Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Lenz, Peter (Jr.) 1866 - ************************************************ 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 sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 5, 2006, 2:16 pm Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) PETER LENZ, JR., proprietor of a hardware store at Adrian, has lived in Nobles county since he was sixteen years of age. During the first ten years of his life in Nobles county he lived on a farm in Grand Prairie township; since 1903 he has made Adrian his home. Peter Lenz is the second of a family of thirteen children, all of whom are residents of Minnesota, except Mrs. John Witt, who lives at Watertown, S. D. His father, the late John J. Lenz, was one of the large landowners of southwestern Nobles county and an early settler of Grand Prairie township, John J. Lenz was a native of Germany and emigrated to the United States when twelve years of age. He first settled in Wisconsin, where he lived a few years, and then located in Scott county, Minn., becoming one of the pioneer settlers of that part of Minnesota and taking his claim when the country was yet occupied by Indians. He moved from Scott county to Grand Prairie township, Nobles county, in 1883, where he became the owner of several fine farms. He resided on the farm there until his death, which occurred in 1893. Several of his sons are now prominent farmers of that part of the county. Our subject's mother is Anna Maria (Klinkhammer) Lenz, also a native of Germany. She makes her home on the Grand Prairie township farm and is 68 years of age. To these parents, at Belleplaine, Scott county, Minn., Peter Lenz, Jr., was born on the sixteenth day of January, 1866. In the county of his birth he lived until 1883, and came then with the family to Nobles county. Until 1903 he lived on the home farm (the northwest quarter of section 4, Grand Prairie), engaged in farming and threshing. He then took up his residence in Adrian, and that village has since been his home. There he continued his threshing operations during the fall months, spending the rest of the year traveling for the Minneapolis Threshing Machine company. In these occupations he was engaged until August 26, 1907. On that date he went into the hardware, implement and engine business, buying a new stock throughout. Mr. Lenz was married in Adrian May 29, 1894, to Helena Pint, a daughter of Matt Pint, deceased, and a native of Scott county, Minn. Mr. and Mrs. Lenz are the parents of the following living children: Odelia M., born June 12, 1895; Lucia A., born Jan. 6, 1897; Cecelia E., born Dec. 2, 1898; Norbert J., born July 7, 1900; Rainer G., born Aug. 17, 1902. The family are members of the Catholic church, and Mr. Lenz holds membership in the Catholic Order of Foresters, being Chief Ranger of this court, which is registered as St. Adrian's Court No. 1012. He was assessor and member of the township board in Grand Prairie for a number, of years. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/lenz289gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 3.5 Kb