Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Koehler, Eugene 1865 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 24, 2014, 11:33 pm

Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

EUGENE KOEHLER.

    Eugene Koehler was horn on June 22, 1865, in New Ulm, Minnesota, and is a
son of Joseph and Catherine (Vernie) Koehler, natives of Alsace, Kumberschuppen
and Alsace-Lorraine, respectively. The father was nineteen years old when he
came to America, and the mother was a young girl when her parents brought her to
this country. Her mother died during the epidemic of cholera in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, and Catherine Vernie was then adopted by the Reined family, and
her sister was adopted by another family whose name is unknown, neither has her
whereabouts ever been known since. Eugene Koehler's parents were married in
Cincinnati, Ohio, where Mr. Koehler followed his trade of pattern-maker, working
for the Hall Safe & Lock Company, which at that time employed only four men. In
1857 he came west, locating in the town of New Ulm, Minnesota, where he followed
the carpenter's trade, at which he was working in Ft. Ridgely during the Indian
massacre, and he took part in the defense of that place, his name now appearing
on the monument there as one of the defenders. He erected a great many of the
early buildings in the town of New Ulm. He finally worked in Seller's planing
mill for a period of fifteen years, and after that was a member of the police
force as night watchman, for five years, after which he lived in retirement in
New Ulm until his death in February, 1899. His family consisted of eleven
children, six of whom are now living, Eugene and a sister, Mrs. Minnie Vendlant,
being the only ones of the family who still make their homes in Brown county.

     Eugene Koehler received a common-school education, leaving school when
twelve years old. He then went to work for the Schell Brewing Company as a
teamster and stable boy. A year later he started in to learn the cigar-maker's
trade at which he remained one year, then began learning the barber's trade
under Frank Liebald, working under him two years, then went to St. Paul where he
worked as a barber for two years, after which he went to Chicago and worked
nearly two years in the shop in the Palmer House, which was at that time the
finest shop in that city and one of the best in the world. Returning to New Ulm
about 1886, he bought out a shop which he ran a few years, then sold out and
bought a shop in Red Wing, Minnesota, which he ran for five years, returning to
New Ulm about 1893 and bought out Henry Vetters' shop, which at that time
contained two chairs. He has remained here ever since, built up a large trade,
now conducting the most up-to-date and largest barber shop in Brown county,
operating five chairs.

     Eugene Koehler was married on July 13, 1886, to Emily Veumler, a native of
New Ulm and a daughter of Edward Veumler. Her parents were natives of Germany
and were very early settlers in Brown county, coming here from Chicago about
1859. They were here during the Indian outbreak and two of their sons were slain
by the savages, and an infant child was wounded. Five children have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. Koehler, namely: Earna, who married Edward P. Walthier, lives in
Minneapolis, where he is employed in the railway mail service, running between
that city and Chicago, and they have one child, Lowell; Stanley, an instructor
of physical science in the high school at Harmony, Minnesota, is a graduate of
the State University; Armin will graduate from the New Ulm high school with the
class of 1917; Louis is in the eighth grade in the local schools, and Catherine,
the youngest child, is in the seventh grade. Mr. Koehler and wife are members of
the Lutheran church, and he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen.


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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