August Julius Gustave Beyer

"AUGUST G. BEYER DIES HERE TODAY. August Gustav Beyer, 80, known far and wide as the founder of the 'House of Beyer' in New Ulm, died at 3:25 a.m. today in a New Ulm hospital. Beyer had been in failing health for some months and had been a patient in the hospital since Sunday. Funeral services will be held in St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church Saturday at 2 p.m. Burial will be in the Lutheran Cemetery. The body will be at the Gedstad funeral home from Friday at 2 p.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday. For Beyer, immigrant boy from Pommern, Germany, America had been the land of opportunity and this he never forgot. Since retiring from management of Beyer's Hotel he often mentioned this to friends and others with whom he visited at the hotel. When young he did not wait until someone with 'pull' or for a paternal government to make things easy for him. He struck out for himself. When 15, in Pommern, he did not let his youth prevent him from striking out for himself into a new strange land. CAME TO COURTLAND. August made the big adventure with an older brother Frank, who farmed for years at Bottineau, N.D. They came to the Courtland vicinity as soon as they arrived in the United States to the farm of an uncle, the late William Beckmann, who had sent them the fare. The Beckmanns moved a few years later to the Wabasso community. August and Frank went to work as farm hands upon coming to Courtland and worked hard and saved their money so well they were able in a few years to send for their parents, Mr and Mrs Karl Beyer. The father died in 1910 and the mother in 1920. August worked on farms until 1900, when he married Miss Minnie Berberich of New Ulm. After marriage he worked as a section hand on the Northwestern railroad a year or two. BUYS HOTEL. In 1903, thrifty Beyer bought into a partnership in a hotel and saloon business in Courtland village. He remained at Courtland until 1912, when he purchased a farm. After farming for a year, Beyer sold his farm in exchange for the Northwestern Hotel at New Ulm. This had been conducted by Albin Carlson, an old New Ulm businessman. Mr and Mrs Beyer took possession April 1, 1914. The anniversary was celebrated April 1 this year as it had been each previous April 1 for some time. When the hotel was purchased there was no bar. This was added in 1916. In 1920, when the nation went dry and the bar was closed, Beyer sought another means of revenue and to also keep his sons busy. He added a meat market and grocery in the hotel building. This was the first grocery store in what is known as Riverside. An addition to the hotel was constructed in 1922 and since that time the building has been rehabilitated and improved in many ways. A dining room was added in the basement some years ago. SONS TAKE OVER. When Mrs Beyer died in February 1929, August decided to retire and turn the business over to his sons. This was done the following year. Since that time he has spent his declining years in watching his sons operate the business, while spending most of his time in his easy chair in the sun porch of the hotel. In 1925, Mr and Mrs Beyer celebrated their silver wedding anniversary by taking a tgrip to the Fatherland, where they visited relatives for several months. The three sons, Harry H; Herbert J; and Alfred F; continued to operate the business of the 'House of Beyer' until in 1943, when Alfred died. Harry and Herb carried on until 1948, when the partnership was dissolved and Harry took over the hotel and bar property. Herb operated the food market and later opened the market in a new building adjoining the hotel. He operated this for a few years and then disposed of it. He is now in Minneapolis in the food business. In addition to the two sons, Harry and Herb, there are eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A daughter, Mrs Joseph (Frieda) Sandhoefner, Sleepy Eye, died in February. Beyer is also survived by five brothers, Otto and Carl, Elgin , Ill; Herman, Montello, Wis; Gustav, Malta, Mont; and William, New Ulm; and one sister, Mrs Henry Wilking, Elgin, Ill."