Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1086

 938 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY All his eight children are living. Albert obtained such education as the district schools offered, and from earliest boyhood took an interest in farming. He now owns the home place of 160 acres, having ninety acres under the plow. His crops are of a general nature, and his stock of a high grade. His fellow citizens have accorded him their trust and esteem and for three years have called him to serve as their town clerk. He votes the Republican ticket. Mr. Helmeke was married in 1888 to Maggie Kruckenburg, daughter of Fred Kruckenburg, an old settler of Minneapolis, who, being a carpenter, erected many of the early buildings there. To Mr. and Mrs. Helmeke have been born four children, Lillie,, Fred, John ami Anton. The Lutheran faith is the family religion. John B. Zignego has a large farm on Section 5, Hay Creek township, just outside of the limits of the city of Red Wing, 200 of his 338 acres being under the plow and in a high stage of cultivation. On this farm he does general farming, together with stock raising and dairying, making a specialty of hogs. He has made many improvements on his place and lives in a pleasant residence with his wife and six children. He was born in Italy, June 24, 1856, son of Andrew and Carrie Zignego, both of whom died in Italy. His uncle brought him to this country when he was a youth of fourteen years, in 1869, and until twenty-five years of age he assisted this uncle with farm work, subsequently renting his uncle's farm three years. He then purchased eighty acres in Florence township, still later purchasing the farm where, he now resides. Mr. Zignego is an independent voter and has never sought public office. He was married, in 1883, to Minnie Lubbe, daughter of Frederick and Dora (Warnbold) Lubbe, na- tives of Germany. The former is dead and the latter still lives in the old country. The six children born to this union are : Minnie, John C, Lavina, Marie, Joseph and "Willis. The uncle who brought John B. Zignego to this country is now living in Minneapolis, at the good old age of eighty-eight years. Edward Behrens, of Hay Creek township, was born in Boone- ville, Ind., December 14, 1849, son of Conrad and Caroline Behrens, natives of Germany, who came to America and located in Warrick county, Indiana, where the father died of cholera soon after. The mother died in 1904. Edward received his edu- cation in the common schools of Warrick county, and later learned the shoe trade, which he followed until 1893. In 1871 he came west and settled in Red Wing, where he worked at his trade for two years, after which he started a shoe shop at Hay Creek, also managing a small farm until 1894. when he rented a farm of 244 acres, of which ]00 was under cultivation, the rest being good timber. This he managed for eleven years, carrying on general farming and dairying. In 1905 he purchased the farm