BENTON COUNTY MINNESOTA BIOGRAPHIES
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File contributed for use in Benton County Biographies by
Name: Joe Hall
Email: joehall@mninter.net
Date: ?
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The Stimler Family
                                
The Stimler (also spelled Stimmler) family spent about 250 years
in the area of Wilwisheim, Rhin Bas, France, a part of the
fertile Rhine Valley. During 1570 to 1840 when our direct
ancestors lived there, this area changed hands between the
Barvarians, French, Prussians, etc. The emigration from Alsace
was driven by rural overpopulation and the consequent competition
for jobs at lower wages than prevailed in the rest of France.
Poverty, resulting in malnutrition and disease, both in the
cities and the countryside, was an added factor. It has been
established that between 1832 and 1867 more than twenty thousand
Alsatians emigrated to the United States, with scarcely a dip
during the Civil War.

The Stimlers Come to America
 
The Stimler group consisted basically of three brothers: Johann
(Anthony's grandfather) and two of his brothers. One brother
stayed in the Philadelphia area, which was where they originally
settled, a very common area for German-speaking individuals in
the 1840s. Another brother traveled south into the Carolinas
following the southern trail for new lands. The third, Johann
moved to Minnesota. Two of Johanns's sons had preceded him to
Minnesota. His son, Valentine, traveled to Minnesota to become a
priest and was eventually associated with St. John's Abbey,
outside of the town of St. John, north of St. Cloud.  Father
Valentine worked in many small churches, specializing in aiding
churches experiencing financial trouble; he was also the head
disciplinarian at the Abbey school for awhile beginning in 1867. 

Franz Anton (Anthony's father) served three tours in the Civil
War, first as a sergeant and then twice as a private. Franz came
west lured by plentiful, cheap farm land available in the
"Northwest Territory" of which Minnesota was a part. Before he
left Pennsylvania at the end of the Civil War, he married
Crescentia Sohn and they moved west together. His father, Johan,
followed and they all settled in Carver County. 

Anthony Valentine "Tony" was born in Laketown twp., Carver
County, eventually settling on a farm in Benton County, later
starting a blacksmith shop in Duelm.  Here he met and married
Mary Theresa, who was born in St. George. They raised their
children and spent their lives in Duelm, until Tony Stimler moved
his blacksmith shop to Foley in 1903.  In 1904 the family home
was moved by logging sled to Foley.  Tony established a
automobile garage and the first used car sales along with his
Ford dealership in 1911.

Data Entry Volunteer: Joe Hall [joehall@mninter.net