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



One of the representative business men of Watonwan county is John J. Zender, merchant, of St. James, who devoted his earlier years to farming in this locality. He is essentially a man of affairs, sound of judgment and far-seeing in what he undertakes, and with scarcely an exception every enterprise to which he addresses himself results in gratifying financial success.

Mr. Zender was born in St. James township, Watonwan county, September 4, 1876, and is a son of Peter and Magdalena (Miller) Zender, natives of Germany, the father born in 1844 and the mother in 1846. There they spent their early lives and attended school. Peter Zender came to America in 1872 and his wife at a later date, with her parents, Peter and Anna Miller. The latter were both natives of Germany, his birth occurring in 1818 and hers in 1820. The Miller family located in St. James, Minnesota, the latter part of the year 1873, and here the parents spent the rest of their lives, the father dying in 1880, at the age of sixty-two years, and the mother in 1912, at the advanced age of ninety-two years, having outlived her husband thirty-two years. Peter Zender secured a homestead of eighty acres upon coming here. He was a man of industry and sound judgment and, prospering with the advancing years, he added to his original holdings until he owned five hundred and one acres of good land. He carried on general fanning and stock raising on an extensive scale, but spent the last three years of his life in retirement in St. James, where his death occurred in 1905, his widow surviving until 1914. Politically, he was a Democrat and active in party affairs. He was a member of the township board for a period of thirteen years. He was a member of the Catholic church. His family consisted of the following children: John J., Annie, Nicholas L., Peter J. and Mary. They all survive at this writing.

John J. Zender grew to manhood on the home farm, where he worked when a boy, and he received his education in the public schools. He remained on the farm until 1901, when he came to St. James and engaged in the restaurant business, beginning in December of that year, which he continued successfully until July 5, 1905. In the spring of 1906 he went to Butterfield, where he engaged in the implement business for four years, enjoying a good trade, then returned to St. James. He took up farming again, which he continued on an extensive scale until the spring of 1915, when he sold out and was employed by Meyer & XJhlhome in their hardware store until March 4, 1916, when he was admitted to the firm, which was incorporated under the firm name of The City Mercantile Company. They handle all kinds of hardware, implements, harness, automobiles, etc. Mr. Zender is secretary and treasurer of the firm. A very large business is carried on and it is rapidly increasing. Mr. Zender owned a well improved and productive farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres in St. James township, but sold eighty acres, now owning ninety-five acres in sections 19 and 20. He is a stockholder in the Security State Bank, and is also interested in the estate of his mother.

Politically, he is an independent voter. He was a member of the town council one year. He is a member of the Catholic church.

Mr. Zender was married in 1899, to Ludwina Stemper of Russell county, Wisconsin, where she was born. Her parents still live in that state. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Zender has been without issue.

Mr. Zender is a member of the Foresters and the German Fraternal Society. Mr. Zender's paternal grandparents were Jacob G. arid Katherine (Green) Zender, both of whom spent their lives in Germany, his death occurring in 1869 and hers in 1879. Their children were named as follows: Susanna died in Germany; Angeline, who married and spent her life in Germany, had two sons to come to the United States, Theodore Oik and Jacob; Catherine died in Germany; Peter, father of the subject of this sketch; John, who lives in St. James, Minnesota, is mentioned elsewhere in this work; Veronica, who came to the United States, married Wendal Lever, who lives in Carroll county, Iowa, but she is deceased; Antone lives in Iowa.



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