| Parents: Marriage: |
Heinrich Eckel Juliana Young Franz "Frank" Balder November 29, 1874 Reformed Dutch Town, Addison, Washington, Wisconsin [Source: Washington County, Wisconsin Marriage Records] Witnesses at wedding were Christopher Kaiser and Conrad Faust From Neal Degner, Germantown, WI June 2000 |
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| Children | Clara M. | Oct. 7, 1875 | † June 5, 1916 |
| Frank R. | June 22, 1878 | † March 14, 1920 | |
| William J. | 1880 | † Oct. 13, 1940 | |
| Louis Carl or Charles | Aug. 30, 1882 | † July 7, 1942 |
| 2nd Marriage: | Frederick "Fritz" William Zertler |
| October 18, 1894 | |
| St. Cloud, Stearns, Minnesota |
| Children: | Arthur Adolph | Mar. 13, 1896 | † Jan. 25, 1940 |
| Notes: | Dorothea was baptized October 23, 1857 at St. John's Church in Kohlsville, Washington County, Wisconsin. Her sponsors at the baptism were |
| Dorothea Schultz and her parents,
Heinrich and Juliana Eckel. From Neal Degner, Germantown, WI June 2000
Dora's and Frank's marriage record indicates that he was a beer brewer in Mayville, Dodge County, Wisconsin. From Neal Degner, Germantown, WI June 2000 At the time of the 1880 federal census, Dora was 23 years old and living with her husband Frank and their two children, Clara (age 4) and Frank (age 2), in St. Cloud, Stearns County, MN. Also living with them were Lina Stamonn (age 18), a servant, and Charlie Novak (age 48), Henry Richter (age 21), John Gaffka (age 22) and Jacob McGeyor (age 22), laborers. Frank was working as a brewer at the time. [Source: NA Film No. T9-0634, p. 442B] "FRANK BALDER, of the firm of Balder & Weber, Brewers, was born in Prussia, on the 17th of November, 1849. He came to America in 1870, first settling in Chicago, where he remained two years, thence to Napierville, Illinois, one year, after which he came to St. Cloud, but only remained five months; going to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and remaining five years. In 1878 he returned to St. Cloud, and became a partner with A. Thierse, in the brewery business, which partnership continued until the 1st of February, 1881, when his present partner, Nick J. Weber, purchased Mr. Thierse's interest. Mr. Balder was united in marriage with Miss Dora Eckel, on the 29th of November, 1875. Their children are, Clara M., Frank R., and William F." -- from "History of the Upper Mississippi Valley," St. George Township (1881) After Frank died, Dora married Frederick "Fritz" William Zertler, who had served as a "guard-Artillerist" in the 1866 Austro Prussian War, also known as the Six Weeks War. He immigrated to the United States in 1867 or 1868 and was naturalized in 1876 in St. Paul. His first wife was Mina Winter, born in Germany; Dora was his second wife. Fritz Zertler ran the business for three years and couldn't make a go of it. According to family rumor, Fritz was not a good businessman and that led to the brewery's demise. The brewery closed and the building was sold to a company which made it a woolen mill. At the present there are no breweries left in St. Cloud and all the buildings have been demolished. Dora lived the rest of her life in St. Cloud. Clara, the oldest child, married in 1898, the two oldest boys, Frank and William worked for the brewery for a time and then enlisted in the 13th Company M Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection. While they both survived, their health was not good. Louis, Clara and mother Dora wrote letters to the boys during their military service. Dale Smith comments on Dorotha Eckel: "According to family gossip, our great grandmother Dora made a very bad decision in marrying Mr. Zertler after the Brewer died. According to my grandmother and mother, he was a very mean spirited person, and virtually disowned his step children. While our family was in poverty, they were riding around in motor cars, with their son Arthur. . . . In addition to Zertler's bad character, he must have also been a bad businessman, as the brewery closed after several years of his operating it." -- from a December 6, 1999 e-mail to Connie Balder Mickolajak |
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