Bernard Ignatius Frieler

Bernard Frieler ] was born in Westphalia Germany in 1851. In our search we found that the Frielers came from the city in west central Germany, originally it was the seat of the Benedictine convent and was governed by the convent to the year 1803. Essen was than made a secular city under Prussia A status it held to the year 1946.

The city was severely damaged in world war two. After 1945 it was rebuilt with Technological advanced factories. The main industry is iron,steel, textiles and glass. It is a university city with large parks, with a population of more than 600,000.

But it would seem that Bernard himself may have come from a place called Heek a village near Ahaus.

His son Herman said his Grandfather and Grandmother's mane was Andrew & Mary, but we could not find any records with those names.

Their was a Theordore Frieler who registered several children just as son Frieler near the time of old Ben's birth, he could of been one of those children.

Bernard himself did not Register several of the births of his own children

He may have traveled here to the USA with a younger sister called Wilhem , it would seem she did not come to Minnesota With him - - - - she may have died or Married - - -- if her name was changed it would be very hard to find her , the strange first name could be of help.

I have discovered that the Felderward family also lived near Heek, and came to US at about the same time. We found Frieler's & Felderward's in Texas and in MN their could be a connection.

In the year 1869 when he was 20 years old he left his native land to come to the USA. We will never know why he left; some left to escape the peacetime draft of young men into Compulsory military service to the Prince of Prussia, who discriminated against Catholics. Some left for economic reasons.

Germany at that time was a small broken up nation of small bickering states, with different social customs, farming methods, dialects. Farm plots, which were passed down to the eldest son, were not now large enough to support whole families. Peasants were required to pay cash rent for land. People were forced to find work elsewhere; the US had job opportunities and stories of cheap even, free land. There was also the letters of Fr. Francis Pierz telling of the great Sauk River Valley. The rich land, ideal rainfall, and mild winters in which he dreamed of establishing a German Catholic paradise, Father Pierz's may have been wishful thinking and not accurate,

When the shipping companies published them to help fill there new steamships to the new world, these letters attracted many settlers.

The climate may have fallen short of their expectation but they did find a terrain and farming conditions, much like their native Germany. Forests that needed to be cleared so open land could be used for crops.

The major difference was that here the land was divided up into grids and each family lived and worked separately. In Germany families lived in Villages and walked to their farms outside of the area to work the land.

Bernard it is reported came by himself and stayed in Iowa the first year. Then in 1871 came to the Sauk River Valley to homestead near New Munich, in Stearns County. As a Pioneer he became, a leader in the growth of New Munich. He was a hard worker and succeeded in building one of the best and most productive farms in the Community. He was known as a trader of land and cattle, it seems there might of been two homesteads, or Bernard had a different occupation the one we all know as the home place, up on the townline which was started in 1878, which passed to his son Joseph, and Joseph's son Martin, then to Dan Frieler and his wife Bette.

We have found later information on a Bernard Frieler who came into the Port of New York, on September 21 1872 on the Ship ALGERIA, that crossed from Liverpool England. In Vol. 28 of the Ship Book, we found a Bernard Frieler (male) Laborer age 20 and with him a Whelm Frieler (female) age 19. [IT: This would put his birth in the year 1852 our fore fathers birth was reported as 3-21 1851, so close it seems possible. : IT] Information given by Herman Frieler in 1937 said he came to the Sauk Valley in 1871 after spending a year in Iowa ([UL: But than Herman was a few years off on his brothers birthdays too according to Court House Records. ] so it seems very likely this was our Bernard and that he did come with a sister or was it his wife SHE could of died or married in the year he spent in Iowa. (( Now we in 2006 found a record that in fact --Wilhem --was his 19 year old wife)))

((( Now we need to find a Marraige or Death record for Wilhem Frieler)))

Lois went through Ship records and found only about 20 Frielers that came during the 1800s and all came to New York and only one Bernard. So if he came in September of 1872 and spent the next crop year ] in Iowa, which was a way years were measured in that time and he spent 1873 in Iowa working to earn, money for a start. It could have been the spring of 1874 before he got to the Sauk River Valley. This makes it more likely that the home place was the original homestead.

[UL: The historian in St Cloud Historical society told us not to take reported years as solid, as people often did not have calendars, and record events as is done now. Even births and deaths. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<)

It was to this homestead that he brought his bride in 1883. On October 23, 1883, Bernard at the age of 32 married Katherine Poepping age 18, daughter of Andrew and Gertrude Poepping (This is according to the interview but may not be right as Courthouse list other Parents) who settled in Nelson. Much of this information came from this Biography.

Bernard retired in 1915, and sold the Creamery to his son Herman, the next year Katherine died on September. 7th, 1916, she was only 50 years 7 months and 2 days old. and left two young children, Erma Linda 8 and Leo age 12.(In the St. Cloud Court House records Katherine's parents are listed as Joseph and Maria Rose Poepping)

Bernard went on living in retirement another 14 years and died July 9th, 1930. Age 78 years 5 months and 14 days.

Bernard is buried in the New Munich Cemetery, but is not next to Katherine, There are two separate gravestones.

Up date 8-7-2002

Found birth date of 2-14- 1852 on a declaration of Intention on which Ben himself gave this date , which makes him 1 year and one month younger , than the first date we had.

Also said that he came into the port of New York on 10-21-1872

At age 66 he said he was 5ft. 11 inches tall 200lbs , his hair was white his eyes blue.

We also found a Childs grave stone in the New Munich Cemetery - - Bernard Frieler 10-1-1893

This would have to be a son of Ben & Katherine as they were the only Frielers, but he did not have a birth certificate.