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



Gottlieb Hasenheyer, a well-known and well-to-do retired farmer of Watonwan county, now living in comfortable ease at St. James, is a native of Germany, born on January 16, 1857, son of Andrew and Mary Hasenheyer, both natives of that same country, the former born in 1824 and the latter in 1826, who came to the United States in 1867 and settled on a farm in Will county, Illinois, where both spent the remainder of their lives, her death occurring in 1894, at the age of sixty-eight years, and his, the next year, 1895, he then being seventy-one years of age. They were the parents of eight children, of whom the subject of this biographical sketch was the fourth in order of birth, the others being Mary (deceased), Andrew, Johanna, Frederick, August, Fredericka and Herman.

Gottlieb Hasenheyer was about ten years of age when he came to this country with his parents in 1867 and he completed his schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home in Will county, Illinois. From the age of fifteen years to twenty-three years he worked on a dairy farm, when, in 1880, he went to Chicago, where for sixteen years he was profitably engaged in the milk business. In 1886 Mr. Hasenheyer made a trip to this part of Minnesota and bought two hundred and forty acres of land in section 31, St. James township, Watonwan county, regarding the same as a most excellent investment against the future. Ten years later he and his family moved out here, arriving on October 35, 1896, and established their home on that farm. With characteristic energy Mr. Hesenheyer proceeded to add to the improvements he already had projected on the place, set out a grove, erected substantial buildings and soon had one of the best-kept and most profitably cultivated farms in that neighborhood. On October 10, 1913, he sold his farm and on January 30, 1914, moved to St. James, where he had bought a fine residence at the corner of First street and Sixth avenue, and there he since has made his home. Mr. Hasenheyer is a Republican and during his residence on the farm served for some time as a member of his local town board and also served for one term as township assessor. He is a member of the German Lutheran church and in his fraternal relation is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias.

On October 14, 1883, Gottlieb Hasenheyer was united in marriage to Caroline Gronert, who was born at Concord, Wisconsin, July 9, 1861, daughter of William and Ernestine Gronert, natives of Germany, who came to the United States in 1858, settling in Wisconsin, where William Gronert died in 1871, at the age of forty-four. William Gronert was bom in 182?. Ernestine Gronert was born on June 30, 1836. They were the parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. Hasenheyer was the third in order of birth, the others being Minnie, Amelia, Frank, Martha, William, Emma and Mary. The Widow Gronert married, secondly, Ferdinand Stack, and to that second union two children were born, Frederick and Malvina, Mrs. Stack is now living at Norwood, this state, at the age of eighty years. Mrs. Hasenheyer died on March 24, 1907, leaving three children, namely: Martha, born on June 29, 1884; Alice, April 25, 1895, and Leslie, June 29, 1888, who married Ida Swick, of Princeton, Wisconsin, and has two children, Myrtle Evelyn and Leslie.