Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Graf, Emil 1839 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 19, 2006, 7:54 pm

Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908)

  EMIL GRAF, president of the State Bank of Lismore, secretary and one of the

organizers of the Willmont Mutual Fire Insurance company, and a retired farmer,

is a pioneer not only of Nobles county but of Minnesota, having become a

resident of the territory in 1850. His home is in Lismore village.



  Emil Graf was born in Switzerland, at Stein-on-the-Rhine, March 22, 1839, one

of the two children composing the family of John J. and Margaret (Strasser)

Graf. The father died at Franconia, Minn., in 1875, aged 66 years. The mother

died in the same place, after having lived over eighty years.



  The educational advantages of our subject were limited to three years

schooling (from six to nine years) in his native country. In April, 1849, the

Graf family left their old home in Germany and set sail from Havre, France, for

the new world. They accomplished the voyage to New Orleans in thirty-four days,

and were eight days longer making the trip up the Mississippi by boat to St.

Louis, where they first located. In June, 1850, the family moved to Minnesota

territory and located at a point four miles north of Stillwater. There the head

of the family purchased a tract of government land and engaged in the gardening

and dairy business, Emil assisting in the work. In 1859 the Grafs moved to

Marine Mills, Minn., where the father and son engaged in the brewing business,

which had been the father's occupation in the old country.



  Emil Graf enlisted in company B, of the famous First Minnesota regiment, on

April 29, 1861, and was in the service three years, being mustered out at

Philadelphia in 1864. Immediately after his discharge from the army, on May 8,

1864, Mr. Graf was married at Philadelphia to Miss Frederica Zeh, who was born

in Wurtemberg, Germany, Jan. 10, 1843, the daughter of Frederick and Barbara

Zeh. The family emigrated to America in 1852 and located in Philadelphia.

Following are the names of the living children of Mr. and Mrs. Graf: Caroline C.

(Mrs. William M. Stevens); Emma M. (Mrs. John. B. Disch); Adolph C., Emil F.,

Eda C., John C. and Clara S. (Mrs. B. Grapes).



  After his marriage Mr. Graf again located at Marine Mills, Minn., and

reentered the brewing business, which he continued until 1869. He then sold out

and started a general merchandise store in the same town, and conducted that ten

years. He came to Nobles county with his family in 1879 and took a homestead in

Willmont township, upon which he resided until 1900. He then took up his

residence in the village of Lismore, in the founding of which he took an active

part. He has entered very actively into the business life of the village and is

identified with many enterprises. In a political way he has also played an

important part. He was elected county commissioner from the second district in

1883 and served a three year term. For many years he was township clerk of

Willmont township.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:



AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY

MINNESOTA

BY

ARTHUR P. ROSE



NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY 

WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA 

PUBLISHERS

1908

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