Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Dehn, William 1856 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 25, 2014, 12:18 am

Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

WILLIAM DEHN

    William Dehn, a farmer of Milford township, Brown county, Minnesota, was
born on the same farm where he now lives on June 2, 1856, being a son of John
and Johannah (Hochschild) Dehn, both natives of Germany.

    John Dehn was a blacksmith and devoted his time to that trade until his
emigration to America. After coming to this country, he located in Chicago,
where he remained three or four years, still blacksmithing. It was while living
in Chicago he met and married Johannah Hochschild and in 1855 they came to this
county with the Chicago Land Association, which brought many of the earlier
settlers to this section. John Dehn was among the very earliest settlers of this
county and for many years was one of its sturdy pioneer citizens. Upon coming
here he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land, all virgin land, upon which
the foot of white man had scarcely rested. He broke the sod himself and erected
a small cabin, living under the most primitive conditions. He came overland from
St. Paul and had no team, his sole possessions in the way of live stock being a
cow and her calf. John Dehn was beginning to make some headway toward the
redemption of his land when the Indian outbreaks occurred in the early sixties
and with others of this section he fled to New Ulm for safety, losing most of
his possessions. After affairs had quieted down, he decided to remain in New
Ulm, and did so, operating a blacksmith shop there for seven years. He then
returned to his farm and remained there actively engaged in work, until a few
years before his death. After giving up active work, he made his home on the old
place with his son, the immediate subject of this sketch. John Dehn passed away
in 1897, his widow surviving him ten years. They were the parents of two
children, William and Mary.

     William Dehn received such education as the limited school facilities of
Milford township and New Ulm afforded at the time of his youth, taking up work
with his father on the home place later on. At the time of his marriage in 1883,
William rented the home place from his father, and at the time of the latter's
death, bought out his sister's interest. His farm at present consists of two
hundred acres, well improved and showing good management. Since securing
possession of the entire place, he has spent about four thousand dollars in the
way of improvements and is eminently deserving of the success which is his.

     On June 7, 1883, William Dehn was united in marriage with Martha Backer,
daughter of John Backer, and to their union have been born five children,
namely: Fred W., Louis, August, Herbert and Eltor. Fred married Ida Rolloff,
while Louis chose Viola Knees as his wife. He is the father of two children,
Elenora and Melvin.

     Mrs. Dehn holds religions membership with the church at New Ulm. Mr. Dehn
is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he votes
independently, chosing the man individually rather than endorsing any one
party's whole ticket.


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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