Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/993

 HISTORY OF (iOODHUE COUNTY 855 general fanning until 1!H>7. when he retired and moved to Red "Wing. . He was married in December, 186J, to Caroline Christson, by whom he had eight children : Julia, Clara E., Minnie C, Charles 0.. Christian -I.. Carl J., Caroline M. and May 0. Henry Fitschen, a scientific farmer of Belvidere, was born in Germany, June 22, 1852, son of Jurgen and Kate (Hoeft) Fitschen, both natives of that country. He received his educa- tion in Germany, and later attended school in America for three months. He came to America in 1869, took up farming and in 1869 came to Minnesota and located in Hay Creek, where he worked for his brother Cord for seven years. In 1876 he pur- chased eighty acres in Belvidere township, where he has since made his home, improving his land, adding more gradually, until he owns over 400 acres, of which 300 are under cultivation. He carries on general farming and makes a specialty of raising fine stock and horses. He was married March 22, 1876, to Margaret Ohlhaber. daughter of Claus and Christina (Gerken) Ohlhaber, natives of Germany, who came to America, where the mother died in 1884. The father is still living with a daughter in Feather- stone township. Mr. and Mrs. Fitschen have had seven children, of whom six are living : Annie W., married to Cord Kohrs, living on a farm in Belvidere ; Claus, now T of Belvidere ; Eliza C, mar- ried to William Betcher, a farmer of Hay Creek; John C, Louis J., and Albert "W., living at home. Mary died in infancy. Mr. Fitschen is a Republican and has been treasurer of school dis- trict 34, which office he held for five years. He has been path- master for four years. The family faith is that of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Fitschen is a fine example of a farmer whose heart is in his work and w r ho performs his duties intelli- gently and with a knowledge of agricultural conditions. He has fed stock since early boyhood and carries on farming not only for the purpose of making a living, but for the pleasure he derives from watching the sprouting and maturing of the harvests and the development of the animals. His stock receives the best of care and each animal on the place realizes that it has a friend and thoughtful caretaker in its owner. Since Mr. Fitschen com- menced farming all the straw raised on his place has been returned to the land for fertilizer; thus the land grows richer year by year, instead of becoming worn out. It is such farmers as he who add to the dignity of what is one of the noblest callings in which man can engage. Nelson B. Gaylord, first settler of Belvidere, was a man well suited for pioneer life. Staunch of mind and body, fearing neither difficulties nor hardships, he worthily carved the way for the prosperity of modern times. He was born in Pennsyl- vania, November 1. 1823, migrated to Illinois in 1837 and came