Bio for RAU, Mrs. Mary (Blattner) (b.1847), Benton Co., MN
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FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives
  Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Brown
Submitted: April 2007
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St. Cloud Times, July 1, 1937, p. 3

Reaches 90 on July 4
Mrs. Mary Rau, Pioneer,
Here Many Years

Mrs. Mary (Blattner) Rau will celebrate her 90th birthday on July 4. 
She was born in Ontario, Canada July 4, 1847, daughter of Christopher 
Senior and Catherine Snyder Blattner. May Rau spent her early life at 
home on her father’s farm learning the duties of a pioneer woman. She 
was married to Peter Rau on October 29, 1865 and for 12 years they 
operated a farm located on the shores of Lake Huron, Canada. Mrs. Rau 
related that during that period of her life she used this method of 
securing extra money for the family needs; when the wheat was ripe she 
selected the best and longest wheat straws, dried them well, and wove 
them into straw hats by hand. Mary took these hats to town and always 
found a ready market for them.
In 1877 Peter and Mary (Blattner) Rau moved to Minnesota and settled 
near St. George, Benton County. They purchased 80 acres of uncleared 
land and began the task of clearing and opening this for cultivation. 
This was hard work and the women had to work with the men, beside keeping 
up with the household. 
In spite of all the hard work and difficulties encountered, there 
remained the pleasure of a frolic and picnic in the nearby woods. 
Mary Rau states that the woods held an abundance of fruits and berries 
and a short distance farther was a large patch of blueberries.
Recalls First Reaper.
Mrs. Mary Rau recalls the first reaper her husband bought, and all the 
work that accompanied its operation. That operation seems like hard 
work now but in those days was a great improvement and labor saver. 
This reaper only cut the grain as a modern mower operates. The women 
then had to rake this grain into bundles and they used strands of grain 
to tie them. This was quite a trick and Mary says, although she is 90 
years old, she still knows how to tie them.
Peter Rau died July 25, 1901 and one year later Mary (Blattner) Rau 
moved to St. Cloud where she still resides.
To Peter and Mary (Blattner) Rau were born ten children: John, now dead; 
Mary Phoebe (Rau) Dunnewold; Mary Catherine (Rau) Latterell; Mary; 
Elizabeth Anna (Rau) Smith; Phillip, Henry Christopher, Adolph Nicholas; 
Leon Charles Peter and Will Richard, who was killed in Service in the 
World war.
There are 37 grandchildren and 39 great granchildren, making four living 
generations.
(Note: This information was collected for the files of the Stearns County 
Historical society, by one of the workers on the WPA historical and 
museum project.)

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1901 is incorrect --1905 is the correct death year for Peter Rau

Catherine Snyder’s name has also been spelled Catherina Schneider in 
various documents.
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