Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Koch, Ernst G. 1833 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 27, 2014, 1:08 pm

Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

ERNST G. KOCH.

    Ernst G. Koch was born on April 19, 1833, at Radegast Anhalt-Dusan, Germany,
and came to New Ulm as early as 1860. He anticipated entering the fur trade and
for this reason made his way to Lake Shetck, near Tracy, Minnesota. He and his
partner, Mr. Voght, spent a year trapping and hunting on the shores of the lake.
At the beginning of the Indian uprising, in 1862, Mr. Voght was killed by the
Indians. When Mr. Koch learned of his partner's death he immediately made for
Mankato, where he arrived at the time the Mankatoites were organizing a company
to come to the relief of New Ulm. Considerable credit is due Mr. Koch for his
untiring efforts in getting the Mankato people started for the hard pressed city
on the day they did. While in New Ulm he saw his share of active service, being
a member of several relief expeditions that were sent out.

    After the hostilities were over, Mr. Koch decided to cast his lot with the
other settlers of New Ulm and so became a permanent resident of that city. From
the very first he took an active part in public affairs. He never sought public
offices but when elected he gave the people the best service he was capable of.
In 1866 he was elected county auditor, in which capacity he served for ten
years. In 1876 he engaged in the real estate and insurance business and served
as agent for the Winona and St. Peter Land Company, and as court commissioner of
Brown county. He was elected as a member of the board of education in 1881 and
served as clerk continuously for over ten years. In 1891 lie was elected a
member of the city council and later served the city as mayor for two terms.

     In 1889 Mr. Koch was made cashier of the Brown County Bank; three years
later vice-president, and six years later, president. He retired from active
business in 1900 and has since been living quietly and comfortably on his farm,
which is located in the city limits of New Ulm, enjoying the full fruits of his
life of earnest and energetic endeavor. While an officer of the bank, Mr. Koch
gave to that substantial old financial institution the benefit of his sound
judgment and rare knowledge of local conditions. There were few men in the state
who had more accurate knowledge of realty values and conditions in southern
Minnesota than he. The impress made upon the city of New Ulm during his
administration as mayor is still apparent in the permanent improvements he
projected.

     In 1864, not long after settling in New Ulm, Ernst G. Koch was united in
marriage to Elizabeth Sahli, daughter of Nicholas and Marie Sahli, who had
migrated to this county from Switzerland. Mr. Koch's first wife died in 1864. In
1866 he married Caroline Schmidt, who died on April 19, 1898. Ten children were
born to this union, eight of whom are still living. They are: Emma, William E.,
a retired banker, and Ida, living at home; Mrs. Robert Heidman, of Arlington;
Mrs. Bertha Fenske, of New Ulm; Albert F., in the milling business at Echo,
Minnesota; Mrs. Henry N. Somsen, of New Ulm, and George R., a dentist in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.

     Mr. Koch is a Lutheran and his children were reared in that faith. He is
independent in his political views and not inclined to undivided allegiance to
any one of the several political parties, believing that personal fitness of
candidates for local office should be the voter's guide, rather than a mere
party stamp of approval.


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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