Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Alwin, Edward L. 1863 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 23, 2014, 10:05 pm

Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

                  EDWARD L. ALWIN.

    Edward L. Alwin, a well-known clerk in the postoffice, at New Ulm, who for
years was one of the ablest school teachers in this county, is a native-born son
of Brown county, having been born on a pioneer farm in the neighborhood of the
Cottonwood banks, two and one-half miles from New Ulm, in Cottonwod township,
December 1, 1863, son of William and Wilhelmina (Gruening) Alwin, both natives
of Germany and early settlers of this county, the former of whom died in 1910,
at the age of eighty-five years, and the latter of whom is still living, being
now past ninety years of age.

    William Alwin was born in Prussia. He was bereft by death of his parents,
Andrew Alwin and wife, peasant farmers, when he was seven years old and he was
thereafter reared in the family of his uncle, William Kreuger. At the age of
twenty-one he entered upon his military service and was stationed three years in
the barracks at Berlin. At the age of twenty-eight he married Wilhelmina
Gruening, one of the twelve children born to her parents, the others who grew to
maturity having been Gottlieb, Henrietta, Julia, Herman, Ada, August and Fritz.
Mrs. Alwin's father was a schoolmaster and church organist, as well as clerk of
his church, the duty of reading the Scripture, in the absence of the pastor,
thus falling upon him. Both he and his wife lived to be upwards of sixty years old.

    In 1854 William Alwin and wife came to the United States and for about a
year made their home in the city of  Milwaukee. The next year, in company with a
number of other persons of German birth, they left Milwaukee and came to
Minnesota, arriving at New Ulm on July 1, 1855, being thus among the very early
settlers of this section of the state. William Alwin had practically no money,
but he and his wife had strong hands and willing hearts and after homesteading a
quarter of a section of land in Cottonwood township entered heartily upon the
task of creating a home in the wilderness. During the trying times of the Indian
uprising, in 1862, William Alwin was one of the sturdy defenders of New Ulm and
in all ways did well his duty as a citizen during the pioneer days and
throughout his long life in this community. He and his wife were German
Methodists and were among the founders of the church of that denomination in
this community. In 1885 they retired from the farm, turning the management of
the same over to their son, Rudolph, and moved into New Ulm, where Mr. Alwin
spent the rest of his days. His widow, who still survives him, celebrated the
ninety-first anniversary of her birth on February 14, 1916.

    To William and Wilhelmina (Gruening) Alwin nine children were born, all of
whom are still living, as follow: Fred, of Sleepy Eye, this county; Herman, of
St. Paul; Adolph, of New Ulm; Rudolph, who makes his home on the homestead farm
in Cottonwood township; Emil, of Milnor, North Dakota; Albert, of Minneapolis;
Edward, the immediate subject of this biographical sketch; William, also of New
Ulm, and Edwina, wife of Herman Breitkruetz, of Arlington, in the neighboring
county of Sibley.

    Edward L. Alwin was reared on the homestead farm in Cottonwood township,
receiving his elementary education in the city school in New Ulm, supplementing
the same by a course of three years at the State Normal School at Mankato, upon
the completion of which he entered the ranks of Brown county's excellent and
well-trained corps of teachers and taught sixteen terms in the district schools
of the county. He then took the civil service examination for postoffice clerks,
which he passed with credit, and in 1903 was appointed clerk in the postoffice
at New Ulm, a position which he has held ever since and in the performance of
the duties of which he has rendered faithful and efficient service.

     On November 8, 1895, Edward L. Alwin was united in marriage to Anna
Schneider, who was born in the city of Berlin, daughter of Herman and Caroline
(Bleck) Schneider, both of whom were born at Gartz, in the province of
Pomerania, and who were the parents of nine children, those besides Mrs. Alwin
having been Otto, Frieda, Herman, Mary, Robert, Bertha and two who died in
youth. Herman Schneider and his family came to the United States when the
daughter, Anna, was eight years old and settled in New Ulm, where Mr. and Mrs.
Schneider spent the remainder of their lives, the latter dying in 1907 and the
former in 1910.

     To Edward L. and Anna (Schneider) Alwin seven children have been born,
Lloyd, Winona, Olive, Wilbur, Myrtle, Evelyn and Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Alwin
are members of the German Methodist church, in the various beneficences of which
they take a warm interest, and are held in the highest esteem by their many
friends hereabout. They have a very pleasant home at 219 North State street in
New Ulm, erected in 1910, and which is the scene of much quiet hospitality.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY MINNESOTA
ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS

L. A. FRITSCHE. M. D.
Editor

With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Old Families

VOLUME II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana


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