Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Behnke, Albert 1830 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 December 1, 2014, 1:11 am

Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

ALBERT BEHNKE.

    No history of Brown county would be complete without fitting and
appreciative mention of the life and the works of Albert Behnke, venerable
retired merchant of New Ulm, who perhaps has a wider personal acquaintance than
any man in the county and who certainly is more widely and accurately acquainted
with the history of New Ulm than any man now living there, for he witnessed the
erection of the first building constructed in the town and has noted the
progress of the community from the day of its inception to the present day.
Though now past eighty-five years of age, Mr. Behnke is physically well
preserved and mentally alert, his retentive memory being as clear on questions
pertaining to pioneer days as ever it was.

    Albert Behnke is a native of Germany, having been born in the city of
Marlow, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, August 28, 1830, son of Frederich and Sophia
(Dietz) Behnke, who, with their two sons and two daughters, came to the United
States in 1853, locating in the neighborhood of Elgin, Illinois, where they
bought a farm and there made their home for about two years. Then hearing the
good reports that were proceeding from this section of Minnesota, they sold
their Illinois farm and drove through with ox-teams and horses (Mr. Behnke had
the first team of horses in New Ulm), bringing with them about thirty head of
cattle, arriving at the present site of New Ulm on June 26, 1855. They entered
homestead claims there, the parents and the two sons, Albert and Henry, each
entering a quarter of a section, and at once proceeded to erect claim shanties
and establish their home. Not long afterward they erected a substantial
hewed-log house, at that time the best and most commodious in the county, and
there made their home, the family remaining together for some time. After the
village had become well established, Fritz Behnke and his wife retired from the
farm and moved into town, where their last days were spent, both living to
advanced ages. As noted above they were the parents of four children, of whom
the subject of this sketch was the eldest, the others being Amelia, who was the
wife of Fritz Struckmann; Henry, who died in middle life and who was one of the
most prominent figures in the civic life of this community in pioneer days,
having served the public as a justice of the peace, register of deeds, clerk of
the court and in other public capacities, and Caroline, who was the wife of a
Mi. Prichnitz.

     Albert Behnke was twenty-four years old when he came to this country. In
the fall of 1857 he married Mrs. Bertha Mueller, a young widow, who also was
born in Germany and who had one son by her first marriage. After his marriage
Mr. Behnke continued making his home on the farm until the Indian outbreak in
1862, after which he moved into New Ulm and engaged in merchandising with his
brother. After the death of his brother he continued in business with his son
and was thus engaged until his retirement in 1905. He and his wife lived
together happily for fifty-two years, their golden wedding having been
celebrated in 1907, a gathering of their family and oldest friends marking the
occasion. Mrs. Behnke died on December 19, 1909, at the age of eighty years, and
Mr. Behnke is now making his home with his youngest daughter, Mrs. L. G. Vogel,
who leaves nothing undone that will insure his comfort in his old age.

     Both Mr. and Mrs. Behnke were reared as Lutherans in the old country, but
after arriving here were not actively identified with any religious
denomination, although helpful to all in the way of material contributions. Mr.
Behnke for years was a member of the New Ulm city council and was ever foremost
in promoting movements designed to advance the good of the city.

     To Albert and Bertha Behnke seven children were born, namely: Henry and
Annie, who died in the prime of life; Mrs. Ida Bobleter, Fred Behnke, Mrs.
Bertha Hartman, Albert Behnke, and Mrs. Meda Vogel. There are six grandchildren
living.


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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