August Departius Schaeffer

   My great grandfather, August Schaeffer was born April 14, 1822 in Saalfeld, Sachsen Germany to Hartmann Schaeffer and Dorothea Reinhardt.  The extended family lived in and around Kalbsbrieth, Heygendorf and Obersdorf in the Thuringen area.  According to information from a source in Germany, the Schaeffer home was built in 1785 but partially burned and rebuilt in 1803.  How fortunate I am to have postcards and photos sent by family members who traveled on a grand tour of Europe ca 1914 which show the original house, church and guesthouse owned by August's brother Carl and his son Gustav.  The Schaeffer's occupations aren't certain, but milling was mentioned and perhaps raising horses were both pursued.    August with his wife Minna, and three brothers emigrated to America ca 185l. It seems likely that they were once again facing upheavel in their country and were of an age when they might be called upon to join the military.  It is ironic that Thurlius, actually did join the Union Army and was killed in the Civil War.  The brothers settled in Milwaukee County and Montello Counties in Wisconsin where they engaged in various occupations. Brother Abraham and his wife Amelia Losach settled in the city of Milwaukee and eventually had 11 children, several of whom went to live with  August and Minna after the death of their mother.   August farmed with his father- in- law, Siegmund Caesar before moving with Minna, small son Anton and two more children; Clara and Herman to Minnesota.  

     They settled on a farm in Aurora Township, Steele County and appear in the 1857 territorial census.

About 1860 the family moved to Pine Island in Goodhue County where he became part owner of a flour mill.  This is where Mary, Albert and my grandfather, Frank, were born before once again the family was packed up and headed toward Stearns County.  Frank was a baby and Clara remembered walking through what is now downtown Minneapolis, trying to keep the few farm animals they had from wandering away.  They spent a few years in Raymond and would have lived near brother, Steven, his wife Mary Ann along with three daughters and two sons.  Clara, the oldest daughter had soon married Frederick Williams and had her first daughter, Lena.  The oldest son, Anton, appeared to be farming his own property.  In June 1873 the family headed farther west and apparently finally found their ideal forever home in Pomme de Terre, Grant County.   

     August and Frederick, Clara's husband, immediately began construction of a mill and by fall had it up and running.  Fred and Clara never actually lived in Pomme de Terre, but bought several lots in the plotted village as well as nearby farmland.  The mill provided the struggling new village an important reason for farmers, travelers and new pioneers to stop and seek new homes.  It must have been an exciting time because the nearby  Pembina Trail brought  army units, oxcarts, covered wagons and curious travelers seeking more land and new adventures and they became constant customers and guests.  According to his obituary, " In the early days many a traveler enjoyed his hospitality and made his place a stopping point.  No deserving weary traveler was denied rest, or honest hungry man turned from his door unsatisfied.  He was generous---a large man physically with a heart in proportion." This description of his size is interesting because according to a passport application from December of 1890, he is 5ft 6in tall with blue eyes and a straight nose.  Hmmm, his sons, grandson and great grandsons certainly inherited height from some part of the family!  August and his family certainly witnessed a changing scene as Pomme de Terre experienced an exciting few years as more westward movement continued on the nearby trail until the railroad bypassed it to the north and south.

      The mill burned down in 1887 and it was considered to be the end of an exciting era.  Slowly the dream of a busy town on the prairie died too.  Although August and Minna continued to live nearby in a new home built in 1891, life must have been very quiet and sedate compared to the changing times they had been witness to.  August died unexpectedly on Nov 3, 1898 and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery at Pomme de Terre which is a short distance from where their first green house stood and the mill made an impressive site along the rushing water of the Pomme de Terre River.  It seems appropriate that one of the chosen hymns was "Shall We Meet Beyond the River."

Minna Caesar, my great grandmother on my paternal side, was born near Saalfeld Germany January 2, 1831. She passed away May 27, 1904 in Pomme de Terre, Grant County, Minnesota. She married August Schaeffer in May of 1811 in Saalfeld. Ca 1850 August and Minna with little son, Antonn, made the long journey to America aboard an immigrant ship. Included in the passengers were Minna's parents, Sigmund Caesar and Magdalena Hein(en) as well as a younger brother, Ferdinand. They all settled in Granville, Milwaukee Township, Wisconsin where Siegmund bought land and started farming while August may have bought a mill. Two children were born there; Clara and Herman, before they started a long trek to Minnesota. They remained for a while in Lincoln Township, Steele County before once again moving to Pine Island in Goodhue, County. Here, Mary, Albert and my grandfather, Frank, were born. (Frank Feb 1, 1867) Apparently August had disagreements with partners who shared a half ownership in a mill, so after some legal negotiations, he sold out and once again loaded up his family to find new opportunities. I have wondered if Minna had a voice in these decisions, or as was usually the case, she packed up their possessions and prepared them for another arduous journey. Clara had once shared her memories of that time and recalled the older children had walked barefoot through what was then the city of Minneapolis trying to keep the animals from wandering off. My grandpa, Frank, would have been a baby. When the family arrived in Padua, Raymond Township, Stearns County, I wonder what they found. They purchased land and farmed for several years. Antonn, now a young man had preceeded them to the area which might have been a factor in following him. Again, the task of looking after the needs of a family of 7, getting settled perhaps in primitive conditions, must have been a challenge. It's not known whether the land they bought had buildings to provide shelter for animals as well as humans or whether there were nearby neightbors to lend a hand. In the 1870 census I found twins: Mathis and Nicholas who were several months old. I eventually found death records in the Stearns County Court House in St. Cloud because they didn't appear in 1875. I haven't been able to locate burial information. Also, about this time, daughter Clara, married Frederick Williams and according to census and birth records she was about 16 when their first daughter, Lena was born in Sauk Centre. Minna was 39 and still having babies while her daughter was starting a family. Daughter, Mary, apparently decided to leave her immediate family and went to live with Clara and Fred where she became a live-in "nanny." From stories given to me by cousins, Mary and Clara were considered "wild" for the their time and may have caused their parents a few headaches and grey hairs!!! (Clara, Fred, Lena and Mamie in Tacoma is another story!) Poor Minna, left alone on the prairie with her husband and three boys while part of her family is no doubt creating a stir in the nearby town. Meanwhile, I believe August became acquainted with Timothy Heald and possibly Robert Brill Burns who were farmers, inn keepers and conducted stage-coach stops, were planning on heading farther west. In May 1873 the Schaeffer family arrived in Pomme de Terre where August with son-in-law, Fred as partner, built his own mill and acquired a good deal of land. According to my grandfather, Frank, the first house was hastily built using rough lumber. My dad and his two sisters called that green house with a front porch home for a few years. In 1891 August built a big fancy house which was similar to the one he left in Saalfeld. Hopefully, Minna enjoyed an up to date modern abode after living in covered wagons or soddies while they searched for their forever home. Minna was kept busy providing shelter plus food for the men constructing the building and later for farmers bringing wheat to be milled. My grandfather said he remembered immediately upon arrival, being sent to the river to fish in order to provide something to put on the table. They were also located next to the heavily traveled Pembina Trail so there was constant excitement and always extra mouths to feed. After many years of relative quiet and probably loneliness, Minna suddenly was in the midst of noise, confusion and amazing changes. I wonder if she ever thought about the unbelievable times she had witnessed in her life----if only she had shared her thoughts, and dreams as well as the small events of daily life: but considering how busy she must have been it's doubtful she had time. Its doubtful she ever saw her Wisconsin family again, and nothing about them was ever mentioned. Minna actually owned land and property in her own name. She inherited part of a farm from her father in Wisconsin as well as the Pomme de Terre property after August died.

I wish I could have known more about Minna. Her photo is the only one I have and I cherish it.

Susan Rachel Haigh Hotchkiss Susan Rachel Haigh was my great grandmother on my maternal side. She was born March 5, 1851 in Omro, Winnebago County, Wisconsin and died Marchh 28, 1922 in Fergus Falls, Ottertail County, Mn. Her parents were Jonathan Haigh (1811) and Hannah Dalton (1816), both born in Penniston, Yorkshire, England. Susan was the 5th of 8 children. Susan and William were married July 4th, 1872 in Rushford, Wisconsin. If the marriage record is correct, William was 19, had recently moved from St. Lawrence Co. New York, his occupation is farmer and Susan was 21 years old. My mother didn't have specific memories of her grandmother, although several of her cousins were able to create short biographies using their experiences and memories of a special lady. Vivian Tollerson Peterson wrote the following: "Susan Haigh Hotchkiss was my grandmother. She was a short, plump pretty lady with a very even disposition. I think she would have to be in order to survive having 15 children!(11 living) She told me she sewed and knitted stockings for all of the family. Belle was the oldest of Susan's children and she helped care for all her younger siblings. Grandma loved to cook, knit, crochet, embroider and tat. I was ill when I was 9 and spent a year with grandma and grandpa in the big house in Fergus Falls (Guttenburg Heights) They were both very kind to me. She was 5 years older than grandpa but he always seemed the oldest. Grandma Susan died of a stroke." Blanche Tollerson Smith shared these memories: "I spent a few weeks in the summer of a year between 1918 and 1922 with my grandmother when she lived on Cleveland Avenue. She was a very unique woman; talented in handwork of all kinds. She taught me how to sew and knit. She was very particular about my work--she ripped out many seams before she would pass her OK on any sewing I may have been doing. I helped her garden and every other night I would walk to Lerfald's Store (nearly a mile) for a pail of milk. She would give ma a dime for the milk and a penny for candy. Grandma took me to my first movie and we attended the First Federated Church near Lake Alice a few times. She said she never had much chance to go to church as a child or after marriage and she enjoyed music so much. She was a quiet woman, very neat and a very "dear person." We would walk way out to Mount Faith Cemetery to put flowers on Grandpa Hotchkiss's grave." Happy 171 years, Great Grandmother Susan! An honor to remember you during Womens' History Month!