"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



John Adrian was born in Russia, August 21, 1865 (Russian calendar). He is a son of Peter and Anna (Fry) Adrian, both natives of Russia, where they spent their earlier lives, immigrating with their family to America in 1875, locating at Dalton, South Dakota, where they spent the rest of their lives on a farm, both dying some years ago. The father took up a homestead near Dalton upon his arrival there and developed a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres. His family consisted of eleven children. He and his wife were members of the Mennonite church, in which they reared their family.

John Adrian grew up on the farm where he worked hard when a boy. He was ten years old when his parents brought him to America. He had little opportunity to obtain an education. He remained at home 'until he was eighteen years of age, then went to his brother, who owned a farm near Halstead, Kansas, and worked on farms in that vicinity for seven years, then returned to Cottonwood county, buying a farm of one hundred and sixty-seven acres north of Windom, on which he spent three years, then purchased his present place of one hundred and sixty acres in Mountain Lake township. Prospering here he added another one hundred and sixty acres to his holdings, joining his first tract on the south. He has made many valuable improvements and has an excellent farm and carries on general farming and stock raising successfully.

Mr. Adrian was married in 1902, to Sarah Schultz, a daughter of Isaac Schultz, a native of Russia, where her birth also occurred. To Mr. Adrian and wife four children have been born, all living, namely: Isaac, John, Peter and Mary.

Politically, Mr. Adrian is a Republican. He is now a member of the local school board. He belongs to the Mennonite church, in which he is an elder and an active worker.