Havermoet was married in Belgium, and has three children: Bernard, Henry and Lena.

Alfred J. Zuercher, leading druggist of Melrose, was born at Stillwater, Minn., November 11, 1877, son of Dr. Alfred L. Zuercher and Mary Broker

Zuercher, his wife. In 1882, Alfred J. Zuereher was brought to Melrose by his parents. He spent about seven years in the parochial schools, and two years in St. John's University at Collegeville. Then he worked several months with the Richmond Drug Co., Melrose, Minn., and four years with Reichert & Schenk, at Long Prairie, Todd county, Minnesota. Subsequently he entered the College of Pharmacy, of the University of Minnesota, and after a six months' course succeeded in the spring of 1899 in passing the examination prescribed by the State Board of Pharmacy. Then for seven years he became manager of the Helsper Drug Co., at Melrose. In 1906 he purchased the store and goods of "W. J. Stock. Since that date he has built up a splendid line of business, and has made for himself an enviable name in the community. It is said that he carries one of the most complete stocks of drugs and sundries in this portion of the Northwest. He has not, however, confined his activities to the drug trade, as he has taken a part in many movements that have tended toward the interests of the city. He owns the Opera House block and the Lyric Theatre, and has recently installed in his theater an expensive movingpicture equipment. Mr. Zuercher is a member of the Knights of Columbus and of the Catholic Order of Foresters.

Alfred L. Zuercher, M. D., for many years a beloved physician of Melrose, was born in Zug, Switzerland, September 5, 1850. He studied in the University of Wurzburg and the University of Paris, and was duly qualified for the practice of his profession. In 1873 he came to America, and located in New Munich, in this county, where he married Mary Broker. Soon after his marriage they removed to Stillwater, where he practiced his profession. In that town his five children, Marie, Alfred J., Anna (deceased), Oscar and Alexius (deceased), were born. In 1882 the family moved to Melrose, and there he practiced until his death, November 29, 1892. In his death the county lost a sincere and useful citizen. He was an able scholar, was a master of seven different languages, and possessed a thorough medical and scientific knowledge. He was noted for his manly and kindly bearing, and was a friend of all. He was a practical Christian of the Catholic faith. Mary Broker, the wife of Dr. Alfred L. Zuercher, was born in Richmond, Munson township, Stearns county, July 24, 1859, daughter of Henry and Mary (Edelbrock) Broker, both natives of Germany. Henry Broker was an accomplished musician, and was highly educated in the commercial line. He came to America, and reached Stearns county, after passing through St, Louis and Iowa. Upon arriving in St. Cloud he opened a general store, being one of the early merchants of that city. After some two years there, he moved to Richmond, where he conducted a similar store some five years. Subsequently he taught school several years, first at Jacob's Prairie and then at New Munich, both in this county. Then he moved to Collegeville, this county, where he was storekeeper, postmaster and station agent for some quarter of a century. He died in 1906. He had then reached the age of eighty-three years, the date of his birth being September 13, 1823. His wife is still living at the age of seventysix. She was born September 19, 1841. They had ten children: William, Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, Walberga, Cresence, Henry, Alexius, Gertrude and Scholastica. Mary Edelbrock, the mother of Mrs. Alfred L. Zeurcher, was the daughter of Anton Edelbrock, who settled in St. Cloud at an early day, owned considerable prairie land, and operated the ferry. She was a sister of Abbot Alexius Edelbrock, president of St. John's College. Dr. Alfred L. Zuercher was the son of Dr. Johan and Mary (Deschwanden) Zuercher. Both names are well known in Europe, the Zuerchers as physicians and the Deschwandens as artists.

Samuel Young, Jr., one of the earliest pioneers of Stearns county, was one of the remarkable men of this part of the state. He settled on Maine Prairie in 1856, and at the age of eighty-eight was still hale and hearty, could read without glasses, always kept well abreast of the times, and had one of the largest libraries to be found in the rural districts of the county. He was born in Newport, on the picturesque and historic banks of Newport lake in Penobscot county, Maine, December 25, 1825, a son of Samuel Young, Sr., and Hannah Judkins Young, and grandson of Samuel Young. The grandfather, Samuel Young, owned sixty acres in the city of Manchester, New Hampshire, fought in the Revolutionary War, and was the father of twenty sons and two daughters. The father, Samuel, Sr., was a strong Baptist in religion. He was one of the pioneers of Newport, Maine, and had eleven children : Mary, William, Johannah, Samuel, Jr., Augusta, Hannah, Orrin, Oliver, Helen, and two who died in infancy. All are dead except Augusta and Helen. The latter lives in Seattle, Washington. Samuel Young, Jr., attended the schools of his neighborhood, and began life as a farmer. In 1851 he went to Pennsylvania, and lived there two years. In 1853 he started for the West. By rail and coach he reached Galena, 111., and from there took a boat to St. Paul, from which place he went to St. Anthony, now a part of Minneapolis, arriving October 15, 1853. For three years he was a lumberman. July 8, 1856, he landed on Maine Prairie. The prairie was then the resort of Indians, the first settlers having arrived a few months earlier than Mr. Young. He secured a claim of 120 acres, where Isaac Coleman now lives, and erected a log cabin, barn and shed, thatched with hay. He began farming with an ox team. He and his brother, Joseph Young, and Josiah E. Hayward, had eight oxen together, and they pooled their interests in breaking the land. Mr. Young, in his latter years, often told of the trip which they took to St. Paul when they spent but thirty-five cents, the journey being made in ox wagons, which were used at night to shelter them from the elements. In 1862, Mr. Young located on the place in section 18, which he owned for more than fifty years. At that time there was a log cabin standing on the place. Mr. Young tore down this cabin, and from his former location moved a board granary for a residence. This granary is a part of the present home. He took an active interest in the early affairs of the township. During the Indian uprising he assisted in building the stockade in section 13. This stockade was built of logs standing on end, sixteen feet high, and covering a space 30 by 40. Twenty families were sheltered. The Indians, however, were never nearer than two miles. Mr. Young was one of the early supervisors of the township. It is interesting to note that in 1867, Mr. Young was one of those who contributed $500 of the $10,000 capital required for starting the private institution that is now the First National Bank, of St. Cloud. He never drew any of the income from this investment, but allowed it to accumulate. At the time of his death, March 22, 1914, he was the oldest stockholder in the institution. Mr. Young was a man of sterling integrity and lived up to the traditions of his Puritan ancestors. He was an excellent citizen, a kind and helpful neighbor, and a man of strong convictions, according to the opinions of others the same respect which he demanded for his own. The Old Settlers' Association found him a faithful and active member. Though he was ninety years of age, nearly, he retained a wonderful hold on life to the very end. Mr. Young was first married in October, 1861, to Marilla B. French, who died in August, 1883. On July 21, 1884, he married Susanna Golden, who was born in England, January 15, 1848, daughter of Thomas and Anna Golden, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of England, who came to America in 1849 with their daughters, Elizabeth, Susanna and Mary, and settled in Pennsylvania, the father dying in that state and the mother in Kentucky. Mrs. Young survives her husband. Their companionship was an ideal one, and Mrs. Young has sincere sympathy in being bereft of her life-companion whose love has meant so much to her. They were often pointed out as a model couple, and they were tender lovers to the end.

Elias D. Moss, for many years a respected farmer of Kimball, was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, November 6, 1836, son of Thomas and Rachael (Donahue) Moss, natives of Pennsylvania, who were married in Indiana and came to Maine Prairie, Stearns county, in 1865. Elias D. was reared on the home farm, and there spent his early manhood. On September 4, 1862, he enlisted in Company H, 83rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as coi'poral, and served thirty-two months until the close of the war. He followed the fortunes of that company and showed his valor in many battles and skirmishes. By an explosion of a cap on his gun he eventually lost the sight of his right eye. At the close of his service he participated in the Grand Review at Washington. After he was discharged and mustered out June 2, 1865, he returned to his old home in Indiana, and then came to Stearns county. He secured 160 acres in section 28, Maine Prairie township, where he built a log cabin and started farming with an ox-team. After he had proved up on the claim he went back to Indiana, and upon his return brought his wife here. The young couple faced life together, and their efforts were crowned with success. They became leading members of the community, and their home was noted for its hospitality. Mr. Moss served as a school officer and was one of the members of the J. Whitney Post, G. A. R., at Kimball. In 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Moss retired and moved to the village of Kimball, where they happily resided u:ntil the sad event which cut short his life. On July 4, 1914, Mr. and Mrs. Moss started out with relatives, to hold a family reunion at Lake Betsy. In going down a hill by the lake, the horse became very frightened, and ran down the road, throwing both out of the buggy. This was about 11 o'clock in the forenoon. Mr. Moss was taken home, and every attention was given him, but in spite of skilled medical aid he passed away at three in the afternoon, thus ending a noble life, well spent, and filled with kindly deeds. Mr. and Mrs. Moss both joined the Methodist Episcopal Church many years ago. Elias D. Moss was married in Indiana, August 14, 1873, to Emma Brinkman, who

Fred Meyer, Sr., farmer and elevator man at Kimball, was born in Hanover, Germany, September 1, 1860, son of Henry and Eliza Meyer. He left Germany in 1880, and found employment in Iowa county, Iowa, where he was joined the following year by his parents. Later he secured a farm in Fayette county, in the same state. In 1898 he brought his family to Stearns county, and secured 160 acres adjoining the village of Kimball, in Maine Prairie township. Later he added forty acres more. Here he carries on general farming. In 1906 he was made manager of the Osborn, McMillan Elevator Co., at Kimball. Mr. Meyer was married in 1884 to Louise Silschott, a native of Hanover, Germany, who came to Fayette county, Iowa, with her parents in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer have eight children. Mary, Henry, Fred, Jr., William, August and Louise were born in Fayette county, Iowa ; while Albert and Walter were born in Stearns county, Minnesota.

Alexander Spaulding, a retired farmer of Kimball, was born in Hodgson, Rusty county, Maine, son of Daniel and Margaret (Coldwell) Kimball. He received such meagre education as his neighborhood afforded by attending school three months a year during his earlier boyhood. In 1857 he came to Minnesota with his parents, his six brothers and sisters, his wife and his baby. With his brother, Willard, he drove an ox team from Clearwater, on the Mississippi river, to Maine Prairie. He took up a claim of 160 acres in the southwest quarter of section 9, and there built a bark cabin. Later he purchased forty acres in section 7. There he built a board shanty, which he shingled, and made comfortable. But while he was living in this place, news came of the Indian uprising, and he then moved to what was called Maine Prairie Corners. Then, after living in other parts of Maine Prairie, he moved to eighty acres in sections 18 and 19, Fair Haven township. There he lived until 1902, when, upon the death of his wife at the age of sixty-eight, he sold out. He tried life in the Dakotas for a while, but after about a year there, he came to Kimball, where he has since lived with his son, Charles L. Mr. Spaulding has been one of the leading men in this part of the county. For three years he was postmaster at Maine Prairie Corners. He worked hard to get the office established, was the first to be placed in charge of it, and often expended his own funds for the purpose of getting the mail conveyed from Fair Haven. For many years he was a member of the school board of District No. 30. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for forty-five years. During the Indian uprising, when the Maine Prairie Guards were organized, Mr. Spaulding was one of the members and was assigned to the duties of orderly sergeant. He was married November 28, 1855, to Mary McCoulm. This union has resulted in ten children : Daniel Milton, who died in Maine ; Cordelia, who was born in Maine, was brought to Minnesota with her parents, and is now Mrs. A. B. Hicks, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Gilbert (deceased); Nellie, now Mrs. J. H. Lyon, of Maine Prairie; Eva (deceased) ; Annetta, of Tacoma, Wash. ; Charles L., of Kimball village, who married Hattie B. Bowen ; Ernest George, who died at the age of eighteen months; Margaret, who married William Bowen, of Butte, Wash, (deceased), and Edith Jane, now Mrs. Ernest Quinn, of Monroe, Wash. The Spauldings are an old New England family, noted for their staunch Methodism. Men of the family figured in the early French and Indian Wars. The grandfather, Willard Spaulding, came from England, located in Massachusetts, and finally found his way to Kennebec county, Maine. The son of Willard, and father of Alexander, Daniel by name, was born in that county, and married Margaret Coldwell, a native of Ireland, but of Scotch descent. Daniel Spaulding had seven children: Alexander, Willard, Daniel, Jr., Alonzo, Mary Jane, David, Thomas and George. Daniel, Jr., died in Maine. The rest of the family came to Stearns county, with the parents.

Frank E. A. Wolff was born in Carver county, Minnesota, December 6, 1862, son of Henry and Anna Wolf. He received a good education in the district and graded schools, and as a young man became a carpenter. He was about thirty when he turned his attention to milling. For many years he was employed in this capacity in Appleton, Swift county, this state. In 1901 he went to Royalton, Minn., and was there head miller in a large mill for five years. In 1906 he came to Kimball, and purchased the Kimball Flour Mill. This mill, under his ownership, has been very successful. His leading brands, "Wolff's Best," and ''Our Leader," are very popular with housewives throughout the territory which he supplies. The mill has a capacity of 100 barrels. He and his wife are both interested in Masonry, he being a member of the Blue Lodge and she of the Eastern Star, at Kimball. He also belongs to the United Workmen at Royalton. For two years he did good service as a member of the village council of Kimball. Mr. Wolff was married March, 1889, to Ada Rhadigan, of Cascade, Iowa, daughter of Patrick Rhadigan. They have three children : Henry Douglas, a medical student ; Charles Franklin (deceased) and James Clark, at home.

Henry E. Wolff was born in Pennsylvania, and in 1852 located in Chaska, in Carver county, Minnesota, He was one of the true pioneers, and his experiences would, if recorded, make a most interesting volume. He started out from St. Paul, with an ox team, a few household supplies and provisions, and with fifty cents in his pocket. There was no road, and often he had to cut his way through the dense undergrowth. When he finally reached Chaska, he homesteaded 160 acres of land. Later he took forty acres of school land. Food was scarce and provisions must be brought from St. Paul. Corn was ground in a hand "coffee mill." Before a roof was put on the cabin, a child was born, with a rudely stretched sheet as the only shelter from the skies. But the years passed, the family prospered, and became well-to-do members of the community. During the Indian uprising, the family was many times frightened, and at one period went down to St, Paul on a flat boat and stayed for several days, fearing that the community in Carver county was to be wiped out by the Sioux. In 1878 the family moved to Bird Island, in Renville county, where the father and mother ended their days. There were eleven children in the family, all now living. They are : Clara, Caroline, Sarah, Henry, Charles, Otto, Samuel, Frank, David, Edward and Albert,

John N. Winslow, a Maine farmer and a veteran of the Civil War. In the family there were seven boys and one girl. Benjamin H. Winslow received his early education in Maine. In 1858 he set out with his wife, Betsey Goss, and their daughter, Ann (Mrs. Joseph Whitney), then seven months of age, now deceased. By rail, by boat and by stage, they at last reached Stearns county in May, and located in Fair Haven township. In the spring of 1859 they moved to Maine Prairie township. Subsequently they lived in various places, and finally in 1865 purchased 100 acres in section 22. On this land there were then no buildings. Mr. Winslow erected a log house and a log barn, and with an ox team and a pair of black mares, which he later purchased, he established the foundations of his agricultural operations. On this farm he lived from 1865 to 1896. Then he moved to a forty acre tract east of the original farm, where he built a modern residence, and there spent the remainder of his days. He died April 18, 1913, having survived his wife, who died April 25, 1901. He was a well known man, and one whose opinions were of consi'derable weight. He served on the town and school boards, and was an active factor in many public movements. Mr. and Mrs. Winslow had seven children : Ann, Addie, Ulysses S., Laura, Celestia C, Viola and Newman. Ann married Joseph Whitney, and they had seven children: Ava A., Benjamin F., Estella, John (deceased), Ray, Jessie, and Myrno. Mrs. Joseph Whitney died May 24, 1907. Addie J. is now Mrs. Samuel G. Stickney. Ulysses S. is mentioned elsewhere. Laura Emma is now Mrs. A. H. Houghton; she has ten children : Jesse, Florence, Myrtle, Gertrude, John, Harriet, Vesta, Ruby, Pearl, and James. Celestia C. married Simon P. Cassairt, who died August 15, 1906. Their children are: Florence H., Howard A., LeRoy, Henry, George Dewey, Olive and Edgar. Viola is now Mrs. Howard 0. Tull, of Minneapolis. Newman died at the age of eighteen days.

Ulysses S. Winslow, stock raiser, of Maine Prairie, was born in Maine Prairie township, February 24, 1863, son of Benjamin H. and Betsey (Goss) Winslow. He attended district school, and remained at home until twentynine years of age. Then he located on 240 acres in section 34, Maine Prairie township, where he remained until 1905, when he sold out, and purchased eighty acres in section 11, near the village of Kimball. He now makes a specialty of dairying and raising swine, and his stock is of a good grade. Mr. Winslow belongs to the Royal Neighbors, the Brotherhood of American Yeomen, and the M. W. of A., of which he is a charter member. In politics a Republican, he has served two years as a member of the board of supervisors. For fourteen years he was manager of the Kimball Creamery Company, of Kimball.

Mr. Winslow married Hettie E. Cossiart, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Cassairt. She died September 1, 1892, and on October 17, 1893, Mr. Winslow married Laura E. Goodner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Goodner. They have five children: Hettie, Conde, Clara, Lois and Helen.

Frank Henry Beumer, now deceased, pioneer, and for many years a leading business man in St. Augusta, was, born in Germany, November 5, 1836, and there received a good education. In 1854 he came to America and located in Pittsburg, Penn., where he followed his trade as a shoemaker until

1857 when he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he spent a year. In the spring of 1858 he came to Stearns county and settled in St. Augusta township. In the fall of 1858 he went to St. Louis, Mo., but in the spring of 1859 he returned to St. Augusta, and pre-empted 160 acres of land. He built a good home and other necessary buildings, and increased his holdings until he was the proud owner of 220 acres. In 1873 he sold his farm on account of poor health, and opened a small store in the village of St. Augusta. In time this store developed into a flourishing general mercantile business. In time he purchased the ''Neenah Mills," located a mile south of St. Augusta village, and conducted this establishment iii connection with his store. Aside from giving close attention to his business, Mr. Beumer was active in township affairs. For several years he was chairman of the town board, and for a long period he did excellent service on the school board. After a long and useful life, he died January 22, 1900. It is interesting to note that in the years when St. Augusta had a postoflice, Mr. and Mrs. Beumer served at different times as postmaster and postmistress. Mr. Beumer was united in marriage, February 11, 1860, to Marie Filers, who was born in Germany, February 16, 1837, came to America in 1858. Mrs. Beumer has proved a faithful wife and mother. After the death of her worthy husband she carried on the business until 1911, when she retired. After her busy and useful life, she is now enjoying a well-earned rest. To Mr. and Mrs. Beumer there have been born eleven children. Of these six are living. Mary is the wife of Joseph Kiersteins, of Phoenix, Arizona. Theresa is the wife of William F. Messmann, of St. Augusta township, this county; Frank H. lives in St. Augusta township. Herman lives in St. Cloud. Joseph and Henry J. live in St. Augusta township. Anna, Henry, Katrina, Casper H. and Katie are dead.

Frederick Beumer, pioneer and veteran of the Civil War, has had much to do with the development of the township of St. Augusta, where he has lived for so many years. He was born in Germany, February 27, 1841, and received a good education in the land of his birth. At the age of sixteen he set sail for America with his father and mother, Henry Casper and Louise (Rotman) Beumer. The family lived in Cincinnati for about six months, and then came directly west to St. Augusta township, where they took a homestead in sections 10 and 15. Father and son worked together, became influential farmers and erected a fine home. In 1864, Frederick Beumer enlisted in Company F, Eleventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, saw active service at Nashville, Tenn., and was mustered out at Ft. Snelling at the close of the war. Even before his service in the South he had demonstrated his courage and bravery in the face of danger. During the Indian uprising he was the only one in the neighborhood who remained at home, and it devolved upon him to look after the affairs of his neighbors, take care of the stock, and carry provisions for those who had sought shelter in the stockade. Often suspicious looking Indians came around, and he was frequently aroused by their presence, but none of them ever harmed him. Upon his return from the Civil War, Mr, Beumer resumed his work on the farm, and after his father's death started in for himself. He has prospered exceedingly, and at one time owned several hundred acres in St. Augusta township. He now makes his home with his son, Fred. During his years of active farm work he erected a sightly residence, and a splendid brick barn said to be the largest of its kind in the county. His honesty and his willingness to lend a helping hand to the needy has won for him the respect and esteem of a large community. A devout Catholic, his ideals and life have been in keeping with the high standards set by that church, and his children are worthily following in his footsteps. Mr. Beumer was married in May, 1866, to Gesina Eilers, an estimable woman in every sense of that noble word. She was born in Germany, March 9, 1846, and died in St. Augusta township, April 14, 1905. The children are as follows: C. H., of St. Augusta; John, of St. Augusta; Katherine, now wife of Nicholas Pesh, of Luxemburg township; Anna, now wife of Joseph Thole, of St. Cloud; Mary, now wife of John Schlagheck, of St. Augusta township ; Louise, now wife of John Trestka, of St. Cloud township ; Fred, of St. Augusta township ; Theresa, now wife of George Reishel, of St. Cloud; and Moritz, of St. Augusta township.

Fred Beumer, one of St. Augusta's younger farmers, was born on the place where he still resides. May 11, 1881, son of Frederick and Gesina (Eilers) Beumer. He received his education in the district schools and has devoted his adult years to working on his fine farm of 385 acres. Mr. Beumer is an enterprising young man and follows closely in the path of his father. In addition to managing his farm, he has two threshing outfits, and handles two large crews of men. One of his outfits is for hulling clover and the other for threshing small grains, and the territory which he serves is large. Mr. Beumer was married May 22, 1907, to Emma Baidice, who died May 9, 1910, leaving one child, Bridget. On November 22, 1910, he married Mary Toenyes, of St. Augusta, and they have two children, Luella and Florentine. The family faith is that of the Roman Catholic church.

Henry J. Beumer, horse dealer, cattle fancier and farmer, of St. Augusta, was born in the township where he still resides, June 6, 1880, a son of Frank Henry and Marie (Eilers) Beumer. He received a good education in the schools of his neighborhood, after which he engaged in the farming and mercantile business at St. Augusta, with his mother and brother. In 1909 he engaged in business for himself. He farms, breeds fancy Belgian draft horses, and buys, breeds, kills and sells cattle for beef. He has been very successful. His blooded stock is widely known and commands the highest prices. Mr. Beumer is a genial active man, highly esteemed for his business sagacity and his personal worth.

Joseph Beumer, treasurer of St. Augusta township, was born in the township where he still resides, January 18, 1878, son of Frank Henry and Marie (Eilers) Beumer. He attended the public schools, and supplemented this with one year's course in St. John's University at CoUegeville, this county. Thus equipped with a good education he entered the mercantile business, being associated with his father until his father's death in 1900 and with his mother until his retirement in 1907. Then he became associated with his brother, Henry J., in the live stock business, breeding thoroughbred Belgian horses.

and buying, killing and selling beef cattle. In March, 1913, he dissolved partnership with his brother, and has since devoted his time to looking after the interests of the old home. Mr. Beumer was elected treasurer of St. Augusta township in the spring of 1911, and by reelection has since served continuously, giving the best of satisfaction. January 1, 1913, he was elected secretary and treasurer of the St. Augusta Telephone Co. Mr. Beumer was married June 30, 1903, to Sophia Mayer, a daughter of John Mayer, of St. Augusta township. This union has been blessed with four children : Siegfried, Frank, Adeline and an unnamed infant deceased.

Frank H. Beumer, a progressive farmer of St. Augusta, was born in the township where he still resides, March 31, 1873, son of Frank Henry and Marie (Filers) Beumer. He attended the public schools of his native place, and in 1887 entered the St. Cloud State Normal School. After completing his studies he remained at home, working in the mill and the store and on the farm. In 1895 he and his brother-in-law, William F. Messmann, purchased the ''Neenah Mill." After successfully conducting this establishment for five years, they exchanged the mill for a farm in Benton county, in this state. Later Mr. Beumer purchased his partner's interest, and farmed there for eight years. Then he exchanged that farm for his present farm of 212 acres in sections 1 and 2, St. Augusta township, and sections 35 and 36, St. Cloud township. The place is well kept and fully demonstrates the thrift and enterprise of its owner. The success that has attended all his ventures has increased in his present undertaking and his hard work has been fully rewarded. Mr. Beumer was united in the bonds of matrimony, February 11, 1896, to Anna Messmann, and they have five children : Harry, George, Mary, Frances and Verena. The family faith is that of the Roman Catholic Church.

Herman Beumer, proprietor of the St. Cloud Dairy, was born in St. Augusta township, September 29, 1875, son of Frank Henry and Marie (Filers) Beumer, the pioneers. He received his education in the public schools, and worked in his father's store until twenty-three years of age, in the meantime serving four years as postmaster during the first administration of William McKinley. In 1898 Mr. Beumer went to St. Cloud, where he was engaged in business for two years. Then he and his wife occupied nearly a year in a vacation spent at Denver, Colorado, and other western points. Upon his return he became engineer for the Northwestern Granite Co. Three years later he secured a similar position at the St. Cloud pumping station, where he likewise remained about three years. Then he purchased the business now known as the St. Cloud Dairy. He has an extensive and growing retail trade which has necessitated his increasing the number of his cows from six to twenty-two. Mr. Beumer is a well-known man. He was appointed by the governor as district census enumerator for the township of St. Augusta. He is a member of St. Cloud Camp, No. 744, C. 0. F.

Mr. Beumer was married May 5, 1898, to Theresa Messmann, and they have had five children: Frank B. (died August, 1907), Rosa, Florence, Eleanor and Clarence. The family faith is that of the Roman Catholic Church.

Munson township, this county, December 30, 1873, son of John and Susanna (Garding) Becker, natives of Prussia, Germany, John Becker came to America in 1859 and located in Richmond, this county. Susanna Garding came to Cold Spring, this county, in the summer of 1860. They were married at Jacob's Prairie. They at once took up their residence on the old Becker homestead in Munson township, which had been preempted in 1859 by the father of John Becker, and grandfather of Nick Becker. The homestead originally consisted of 160 acres. John Becker added 160 acres more, erected a fine set of buildings, and became one of the leading farmers of Munson township. He operated the place successfully until 1901, when he retired and moved to Richmond village, where he spent the remainder of his days. He died February 26, 1910. His widow resides with her daughter, Margaret, wife of Anton S. Braegelmann, of Eden Lake township, this county. John Becker and his wife had seven children. Gertrude died in infancy. Margaret, as already mentioned, is the wife of Anton S. Braegelmann, of Eden Lake township. Valentine lives in Roscoe, this county. Louise is the wife of John Thelen, of Minneapolis. Barbara and Mary are twins. Barbara is the wife of M. B. Theisen, of Eden Valley village, this county; and Mary is the wife of John Ganzer, of Roscoe, this county. Nick lives in St. Augusta township.

Nick received his education in the district schools of Munson township, and engaged in farming with his father until twenty-six years of age. In 1900 he purchased the home farm, and successfully operated it until 1907. Then he sold that place, and purchased his present farm in sections 30-31, St. Augusta township, and section 36, Rockville township, where he is maintaining his prosperity as a general farmer. He is a good farmer, a good citizen, a good friend and agreeable companion. He has been a member of school district 36 since 1910.

Mr. Becker was married May 28, 1901, to Katie Lemm, who was born on the farm where she now resides, January 6, 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Becker have five children : Marcella, born August 9, 1902 ; Arthur, born November 14, 1904; Dorothy, born January 8, 1908; Alvina, born September 21, 1909, and Laura, born January 29, 1911.