Thursday, May 20, 2010

Volume 97; Number 49

www.bladepublishing.net

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

Farewell to the Kahlert-Motzko house – a piece of Browerville history
By Rin Porter
The stately wood-frame home at 201
E. Sixth Street, in Browerville, along with
its summer kitchen, barns, and sheds, will
be burned to the ground this Saturday,
May 22, as a training exercise, which will
be especially beneficial for new members
of the Browerville Fire Department. The
death of this home is unfortunate – a loss
of a piece of Browerville’s history. It was a
beautiful building, but over the years has
deteriorated, and no one stepped forward
to restore it.
The home was built in the early 1890s
by William Kahlert, one of the pioneer set-
tlers of Todd County, whose family owned
it until 1948. In 1948 it was purchased by
Frank and Veronica Motzko. The Motzko
family owned it until 1991, when Marie
Motzko sold it to the Sweazey family. A
bank foreclosure and sale transferred the
property to the Bollin family in 2003. The
City of Browerville condemned the proper-
ty and purchased it in April 2010, then pre-
pared it for destruction.
THE KAHLERT FAMILY
The Kahlert’s who built the home were
an active part of the Browerville business
community for many years. Here is what
we have learned about them.
Wilhelm Kahlert and his brother
Ferdinand Kahlert arrived in Todd County
in 1870. Documents on
www.ancestry.com indicate they emigrat-
ed from Sachsen, Germany, embarking on
the ship Harmonia at Hamburg, and land-
Semi totaled in accident near
Hewitt; driver charged with DUI
75¢
ing in New York on August 25, 1868.
It appears the entire family emigrated.
Wilhelm and Ferdinand were accompa-
nied by their mother Johanna, father Carl,
and brother Friedrich. Ferdinand’s wife
Christina, and Wilhelm’s children Franz
(Frank), Fanny, and Hermann were also
on board the ship. There was a six-month-
old baby Richard, but there is no way to
know whose child he was. He does not
appear on any other documents.
After arriving in New York, the family
headed west. The Todd County History
book published by the Bicentennial
Committee in 1976, says they went first to
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and then to
Hancock, Michigan.
In the U.S. Census of 1870, there are
two locations for the family. They are list-
ed in Hancock, Michigan, where Carl and
Johanna are also listed, and they are list-
ed in Todd County, where just Ferdinand,
Christina, William, and the three older chil-
dren are listed. The stately wood-frame home at 201 E. Sixth Street, in Browerville, along with its summer
The Todd County History book says kitchen, barns, and sheds, will be burned to the ground this Saturday, May 22, as a training
Ferdinand homesteaded in Hartford exercise, which will be especially beneficial for new members of the Browerville Fire
Township, on a farm four miles east of Department.
what would be the townsite of Browerville.
William Kahlert married Mathilda 1882. They operated their store for sev- William and his son Herman Kahlert
Land records show he purchased 80
Schneider in Germany in the 1850s, and eral years, and then sold the business in purchased six lots in Browerville Village in
acres in Township 130. He and Christina
they had four children. A baby, Mathilda, 1891 to Frank and Herman, William’s 1891 and succeeding years – three in
had five children (Fredericka, Max,
died. The children who came with sons, according to the Todd County Bassett’s First Addition and three in
Bertha, Emma, Lena).
William to the U.S. were Frank, Fanny, History book. Stach’s First Addition. The large Kahlert
General Land Records and
and Herman. There is no mention of Frank Kahlert married Julia Heid in house and its outbuildings were built on
Minnesota Land Records show that
Mathilda Kahlert making the trip, and we 1884 and they had five children who lived three of these lots. William married
William Kahlert filed for a homestead of
assume she died before the family left and three who died. The surviving chil- Augusta Zuhl in 1893, after she arrived
160 acres in 1882
Germany. dren were John, Olive, Frank Jr., Marian, from Germany with her parents. Augusta
William and Ferdinand went into the and Isador. After Julia died in 1903, Frank was born in the Pomerenia region in 1862.
mercantile business in Browerville in 1883 married Elizabeth Meyer and they had two She married William when he was 63 and
or 1884, according to the book History of children: Leander and Arnold. Fanny she was 31. They moved into the house,
Morrison and Todd Counties, Minnesota Kahlert married John Ellersick. Herman and had three children there.
around the time the village was platted in Kahlert married Amanda Schroeder. Continued on page 16

Browerville and EV school officials

meet to discuss options
By Rin Porter
The superintendents and rep-
resentatives from the school
boards of Browerville Public
Schools and Eagle Valley Public
Schools met at Browerville High
School on May 13 to discuss how
the two districts might work
together to share teachers, serv-
ices, and programs.
The meeting was arranged at
the request of Eagle Valley offi-
cials, after two recent bond ref-
At 6:25 am, Thursday, May 13, the Todd County Sheriff’s
erendums resulted in the voters
Department assisted MN State Patrol with an accident report
saying no to tax increases to
of a semi and trailer which had rolled into the ditch just east
support a remodeling and con-
of Hewitt on Hwy 210. The driver of the semi, Rick Allen
struction program to upgrade
Schwiderson, from Brimley, MI, received minor injuries. The
the Eagle Valley schools.
semi and trailer were a total loss. Schwiderson was booked Thursday evening, May 13, members of the Eagle Valley
The meeting began with
into the Todd County Detention Center for DUI, formal School Board, along with their superintendent, met with
introductions and small talk.
charges are pending upon the conclusion of the investigation Browerville’s superintendent and two board members.
Officials were polite but cau-
of the MN State Patrol. Pictured are Browerville Board Members, Daryl Brever and
tious with each other. Later on,
Assisting at the scene were Bertha Fire and Rescue, Bertha Denis Irsfeld, along with Superintendent Bob Schaefer, and
they relaxed more as they
Ambulance, and Hewitt Fire Department. Photo by Stacey Eagle Valley Board Members, Dean Meiners, Twila Pierce, and
Rushmeyer Continued on page 16 Joel Godding, and Superintendent Jim Madsen.

WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT

Wed. May 19 Thu . May 20 Fri. May 21 Sat. May 22 Sun. May 23 Mon. May 24 Tue. May 25 Wed. May 26
Mostly Sunny Partly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Partly Cloudy T-Storms/Wind T-Storms T-Storms T-Storms
77°/49° 72°/52° 75°/55° 77°/62° 69°/54° 76°/58° 79°/56° 81°/57°