Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Schwendinger, Theodore And Alex ************************************************ 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 27, 2014, 12:12 am Source: See Below Author: L. A. Fritsche ALEX SCHWENDINGER. Alex Schwendinger, church decorator of New Ulm, Brown county, was born on November 29, 1862, in Tyrol, Austria, and is a son of Ignatz and Josepha (Rein) Schwendinger. The father was born in Tyrol, Austria, where he grew up and married and there he followed the trade of sculptor until he brought his family to the United States in the spring of 1879. He and his wife had four children, two sons and two daughters. The family located at once in New Ulm Minnesota, where the father lived until his death in November, 1904. Alex Schwendinger spent his boyhood in Tyrol, Austria, where he received his education, and he studied painting and decorating for four years in the Munich art school, and he has since followed his trade with much success, being highly skilled and a rapid worker. He decorated the Holy Trinity church in New Ulm, and has done a great deal of similar work on churches in Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota. He was married on January 8, 1907, in Carroll county, Iowa, to Anna Vens, who was born on September 23, 1886, in Roselle, Carroll county, Iowa. She is a daughter of John and Mary Vens. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Schwendinger, namely: Norbert and Elvira, twins, who were born on March 23, 1910; Seraphia, June 15, 1911, and Alphonse, December 23, 19i2. All the family are members of the Catholic church. Among Mr. Schwendinger's works of art may be mentioned a painting of the battle between the Indians and the settlers at New Ulm, August 22, 1862. In his earlier career he did a great deal of portrait painting, in which field he has considerable talent, but of recent years he has had but little to do in this line, owing to the advanced art of photography, which has taken the place of oil paintings to a great extent. He is in partnership with M. E. Schuster, and looks after the inside painting and decorating and the business end of the firm, which has existed since 1912. Theodore Schwendinger, brother of Alex, was born on February 11, 1860, in Tyrol, Austria, and after attending school until he was fourteen years of age, began learning the marble-cutter's trade, which he has since followed with much success and in which he is very highly skilled. His father was a sculptor and he worked with him until his death, since which time he has conducted his business alone and makes tombstones and monuments exclusively. He has made a great many of the monuments in the cemeteries of Brown county, his work being of an exceptionally high order. He was married in New Ulm, July 11, 1893, to Catherine Schneider, who was born in Tyrol, Austria, June 8, 1865, and is a daughter of John, and Christinsea (Martin) Schneider. She came to the United States in March, 1892, and is the only one of her family living in America. To Theodore Schwendinger and wife five children have been born, two of whom are deceased, dying in childhood; those living are Valeria, bom October 14, 1895; Mathilda, March 8, 1899; Alexia, born February 28, 1903. The parents and children are all members of the Catholic church, and he belongs to the German Catholic Society of Minnesota. 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/schwendi481gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb