Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1066

 920 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY belongs to the Congregational church and is a member of the Elks, the Union Commercial Travelers, the Odd Fellows, the United "Workmen, the Modern Woodmen, the Modern Samaritans and other fraternal organizations. April 23, 1893, he was married to Salle Zimmerman, by whom he has four children, Paul E., Otto E., Francis and Edward R. The mother of these children died June 16, 1903, and- Mr. Rothe was married, April 16, 1905, to Tillie Schlueter, of St. Paul. Ernest and Johannah (Hahn) Rothe, parents of Paul AY. Rothe, were natives of Germany. The father, a miller, is still living, and the mother died March 12, 1903. William Williamson, a retired farmer of Cannon Falls village, was born in Steuben county. New York, May 2, 1833, and there received his education. His first venture for himself was in doing farm work for one year near Lake Ontario, after which he returned home and soon afterward moved to Ohio, where he farmed a short time near Cleveland. Subsequently he worked as engineer in a saw mill in Illinois, then returned to Cleveland, and in October, 1855, came to Stanton township and took up a quarter-section of wild land, which he broke and improved. Later he purchased more land, until he owned a fine farm of 214 acres, upon which he carried on general farming until 1900, when he rented the farm, purchased a home in Cannon Falls village and retired, seeking that rest from arduous toil which he so richly deserves after a life of hard work. In February, 1864, Mr. AVilliamson enlisted in the Union army and served in Company H, 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery, under Colonel Col- viLl, being discharged at Nashville, Tenn. He served several terms as supervisor of his township and for a considerable length of time was on the school board. Mr. AVilliamson was married in October, 1862, to Sarah McKinley, of Warsaw, • laughter of George McKinley, a native of Scotland. To this union were born four children: George M., after working twelve years in the pension bureau at ATashington, is now a hotel pro- prietor in Bowling Green, Ky. Frederick was drowned at the age of two years. Emma is principal of the high school at Cannon Falls. Anna lives at home and keeps house for the family. The family faith is that of the Methodist church. Air. Williamson votes the Republican ticket and belongs to the Ala- sonic order. Abraham and Sarah (Smith) AVilliamson, parents of William AVilliamson, were natives of New Jersey, but went to New York state in the early twenties and there spent the remainder of their lives, the father being a stone mason and farmer. Gustav Westman, now deceased, was a leader in the affairs of Cannon Falls township and village and also in matters per- taining: to the Swedish Lutheran church, of which he was a