Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Berkner, Edward F. 1873 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 27, 2014, 1:41 pm

Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

EDWARD F. BERKNER.

    Edward F. Berkner, of Sleepy Eye, one of the most extensive realty dealers
in southern Minnesota, vice-president of the State Bank of Sleepy Eye, who also
is a stockholder in five other banks; an extensive dealer in fine horses and one
of the most progressive and enterprising business men in Brown county, is a
native of Wisconsin, having been born on a farm in Manitowoc county, that state,
October 19, 1873, son of William and Henrietta (Weber) Berkner, the former a
native of Holland and the latter of German Westphalia, for many years
substantial farming people in Wisconsin, who are now living retired in Sleepy
Eye, this county.

    William Berkner came to the United States with his parents when a well-grown
boy and grew to manhood on the farm on which the family settled, in Manitowoc
county, Wisconsin, where he was living when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted
as a soldier in behalf of the Union cause and served in the army for three years
and six months. At the conclusion of his military service, William Berkner
returned to Manitowoc county, where he married Henrietta Weber, whose parents
had settled in that county years before. After farming in Manitowoc county for a
few years, William Berkner moved to Dodge county, in that same state, where for
thirty years he was engaged in farming. Later he and his wife moved to Fond du
Lac and after a residence of some years there moved, in 1905, to Sleepy Eye
where they now reside. They are members of the German Evangelical church and
their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children,
namely: George, who lives in Home township, this county; Clara, deceased, was
the wife of John Berndt; Alvina, who died at the age of nine years; Edward F.,
the immediate subject of this biographical sketch; Alfred, of Sleepy Eye; Henry,
also a resident of that same thriving little city, and Ezra, of the same place.

     Edward F. Berkner was reared on the paternal farm in Dodge county,
Wisconsin, receiving his education in the district school in the neighborhood of
his home. At the age of twenty he came to Brown county, locating at Sleepy Eye,
where for three years he was engaged in the general store of George Knutson. He
then formed a partnership with Mr. Knutson in the milling business at Brooking,
South Dakota, and was located at the latter place, engaged in milling, for eight
months, at the end of which time he sold his interest in the business and
returned to Sleepy Eye, where he went to work for Peter Christianson and was
thus engaged for a year. He then transferred his services to the Sleepy Eye
Milling Company and for a year was engaged as a grain buyer by that concern,
after which, in partnership with his brother, Alfred, bought the Bueler & Orth
general store at Sleepy Eye. Six months later the brothers extended their
mercantile connection by buying the Theodore Weber store and for about fourteen
years were actively engaged in merchandising in Sleepy Eye. Mr. Berkner in the
meantime had been paying considerable attention to the realty business and was
also largely concerned in the horse market, he having been the owner of some
locally celebrated horses during his connection with the horse business. Since
retiring from the store he has given his attention almost exclusively to the
real estate business, with particular reference to farm lands, and has become
recognized as one of the most enterprising and progressive realty dealers in
southern Minnesota. In addition to his extensive operations as a real estate
agent, Mr. Berkner is a large landowner, being the possessor of about four
thousand acres, including eighteen farms in Brown county, two in Chippewa
county, this state; two in South Dakota and eighteen hundred acres in Lincoln
county, Colorado. Mr. Berkner is also largely interested in various banking
ventures, being a stockholder in five fine banks. He is the vice-president of
the State Bank of Sleepy Eye and a director of the State Bank of Shields, North
Dakota. It will be seen, by a review of the above connections, that Mr. Berkner
is a very busy man and he is known far and wide throughout this section of the
state as a "hustler," one of the real "live wires" of Brown county, and as such
has the full confidence and regard of business circles generally hereabout. When
Mr. Berkner came to Brown county he was a poor young man and was content to go
to work in Mr. Knutson's store at a wage of ten dollars a month, which was his
rate of pay for three years. His indefatigable industry, however, soon brought
him to a position of importance in the commercial and general business life of
the community, and he has prospered, as he deserves to have done.

     On November 4, 1896, Edward F. Berkner was united in marriage to Kate Moll,
who was born in Sleepy Eye, daughter of Daniel and Josephine (Mandel) Moll, both
of whom are still living in Sleepy Eye, and to this union two children have been
born, Daniel Horace and Staunton Harry. Mrs. Berkner is a member of the
Congregational church and the family is warmly interested in the advancement of
the cause of all good works in the vicinity. Mr. Berkner is a Republican and is
a member of Sleepy Eye Lake Lodge No. 83, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the
local lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America, and of the Ancient Order of United
Workmen, in the affairs of which several organizations he takes an active
interest. He and his family take a proper part in general social affairs
hereabout and are held in high esteem by all.


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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