Krahmer Family Stories Found In The Martin County Heritage Book. 1974, Section 2, pages stating at 201.

Otto, Herman, Emil, Paul, and Carl Krahmer were born in a small town of Oldisleben, Saxony, Germany, near the city of Leipzig. They werre sons of Abraham Friedrick Krahmer and Louisa Wehling. Their father was a blacksmith. Herman, Paul and Carl came to America in 1880. They traveled to St. Louis, Missouri where they worked at various jobs, Herman as a blacksmith, Paul learning the butchering trade, and Carl, a musician.
In 1883, they set out for Minnesota, traveling across Iowa on foot and living off the land. One night, they stopped in a school and burned some paper to keep warm. They arrived in Martin County late in the summer, locating on 407 acres of land in Sec. 31, Fraser Township, near Welcome. They were a short distance from the Milwaukee Railroad. That fall they built a small house and a place to keep a pair of oxen. The winter was cold and hard. There were bad blizzards. As reading material was scarce, they read the bible from cover to cover. When spring came, they plowed some low ground and planted it to flax. They kept making improvemnts on the land by planting trees and building fences.
One day, when Herman was working in the field pulling mustard, a torado passed over. It touched down on two farms near. It picked up a school house with the teacher and children in it and set it down again. None of them were hurt. A horse owned by Barge had a piece of timber driven through it.
Herman Krahmer was born in 1855 and died October 1, 1936. He married Emma Neusch and the had seven children: Martha, married Albert Senne, 1 child; Ida, married Sidney Gaertner, 3 children; Carl, b. Jan. 17, 1895, married Vida Kopeschke, no children; Minnie, b. May 28, 1887, married Elmer Meyer, no children; Elsie, b. Jan. 24, 1889, married Joe Winkel, 2 children; Frieda, did not marry; Amanda, b. July 30, 1906, married Paul Radke, 1 child. Carl Krahmer and wife, Vida, remain on the farm and are the owners of the land.
Paul Krahmer, owned several pieces of land, some in Galena and Tenhassen townships. He had learned the butchering trade, ran a livestock business and a butcher shop. For a time he lived near what is now Sylvania Park in Fairmont, later moving where 4th and Hampton Streets are, as he had farm buildings there. Paul was born May 2, 1864 and died June 10, 1920. On October 12, 1900, he married Elizabeth Starkm who was born September 25, 1867, and died December 11, 1920. They had three children: Arnold, b. July 30, 1901, married Ester Storbeck and had two sons. Arnold died February 14, 1960, Ester died March 2, 1975. Alvin, born 1904, married & divorced, died 1935 at Peoria, Illinois. Fred, born 1909, died 1964; married Alvida Keithan and had one son.
Carl Krahmer was a music professor and conductor. He lived on North Main Street, Fairmont, behind the Nelson Ice Cream Company now owned by Railway Motors, until they moved to a house on Homewood Drive. Carl Krahmer was born May 2, 1866, and died Seotember 6, 1919. He married Susanna Mack, daughter of Rev. J. Mack. She was born September 21, 1866 and died January 23, 1935. They had no children.
Emil Krahmer, having served his military term with high honors, left Germany in 1881 and went to London, England, and worked almost a year as a baker. In 1882, he came to America and went to Chicago, Illinois. He was married in Chicago to Clara Boesel, who was born in Hall, Thueringer, Germany. Together they owned and operated a bakery. In 1886, they came to Martin County, Minnesota making their first home with his brother, Herman, of Welcome. They started farming in Section 31, Fraser Township, with one horse and a wagon. In 1892, he bought a piece of land in Section 28, Fraser Township. They would haul the grain to town in wagons or would walk to places. Clara wold how she took a hayrack and teaam of horses to town to take her eggs to a grocery store. There were no fences and the cattle had to be herded by the children using a horse and a faithful dog. All the dress-making was done by hand. Stockings and caps had to be knitted.
The children would walk to Eagle Lake and go skating with the neighborhood children. They would carry their lunches with them as it is about 35 miles. Emil loved to play the piano. He taught his children to play the piano and other instruments. He and his wife would go to visit the Nick Gaerthner family, and Emil would play the piano, Nick the violin. The woman would dance. They retired to Welcome in 1916.
Emil Krahmer was born October 17, 1857, and died January 9, 1930. He married Clara Louis Friederrike Boesel, who was born September 1, 1864, and died August 8, 1938. They had eight children: Emil, born September 22, 1883, died May 19, 1964, married Margaret Meyer-4 children. Minne, born March 23, 1885, died April 23, 1966, married Wilbur Sherman,-5 children. Ida, born March 22, 1887, married Edward Lehman,-2 children. Charles, born, October 16, 1892, died July 18, 1965, married Isabel Meyer,-1 son. Frank, born July 27, 1894, married Louisa Ask,(she died)-4 children; second marriage to Goldia Cox. Louisa, born February 13, 1897, died March 28, 1973, married Edward Stahn-4 children. Agnes, born December 2, 1901, died June 5, 1943, married Arthur Stade,-3 children. Otto, died in infancy. Charles Krahmer lived on the farm when his father retired. Charles' son, Marland, is now farming the land.
Louisa (Wehling) Krahmer, wife of Abraham Krahmer was born November 4, 1835, near Leipzig, Germany, and died April 28, 1919 in Ffairmont. Her husband was kicked in the head by a horse while working in the blacksmith shop he ran. She came to America in 1887 traveling by train to Welcome, Minnesota, arriving May 21. She made her home with Paul and Herman later living with Paul in Fairmont near Sylvania Park and later living on North Main Street next door to Professor Carl Krahmer. Her grandchildren would spend much time with her and rememnered stories she would tell about Germany. She died at the age of 84 years.
Otto Krahmer, the oldest son, stayed in Germany. He was a musician and performed as a concert virtuoso.
--by Mrs. Clifford Lehman--



A history Of Ancestral Migration & A History Of Fairmont, Minnesota BY: Paul H. Krahmer January 11, 1960

In the mid-1800's Friedrich (Abraham) and Louise Krahmer lived in the small town of Oldisleben, Saxony, Germany, located neat the well-known city of Leipzig. Here Friedrich spent his working hours in his small blacksmith establishment forging iron and shoing horses for the local farmers. Their house was adjacent to the shop, somewhat shabby and run down because of its 400 years existence.
Info from Emil Krahmer, Jr.'s personal Interview, Fairmont, Minnesota, December 31, 1959.
At an early age, Friedrich was killed in an accident in the blacksmith shop, having supposedly been kicked in the head by a restless horse. This left his wife and five sons, Otto, Herman, Emil, Carl, and Paul to find their own means of making a living.
Herman, the oldest of the boys, had helped his father in the shop and learned a few tricks of the trade, so took over the father's business. Emil found a job in a bakery where he went to work for a modest wage, while Otto put his musical ability to work and became a professional musician. Carl, about 18 years of age, was drafted into the German military. Paul, in an effort to avoid military training, politely told his mother of his intentions of leaving Germany and setting off for the United States. Thus at the age of 16 Paul Krahmer left his native land, eventually making his way to St. Louis, Missouri where he worked for a number of years at the butcher's trade.
Several years later the remainder of the family, all except Otto, came to America and settled neat Welcome, Minnesota. Otto atayed in Germany and performed as a concert virtuoso.
The following is from an obituary clipped fron the Fairmont Daily Sentinel some time in 1920 and found in a scrap book kept by Martha Stark.
Paul Krahmer was born May 2, 1864, at Oldisleben, Saxony, Germany, and died June 10, 1920, at St. Peter, Minnesota, where he was recieving hospital treeatment.
Paul Krahmer left his native land when sixteen years of age and came to St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked at the butcher's trade for a number of years. He came to Martin County in the 90's and located on a farm near Welcome. Making his home with his mother. He also was engaged in the butcher and livestock business at Fairmont from 1900 until his retirement. Because of illness, from active life about a year ago.
Deceased was married October 12, 1900, to Miss Elizabeth Stark. The widow survives him with three sons, Fritz, Alvin, and Arnold, all of Fairmont. He leaves two brothers, Emil and Herman of Welcome.
Mr. Krahmer became afflicted about a year ago and his condition was such that he was committed to a hospital, where treatment failed to restore his health.
Shortly after the deaaath of Paul, Elizabeth was stricken and left the three boys to be cared for by relatives. The following is from an obituary found in the scrap book kept by Martha Stark:
The widow of the late Paul Krahmer died at the home of her sister int his city, on December 11th, 1920, aged 53 years, two months, and 26 days. She had been confined to her bed for only about two weeks but had for a long time been afflicted by anemia, which was the cause of her death.
Sarah Elizabeth Stark was born in Cook County, Illinois, on September 25, 1867. At the age of 19 she came with her parents when the moved to Martin County, and settled on a farm in Rolling Green Township. On October 12, 1900, she was united in marriage to Mr. Paul Krahmer. To this union were born three sons, all of whom survive her: Arnold, aged 19, Alvin, aged 17, and Fritz, 12 years of age.
She also leaves to mourn her untimely death her aged father, August Starkm three sisters, and one brother, also of Fairmont. There are many other relatives loving in this county and in Illinois.
The deceased has spent most of her married lofe in Ffairmont and was well known to many people in this city. Her husband died only about six months ago and here is indeed a sadly stricken family.
This paper desires to extend a word of sympathy to the orphaned sons and other near relatives. The unlooked for death of a dear one is always the hardest blow for the bereaved relatives to bear.
The young Krahmer boys were cared for by their aunt Martha Stark and attended high school in Fairmont.
Arnold, the oldest, was at the time attending Mankato Commercial College in Mankato, Minnesota, and after recieving his degree went to work for the Standard Oil Company in Huron, South Dakota as a bookkeeper. Being dissatisfied with the detailed work, he decided he would rather go into the business of banking and agreed to work for the First National Bank at Arlington, South Dakota. Prior to the date on which his work was to commence he recieved a letter from A.L. Ward of Fairmont, offering him a position at the Martin County National Bank as Ward's private secretary. He accepted this position and arrived back on Fairmont on Sunday, May 16th, 1920.
As Ward's private secretary, Arnold served as bookkepper, stenographer, auditor, and chauffeur. In addition to being the bank president and state senator's number one man, Arnold also took the responsibility of starting the fire at five o'clock each morning in the bank building and cleaning the floors when banking hours closed. He remained in such employment until early in 1930 when his eyes, due to strenuous work, gave him trouble, and on the advise of doctors took a rest. He then spent a period of time during which he had occasion to socialize quite frequently.(A playboy) Info from personal interview, Fairmont, Minnesota, December 30, 1959.
In 1933 he took office as secretary of the mewly organized Fairmont Production Credit Association where he labored hard and long until 1941 when he resigned and engaged in full-time farming. He owned farms since 1933, hiring workers to do the labor, but due to the war farm help was difficult to obtain, and thus was another reason for his change of vocation.
While Ester Storbeck was working at the Fairmont Hospital she was frequently dated by Arnold, and the two were married in 1937. After a honeymoon trip to California the couple resided on their 215 acre Pleasent Lawn Farm north of Fairmont where they are presently living.
Arnold established a purebred Milking Shorthorn herd and a herd of Spotted Poland China Hogs, specializing in the sale of breeding stock. Annual auction sales were held and for a number of years Krahmer cattle and hogs could be found in many states of the Union, many going as fas as Texas.
Arnold and Ester had two sons, Paul and Bruce, who grew up on the farm. They attended school in Fairmont and recieved their religious training at Grace Lutheran Church (ELC) in Ffairmont. After high school graduation in 1956, Paul enrolled at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Monnesota, where he is presently completing his senior year. Bruce is attending the Iowa State University in Ames. Iowa
By: Paul H. Krahmer--January 11, 1960