The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-12-11
FREDERICK BOECEN, MANKATO'S
OLDEST CITIZEN CELEBRATES HIS
BIRTHDAY, NINETY-THIRD YEAR
From Tuesdays, Daily.


third birthday anniversary occurs
tomorrow. Considering Mr.. Boegen's
extreme old age, the brightness OF
his mind Is wonderful His eyes are
too feeble to permit Of his reading,
but, stored away in bis capacious
memory. Is an array OF facts and
figures about Mankato and its his
tory OF which any old settler might
well be proud. He is a little deaf,
but not so much so as to prevent
him from carrying on an animated
conversation with almost anybody.
He certainly has much TO tell that
not many people Of these busy times
know, and he tells his stories in a
vivid and fascinating way.
Mr.. Boegen calls himself a Belgi'
an, being a native of what was a
province OF that country up to the
time of the outbreak Of the present
war He speaks German, French
and English, though he declares
that the loss of a considerable per
centage OF his teeth prevents him
from speaking French words as they
should be spoken.
Mr.. Boegen Is father. grandfather
and great-grandfather. His wife died
fifteen years ago and he makes his
home with his son-in.law and daugh-
ter, Mr.. and Mrs. Ed. Gugisberg, and
tao grand-daughters, seven and
nine years OF age. But there are
other branches Of the family. which
have twice elevated him to the dig
nifty OF a great-grandsire. His daugh.
ter, Mrs. Nicholas Schuweiler Of st.
Paul has a son. Arthur Schuweiler.
aged twenty-five. and father of a
two-year-old girl. who is Mr.. Boo
gems Observation-Disclosures. Another
of the daughters. born as Rosella
Boegen, afterwards Mrs. Ed. Schmel.
ger and still later Mrs. George Phil.
lips. but now, deceased, was mother
Of Mrs. Frank Wolf. daughter of
Mr.. Schneider and living in Los An.
geles California, the mother of a
one-yesr-old boy, Mr.. Boegen's great.
grandson.
Mr.. Boegen also has living one
son. Nicholas Boegen. a resident OF
winona, married. hut without chill.
dren.
Frederick Boegen was born in the
village of Letter. province of Luxem,
bourg, Dec. g.. 1921. He learned TO
farm and also was trained to be a
machinist. In 1851 he left the old
world and came to America, where
he settled in Canton, Ohio. Canton
was not much of place in those
days. There probably were about q
hundred homes. according to his rec
election. He obtained employment
as a machinist in a factory. This
was located about half a mile from
the town in the midst of n wheat
field. a score Of years later. he hap
pened TO go back to Canton and
could scarcely find It. The city was
grown up all around the place.
While living at Canton, Mr.. Boo
gems attention was drawn at times
TO little girl that played about the
neighborhood. This was Ida Saxton
who afterwards became a character
OF nationwide and worldwide inter
est as Mrs. William Mckinley. I,
was also during his residence al
Canton that he made the acQuaint
ance Of Miss Elizabeth Perl, a farm
girl OF Kitten. Seneca county, Ohio
when but boy OF ten or twelve ne
knew the parents of this girl in Lux
embourg. Acquaintance between the
two young people quickly developed
into affection and on Oct "a, 1854
they we're united in marriage. They
lived together in happiness up to the
time of the death OF Mrs. Boeger
in Mankato, fifteen years ago. The,
have had seven children but foul
are dead
The young couple made theii
home In Canton until May, 1857
when they came to Mankato. It was
during their sojourn at Canton tina
their first child, Nicholas Boegen
now connected with the winons
Wagon Works. was born.
THey stfayeied by rail from Cantor
u Cucago and from Chicago I,
DUBUQUE. They there took a boat
u which they, came to st. Paul ant
pier they, travelled by the sam,
aeanspto' Mankato. The Minnesot,
Fver was the great highway fol
bringing people to Mankato I'm thos,
days. PEOPLE had to arrange thei
travelling In accordance with tn,
seasons OF high and low water
There we're summers when Their,
was. little or no navigation OF tn,
river. At other times there were Ion,
periods, when navigation was quit,
easy, II was not until 1867 that tn,
Omaha ran its first passenger trail
70 Mankato.
AT, the time OF the arrival of Oh,
Hoegen family. Mankato consiste,
of about twenty-five little houses an,
a,saw-miil. Mr. Boegen built one room
OF the very dwelling where he nov
makes his home. the very room Il
which ! he gave the Free Press reI
resentative the material for this al
tlcle. In later years he added to tn
Dwelling from time to time. He too
upra claim. OF three lots. At tina