Alfred Kohler Biography

	This biography appears on page 1037 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.



	ALFRED KOHLER, one of the progressive and successful farmers of 
Moody county, is a native of the state of Iowa, having been born on the 
homestead farm, in Fayette county, on the 16th of March, 1866. He is a 
son of Nicholas and Mary (Lang) Kohler, both born and reared in 
Switzerland. The father of the subject continued to reside in his 
beloved fatherland until 1854, when he severed the home ties and 
immigrated to America. Soon after his arrival in the new world he made 
his way westward to Iowa and became one of the pioneers of Plymouth 
county, where he has since resided, devoting his attention to the great 
basic art of agriculture and having gained prominence and prosperity as 
a business man and valued citizen. His devoted wife is still living, as 
are also eight of their ten children, the other two having died in early 
childhood. The father of our subject was a carpenter in his early life, 
having followed this vocation in his native land. In politics he is a 
Democrat and both he and his wife are sincere and consistent members of 
the Lutheran church. He is one of the wealthy farmers of Iowa, owning a 
valuable estate of four hundred acres.  

	The subject of this sketch was reared to maturity on the homestead 
farm which was the place of his birth, and his early educational 
training was received in the excellent public schools for which Iowa has 
long been celebrated. He continued to assist in the work and management 
of the home farm until he had attained the age of twenty-four years, 
when he initiated his independent career. In 1893 he came to South 
Dakota and located in Moody county, where he is now the owner of nine 
hundred and sixty acres of most arable land, as has been previously 
noted, and the entire tract is under effective cultivation. Mr. Kohler 
is a man of advanced ideas, and brings to bear scientific principles in 
his farm work, while he has the business thoroughly systematized, 
realizing that this is as essential to success in farming as in any 
other line of industrial or commercial enterprise. He has equipped his 
farm with substantial and attractive buildings and the place may well be 
looked upon as a model. In addition to diversified agriculture he also 
gives no little attention to the raising of an excellent grade of live 
stock. In politics Mr. Kohler maintains an independent attitude, and he 
has been called upon, to serve as township trustee and as an officer of 
the school] district.  

	On the 10th of March, 1889, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. 
Kohler to Miss Matilda Miller, who was born and reared in Fayette 
county, Iowa, being a daughter of Benedict and Elizabeth (Islay) Miller. 
Mr. and Mrs. Kohler have six children, namely: Otto, Pearl, Vina, 
Lester, Lynn and Lloid.