D. W. Bremer Biography

	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. 
	Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1898. Pages 488-489

	Scan, OCR and editing by Joy Fisher, jfisher@sdgenweb.com, 1999.

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D. W. BREMER, dealer in grain, flour and machinery, Clear Lake, Deuel county, 
was born in Germany, July 23, 1850, a son of Frederick and Katherine Bremer, 
both born in Germany.  The father died in his native country in 1865 at the age 
of fifty-seven years, but the mother came to America in 1866 and died at Oconto, 
Wisconsin, in 1884, at the age of seventy-six years.

The subject of our sketch came to America with his mother in 1866 and located at 
Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and was there engaged in farming, and attended the night 
school for three months, which comprised all the advantages of school he was 
ever permitted to enjoy, but by his diligence and perseverance he secured, by 
his own efforts, a thorough business education. He worked in the pineries of 
Wisconsin eight winters, and also did some railroading in connection with his 
farm work.  In 1878 he sold out and went to Deuel county, South Dakota, and 
purchased a tract of railroad land but returned to Wisconsin and spent the 
following winter in the pineries.  In the spring of the following year he moved 
his family, consisting of his wife and five children, to their new home in 
Dakota in an emigrant wagon.  He had but ten dollars in money, but he erected a 
sod shanty for a home and began the cultivation of his farm and to place upon it 
the necessary improvements.  The family lived in the sod house for five years 
before that rude domicile gave place to a more modern and attractive, as well as 
a more comfortable, residence.  They, like many of the early settlers of that 
state, were obliged to endure many privations. During the severe winter of 1880-
81 they had nothing to burn but flax chaff and straw, and their eatables 
consisted of potatoes, salt and flour.  Mr. Bremer was very fond of his pipe but 
was obliged to smoke flax chaff as a substitute for tobacco.  Good luck has not 
always crowned his ventures, and his life has been one of many "ups and downs," 
but of late years he has been quite successful, and he has given his children a 
fair education, one of them being now a teacher.

Mrs. Bremer, who was in her girlhood Miss Mary Mahnke, is a native of Wisconsin, 
born September 13, 1854, and became the wife of our subject May 3, 1873.  Her 
father, Christian Mahnke, was born in 1822 and now resides in Manitowoc, 
Wisconsin. The mother, who bore the name of Dora Mahnke, was born August 11, 
1816, and died November 22, 1875.  Mr. and Mrs. Bremer are the parents of a 
family of nine children, eight of whom are now living, viz.: John, Mary, 
Charles, Edith, William, Christie, deceased; Elizabeth and Eva.  All are members 
of the Lutheran church. Mr. Bremer is a member of the Ancient Order of United 
Workmen, is a man of strong character, broad ideas, and has a large circle of 
warm friends.   Politically be is independent.