The Jesmer Clan Around Minnesota in 1901

by Kevin Jesmer on Sunday, March 15th, 2020 | No Comments

The Jesmer Clan In Princeton and Greenbush Township Minnesota in 1901

1901 was a very busy year for the Jesmer Clan around Princeton MN. Many of Nelson A. Jesmer’s cousins and siblings are trying to get various businesses up and running. There is the barbershop/bathhouse/laundry service; the livery; the real-estate loan business. There is a cartage company that delivered mail and retrieved teams of horses. There was the N.E. Jesmer store and opera house and a store that sells housewares.

N.E. Jesmer, the family hero, was involved in service clubs. He was part of the Minnesota Grocer’s Association. His family was making trips and having house parties. It was good to have lots of money in 1901. My father was named Nelson Edward Jesmer in 1936. He goes by “Ted”. The last year of Nelson Adulphus Jesmer’s, my great grandfather, was lived out in the home of his son Harvey. Harvey is my grandfather. He and his wife Alice just gave birth to my dad. I think it would have been Nelson A. Jesmer who suggested that they name my dad after Nelson E. Jesmer. Nelson A. Jesmer must have highly respected his rich uncle. It was also Nelson E. Jesmer who bailed him out of legal troubles in Hibbing MN. He wanted to memorialize him by naming my dad. That means that my middle name, Edward, is a tribute to Nelson E. Jesmer. Wow.

Outside of businesses, there are people getting married. Babies are being born. It seems that one Catholic priest is spending his entire career baptizing, marrying and burying members of the extended Jesmer Clan. There are people with TB and even some with small pox. People are traveling to Minneapolis and St Paul. They are erecting barns. There is so much activity going on. It is hard to believe that in 2020 there is barely a trace of Jesmer’s in Princeton.

This is the year that my G-G-grandfather, Joseph A. Jesmer dies of a debilitating stroke. He was in a coma for three days and then he died. Though it was in 1901, the thought of it still makes me sad. He left behind his second wife of seven years to live on without him. If only he knew what kind of legacy he left behind. I think he had 50 grandkids, many of which were born after his death.

My G-grandfather, Nelson A. Jesmer was selling horses out of Langdon ND. He had his eyes on Canada to start a new life as a farmer in a rural community south of Kilarney Manitoba.

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1-17: L. Grow purchased the “dray business”. He is declared an active young man.

2-7: John Grow is erecting a large barn in the Greenbush Township.

2-7: F.C. Waldhoff is discharged from bankruptcy after an attempt to start a store in North Branch MN.

2-14: N.E. Jesmer honored by the State Grocers Association. Appointed to committee on resolutions.

2-28: Roy Jesmer purchases a livery.

3-21: Louis Mallotte and Zenny Plumadore are married at the Catholic Church in Greenbush. Louis is

related to Joseph A. Jesmer’s second wife whom he has married for the last seven years.

3-21: H.B. Jesmer moves to Grand Rapids MN to engage in real estate.

3-28: Will Kaliher is operating barbershop, bathhouse and doing laundry.

3-28: H.B. Jesmer went to Minneapolis to secure his move to Grand Rapids.

4-11: Delia Jesmer is in MPLS with TB. She is being treated there.

4-11: N.E. Jesmer visits MPLS. Maybe his is visiting his niece who is recovering with TB there.

4-11: Will Paul and Annie Malotte get married in Greenbush Catholic church. The reception was held at

the home of Joseph A. Jesmer whose wife is related to Annie.

4-4: H.B. Jesmer moves to Grand Rapids MN.

Grand Rapids was founded as a logging town, as the Mississippi River provided an optimal method of log shipment to population centers. The predecessor of the Blandin paper mill opened in 1902. The town was also the childhood home of Judy Garland. The Forest History Center is a State Historic Site and a living history museum that recreates life as it was in a turn of the 20th century logging camp. Costumed interpreters guide visitors through a recreated circa 1890s logging camp to educate the public on the history of white pine logging and its relevance to today’s economy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids,_Minnesota

4-18: The company Jesmer and Howard are temporarily carrying the mail.

4-25: H.B. Jesmer opens a real-estate/loan and insurance business. His office is over the C.H. Marr’s

clothing store in Grand Rapids MN.

5-6: N. E. Jesmer is renting opera chairs for 25 cents a dozen…dropped off and picked up.

5-6: lightening killed a heifer on the farm of Louis Robideaux.

5-9: D.A. Kaliher is building a foundation for addition to his residence.

5-16: N.E. Jesmer (H.B.’s dad) is hiring a maid.

5-16: Jesmer and Howard retrieves a team of horses that were uses to escape arrest by the sheriff.

5-20: Will Kaliher went bass fishing.

7-11: Delia Jesmer returns to Greenbush Township at the end of her recovery from TB.

7-25: Louis Robideau was injured falling from a load of hay.

8-11: Louis Jesmer is building a barn on his property in Princeton.

8-15: Lola Jesmer (N.E. Jesmer’s daughter) visits Onamia MN.

8-29: Roy Jesmer (N.E. Jesmer’s son) find his hunting dog that was lost.

9-24: “Mack, the Boy Wonder” is giving a show at the opera house. Apparently, no one could life the

120 lb man, no matter what.

9-27: Joseph A. Jesmer (my G-G-grandfather) dies from an appopleptic stroke after a 3 day coma.

10-17: H.B. Jesmer and family are visiting. He went hunting.

10-24: N. E. Jesmer, Joseph’s brother, is in St Paul doing business.

10-31: Louis Jesmer bought interest in the Farmer’s exchange. (Company called Jaax and Jesmer). They

sold new and used household goods and carpets and draperies.

10-31: Chas Kaliher and wife have a new baby girl.

10-31: N.E. Jesmer is ill.

11-2: There seems to be a lot of illness and visiting going on here.

11-4: John Grow and his wife have an new baby girl.

11-7: N.E. Jesmer is still looking for a maid.

11-14: Ernest Robideau is employed with Soo Line Railway.

11-19: N.E. Jesmer is elected the treasurer of the Fraternal Lodge. He is involved in so many

organizations. His opera house holds 600 seats and his store has 6 to 10 clerks.

11-27: George DuPont and Delia Jesmer get married in Greenbush. I guess she recovered from TB.

George works for the Foley Bean Lumber Company in Milaca MN.

12-12: Small pox is in Greenbush Township. The Paul’s house is under quarantine. Related to Sidney’s

wife.

12-12: Sidney Jesmer is the chairman of the town board.

12-21: Albert Shaw and Lillian Grow are married in Greenbush.

12-26: Jaax and Jesmer is dissolved.

12-26: Lola Jesmer is having a good old fashion taffy pull party.

12-26: N.E.J building is filled up with electrical lamps.

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What was going on in the life of Nelson Adulphus Jesmer, Joseph A. Jesmer’s oldest child, in 1901?

1901 Princeton News was started. (Princeton Eagle Souvenir section June 4,1981)

March 4, 1901 – McKinley‘s 2nd inauguration. Roosevelt is vice-president.

September 14, 1901 – McKinley dies after being shot on September 6, Theodore Roosevelt

becomes President. http://www.spanamwar.com/timeline.htm

9/28/1901 Father, Joseph A. Jesmer dies in Greenbush MN of a stroke. I don’t think that

Nelson attended his father’s funeral.

> Joseph’s obituary could be found in the Princeton paper. It reads,
“Princeton, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. Thursday, October 3,
1901…A Greenbush Pioneer” …Death of Joseph Jesmer at three score
and ten…One of the pioneers of this section..close of a useful life.
>
> Joseph Jesmer, of Greenbush, who suffered an appopleptic stroke
last Tuesday, mention of which was made in the Union last week, died
at his home last Friday at 2 a.m. He never regained consciosness, the
attack affecting the whole system and proving fatal in a short time.
>
> The funeral was held on Monday at the Greenbush church at 10:30a.m.,
and was attended by a large number of relatives and friends. Rev.
Father Levings said mass, and the sermon was preached by Father
George, of Pittsburg, Pa. The interment was in Greenbush cemetery.
>
> Among the relatives from a distance who were present at the funeral
were: Joseph Jesmer jr., of Norway, Michigan. A.D. Jesmer of Park
Rapids, Minn., Miss Libbie Grow, of St Paul, Joe Lafontisee, of St.
Paul, brother of Mr. Jesmer’s widow. And E.G. Waldhoff, of North
Branch, son-in-law of Mr. Jesmer.

Joseph is buried in Greenbush cemetery next to his wife and his daughter Ida, who had died at 14 years old. They shared an obelisk shaped white tombstone. They were buried in a small Catholic cemetery next to their farms in the shadow of the St. Francis de Chantel Church located approximately five miles west of Princeton, Mn and a few miles south of Hwy 95. In the 1930’s, the church use was discontinued, their congregation split between St. Lawrence Church at Duelm and St. Edward’s at Princeton.” (Jeane Reckinger 205 N. 13^th Avenue, Princeton, Mn 55371 (763-389-1088)

1901 Uncle Moses Jesmer was living in Denver Co. (Joseph’s obituary)

1901 Aunt Mina (Jesmer) Parisian was living in Port Huron Michigan. (Joseph’s

obituary)

1901 Aunt, Mrs Julia (Jesmer) Robideaux was living in Greenbush MN. (Joseph’s

obituary)

1901 Aunt Mrs Adeline May (Jesmer) Grow (widow) was living in Greenbush MN.

(Joseph’s obituary)

1901 Uncle A.D. Jesmer was living in Park Rapids MN. (Joseph’s obituary)

1901 Uncle Nelson E. Jesmer was living in Princeton MN. (Joseph’s obituary)

11/20/1901 Sister, Delia Alice, marries George Dupont, in Princeton MN.

Picture of Hubert Francis Jesmer, youngest brother of Nelson. He appears to be about 20 yrs old. He was dreaming of giving up the farm life and would soon join a circus for a short time.