Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Oswald, Gottlieb 1870 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 23, 2014, 7:42 pm Source: See Below Author: L. A. Fritsche GOTTLIEB OSWALD. Gottlieb Oswald, city treasurer of New Ulm, this county, a position which he has held since his election for his first term in 1908, having been re-elected at each successive election since then, is a native of Germany, born on April 4,1849, son of Leonard and Lavina (Gesile) Oswald, also natives of the Fatherland. Leonard Oswald was a contractor and builder and in 1853 came to the United States, seeking a new home. He began working at his trade in New York state and shortly afterward was joined there by his family. A year or two later the family left Buffalo and went to Chicago, where Mr. Oswald worked as a builder for a couple of years, at the end of which time he moved his family to New Ulm and there established his permanent home. He took an active part in early building operations in New Ulm and helped in the construction of the old Eagle roller mills. He was active in the defense of the city during the Indian massacre and at one time during that trying period had a close call for his life, having been one of a reconnoitering party, two of the members of which were slain by the redskins, he finding safety in flight. He entered a homestead at the edge of the town of Milford and there made his home until 1873, in which year he retired from the farm and moved back to New Ulm, where his death occurred the following year, 1874. He and his wife were the parents of sixteen children, of whom six, Joseph, Angelica, Kunigundi, Fred, Dorothy and Gottlieb, came to America, the elder children remaining in Germany. Gottlieb Oswald was about five years old when his parents settled in this country and was about ten years old when he accompanied them to New Ulm, which has been his home ever since. He grew up on the farm and early learned the brewer's trade, at which he worked for sixteen years, a part of the time at New Ulm and a part of the time at St. Paul. He then returned to his father's farm and after operating that place for some time again located in New Ulm and in 1908 was elected to the important and responsible office of city treasurer, which position he still holds. On November 15, 1874. Gottlieb Oswald was united in marriage to Wilhelmina Wolfe, who was born in Prussia, daughter of William Wolfe and wife, who came to the United States in 1872, settling at New Ulm, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Fred, a postoffice clerk at New Ulm, who married Eliza Helman and has five children; Otto, laundryman, of New Ulm, who married Florence Gilley and has five children; Emilia, who married Charles Rice, a New Ulm laundryman, and has four children; Albert, who married Barbara Abrosh and lives at Minneapolis, where he is employed as a letter carrier. Mrs. Oswald died on December 10, 1910, and Mr. Oswald now lives with his son, Otto. Mrs. Oswald was a member of the Lutheran church and Mr. Oswald still takes an active part in the good works of that church. Mr. Oswald is a Socialist in his political views and takes an active interest in the extension of the cause of that party in this part of the state. 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/brown/bios/oswald390gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb