Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Pfaender, Albert 1873 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 23, 2014, 6:35 pm

Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

MAJOR ALBERT PFAENDER.

    Major Albert Pfaender, of the Minnesota National Guard, former
representative in the lower house of the Minnesota General Assembly from this
district and one of the best-known and most successful lawyers in this section
of the state, who has been engaged in the practice of his profession at New Ulm
since the year 1900, now head of the firm of Pfaender & Flor, attorneys-at-law,
is a native son of Brown county, having been born at New Ulm on September 9,
1873, son of the Hon. William and Catherine (Pfau) Pfaender, natives of Germany,
the former of Wurtemberg and the latter of Bavaria, early settlers at New Ulm
and for many years leaders in the community life of that city.

    William Pfaender was little more than a boy when he came to America and he
at once began to make his own way upon landing on these shores. He presently
became a clerk in a store at Newport, Kentucky, going thence across the river
into Cincinnati, where he also was engaged as a clerk. In the latter city he
marred Catherine Pfau, whose parents had come to this country from Germany,
settling in Cincinnati, where they spent the rest of their lives, Grandfather
Pfau dying in middle life and his widow surviving for many years, she haying
been close to one hundred years of age at the time of their death. There were
six children in the Pfau famil y, Mrs. Amelia Scherer, Mrs. Emerich Gustetler,
Mrs. Philip Emerich, Charles J. Pfau, Mrs, Pfaender and Jacob Pfau.

    In 1856 William Pfaender took an active part in the movement among a number
of Germans in Cincinnati to form a colony for the purpose of emigrating West and
settling in Minnesota and from the first was one of the prime movers in the
activities of that historic group of sturdy Germans which came here from
Cincinnati and settled in the New Ulm neighborhood in 1856, the year follow mg
the organization of Brown county as a civic entity. Mr. Pfaender pre-empted a
tract of two hundred acres in Milford township and there he established his home
and reared his family. When the Civil War broke out be enlisted as a soldier in
behalf of the Union cause and went to the front as a member of the First
Minnesota Battery of Light Artillery, participating with that command in the
battle of Shiloh and several minor engagements of the war. In 1862 he was
transferred to the forces operating against the Indians in this part of
Minnesota and later was made commandant at Ft. Ridgely, with the rank of
lieutenant-colonel of the Mounted Rangers, in which capacity he rendered
distinguished service.

     Upon returning to civil life, Colonel Pfaender engaged in the general real
estate and insurance business at New Ulm and from the very beginning of his
connection with affairs hereabouts was an active leader in local politics, his
activities in the political field gaining for him a wide acquaintance throughout
the state. For several terms he served as a member of the upper house of the
Minnesota General Assembly from this district and later was elected state
treasurer, serving in that capacity for two terms. At the close of his term of
official service Colonel Pfaender resumed his connection with the real estate
business at New Ulm, and was thus engaged until the time of his death. August
11, 1905, he then being seventy-nine years of age. His wife had preceded him to
the grave more than ten years, her death having occurred in 1892. Colonel
Pfaender had been reared a Catholic and his wife a Lutheran, but in later life
neither was actively identified with any church.

     To Willie m and Catherine (Pfau) Pfaender fifteen children were born, as
follow: William, a prominent resident of New Ulm; Kate, wife of Charles A.
Albrecht, a furrier, of St. Paul; Louise, widow of Dr. G. Stamm, of St. Paul;
Josephine, a teacher in the city schools at St. Paul; Fred, present postmaster
of New Ulm; Amelia, wife of Doctor Fritche, of New Ulm; Emma, wife of Charles
Hauser, of St. Paul; Minnie, wife of Hein Loenholdt, a contractor, of Hamburg,
Germany; Herman, who occupies the old homestead in Milford township; Albert, the
immediate subject of this biographical sketch; Johanna, deceased, who was the
wife of Charles Brauns; Carrie, who died unmarried at the age of twenty; Alvina,
Walter, and one who died in infancy.

     Albert Pfaender was reared in New Ulm and after graduating from the high
school there entered the Mankato Normal School, from which he presently was
graduated, after which he taught school for a couple of years. He then entered
the University of Minnesota, from which he was graduated in 1897, after which he
further pursued his studies for two years in the law department of that
institution and in 1899 entered the law office of Joseph A. Eckstein at New Ulm.
The next year, 1900, he was admitted to the bar and has been engaged in the
practice of his profession in his native city ever since, now the senior member
of the firm of Pfaender & Flor, one of the best-known legal firms in this part
of the state. Major Pfaender has long been interested in the activities of the
Minnesota State Guard and in 1901 he was elected second lieutenant of Company A,
Second Regiment, Minnesota National Guard, stationed at New Ulm. He shortly
afterward was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and presently became
captain of the company, serving as such for eight years, or until his elevation
to the rank of major of the regiment in June, 1913, which is his present rank in
the state guard. Major Pfaender from boyhood has been interested in accurate
marksmanship and has qualified as an expert and distinguished rifleman and
revolver shot. He is also recognized as one of the most successful huntsmen and
fishermen in Minnesota and is an ardent advocate of systematic physical culture,
his skillful training in the New Ulm Turnverein having given him a very accurate
knowledge of the benefits of such a course. From the time he entered practice in
New Ulm, Major Pfaender has given close attention to the political affairs of
this section. He is a Democrat and for years has been recognized as one of the
leaders of that party in this county. From 1906 to 1909 he served as city
attorney of New Ulm and in 1915 was again appointed to that important position.
In 1908 Major Pfaender was elected to the state Legislature as a representative
from this district in the lower house of the Minnesota General Assembly, and was
successively reelected in the years 1910 and 1912, thus serving in the house
during the sessions of 1909-11-13 and in the special session of 1912, rendering
faithful and efficient service in behalf of his constituency and the state at
large.

      On March 23, 1907, Albert Pfaender was united in marriage to Marie T.
Neumann, who also was born in New Ulm, daughter of John E. and Theresa
(Rosskopf) Neumann, the former of whom was born in East Prussia, Germany, and
the latter in New Ulm. John E. Neumann and wife, the former of whom is still
living, were the parents of five children, namely: Louise, who married Ered
Pfaender; Anna, who married Frank Rinke; Marie, T., who married Major Pfaender;
John X., and Aurora, who married Dr. L. C. Quasl, a dentist, of St. Paul. Some
time following the death of the mother of these children Mr. Neumann married,
secondly, Emily Kuehnel, and to this second union four children have been born,
Victor, Roland. Laurence and Phyllis.

     To Albert and Marie T. (Neumann) Pfaender two children have been born, John
Albert and Marion. Major and Mrs. Pfaender are earnest promoters of all proper
social activities in their home town, taking a deep interest in the general
cultural development of this community, and are held in high esteem by their
many friends. Major Pfaender is an active member of the Men's Club of the New
Ulm Congregational church; of the Knights of Pythias and of the Modern Woodmen
and still keeps up his participation in the affairs of Theta Delta Chi, his
college fraternity.


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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