Stearns County, Minnesota - Biographical sketches, 1915 (part 8 of 12)

George W. Stokes, a prominent citizen of Lynden township, was born in the Bronx, Westchester county. New York, August 26, 1850, son of Luke Hillis and Mary (Weilding) Stokes. He was reared in New York state and there received his early education. At the age of sixteen he was brought to Stearns county by his parents, and here he completed his schooling. He was taught pioneer farming by his father, and was still a youth when he purchased a farm of eighty acres in section 16, Lynden township. To this he has later added eighty acres in section 17, and forty acres in section 9, making a good farm of 200 acres. He also erected a complete set of sightly and commodious buildings. He broke the land and brought it to a high degree of cultivation. He was a prosperous and active farmer, and well deserved the success which rewarded his strenuous efforts. He continued farming until April, 1913, when he purchased his present home in the village of Clearwater, where he is now reaping the fruits of his years of toil. He has ever taken an active interest in town affairs. For twenty years he was a member of the town board and for ten years of that time he was chairman. For eight years he was clerk of School District No. 78. When his property was placed in District No. 169 he became treasurer and so remained until he retired in 1913. He still owns the home farm. It is operated by his sons, David and Roscoe. The family faith is that of the Methodist Church. George W. Stokes was married April 24, 1881, to Mrs. Eliza Beilstein Carlile, and to them have been born four children : Hattie, Roscoe, David and Gertrude. Hattie took a course in the St. Cloud State Normal School, and is now a proficient teacher. Roscoe and David, as noted, live on the home farm. David married Annie Hansen. Gertrude is a student in the St. Cloud State Normal School, Eliza

Beilstein, now Mrs. George W. Stokes, was born in New York state, February 6, 1857, daughter of Adam and Catherine (Fetters) Beilstein. Mr. and Mrs. Beilstein were born in Germany, and came to America in 1856. They lived in New York state until 1866, and then came to Minnesota and located in Wright county, where they took a homestead. In 1867, Mrs. Beilstein died. Soon afterward Mr. Beilstein took a farm in Clearwater township, in Wright county. Four years later he traded this farm for one in section 8, Lynden township, on which he lived for a short time, after which he took up his home with Mr. and Mrs. George W. Stokes, with whom he lived for over twenty-five years. He died February 8, 1906. To Mr. and Mrs. Beilstein were born two children: Eliza and Minnie. Eliza is now Mrs. George W. Stokes, of Clearwater. Minnie is now Mrs. Fred Ponsford, of section 27, Lynden township. Eliza was first married, October 11, 1875, to H. G. Carlile, who died November 4, 1876, leaving one child, Frederick Edwin Carlile, a farmer of Wright county. Frederick Edwin Carlile married Louise Lyons and they have two children. Lulu and Floyd.

William Stewart, an active and progressive farmer of Lynden township, was born in County Leitrem, Ireland, August 19, 1866, son of Arthur and Elizabeth (Mitchell) Stewart, who brought him to Lynden township in 1880. In 1894 he purchased the home farm from his father and here he has since continued to live. He has greatly improved the place in many ways, has remodeled and rebuilt the dwelling, and in 1910 erected a large modern barn, which is a model of its kind. At the same time other outbuildings were erected. To his original tract of land he has added until he now owns 240 acres, well stocked and improved. He is engaged in scientific farming and keeps thoroughly abreast of his times by reading, observation and experiments. He is a valuable citizen in every way. Mr. Stewart was married December 28, 1897, to Elizabeth Eickmeyer, who was born in Fair Haven township, June 8, 1873, daughter of Christ and Caroline (Bodierson) Eickmeyer. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have three children: Emily E., born November 22, 1898 ; Blanche E., born January 13, 1901 ; and Jessie A. W., born February 22, 1907. The family faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Christ Eickmeyer and his wife, Caroline, were natives of Germany. They came to America in 1867, and located in Fair Haven township, this county, and became representative farmers. First they took a homestead of eighty acres, and later they bought eighty acres. Here he farmed the remainder of his life. He died in 1894 and his wife in 1903.

Arthur Stewart, for many years a worthy resident of Lynden township, was born in County Leitrem, Ireland, and there became a farmer. He married Elizabeth Mitchell, a native of the same neighborhood. It was in 1880 that they came to the United States, found their way to Minnesota, and located in Lynden township. Here he purchased 160 acres of land, and engaged in farming. He erected a comfortable home and suitable outbuildings, and successfully conducted agricultural operations until 1894, when he turned the farm over to his son, William, with whom he continued to make his home for many years. In 1906 he took up his home with his daughter. He died on October 3, 1906. His wife died in March, 1908. In the family there were six children : Alexander, now of England ; James, who died in Australia ; George who lives in Australia ; Ellen, now Mrs. Wallace Bowers, of Clear Lake, Minn. ; William, of Lynden; and Elizabeth, now Mrs. Gustave Eickmeyer, of Fair Haven. In the Eickmeyer family there were eight children: Augusta, now Mrs. Henry Trunow, of Fair Haven; Lena (deceased); Minnie (deceased): Gustave, who conducts the home farm in Fair Haven township ; Anna, now Mrs. William Maurrer, of New Rockford, North Dakota; Elizabeth, now Mrs. William Stewart, of Lynden township; Mary, now Mrs. William Rode, of South Haven ; Ida, now Mrs. Julius Gasser, of Kimball.

Frank Schmidt, an industrious farmer of Lynden township, was born iu Mercer county, Ohio, September 24, 1856, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Dirks) Schmidt, and grandson of Gerhart Schmidt. Gerhard Schmidt was born, reared and married in Germany. In an early day he brought his family to America and settled in Mercer county, Ohio. Henry was but five years old when his family came to Ohio. He was there reared and educated, and was there married. But he desired to be a pioneer as had his father before him, so with his family he set out for Minnesota. October 12, 1874, he arrived in Lynden township, and purchased a farm in section 19, from his brotherin-law, Henry Dirks. This farm he developed and cultivated and successfully conducted. He and his wife both died in 1904. Frank Schmidt received his early education in Ohio, and was seventeen years of age when his parents came to Minnesota. He has since then devoted his life to agricultural pursuits on the home farm. He has 120 acres of cultivated land, and twenty acres of heavily timbered land. He is one of the progressive farmers of Lynden and is interested in everything that pertains to the advancement of the town and county. Mr. Schmidt married Elizabeth Witschen, a native of Lynden township, daughter of Barney and Clara (Berger) Witschen, and they have six children: Frances, Annie, Edna, Lawrence, Albert and Marie. Frances married Martin Storkamp, and they have two children. Emma married Edward Kuhn, and they have one child.

C. B. Whitney, a pioneer of Stearns county, was born in Vermont, near the Canadian line, August 24, 1850, son of Abijah and Altha Jane (Ingalls) Whitney, natives of Vermont. It was in 1863 that they came to Clearwater and purchased a farm of forty-three acres in Lynden township, this county. Abijah Whitney was a model man in every respect, a loving husband and a good father. He died in 1894. His wife died in 1911. C. B. Whitney attended the public schools of Buffalo, N. Y., and in 1863, at the age of thirteen, he came with his parents to Lynden township, and engaged in agricultural pursuits under the tuition of his father. In 1872 he bought 120 acres in Lynden township, and there successfully conducted general farming for twelve years. Then he sold out and purchased a farm in Rockville township, this county. He was there three years; on a farm in New London township, Kandiyohi county, three years, and on a farm in Fair Haven five years. Then he returned to Lynden and purchased a farm of 140 acres. In 1898 he sold this property, but still retains his parents' homestead of forty-three acres, -where he now lives. Aside from carrying on farming, he has taught school for many years. He is a man of sterling qualities of the old New England type, just and upright, and has won the respect of his community. He has been school clerk and town supervisor for several years. He has taken a keen interest in public affairs, and is ever ready to lend aid to any move that has for its object the betterment of the community. Fraternally he is a member of Clearwater Lodge, No. 3686, M. W. A. The family worships at the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. Whitney was married November 20, 1873, to Mary F. Heaton, who was born in Waterbury, Green county, Vermont, May 25, 1853, daughter of Tertius and Fatima (Perkins) Heaton, who brought her in 1857 to Wisconsin and in 1859 to Stearns county where they both died. Mrs. Whitney is a most affable lady, and has been a devoted wife and mother. She owns the beautiful home in which they now reside and several lots adjoining. To Mr. and Mrs. Whitney have been born two sons, Daniel E. and Hugh A., both of whom received good educations and are now engaged in business. Daniel E. was born October 20, 1878, and is now in the undertaking business at Brainard, Minn. Hugh A. was born September 8, 1880, and is now engaged in the furniture business at Bermidji, Minn. He was married, September, 1901, to Stella Bentley, who died in 1912, leaving two children, Sumner and Altha. Since their mother died they have lived with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Whitney. On June 17, 1914, Hugh A. was married to Hazelle Phillips. Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Whitney also had a daughter, Elsie, now deceased. She was born March 16, 1875, and died August 15, 1896. She was married October 22, 1893, to Frank West, who died 1896.

William J. Weyrauch, a well-to-do farmer of Lynden township, was bom in St. Cloud township, December 2, 1855, being thus one of the first white children born in this county. His parents were Henry and Anna May (Braster) Weyrauch. Henry Weyrauch was brought to America by his parents and located with them at Goose Creek, Missouri. There he lived for some fourteen years. In 1855 he came with his wife to St. Cloud, and took up his home in a shack which stood in the rear of the residence of Mr. Beutler, St. Cloud township. By trade Henry Weyrauch was a cooper as was his father before him. For many years he made flour barrels for the early millers. He also became a carpenter, and assisted in building many homes in this vicinity. At odd times he also worked his farm. He died in December, 1913, after a long and useful life. William J. Weyrauch received his early schooling in St. Augusta, one of his teachers being Henry Krebs. He was reared to farm pursuits, and even at an early age took charge of the farm while his father was attending to the duties of his trade. He bought a tract of land in section 29, Lynden township. Here he erected a log cabin, and started to wrest a farm from the wilderness. In this historic old cabin, four of his children were born. In 1892 he erected his present home. It is a pretentious structure, and the other buildings are well in keeping with it. The Weyrauch farm now consists of 240 acres, and is a model place in every particular, showing in every acre the thrift, industry and progressiveness of the owner, as well as his excellent taste and modern spirit. He carries on general farming and makes a specialty of raising Shorthorn cattle. Fraternally he belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters and to St. Mary's Society.

Mr, Weyrauch married Annie Schmidt, who was born in Ohio, and they have six children : Mary, Elizabeth, Frank, John, Henry and Alvin. Mary married Joseph Falke, and they have three children, Alphonse, Alice and Marsder. Elizabeth married Mr. Higgermeyer, and they have one child, Florentine. Frank married Lena Thall and they have one child, Olga. The family faith is that of the Catholic Church.

George E. Warner, for many years a respected and substantial farmer of Lynden township, now living in retirement in Clearwater, was born in Quebec, Canada, November 16, 1826, son of Joseph and Martha (Cole) Warner, the former of whom was a native of Vermont, and devoted his life to farming and harness making. George E. Warner was reared and educated in Canada. In 1860 he left that Dominion, and located in Derbyline, Vermont, where he worked as a blacksmith for four years. It was in 1864 that he came to Minnesota and took a claim in sections 19 and 20, Lynden township. He developed and improved this place, and brought it to a high stage of cultivation. After nearly four decades of busy endeavor, he sold his farm in 1902 and moved to St. Cloud. There he remained until 1914, when he took up his residence in Clearwater. He has been an active and progressive man during his entire adult years, and is now enjoying that rest, peace and contentment which he so richly deserves. He has taken a deep interest in the affairs of Lynden and St. Cloud, and is an active worker in the Old Settlers' Association. The Masonic body has also found in him a valuable member. He joined originally at Clearwater, but was later demitted to St. Cloud. Mr. Warner married Sarah Ann Wilcox, who died in 1894, and they had two children, Edward G. and Minnie, both now deceased. Edward G. married Fannie Lock and they have four children. Two are dead. Charles H. and George H. are married, and live at Great Falls, Montana. Minnie married John Boynton, and they had one child, Edna. She is now Mrs. Dickson, of Coon Rapids.

Marcus Maurin, one of Cold Spring's leading citizens, now deceased, was born April 11, 1836, at Unterwald, Unterkrain, Austria, son of Marcus, Sr., and Anna Maurin. Marcus, Sr., was a wine dealer, a farmer and a dealer in tools for goldsmiths and watchmakers, a man who traveled widely through Europe, and was extensively known. The children in the family were Marie, Marcus, Peter, Joseph, Margaretha, George, Katherina, Margreth, Martin and John. Marcus, the subject of this mention received a splendid education. Obtaining a taste for learning in the schools of his native town, he entered the Gymnasium at Altenmarkt, and from there went to the German school of Koprevnike, where he spent two years. These studies made him ambitious for further learning, so he entered the school of Neustad, in Steiermark. Subsequently he spent six months in study in Paris, France. At the age of nineteen he started for America, landing in New York, October 1, 1855. He found employment as a general trader in furs, with Chicago as his headquarters. Soon thereafter, however, he determined to enter business for himself. Accordingly, with St. Paul as his headquarters he became a full-fledged fur trader. By energy, unceasing work and thrift he built up the business and thus laid the foundation for his future notable success. From St. Paul, with his own team, he made extensive trips through Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and even into the Dakotas and Canada. The undaunted courage he possessed gave impetus to his work as he drove to the log cabins, the Indian camps, the hamlets, the Missions and the forts. At Ft. Ripley and Ft. Abercrombie he was an especially welcome guest, and the Chippewa Indians whose language he spoke trusted him fully and gave him their loyal friendship. Thus over almost trackless wilds, through the snow and intense cold of winter, and the sweltering heat of summer, he covered his territory from 1855 to 18G3. He had a genial manner and a never-ruffled temper, and made many warm friends. Especially was he honored with the friendship of many a Mission Father of the Northwest. Among these may be mentioned the Right Rev. Bishop James Trobec, then a mission priest ; also Mission Father Francis Pierz, at whose Indian missions he many times stopped ; as well as the Jesuit Father Wenniger, whom he often assisted in erecting Mission crosses where they might be seen by weary travelers of the Catholic faith. During these years, Marcus Maurin had some most thrilling adventures, and in later times, when he could be induced to talk of them, he related incident after incident in the most dramatic and vivid manner. The story of his life published in detail would make a most interesting and valuable contribution to the early history of the Northwest. In 1863, Mr. Maurin, having married, gave up his career of adventure, and settled in Cold Spring. With his brother, Peter, he organized the firm of Maurin Brothers, which became the strongest in the Sauk valley. It was the original intention of the brothers to open a mill, and in 1863 they purchased the water power rights at Cold Spring. A year later, however, they sold the privilege to T. P. Thompson. At Cold Spring they had a large mercantile establishment, a splendid hardware store, and a large grain elevator. They also had branches at St. Joseph, Little Falls and Elizabeth, all in this state. In 1872, the brother Peter went to Elizabeth to attend to the business there, and Marcus devoted the remainder of his life to building up the interests of Cold Spring. Throughout his life he was a devout member of the Catholic Church. In the early days he and his wife were forced to go to Jacob 's Prairie or Richmond to attend religious service. Later he assisted in erecting the first Catholic Church in Cold Spring village. Thoroughly interested in the affairs of the village, he was, in 1904, elected president of the village council. In 1891 he erected the residence which is still one of the show-places in this part of the county. It is said that at one time he owned over five thousand acres of land. Mr. Maurin died November 6, 1905, after a long and severely painful illness which he bore with Christian fortitude and patience. Marcus Maurin was married, June 9, 1863, to Mary A. Lauer, of Chicago. To this union were born seven children : Marie Frances, born December 16, 1864 ; Marie Louisa, born August 23, 1866 ; Anna Matilda, April 15, 1868 ; Peter Paul, June 29, 1870 ; Anna Rose, June 20, 1875 ; Agatha (deceased), born February 1, 1882; and Joseph Marcus, November 9, 1885. Marcus J. Maurin, one of Cold Spring's rising young business men, was born in the village where he still resides, November 9, 1885, son of Marcus Maurin, one of the county's most prominent men. Marcus J. attended the public schools of his native place, and in the fall of 1902 entered St. John's University at CoUegeville, this county, from the commercial course of which institution he graduated in 1905. With this preparation he at once returned to his home and entered the mercantile business with his father. In this line he has since continued. He has brought energy, new blood, and modern ideas into the business, and is numbered among the native sons of the state who have "made good." He is deeply interested in the advancement of every movement that has for its object the good and betterment of his village, township and county. He is a director in the First State Bank, of Cold Spring, and an enthusiastic worker and loyal member in the Cold Spring Commercial Club. Mr. Maurin was married, June 17, 1908, to Mayme Feiden, a native of Richmond, Minn,

Anton Muggli, St., was born in Switzerland, May 21, 1819. He received a good education in his native land, and was there married to Barbara Monn, who was born in Switzerland, March 28, 1824. In 1854 they came to America, and located in Stillwater, from which place in 1858 they came to Stearns county and settled in Munson township. They broke and cleared the land, erected buildings, and experienced all the vicissitudes of pioneer life. He died August 5, 1888, and she January 13, 1900. In their family there were ten children: Joseph (deceased) ; Anton, of Cold Spring; Virgilus, of Cold Spring; Edward (deceased); Mary, of Madelia, Minn.; Louise, of Tacoma, Wash.; Anna, of Roseoe, Minn.; Elizabeth, of Portland, Oregon; and Margaret and Barbara of the same city.

Daniel Friedman, a well-known resident of Cold Spring, was born in Little Falls, Minn,, February 7, 1860, a son of Nicholas and Mary A. (Young) Friedman. He came to Cold Spring with his parents, and here received his education. At the age of twenty-three he opened a market in Cold Spring. Later he engaged in the same business at Wilmot, South Dakota. Subsequently, for five years, he lived on a ranch in the ''Bad Lands," North Dakota, where he had Theodore Roosevelt for his near neighbor. It was at the end of this five years that Mr. Friedman encountered a serious misfortune. An unusually hard winter found his stock without feed or shelter, and he lost his entire herd. Consequently he returned to Cold Spring and engaged in the refreshment business. Before he sold out this business he had started his career as a capitalist by making a number of investments. One of his ventures subsequent to selling out was in a mercantile enterprise in Glenullin, North Dakota, where he bought out a half interest in the establishment conducted by his former employee, William Lutgen, and established the firm of Lutgen & Co., with a capital stock of $30,000. This company still carries on a successful business. Daniel Friedman is president and William Lutgen is secretary and treasurer. In 1900, Mr. Friedman associated himself with an old schoolmate, Joseph Arceneau, in the firm of Friedman & Arceneau, and opened a grocery and produce house in Alloueze, a suburb of Superior, Wis. In addition to these ventures, Mr. Friedman is an extensive owner of real estate in Minnesota and the Dakotas. In spite of his many holdings elsewhere, Mr. Friedman has taken a deep interest in the affairs of Cold Spring. He has here a splendid residence built of rich pressed brick, manufactured in North Dakota, and here maintains his home. For a time he was treasurer of the village. He is a loyal member of the Knights of Columbus. For his first wife, Mr. Friedman married Elizabeth Hussman. She died May 8, 1889. In 1891, Mr. Friedman married Elizabeth Tamble, a native of St. Joseph, Minn., daughter of M. J. Tamble. This union has been blessed with two children : Rufina, born April 27, 1902, and Evelyn M., born March 11, 1909.

Nicholas Friedman, a pioneer of Stearns county who laid down his life in the Union cause, was born in Baden, Germany, and came to America in the early forties with his parents. After living a few years in Ohio, he took up his residence in Illinois. From there he came with an ox team to Little Falls, Morrison county, this state, in 1856. He farmed in Morrison county a few years, and then came to Stearns county, where he secured land three miles south of Cold Spring. He built a log cabin and a log stable, and farmed with the aid of his oxen, until driven out by the Indians. Leaving the ripened harvest upon which he had set all his hopes, he and his wife and children fled to St. Cloud. After two weeks, he and the family returned with their neighbors to Cold Spring, There the women and children of the neighborhood remained, while the men went each day to the fields. In this way about half of the crop was saved. In 1864, Mr. Friedman was drafted to Company K, Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. Shortly after entering the service he was taken ill. Lying in a rude tent among the trees, surrounded by unsanitary conditions, and without adequate personal or medical attention, he died September 1, 1864, and was buried at Marietta, Tenn. He was then but thirty-four years of age, having been born April 7, 1830. His untimely death left his widow with four children, the oldest was six years old, the youngest was an infant. They were Magdalena, Daniel, Jacob L. and Mary. The widow worked at whatever she could find to do, and thus kept the family together. Later in life she married her brother-in-law, Jacob Friedman, and by this union had three children, Joseph, Rosa, Anna. Mrs. Friedman was born September 8, 1832, and died October 19, 1907.

Eugene Hermanutz, brewmeister and vice-president of the Cold Spring Brewing Co., was born in Wurtenberg, Germany, May 14, 1870, son of Dr. Rupert and Varina (Sauter) Hermanutz, both of whom died in their native city of Wurtenberg. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a brewmeister and thoroughly mastered that trade. When he reached the proper age he followed the customs of the Fatherland by entering the German army for a term of three years. It was November 1, 1896, when he landed in America. After working as a brewmeister in Wadena, Wadena county, Minn, for two years, he went to Walla Walla, Wash., where he followed a similar employment for a year. He then came to Cold Spring, in 1900, and at the organization of the brewery here, he assumed the duties of his present position. He has been an important factor in the building up of the success of the company, and looks after the numerous details of the business with splendid ability. He has one of the handsomest residences in the village.

Mr. Hermanutz was married in April, 1903, to Mary Roedl, of Watkins, Meeker county, Minn., and they have five children: Alvin, Raymond, Aloysius, Ferdinand and Erwin. Mary (Roedl) Hermanutz was the daughter of John and Margaret (Ripple) Roedl, natives of Bavaria, Germany, who came

John Kray, for many years proprietor of the Central House, at Cold Spring, was born in Germany, March 22, 1833. He came to America in 1849, and before reaching St. Paul in 1853, he worked in cities of Milwaukee and Racine, Wis., and Peoria, 111. After staying in St. Paul for a while, he located in Scott county, near Shakopee and Marystown. Some years later he rented his farm, and became a driver on the old stage express route between St. Paul and Shakopee. Four mules were necessary to propel the stage, and it took two days to make the round trip, thus enabling him to be in each city alternate nights. Minneapolis and St. Paul were scarcely more than hamlets at that time, and Mr. Kray used to shoot ducks in portions of what is now the business center of Minneapolis. During the Indian troubles he was driver of a provision wagon on the route between St. Cloud and Ft. Snelling. Often the wagon was used to transport soldiers or volunteers. At one time he was carting provisions along the route, when the train was attacked by Indians. He was cut off from the others, and it was only by fleeing on the backs of his mules that he was enabled to regain the rest of the train. During these experiences, Mr. Kray acquired a great love for outdoor life, and at one period when he was recouperating from a siege of sickness, he was enabled to build up his strength by living in the open. He and his Indian companion. Blue Stone, spent much time in the woods and along the streams, hunting, trapping and fishing. It was on August 2, 1872, that he settled in Cold Spring and opened the Central House. The hotel was burned January 17, 1880, but was at once rebuilt on a larger scale, and reopened June 22, of the same year. In the spring of 1890, the business was taken over by the three sons, Philip, Joseph and Valentine. After a while, Philip became sole owner. For a time he rented the place to Otto Wolf. In February, 1904, the hotel was sold to John Meyer. John Kray was married in 1855 to Katrina Hartmann, a native of Germany. They had nine children, of whom five, Mary, Philip, Kate, Valentine and Joseph H., lived to adult years.

Philip H. Kray, miller and elevator owner of Cold Spring, Minn., was born in Marystown, Minn., December 14, 1860, a son of John and Katrina (Hartmann), the pioneers. He was reared in the hotel business by his father, and received a good education in the public schools. In the spring of 1890, he and his two brothers took over the management of the Central House at Cold Spring, which their father had owned for so many years. Later the subject of this sketch assumed the entire ownership. For a short time he rented it to Otto Wolf. In February, 1904, he sold it to John Meyer. He has been more or less interested in grain buying for many years, and in 1909, he bought a part interest in the Farmers Milling Co., of Cold Spring. The enterprise is an important one, and has the liberal patronage of the public. Mr. Kray is one of the prominent men of his community, and has served either as treasurer of the village or as president of the village council for many years. Philip H. Kray was married, November 4, 1885, to Laura Whitford, of Cold Spring, daughter of John Whitford, an early settler. Laura Whitford Kray died in 1888. She had two children : Clarence, and an unnamed infant. On April 26, 1892, Mr. Kray married Angeline Schafer, the widow of William Messersmith, by whom she had three children : George, Henry B., and Evelyn Margaret, and their union has been blessed with five children: Emeline M., Frank Arthur, Estella M., Leona Emma (deceased), and Alma Caroline. Clarence Kray lives in Joplin, Mo. He married Martha Shelver. George Messersmith lives in Minneapolis, Minn. He married Angeline Schriber. Henry B. Messersmith lives in Decatur, 111. He married Maude Dalzell. Evelyn Margaret Messersmith is the wife of Dr. M. F. Cook, of St. Cloud. Emeline M. Kray, formerly secretary and treasurer of the Cold Spring Milling Co., is now wife of Joseph H. Peters, of Cold Spring. Frank Arthur Kray lives in Cold Spring. Estella Marie Kray succeeded her sister as secretary and treasurer of the Cold Spring Milling Co. Alma Caroline attends the public schools.

Joseph H. Kray, the genial postmaster of Cold Spring, was born in Shakopee, Minn., February 22, 1869, a son of John and Katrina (Hartmann) Kray. He was reared to hotel life by his father, and in 1890 he and his brothers took over the hotel business. In 1895 he opened a barber shop and confectionery store. In 1906 he disposed of this business. Since about that time he has had charge of the Cold Spring telephone exchange. Since 1897 he has been the postmaster, and has given most excellent service. Mr. Kray is a member of North Star Lodge, No. 23, A. F. & A. M. He was married October 3, 1893, to Barbara Stang, a native of Cold Spring, daughter of George Stang, who came to this vicinity about 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Kray have twelve children: Florence, born May 10, 1894; Elmer, born November 6, 1895; Rosa, born September 30, 1897 ; Milda, born February 13, 1899 ; Bertha, born September 24, 1900; Edna, born March 4, 1902, and died September 2, 1906; Edward, born December 12, 1903 ; Raymond, born October 30, 1905 ; Isabel, born December 26, 1907; Arthur, born October, 25, 1909; Madeline, born March 21, 1911; Norbert, July 26, 1913.

Michael Mienz, educator, now teaching in the public schools of Cold Spring village, was born on the home farm in Rockville township, February 22, 1873, son of Peter Mienz, the pioneer. Michael Mienz received his education in the common schools, of his neighborhood; the St. Cloud State Normal School, at St. Cloud; and St. John's University, at Collegeville. He started his career as a teacher in 1895, and has taught every year since then. He is a wide reader, an excellent instructor, and a prudent disciplinarian, respected alike by pupils and parents. Mr. Mienz was married to Mary Hansen, August 29, 1897, daughter of Nicholas Hansen, Sr., the pioneer There are two children, Olivia, and Marcella

John Oster, Sr., a pioneer, was born in Bassenheim, near the banks of the Rhine river, Germany, and there married Catherine Loecher, who was born in the same village. In 1849 they started for America with their two children, Catherine and Joseph. Their. journey was a pleasant one, the sailboat which they were aboard making the trip across the ocean in the unusually short time of twenty-six days. Upon landing, they came at once to St. Louis, Mo., thence to Wisconsin, and from that state to Stillwater, Minn. After remaining there a few years they came to Cold Spring, in Stearns county, and fin- ally located a farm in Wakefield township, Mr. Oster alternately worked at his trade of carpenter and joiner and labored on his farm. After settling here, he left for a while, and lived two years in Iowa, and two years in St. Cloud. Subsequently he returned to Cold Spring and here farmed for the remainder of his life. He died in 1908 at the age of eighty-six. His wife died in 1892 at the age of seventy-two. The children born in Stearns county were : Anton. Christina and John.

John Oster, the genial president of the Cold Spring Brewing Co., was born in Stearns county, August 5, 1863, a son of John, Sr,, and Catherine (Loecher) Oster, the pioneers. He was reared on the farm, and devoted his life to agricultural pursuits until twenty-five years of age, since which time he has devoted his attention to the brewery business. He is a prominent man in the community, and served as president of the village for two years. He belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters. His home is one of the most beautiful in this part of the country, and his brick garage has a full equipment of cars and fixtures. Mr. Oster was married, November 16, 1890, to Rosa Friedman, daughter of Jacob Friedman, who is appropriately mentioned elsewhere, and they have five children: Daniel, Alice, Edward, Irene and Ferdinand.

In 1876 when John Oster was but thirteen years of age, Michael Seigel started a small brewery in Cold Spring. He sold to John Ladner, and he in turn to Jacob Heamen. In 1890, Jacob Heamen and John Oster established the firm of Heamen & Oster. Their brewery had a capacity of about 1,000 barrels yearly, in addition to a small building which was devoted exclusively to turning out keg beer. Mr. Heamen sold out to Henry Hill, and the firm became Oster & Hill. Mr. Hill sold out to Ferdinand Peters, and the firm became Oster & Peters. In 1900 the Cold Spring Brewing Co., was incorporated, with John Oster as president; Eugene Hermanutz as vice-president; and Ferdinand Peters as secretary and treasurer.

The property of this company forms almost a small village, and amounts in value to nearly a half million of dollars. Absolute cleanliness and purity is their slogan. The widely known Cold Spring mineral water is used exclusively in the manufacture of their beers and soft drinks. The annual business of the corporation for 1913 was about $192,000. The well-known "Red Star" mineral water is shipped very extensively and its demands cover a radius of over a thousand miles from its home, ''Cold Spring."

Anton Oster was born in Cold Spring, January 16, 1865, son of John Oster, Sr., and Catherine (Loecher) Oster, the pioneers. He farmed on the old homestead in "Wakefield township a number of years, and in 1902 moved to the village of Cold Spring, where he engaged in the refreshment business for six months. He then rented the place and entered the employ of the Cold Spring Brewing Company. In 1906 he again became proprietor of his business and has since continued in that line. In 1889, Mr. Oster married Katie Nierenhausen, daughter of Peter Nierenhausen, a pioneer. In the family there are ten children: Margaret, Peter, Kate, Susan, Hilda, Estella, Albert, Nicholas, Marcus and Viola. The family are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

of Peter Joseph and Barbara (Michaels) Dreis. He left his home in Germany in 1868 and upon reaching this country, came to Wisconsin, and located at Cavalry Station, where he learned the blacksmith's trade. After three years there he came to Cold Spring, this county, and secured employment with the Northern Pacific. In 1874, after his marriage, he located on a farm of eighty acres in section 16, Wakefield township. A log cabin had been built, and five acres were under cultivation. About 1884 he moved to his present place in Cold Spring, where his house occupies the site of one of the early claim shanties. Mr. Dreis has held such offices as supervisor, and has been marshal of Cold Spring for the past twenty-five years. Mr. Dries married Mary Bruner in 1874, and they have five children : Anna and Elizabeth, of St. Cloud ; Mary, wife of Gustave Peters; Catherine (deceased) ; and Margaret, who died at the age of three years. Having no boys in the family, Mr. and Mrs. Dries adopted a son, James, to whom they have given parental care and affection. He is now in St. Cloud. Mary Bruner, now Mrs. Christian Dries, was the daughter of George and Anna (Uleman) Bruner, the pioneers. She was born in the Bavarian settlement three miles north of Cold Spring, in a covered wagon, August 2, 1856, no houses having at that time been erected there. She was the first white girl born in that vicinity, and the first child to be baptized in the Church of St. James on Jacob's Prairie. Her parents came from Bavaria to America, lived for a while on a farm north of Milwaukee, and then came to Wakefield township.

Gustave Peters was born on the old family homestead, near Cavalry Station, Wis., April 21, 1879, son of John Peters. He left home at the age of fourteen and became interested in the live stock and market business. By native ability and strict attention to business he has achieved success. In 1900 he opened a market in Cold Spring, and in 1908 he opened a branch at Rockville. It was in 1913 that he rented 200 acres of good land joining the village of Cold Spring. Here he has established the Cold Spring Stock farm. He raises good crops which are used for feeding purposes on his own farm. His cattle are of the best. The place is well kept, and the handsome residence and commodious barns make it one of the most sightly places in the community. Mr. Peters was married in 1901, to Mary Dries, and they have five children: Eldred, Albert, Adaline, Emma and Adwenia, who died at the age of three years.

Ferdinand Peters, secretary and treasurer of the Cold Spring Brewing Co., was born on a farm, one mile north of Calvary Station, Wis., May 1, 1874, son of John and Theresa Mary (Hilt) Peters, and grandson of Nicholas and Margaretha (Lentz) Peters. The grandfather, Nicholas, was a true pioneer. He brought his wife and oldest child from Germany, and secured a homestead of 160 acres one mile north of Calvary Station, Wis. There he built a cabin, and started farming, carrying on at the same time his trade as a blacksmith. His genial character, bravery and honesty, made him a great friend of the Indians. In times of Indian troubles when other settlers fled for protection to Fond du Lac, he remained quietly and untroubled on his farm. He died at the age of forty-seven. The children in the family were : Nicholas, John, Hubert, Mary, Christian and Charles. John Peters, the father, still remains on the homestead of his father, Nicholas. John Peters was born in 1844, and is one of the leading men of the community. His first wife, Theresa Mary Hilt died in 1886, at the age of thirty-one, leaving the following children : Ferdinand, Nicholas, Henry, Gustave, Albert, John and Johanna. The present wife of John Peters was Anna Marie Wagner. She has borne him eight children : Joseph, Mary, Emma, Hubert, Edwin, Edmond, Leonard and Irene. Ferdinand Peters was reared on the home farm, and received his education in the public schools and at Mt. Calvary University, at Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin. As a youth he thoroughly mastered the business of dairying in all its branches, including the care of live stock, and cheese and butter making. Upon coming to Stearns county, he located at Melrose, where he was engaged in the general mercantile business for one year. Subsequently he entered the employ of what is now the Cold Spring Brewing Co. After keeping books for this concern for two years, he spent some six months as general agent for the Minneapolis Brewing Co., with headquarters at Brainerd, Minn. January 15, 1899, he bought a half interest in what is now the Cold Spring Brewing Co., and with that institution he has since been connected. He has other extensive interests. Among them might be mentioned the Oak Park (Benton county, Minn.) State Bank, which has a capital of $12,000. Ferdinand Peters is the president, his wife is the vice-president, and Frank J. Pallanch is the cashier. Mr. Peters is a prominent man in the community. He has been an efficient member of the village council, and has served continuously since 1908 as village president. Mr. Peters is the father of the project of bottling the Red Star Mineral Water, that has made Cold Spring famous. The water, the first to be shipped from Stearns county, was put on the market in 1906, and is today used in thousands of homes, bufi'ets, and hospitals all through the Northwest. Mr. Peters was united in marriage, November 10, 1897, at Watkins, Minn., to Margaret Hontheim, born in Chicago, April 10, 1880, only child of Mathias and Gertrude (Bishop) Hontheim. Mr. and Mrs. Peters have four children : Marie, Isabel, Johanna and Lucile. Mathias Hontheim and Gertrude (Bishop) Hontheim, his wife, parents of Mrs. Ferdinand Peters, were born in Murlenbach, Germany. They came to America in 1870, and located in Chicago. In 1885 they came to Watkins, Minn., where Mr. Hontheim is engaged in the mercantile business.

Albert John Peters, merchant of Cold Spring, was born January 16, 1881, on the old Peters homestead, near Calvary Station, Wis., the son of John Peters. He received his preparatory education in the district schools and has supplemented this with wide reading and observation. For a short time he was employed by the Cold Spring Brewing Co. Then he was manager of the Maurin Brothers' Mercantile Co. for several years. In 1905 he became a partner in that concern. In addition to this he is vice-president of the State Bank, of Cold Spring. Mr. Peters was married June 26, 1907, to Rosa Maurin.

George Schaefer, an early hotel keeper of St. Cloud, was born in Kirschof by Heusweiler, Kreis Saarbrueken, Germany, and as a youth learned the trade of carpenter. He also served in the German army. As a young man of twenty-one, when his native land was rent with war, he became entangled in political matters, and as a result was forced to flee for his life. He found refuge in America, where he started in to carve a new career for himself. For a time he conducted a hotel at Crown Point, Ind. It was in 1860 that he came to Stearns county and opened a hotel in St. Cloud. It was located on the corner of Sixth avenue and First street, opposite what is now the St. Cloud Hotel. Mr. Schaefer conducted the Schaefer House until 1879, when he turned it over to his son, George M. Schaefer. He died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. H. P. Craig, in Cold Spring, this county. His wife died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles Metzroth, of St. Cloud. Mrs. Schaefer, whose maiden name was Margaret Klein, was born near Trear, Prussia, Germany.

Michael EUenbecker was born on November 1, 1859, in Sheboygan county. Wis., son of Nicholas and Catherine EUenbecker, both natives of the grand dutchy of Luxemburg. They came to America in 1848, and lived in Sheboygan county, "Wis., until 1867 when they moved to Stearns county and located on 150 acres of wild land in Luxemburg township. They erected a log house and a log cabin, and brought the wild land under cultivation. There they spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying in 1891 at the age of seventy-eight, and the mother in the same year at the age of seventy-six. Michael was reared on the home farm, and at the age of nineteen he entered the saloon business at what is now known as Old St. Nicholas in 1878. Two years later he returned to and operated the old farm. In 1883 he engaged in the saloon and grocery business at Cold Spring, in which he continued until 1886, when he again returned to the old farm where he remained until the spring of 1898, after which he re-entered the saloon business at Cold Spring in which he continued until 1904, when he engaged in the livery business and also held a position as rural mail carrier until 1906, after which he engaged in the mercantile business in which he continued for five years, and after disposing of his interests in that business in 1911 he again entered the saloon business in which he is now engaged in Cold Spring. Mr. EUenbecker married Emma Theisen on May 20, 1884, and they have had seven children : Margaret, Peter I., Anna, Emma, John, Matilda and John F. (deceased).

John Wocken, principal of the Cold Spring schools, was born in Hanover, Germany, August, 26, 1855, son of Bernhard and Elizabeth (Schumacher) "Wocken, who spent the span of their years in Germany. There were two daughters, Margaret, living in Germany, wife of Henry Ahlers, and Catherina (deceased). John Wocken attended the graded schools of his native place, and in 1874 graduated from the teachers' seminary at Osnabrueck. With this preparation, he taught school for several years in Germany. In 1881 he came to America, and after a short stay at Shakopee, Minn., came to St. John's University, at Collegeville, this county, to perfect himself in English. Then he resumed his profession as a teacher. He was the first teacher in the parochial school at Melrose. For a while he taught in district 33, this county. It was in 1887 that he became the teacher of the school in Cold Spring. The second year of his service here he was made principal, a position he has since retained. The school now has four teachers and has made wonderful progress under his capable charge. Mr. Wocken is a deep reader and keeps well abreast of the latest developments in the world's events as well as in the most modern aspects of pedagogy. As a hobby he has taken a deep interest in bees, and his apiary has been very successful. Fraternally he affiliates with the Society of St. Joseph. Mr. Wocken married Kate Schlick, and their living children are : Bernard, Joseph, Paul, Marcus, Raymond, Mary, Amanda and Hortense. Aloysius, Alphonse and Louise are dead.

Otto Wolf was born in Bavaria, Germany, February 22, 1865, son of John and Eva (Salzman) Wolf, who spent the span of their years in Germany. John and Eva Wolf had four children, Leopold, Otto, Henry and Theodore. After the death of his first wife, John Wolf married Margarethe Oechsner, by whom he had three children, John, George and Gretchen. Otto, the subject of this sketch, learned the vintner's and cooper's trades as a youth, and later became interested in the wine business. In 1888, he came to America as a single man. For fourteen years he was identified with the wholesale wine business in New York and San Francisco. In 1899 he gave up his location at 41-45 Broadway, New York, and came to Cold Spring, reaching here April 26. For two years he conducted the old Central Hotel. Then he built the Merchant's Hotel, a sightly modern brick structure, two stories high. He has built up a good trade and is well liked by the traveling public. In addition to the hotel, he has a flourishing wholesale wine business, his cellars containing one of the finest stocks of domestic and imported wines in the Northwest. Mr. Wold has taken an active interest in the development of the village and is one of the stockholders in the Cold Spring State Bank. He is also an extensive land owner. In 1914 Mr. and Mrs. Wolf were in Europe for three months at the time the war broke out. Mr. Wolf was married in New York city to Minnie Wiesner, who was born in his native town. Their only son, the light of their home, was born in New York April 21, 1895, and died at the age of five years.

Joseph P. Benolken, of the firm of Benolken & Rose, general merchants of New Munich, was born in Oak township, this county, June 8, 1876, son of Frank Benolken, early county commissioner and member of the state legislature. Joseph P. was educated in the district schools of his neighborhood, in the St. Cloud State Normal School, and in the Sauk Centre Business School, at Sauk Centre. Thus prepared he taught school four years in district 167, Spring Hill township, and two years in district 102, Freeport village, both in this county. In 1906 he entered the mercantile business at Freeport. In May, 1912, he purchased an interest in the general store of C. A. Brown, in New Munich, and associated himself with Joseph G. Rose, under the present firm name. The company does an excellent business, carries a good stock, and has a splendid building, 72 by 32. Mr. Benolken is a member of the St. Joseph Society and of the German Aid Society. He was married in November, 1900, to Elizabeth Bockhold, of New Munich, Minn. They have had six children: Alfred, Hugo (deceased), Ludwina, Robert, Valeria and Beatrice.

John Frevel, for some years a merchant in New Munich, was born in Prussia, Germany, May 30, 1838, and died October 30, 1909. He was the son of Bartholomus and Anna Elizabeth (Heeresbach) Frevel, who brought the family to America and located on section 18, Oak township, this county. They erected a log cabin, and lived much the same kind of life as their neighbors. John Frevel came with the rest of the family, and lived on the home farm in Oak township until 1885, when he moved to New Munich and opened a store. Twelve years later he moved to Melrose. After conducting a store there for four years, he returned to New Munich, and again took up the mercantile business here. For some years he was postmaster at that point. He also served in various town offices. For his first wife he married Agnes Kessing. The children were: Bartholomus, Elizabeth (deceased), John (deceased), Anna, Henry (deceased), Henry (deceased), Mary and a deceased infant. For his second wife he married Anna Meisen, whose parents settled in the early days on a farm two and a half miles north of New Munich, in Oak township. In the family there are thirteen children by this marriage: George, Elizabeth, Peter, Agnes, Timothy, Mathew, Appelonia, Francis, Lena (deceased), Rosa (deceased), Marcus, Magdalena (deceased) and Evelyn.

George Frevel was born in Oak township, this county, April 15, 1885, son of John and Anna (Meisen) Frevel. He attended the district schools and the Melrose High school. In 1908 he entered into the mercantile business with his father at New Munich. At the time of his father's death in the fall of 1909 he took over the business, which is now in a flourishing condition. He carries a good stock and enjoys a large trade. He is a leader in the community and an active worker for its progress. He has been postmaster since October 31, 1907, and village recorder since 1910. Mr. Frevel married Minnie Zimmerman, of Freeport, August 17, 1909.

John Herbes, hardware and furniture merchant, of New Munich, was born in New Munich, June 30, 1890, son of Henry and Cecelia (Rieland) Herbes. He attended the district schools of his neighborhood, and studied two years in St. John's University, Collegeville, and four terms at the St. Cloud State Normal School. Subsequently he worked on the farm for a while, and in 1911 engaged in the hardware and furniture business at New Munich. His is an unusually complete stock, and the attractive appearance of his store does much to give New Munich the aspect of a flourishing village. He married Mary Guenter, daughter of Theodore Guenter. Henry Herbes was born in Germany, and as a young man came to McHenry county, Illinois, where he worked for a time. In 1869 he came to Stearns county, and homesteaded 160 acres in section 32, Oak township. The claim was in the woods and had no improvements. He erected a log cabin and started to clear the land. His log cabin was burned, but, undaunted, he at once started to build another. Gradually he attained success and prosperity. To his pioneer cabin he brought his bride and the two faced life's battles together. As time passed they erected modern buildings, and their holdings were increased to 440 acres. Henry Herbes was school director for a time, and contributed toward building the three successive Catholic churches at New Munich. He died in 1908 at the age of seventy-two. His wife still makes her home on the farm. They had eight children: Frank, Benedine, Eliza, Lena, Joseph, Herman, John and Christina. Mary, Theresa and Benjamin are dead.

Conrad W. Young-, New Munich, one of the modern creamery men of Minnesota, was born in Holding township, this county, November 30, 1888, son of Henry Young. He received his early education in the district schools of the township and in the village school of Holdingford. At the age of six- teen he left the farm to learn the trade of buttermaker at Albany, in this county. In 1906 he entered the Dairy School, Department of Agriculture, of the University of Minnesota, and after the necessary experience received his diploma therefrom in 1907. Subsequently he was employed as buttermaker at Flensburg, Morrison county, Minn. ; Minneapolis, Minn. ; Duluth, Minn. ; Boyden, low^a, and Crookston, Minn. In 1910 he became general manager of the Bridgeman-Russell Creamery at Holdingford. August 1, 1911, he and A. H. Wester, of Albany, this state, became owners of the New Munich Creamery. Under the capable management of Mr. Young the creamery is constantly growing in popularity and output, and its standing in the community is high, both among the farmers and the dealers. Mr. Young is of that type of young man which counts so much for the growth of a village, and his friends predict for him a brilliant future. On August 20, 1912, he married Theresa, daughter of Mathias Pitzel, of New Munich.

Jacob Men, a retired farmer of Oak township, now living in New Munich village, was born in Switzerland, March 27, 1854, son of Antoin and Dorethea (De Florin) Mon, who in 1867 came to Minnesota and settled on 160 acres in Oak Grove. He and his family began in a small cabin, and started farming with the aid of a yoke of oxen. Success came, and Antoin Mon was enabled to erect modern buildings and add to his farm holdings. Two years before his death he retired and moved to New Munich, where he died at the age of seventy-eight. His wife had died at the age of seventy-three. In the family there were seven children : Barbara, Jacob, Joseph, Louis, Antoin, Mary and Margaret. Margaret was born in Minnesota. The rest were brought here by their parents. Jacob Mon was a sturdy youngster of thirteen when his parents reached America. Even at that early day he did his share of the work, and finally came into the possession of the home place. He devoted his life to farming operations for many years and met with excellent success. He retired and moved to his present home in New Munich. Mr. Mon married Regina Caub, daughter of Mathias Caub, a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, and an early settler of Stearns county. Mr. and Mrs. Mon have had ten children. Six are living: Conogonda, Margaret, Hubert, John, Lawrence and Barney. Benedict, Antoin, Dorethea and Henry are dead.

Joseph G. Rose, successful merchant of New Munich, of the firm of Benolken & Rose, is the son of John and Antoinette Rose. He attended the district schools and as a young man engaged in farming on 280 acres of land in Oak toAvnship. Later he conducted a hotel at New Munich for eleven years and then he formed his present partnership with Joseph P. Benolken. They do a large business and have taken a prominent part in the mercantile development of the village. Mr. Rose has been a member of the village council for six years and president of the council two years. Mr. Rose married for his first wife, Anna Roering, who died in March, 1900, leaving two children, Kate, who died at the age of fourteen and Elenora. The present Mrs. Rose was Emma Zimmerman, of Freeport, this county. They have had five children : Clarence, Anna, John, Rolia and Edmund.

John Rose was born in Germany, and after coming to the United States located at Cincinnati, Ohio. Later he came to Stearns county, and settled on a claim in section 8, Oak township. With him was his wife, Antoinette (Vormvrock), and his two children, John and Kate. The vicinity was wild, no roads had been built, they lived in a log cabin, farmed with an ox team, and went to St. Cloud for provisions. During the Indian uprising they sought refuge in St. Cloud. In after life he owned 340 acres of land, and a suitable number of buildings. He was a town and school officer and took his part in church affairs. He died at about seventy-two years of age. His wife died at the age of fifty-nine. The children in the family were John, Kate, Henry, Mary, Joseph G., Herman, Benjamin.

Edward Meagher homesteaded the southwest quarter of section 6, in the township of North Fork and located there in 1868, coming with his wife (Honorah) and six children from Sibley county, Minn. He taught the first school in the township, in district 66, in the year 1868. The school district then comprised the east half of the township. This school was taught in the log cabin of Aslag Guldbrandson (Maelen). Mr. Meagher took an active part in the public affairs of the township in the early days. In 1869 he was elected to the office of assessor and reelected annually up to 1880. He also held the office of justice of the peace for about the same length of time or until he moved and settled on a farm across the line into Pope county. In the campaign of 1876 he was elected to the legislature, his opponent being A. Barto of Sauk Centre, formerly lieutenant governor, prominent not only in the district but also in the state. Mr. Barto was the Republican candidate and Mr. Meagher the Democratic candidate; the legislative district was strongly Republican. The family has been prominent; three daughters, Katie, Hannah and Margaret were teachers ; Mary, now Sister Scholastica, 0. S. B., has been a member of this Order for the past 25 years ; Nellie resides in St. Paul ; the oldest son, Samuel, was a teacher in the western part of the county for several years ; another son, James, is a prominent farmer across the line in Pope county, and lives in the old home. Mr. Meagher was born in Ireland in 1828, came to America when a young man. He died at the old home where his son James now resides, on April 10, 1893.

Edward W. Nugent, real estate man of Brooten, was born in Dixon, Lee county, Illinois, June 10, 1859, son of John and Margaret (Keefe) Nugent, natives of Ireland. John Nugent came to America in 1849, and his wife a few years later. They were married in Illinois. For some years he operated a lumber yard and elevator at Dixon. May 13, 1873, he arrived in Minnesota, with his wife and six children, Edward W., M. F., Ellen, "William, Margaret and John. Mary was born in Minnesota. The family located on 160 acres in section 18, North Fork township. They erected a frame house and started farming with three horses and two cows. The nearest mill was at Chippewa Falls, now Terrace, in Pope county. By hard work and frugal life, John Nugent secured 320 acres of land. He was chairman of the town at one time, served many years as school treasurer, and did his party good service as chairman of the Democratic town committee. He died April 14, 1905. His wife died September 4, 1913. They were devout Catholics and assisted in erecting the church in Raymond township. Edward W. Nugent was educated in the schools of his neighborhood and in St. John's University, Collegeville, this.

county. For some years he traveled for the McCormick and Deering Harvester companies, as salesman, auditor and adjuster. About 1900 he took up his abode in Brooten, and in partnership with M. F. Rein formed the M. F. Rein Land Co. He is president of the Lancaster Land Co., Inc., of Lancaster, Minn. In 1905 he was a candidate for a seat in the lower house of the Minnesota State Legislature.

Nels Olson, who after a life of many and varied experiences is now spending his years in retirement in Brooten, was born in Norway, November 17, 1834. He came to America with his parents in 1854 and located in Rock county, Wis. In 1857 he moved to a claim in Spring Grove, Houston county, this state, which he had secured during a previous visit. He lived the life of the true pioneer, erected a log cabin, broke the land, and lived under the most primitive conditions. He was a recruiting officer during the Civil War. At the outbreak of the Indian troubles he showed his valor by urging his neighbors to stay on their homesteads and not to flee until there were indications that the Indians were to visit that part of the country. Some of the settlers were induced to return, and Mr. Olson was justified, for the Indians did no damage in that part of the state. In 1865 he came to Stearns county and settled in North Fork township, on 160 acres in section 27, near the Big Grove. To this he added from time to time. Here once more he started as a pioneer, living first in the wagon, and then erecting a building, part frame and partly of logs. Three years later he moved to Wheeling, in Rice county, where he farmed on 200 acres for twelve years. Then he moved to Getty, in Stearns county, and farmed on 240 acres in the southeastern part until 1887, when he moved to Brooten village where he now lives. He owns forty acres inside the village limits and eighty acres on the edge. Mr. Olson has been very active in locating settlers in the mining districts. At one time he selected a claim in the Mesaba district now worth millions, but was forced to relinquish it as he had already used up his preemption and homestead rights. He still owns mining lands. Mr. Olson was married in 1868 to Segre Olson, born in Norway. She died in 1900 at the age of seventy-six. There are seven children living, Engeborg, Christina, Louis, Elana, Elizabeth, Sarah and Samuel. Two, Ole and Lee, are dead.

Ellen Baalson, the first pioneer of North Fork township, was born in Hallingdahl, Norway, November 1, 1834, was there married, March 3, 1861, and on June 21, 1861, arrived in Spring Grove, Houston county, this state, July 4, 1865, he reached North Fork township with Hans Peterson. They were the first to settle in the township. Mr. Baalson secured 160 acres, and started to establish a household in the wilderness. When he first arrived he and his family camped under their wagons. On the same site he erected a log house, and with a team of oxen he started breaking the land. There was great difficulty in getting to market, and money was scarce, his entire cash resources at the time of his arrival consisting of but fifteen cents. Being far-sighted in business, and a hard worker, he managed in time to acquire 800 acres. As the years passed he erected buildings in keeping with his increasing prosperity. For many terms he was town treasurer and school officer. He was a devout member of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of North

Henry Baalson, a successful farmer of North Fork township, was born on the home place in this township, September 23, 1872, and has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits. He was married July 6, 1898, to Ida Regina Bente, and they have six children: Clara Elenora, born April 11, 1900, died at the age of two years, two months and two days ; Clara Jenet, born March 10, 1903, died at the age of four months ; Elmo Orrin, born August 6, 1904 ; Oliver Bernhard, born December 1, 1906, Clarance Johan, born October 13, 1909 ; Herman Ingvold, born October 4, 1912.

Gustav Levorson was born February 22, 1869, in the town of North Fork, Minnesota. When the Willmar Seminary was opened he was one of the sixteen students who enrolled in that institution. After getting a thorough education he became a teacher and taught school for several years, eleven terms in all. Later he secured a homestead in Itasca county and lived there fourteen months. Mr. Levorson is an active worker in the town of North Fork and has held many prominent positions. He has been the chairman of the town and also held the position of justice of peace for several years. Being a farmer he is much interested in their needs and was one of the organizers of the Brooten Farmers' Co-operative Creamery Association and became its first secretary and manager. He still holds the position of treasurer of that association. Since 1903 he has been the secretary of the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company of North Fork, In 1895 he was married to Andrina Baalson, who died in 1908. He has five children, Leonard, Clara, Elmo, Gilma and Arnold.

Kittel Halverson, member of the Fifty-second United States Congress, distinguished citizen of North Fork township, was born in Norway, December 15, 1846, son of Halvor and Anne Halverson, the estate name of the family being Kjeldal, In 1848, the family, then consisting of the father and mother and eight children, Ole, Liv, Margaret, Soren, Hans, Halvor, Nels and Kittel, came to America, and located near Whitewater, Wis. From there they moved to Lodi, on the Wisconsin river in Columbia county. Wis. Still later they moved to Winchester, Winnebago county, Wis. The father died April 14, 1861, at the age of sixty and the mother died in 1856 at the age of fifty-five. In addition to the children they brought to this country, there were two, Anne and Thora, born in this country. Four of the sons, Soren, Hans, Halvor and Kittel, served in the Civil War. Kittel Halverson followed the fortunes of his family until September 1, 1863, when, lacking a few months of seventeen years of age, he enlisted as a private in Battery C, First Wisconsin Heavy Artillery. He followed the campaigns of that regiment until the close of the war, doing good service in the Battle of Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, and the second battle of Chattanooga. He was mustered in at Milwau- kee, Wis., and mustered out at Madison; received his honorable discharge, and returned to the home farm in Winnebago, Wis., in October, 1865. The same year he started out with some other boys for the Northwest. In the party were the brothers, Halvor, Hans and Kittel Halverson, a cousin, Hans Swenson, and two other boys named Hans Kittleson and Syvert C. Larson. They made the trip, by foot, by boat, by rail, and by team, until they reached Renville county, Minn. The next day an election took place in Birch Cooley in that county, all being urged to vote. From this point they drove around the country looking for land. In November, 1865, he stopped one night in the tavern kept by William H. Blasdell, a pioneer of Paynesville. November 27, 1865, he filed on 160 acres of land in sections 26 and 27, North Fork township. He worked on the railroad for a few weeks and then returned to the claim of Hans Kittleson, where they built a log cabin in which the six boys spent the winter. As time passed, Mr. Halverson improved this land, erected the necessary buildings, purchased a complete supply of tools and machinery, and became one of the farmers of the community. In 1899 he went to Sargent county. North Dakota, where he farmed ten years. In 1909 he returned to North Fork and took up his residence on 200 acres of land in sections 32 and 33, the property constituting the homestead of his father-in-law, John U. Anderson. Mr. Halverson has been active in public affairs. As a veteran of the Civil War, he was for many years interested in the Republican party. In the early eighties he was nominated by his party as a candidate for the office of county commissioner, but declined to accept the nomination. Later he embraced the cause of the Farmers' Alliance. In 1886 he was elected to the lower house of the Minnesota legislature, being nominated by a mass convention, and endorsed by the Republican party. He served in the session of 1887, being a member of the railroad and educational committees. In 1900, at a mass convention of the Farmers' Alliance held at Fergus Falls, Minn., he was nominated as a candidate for Congress from the Fifth Minnesota District. He was also endorsed by the Prohibition party. His opponents were : Comstock, Republican, and Whitten, Democrat. He was elected and served one term, from March 4, 1891, to March 4, 1893. With the exception of Haldor F. Boen, who served from the Ninth Minnesota District, from March 4, 1893, to March 4, 1895, Mr. Halverson is the only man that the Farmers' Alliance movement ever sent to Congress from Minnesota. Four years later, Mr. Halverson was again nominated for the same office, but was defeated. In local politics, Mr. Halverson has been a prominent man, and has served many years, at different times, as chairman and clerk of North Fork township. He is now a member of the board of supervisors ; was a member of the school board for many years. Kittel Halverson was married November, 1870, to Geoline Anderson, daughter of John U. and Aulen Julia (Larson) Anderson. They have had thirteen children. Eight are living. They are: Henry, Josephine, Anna, Alfred, Clara, David, Lenora and Appeline. Those dead are : Nels, Nora, Abel, Noel and Anna.

K. Halverson was active in the organization of the Peoples' party, which he followed until its death in 1900, and has since affiliated himself with the Socialist party.

Frederick Peterson, a retired farmer living in North Fork township, was born in Norway, December 13, 1848, son of Peter and Inger Peterson. The mother died in Norway in 1851; leaving five children: Frederick, Lauritz, Margaret, Christina and Paulina. The father married for his second wife, Catherine Peterson, and to this union were born two children, Ingine and Olena. In 1861 the family came to America and located on a farm of forty acres in Bloomfield, Fillmore county, this state. They erected a log cabin and started farming with an ox team. During the Indian troubles they were often frightened, but no Indians came within many miles of the place. The father lived on that faiin until his death at the age of seventy-one. Frederick was reared in Fillmore county, and was there married. As a young man he purchased 100 acres in Bloomfield township, in that county and farmed there four years. Then he moved across the line into Mower county, and farmed there three years. In 1881 he moved to North Fork township, Stearns county, and secured forty acres of school land. No buildings had at that time been erected on the tract. Later he increased his holdings to 160 acres, erected modern buildings, and successfully carried on general farming for many years. He was clerk and assessor of North Fork township for many terms, and also served for a considerable period as school officer. Mr. Peterson was married in 1872 to Petronille Bjerke, born May 6, 1851, in Norway, daughter of Nels and Kjerstine Bjerke, who came to America in 1861 and settled in Spring Grove township, Houston county. In their family there were ten children. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson have three children : Ida, Ingine and Nora, Ida died in infancy. Nora married Henry Johnson, who operates the Peterson farm in addition to eighty acres of his own.

Andres Moen, a retired farmer living on his old homestead in North Fork township, was bom in Norway, February 8, 1844, son of Nels and Ingerborg Moen. In the family there were four children: Halvor, Ole, Andrew and Ingerborg. By another marriage Nels Moen had three children : Thoren, Kittel, and Barbara. Nels Moen died in Norway, and in 1867 the mother and her four children came to America, and located in Spring Grove, Houston county, this state. As a young man Andres Moen had learned the carpenter trade. In 1869 he came to Stearns county, and secured a homestead of 120 acres in section 25, North Fork township. He built a log house, and with an ox team began clearing and improving the place. His hard work brought him prosperity, as time passed he erected modern buildings, and now owns 575 acres of land, on which for many years he successfully carried on farming operations. As a carpenter he erected the first building of the Norwegian Lutheran Church, in North Fork township. For several years he was treasurer of his school district. Mr. Moen was married in 1871 to Thorga Vig, who died in 1910 at the age of sixty-one years. In their family there were eight children: Nels, Custa, Albert, Emma (deceased), Betsey, Anna and Carl.

Nels Moen, one of the most prominent and enterprising farmers of North Fork township, was born in the township where he still resides, April 24, 1872, son of Andres and Thorga (Vig) Moen, the pioneers. He operates 280 acres of rich land, and has modern barns and outbuildings, and an unusually sightly home, his farm being equipped with the latest and best farm implements and tools, and everything else that helps to make farm life comfortable and profitable. He has a fine herd of Shorthorn cattle, bred from fullblooded sires, and some excellent Poland-China hogs and Percheron horses. At one time he was a successful breeder of Shropshire sheep, and in this line was widely known. For about fourteen years he operated a threshing outfit in the neighborhood. Mr. Moen married Mary Heieie, daughter of Ole Heieie. They have five children: Tillie, Elmo, Evelyn, Odila and Theodore.

Joshua H. Bruce, now deceased, for many years a leading man in the western part of Stearns county, was born at Ladoga, Indiana, March 22, 1833, and there spent the first thirty years of his life. In October, 1863, Mr. Bruce removed to Sauk Centre, in this county, and purchased a quarter section of land on the Melrose road. Ten years later he exchanged with S. M. Beidleman, for the farm in Getty Grove, on which he lived for many years. Embracing 400 acres, the farm was one of the best in Central Minnesota, and the acres were as well known for fertility as the home was for hospitality. Modest and unassuming, a thorough farmer in theory and practice, he had little time for anything that would divide his attention. Aside from holding school district and township offices, he shrank from anything that savored of publicity. Nevertheless, in 1886, wholly unsought, he received the nomination for a seat in the lower house of the state legislature from a people's convention, and was elected without opposition. He served the state and his constituency faithfully, and conscientiously, but declined renomination. He preferred home to the turmoil of legislative life. His death in 1894 came after a brief illness. He had known of his approaching end, and had gone to his long rest with courage and fortitude. At the time of his death it was said of him: "The death of an upright man and an enterprising citizen is a public calamity. When, in addition thereto, the deceased is possessed of a warm heart, sympathetic nature, liberality of action, purity of life, nobility of character and disinterestedness of motive, it strikes deeper, it becomes a personal bereavement to all who knew him. Such a man was Joshua H. Bruce. To him flowed out the esteem and admiration of all who knew him, and his memory will be revered long after his mortal frame shall have crumbled to dust." Mr. Bruce was married in 1855, to Sarah E. La Follette, and to this union were born four sons and four daughters. Joshua H., Jr., is deceased; Mary P., married David Love; Sarah M., married Edward L. Mantor; Ella E., married John H. Love; Mabel L., married Charles L. Gray; Charles R. is a farmer of Ashley ; "Wallace is deceased ; James M., lives in Elrosa, Minn.

Charles R. Bruce, one of the leading citizens of Ashley township, and prominently identified with business interests of this part of the state, was born November 13, 1865, son of Joshua H. Bruce. He has taken an active interest in public affairs, and has served his township in various capacities on the town and school boards. He is president of the Co-operative Creamery Co., of Westport, Minn., treasurer of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Society, of North Fork, this county; and a director in the Merchants' National Bank, of Sauk Centre. Mr. Bruce was married June 5, 1897, to Mary Koterba, and their home is one of the most hospitable in the community.

Gilford D. Cass, a successful farmer of Ashley township, was born in Ohio, October 9, 1859, son of Judge Samuel and Martha A. (Story) Cass. In 1881 he came to Sauk Centre, and purchased 160 acres of land in Ashley township. To this he later added eighty acres. He has served in various offices of different sorts, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of Westport, Minn. Mr. Cass married Ella Wilcox, of Mankato, Minn. Samuel Cass was born in Ohio, the son of Julius Cass. Samuel Cass died September 13, 1912, at the age of ninety-three years. His wife is still living in Ohio at the age of eighty years. They had seven children : Eugene, Webster, Paul, Clifford, Freemont, Vienna and Clifford D. Julius Cass engaged in farming and stock buying in New York state. His children were : Joseph, Campbell, Wellington and Samuel.

0. 0. Roen, a prominent citizen of Ashley township, was born in Norway, October 6, 1846, and came to America at the age of twenty-one years. For many years he lived in Wisconsin, from which state he came to Ashley township in 1902. He owns a splendid farm of 350 acres, and has been very successful in his farming operations. His son, John, also owns a large farm in the same neighborhood. Mr. Roen married Mary Jansen, and they have six children : John, Emma, Henry, Robert, Frank, Oliver and Rudolph. Frank died in infancy.

James Swift, a substantial and honored citizen of Ashley township, was born in Canada, September 21, 1849, and in 1885 came to Minnesota and acquired eighty acres of land. Conditions when they arrived were primitive indeed. No buildings had been erected on the tract, no road led to it, and there were no church or school advantages in the neighborhood. But they set at work with a will, and by hard work, courage and frugality, they have attained success and are numbered among the best people in the community. They have a pleasant home with the necessary barns, they have a telephone in the home and are served by a rural mail route, while the neat place is beautified by a grove, and equipped with the necessary tools for the successful carrying on of the farm work.

Mr. Swift married Elizabeth Herbert, also a native of Canada. This union has resulted in eight children : William S., Frederick, Annie R., Charles W., James C, Nathaniel E., Charlotte E., and George H. Mr. and Mrs. Swift are members of the Episcopal Church of Ashley, of which church Mr. Swift has been secretary for twenty years.

A. M. Stiles, one of the leading exponents of agricultural supremacy, in Stearns county, was born in Steuben county, New York, April 10, 1838, son of David and Clarinda (Shaw) Stiles, who took up a homestead in this county, in 1862. A. M. Stiles was taken by the family to Indiana in 1853 and to Adams county, Wisconsin, in 1858. When the parents came to Stearns county, he went to Rochester, Minn. In 1864 he made a trip overland to the Rocky Mountains, and there rained in Idaho for about two years. In 1866 he returned to Minnesota, joined his parents, and located on a farm in section 11, Ashley township, where he still resides. He has prospered with the years and is now the owner of several large farms. Mr. Stiles was elected chairman of the board of supervisors when the town was organized, and has served in an official capacity on the board for about thirty years, part of the time as supervisor and part of the time as clerk. He has also held school office for a considerable period. In 1879 he sat in the lower house of the Minnesota legislature. He is honored in Odd Fellowship as one of the founders, and the first Noble Grand of Sauk Centre Lodge, No. 34, I. 0. 0. F. In the Methodist Church he has been an efficient and active worker. All-in-all, he is a useful citizen, one whose life has meant something in the community where he has for so long made his home. A. M. Stiles married Mary W. Teeters, and they have four children : Offie, Clara, Bertha and Emma. David and Clarinda (Shaw) Stiles had nine children : Philena, Albert M., Lafayette, Mirah, Orrel, Ellen, Frances, Theodore and Orlando.

Lovinas Abell, one of the earliest settlers of Fair Haven, was born in Manlius, New York, and as a young man went to Ohio, where he married Harriet Coats, also a native of New York state. For a number of years he lived in Ohio and Indiana. In 1856 he left Mecca, in Trumbull county, Ohio, with five other gentlemen, George G. Root, Henry Root, John L. Dean, J. G. Smith and A. Smith. In the sumer of 1856 they reached Stearns county and after due investigation they discovered the beautiful location to which they gave the name of Fair Haven, owing to its plentiful water and its pleasant prospect. The name was suggested by Thomas C. Partridge, who had preceded the party here, and who laid out the village of Fair Haven. The members of the party cast lots for their locations. Lovinas Abell secured 160 acres in section 33, just north of the village. He put up a log building and started farming. In the fall the wife of Lovinas Abell arrived with the six children: Jane, Newton (a veteran of the Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry), Wesley, Laura, John D. (a veteran of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry), and Milton. They reached Fair Haven by driving from St. Anthony, accompanied by several other families. Mr. and Mrs. Abell spent the remainder of their days in this township. He died at the age of seventyfive and she at the age of ninety-four. John D. and Milton, sons of this family, are the oldest settlers living in Fair Haven township. John D. was born December 1, 1845, came here with the family, enlisted in Company C, First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, served three years, and was wounded at Petersburg. He is a member of the G. A. R., and for about a year was postmaster at Fair Haven. He was married August 16, 1875, to Henrietta Dean, and they have one son, Horace E. Milton is a wagon-maker by trade. He now farms on twenty acres in the suburbs of Fair Haven. He has been constable for several years.

Elmer J. Baldwin, a substantial farmer of Fair- Haven, was born in Eden township, Erie county. New York, April 26, 1852, son of Joseph Barber and Elmira (Dunham) Baldwin, and grandson of Joseph Barber Baldwin, the elder, and of William Dunham. Both grandfathers were soldiers in the war of 1812. One of the paternal ancestors was in the Revolutionary War in 1776. A hickory whetstone, a wooden canteen, a pistol and other relics of that conflict are still in the possession of the subject of this mention. Joseph Barber Baldwin, the younger, spent most of his life in Erie county, New York, and in latter years came to Stearns county, where he died in 1898, at the age of eighty-four. His wife died in 1893. They had ten children. Of these, Joseph Henry was the first to come to Minnesota. He came in 1871. In September, 1872, the other boys, Elmer J., Giles and Egbert S. From Clear Lake, Minn., they came to Clearwater, at the edge of this county, by stage, and then walked to Fair Haven. The landscape looked strange indeed to them, for all their previous life had been spent in a country of rugged hills and picturesque vales, with farms perched on the hillsides. Elmer J., after a few years, was presented by his father with forty acres in section 35, all wild land. He cleared and broke the land, and then sold it. Then he secured 120 acres in section 3. On this land near the village of Fair Haven, he has since continued to carry on farming operations. He has been justice of the peace for many terms, and has been town clerk for the past eighteen years, a position in which he is still serving. In politics he is a Republican. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, and his wife to the Royal Neighbors. Mr. Baldwin was married August 6, 1877, to Hattie C. Leavitt, the first white child born on Maine Prairie. She was born December 25, 1859, and became a proficient school teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin have one daughter, Eva L., born November 6, 1891. She was married August 28, 1912, to August May, and they live in Fair Haven village.

Sumner Leavitt came to Stearns county at an early day, and settled in Maine Prairie,, where he engaged in farming on the place known as the Samuel Young Farm. In 1863 he came to Fair Haven. He was engaged at various times as a teamster, stage driver, blacksmith and wagon maker. He was especially well known as a stage driver, having driven for many years on the route from St. Cloud to Fair Haven, also to Litchfield, Monticello, Kingston and Cokato. He was a successful man and was highly esteemed in the community. He died February 3, 1904, at the age of seventy-nine. Mr. Leavitt was married in 1852 to Alvira Blake, who died October 24, 1871, at the age of thirty-nine. In 1873 he married Lottie Boolan, who died in November, 1913. By his first wife, he had one daughter, Hattie C. Leavitt. After his second marriage he adopted a boy named Walter J. Walter J. served three years in the Philippines, and after being honorably discharged, remained for two years longer in the service of the government. He is now living on a homestead near Chugwater, Wyoming, with his wife and young daughter. His wife is the oldest daughter of Roscoe Boobar, also an old settler of Fair Haven.

Joseph Henry Baldwin, a respected farmer of Fair Haven township, was born in Erie county. New York, October 24, 1843, son of Joseph Barber and Elmira (Dunham) Baldwin, and grandson of Joseph Barber Baldwin, Sr., and of William Dunham. He spent his early life in his native county, and in August, 1862, enlisted at North Evans, N. Y., in Company K, One Hundred and Sixteenth New York Volunteer Infantry. He saw active service as a valiant soldier under Sheridan in the Red River campaign, and took part in the Grand Review in Washington. In 1869 he came to Stearns county, looked around for a while, and then returned to New York state. In 1871 he came to remain permanently. In 1872 he purchased a farm in Fair Haven township. This farm he increased to about 1,000 acres, and for many years conducted general farming, making a specialty of Black Poll-Angus cattle. In 1911 he and his wife retired and moved to the village of Fair Haven. At various times, Mr. Baldwin has held town office, having been treasurer and assessor of Fair Haven. Mr. Baldwin was married October 8, 1881, to Mary Lawton, born in Erie county. New York, December 8, 1838, daughter of George and Jane (Bartlet) Lawton, and granddaughter of John Lawton. John Lawton moved into western New York from New Bedford, Mass. George Lawton was born in Collins, Erie county, New York. The Bartlets lived in Rhode Island, in Colonial times. Mr. Baldwin is a member of the Christian church.

Calvin J. Boobar, a pioneer, was born in Milo, Maine, December 27, 1811, and was married November 6, 1836, to Eliza H. Merrill, who was born in Auburn, Maine, March 1, 1816, In April, 1858, they came to Fair Haven, and thence to Maine Prairie. In March, 1862, they moved to Sauk Centre, where they lived in a rude cabin on the bank of the Sauk river. In August, 1862, the family came back to Maine Prairie. They left Sauk Centre on the day of the New Ulm massacre, but did not know of that event until afterward. For six weeks they lived in the Maine Prairie stockade. The Indians were unfriendly, though in this vicinity not actually murderous, and the homes and farms were the scenes of looting and pillage until the soldiers arrived. About this time the family went to Minneapolis, and remained some one and a half years before returning to Fair Haven, After the war there came a period of tranquillity, and the family prospered with the years. Calvin J. Boobar was a prominent man, and held a number of local offices. At the time of his death, December 6, 1872, he was town clerk and justice of the peace, both of which positions he had held for many years,

Mrs, Boobar lived to be the oldest woman in Minnesota. She died March 23, 1914, at the age of ninety-eight years. She was one of the mothers of Minnesota, and her long and useful life embraced experiences which fall to the lot of but few women. She bore hardships and happiness with the same undaunted spirit, and was a staunch figure in the life of the county. At the time of her death it was said of her: "The greater part of Mrs. Boobar 's later life was spent in Fair Haven, where she was surrounded by an army of admiring friends who loved her for her many deeds of kindness and her charitable spirit. In her active days she was ever willing and eager to aid in times of sickness and distress, so in her own declining years, the welfare of 'Grandma' Boobar was foremost in the minds of all." In her latter years her eyesight failed her, but her wonderful memory remained clear, and her spirit grew stronger and brighter,

Mr, and Mrs. Boobar had twelve children : Anna, born June 19, 1840, is the widow of Aaron Nason, and lives in Thief River Falls, Minn, ; Drusilla was born January 2, 1842, was married February 5, 1859, to Aaron Nason, and died July 10, 1859 ; Lucy J., was born October 15, 1843, married John Bliler, November 14, 1870, and died September - , 1896 ; Henry C, was born November 25, 1844, enlisted in Company D, Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry,, and died August 18, 1862 ; Althea was born January 14, 1847, was married January 14, 1866, to Payson Partridge, and they live at Berryville, Arkan- sas ; George R. was born September 30, 1848, was married December 28, 1877, to Maggie Larson, and they live in Fair Haven; Charlotte was born January 18, 1851, was married January 17, 1872, to Sumner Leavitt, and died November 15, 1913; Hattie C. was born April 26, 1853, was married April 16, 1872, to A. C. Easton; and since his death lives in Minneapolis; Hannah W. was born April 26, 1853, was married October 4, 1874, to Charles Fralick, and since his death continues to live in Fair Haven; James Elmer was born August 14, 1855, and was married December 8, 1884, to Annie Bayless, and they five at Nary, Minn.; Clara E. was born July 13, 1859, was married in 1889, to John Deane, and they live in Girard, Ohio; Frank H. was born July 1, 1862, and was married January 15, 1885, to Jennie Stevens.