Bio of Schurb, Joseph Henry (b.1851) Wabasha Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm ========================================================================= This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1920. Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab3.htm There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some of the bios on her pages. Schurb, Joseph Henry (page 453), who owns and operates a fine farm of 231 acres in section 33, Minneiska Township, was born on a farm in Iowa, a few miles south of Dubuque, November 29, 1851, son of Matthew Joseph and Elizabeth (Trout) Schurb. The parents, who were natives of Feltzen, Germany, were married in their native land, and came to the United States in 1850, settling at once in Iowa, where an uncle of Mrs. Schurb resided. After remaining there two years, they removed to Minneiska, Wabasha County, Minn., and homesteaded the quarter section of land on which the subject of this sketch now resides (Range 9, Township 109). The land was all wild, and the numerous Indians in the vicinity went about in summer time in a state of nature, having no use whatever for clothing. The Schurb family began operations with no stock but one cow and one or two pigs. From a man named Burns, who lived in Mt. Vernon Township, Winona County, they hired a team of oxen to drag the logs with which to build a small house, erecting it on a piece of table land some distance back from the river, and in the immediate vicinity of a small spring. A number of years afterwards, about the time the railroad was in process of construction, this house burned down, and the family then moved into a granary which they had recently built and in which they made their home for a time, until a new house could be erected. During the early period they possessed no machinery, and all the work, even the hardest, had to be done by hand, including a considerable amount of timber felling and grubbing. Still they mad gradual progress, though suffering many hardships unknown to the younger generation, and barns and other buildings were in course of time erected. With the advent of machinery they made better progress, though this advantage cost them something in addition to the money spent, as about 1890 their barns were burned down, being ignited by a spark from a threshing-machine. They were, however, rebuilt, and the house improved and enlarged, and today the farm presents all the appearances of thrift and prosperity. In addition to the house, to which two L's have been added, there is a good cow barn 24 by 50 feet, with 16-foot posts, a basement barn for horses, 24 by 40 feet, with 12-boot posts, a good granary, milk-house, hay shed, machine-shed and corn-crib, and a stave silo, built five years ago, 14 by 50 feet. Matthew J. Schurb, the father, who established the place and developed it into a fairly good property, died some twenty years ago, being survived by his wife, who passed away about 1907. They had in all nine children, all of whom, however, died young but three, and of these three the subject of this sketch is the only one now living. He, Joseph H. Schurb, now one of the leading farmers of his township, obtained such education as he could in the district school, when he was able to attend it, but his agricultural training was very thorough, and he learned many things which the farmers of the present day are not called upon to perform, and of which the younger generation knows nothing. In course of time he came into possession of the home place, which he has still further improved, with the help of his wife and children, who are fully endowed with habits of thrift and industry. He is a man who has always fulfilled his obligations, and who takes pride in the fact that his word is recognized to be as good as his bond, his verbal promise being taken for all that it implies by those who know him. He was married January 7, 1879, to Dora Heaser, who was born in Trout Valley, Winona County, Minn., April 8, 1860, daughter of Joseph and Anna (Westline) Heaser, her parents, of German origin, coming to this country from Alsace, France, about the middle of the last century. In their family were eight children, of whom four are now living: Anna, residing at Lake City, Minn., who is the widow of Mat Berg, and who has had nine children, one being now deceased; Dora, wife of Joseph H. Schurb; Joseph Frank, residing on the home farm, who married Frances Theis, and has five children; and Theresa, wife of John Siebenaler, and the mother of three sons and one daughter. To Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Schurb have been born five children: Anna Elizabeth, January 11, 1881; Frank Joseph, September 1, 1882; Theresa Mary, March 4, 1884; Elizabeth Matilda, December 3, 1888, and Olivia, May 2, 1891. Anna Elizabeth, who is single, resides at Mazeppa, Wabasha County. Frank Joseph, who lives on and now manages the home farm, married Mary Ilgen, of Hammond, Minn., who was born September 17, 1893, daughter of Peter and Mary Ilgen, has one child Bernard P., born August 18, 1919. Theresa Mary married Peter Marx, of Mazeppa, Minn., now resides in Olmsted County, this state, and has two children, Cecelia Anna and Monica Faviola. Elizabeth Matilda is the wife of Louis Welch, of Oak Ridge, Beaver Township, Winona County, and has three children, Dora Elizabeth, Theresa Viola and Beatrice Mary. Olivia married Edward Welch, brother of Louis, and has one child, Annabelle Theresa. Mr. Schurb and his family are members of the Catholic church, attending St. Mary's at Minneiska. He belongs to St. Joseph's Society, his wife to that of St. Anne, and their son Frank to the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters. As one of the men who have aided largely in developing the agricultural resources of Minneiska Township, Mr. Schurb is widely known and respected, and his record is well worthy of preservation in a volume devoted to the history of this locality. Though his early advantages with respect to education were limited, he possesses keen intelligence and easily recognizes the desirability of providing the younger generation with better opportunities than he himself enjoyed in his youth.