Henry J. Albrecht

Posted by Janet on Sat, 17 Feb 2001

Henry J. Albrecht, a prosperous farmer and stock raiser of Lynn Township, was born in Meeklenberg, Germany, March 18, 1866, son of Henry and Sophia (Gundlach) Albrecht. He had attended school in Germany, learning to read and write, and was 8 years old when his parents came to the United States. He grew to manhood on their farm in Fremont Township, attending the Neuman school-a log structure-in the Township of Lynn adjoining on the south. At the age of 14 he began working for George Brooks on Pleasant Ridge, remaining with him three months, and the next summer he worked for George Kleinschmidt. Five months of the following winter was spent in logging for W. T. Price. Then, after spending the summer at home, he worked in the woods the next winter for Thomas LaFlesh. After that he worked two years in succession for the John Paul Lumber Company, one winter for Fike & Dywer and two winters for Brooks Brothers, spending his summers on the home farm.

On May 6, 1890, he was married in Fremont Township to Susie Sanger, who was born in Schlesing, Germany, June 20, 1871, daughter of Gottlieb and Elizabeth (Pradel) Sanger. Her father was a mason by trade, and with his wife and four children-Charles, Rose, Anna and Susie-came to the United States in 1872 by steamer, locating in Calumet County, Wis., near Potter, where Mr. Sanger followed his trade for three years. Two more children were born there-Bertha and August. Then the family came to Fremont Township, locating on 120 acres of timberland in Section 34, the tract being wild and away from a road. Here he built a log shanty 12 by 16 feet in size, of one room only, in which the entire family of eight persons had to live. They had one cow, but no other stock and no implements. Provisions had to be carried fourteen miles on their back from Marshfield, and it was two years before Mr. Sanger got an ox team. He made a sled to serve for a wagon, then bought a second-hand wagon; but the oxen ran away with the latter and broke it up, and he had to return to the sled, or "jumper." In time he cleared nearly all his farm, built a log barn and a brick veneer house of twelve rooms. The children born in Fremont Township were-William, Emma and one that died in infancy. The family attended German Lutheran services in the Neuman schoolhouse.

Mr. Sanger died at the age of 51 years, and his wife at that of 66. After their marriage, Henry J. Albrecht and wife located in Lynn Township, having bought fifty acres of wild land in Section 3, of Judge Dewhurst, on which Mr. Albrecht built a frame house 18 by 26 feet in size. Here they started with practically nothing but their hands, and had to carry their water half a mile. They had, however, three cows, and the second year got an ox team. Mr. Albrecht cleared the entire fifty acres, also building a basement barn 36 by 70 feet in size, and a nine-room house. He sold that place in 1912, having in the meanwhile bought forty acres in Section 3-a tract known as the Hopple place, which in 1900 was a partly improved tract, having some old log buildings on it. On this he has built a good house of ten rooms, a barn 30 by 60 feet, and a silo 12 by 22 feet in size. He raises high grade Holstein cattle, Percheron and Belgian horses and Chester-White hogs, and is doing a successful business. Mr. Albrecht has served the township as road commissioner and school director. He has been a member and treasurer of the Fremont Lutheran Church for fourteen years. He and his wife have had seven children-Bertha, wife of Alfred Bartz, of York Township, who has four children-Erma, Gertrude, Nora and Mildred; Louis, who died at the age of 17 years; Erma, wife of Gustof Kaddatz, of Fremont Township, who has one child-Lillian; and Charlotte, Lillian, Ernest and Harold, who reside at home.