Notes for Johann "John" B. Sr. Ahles
Obituary of John Ahles (Daily Journal, Stearns Co., MN Newspaper, March 29, 1921)
John Ahles Died Monday; Father of County Attorney Ahles Answers Call
John Ahles, Sr., father of County Attorney Paul Ahles, died on Monday afternoon at 2:30 at his home in the town of Rockville following an illness of one month. He was 85 years of age, having been born in 1836 in Trier, Germany, the second youngest of seven sons. Following the death of his father, John Ahles came with his mother and brothers to the United States in 1854, settling first in Minnesota, then going to Illinois, where he was employed on a farm for several years. In 1865 he returned to Minnesota and the next year was married to Lucy Bauer. This union was blessed with twelve children, all of whom survive their parents. The mother died on July 26, 1912. The children are: Mrs. Margaret Barthey, Albertville; Math. Ahles, Waubon; John Ahles, Jr., Albany; Paul Ahles, St. Cloud; Gotthard Ahles, Rockville, with whom the father had made his home on the old homestead; Mrs. Mary Weymann, Melrose; Joseph Ahles, Blue Grass; Cristopher Ahles, Albany: Mrs. Anna Kuppner, Rockville, Mrs. Lucy Kuppner, Le Sauk; Peter Ahles, Albany, and Nicholas Ahles, St. Cloud. Mr. Ahles was held in the highest esteem by all of this friends and neighbors, and held various offices in the town government from time to time. The funeral will be held on Wednesday morning at nine o'clock from the St. Wendel church in St. Augusta township, and burial will be in the churchyard there beside the remains of his wife, who died in 1912.
Obituary of John Ahles (Nordstern, German language newspaper, Stearns Co., MN, March 31, 1921, pg. P-2) Rockville- They are inexorably dying out, those trail-breakers of culture who have turned out land from a wilderness into modern civilization, and, in doing so, bore many deprivations and hardship, the likes of which the present generation know not. On Monday afternoon, John Ahles, who has been ill for some time, but only bed-ridden for four weeks, passed away after being well-prepared for the inevidtable journey into eternity. The deceased was born in 1836 in Obersgesen, County of Bitburg, Trier, Germany, from where he emigrated to america in 1854, and made his first home in Stearns County. From here, however, he returned to Illinois, and after staying there for 10 years, he came back to Stearns County in 1865, and established his permanent home on a farm 2 miles from Rockville, after he had married his wife in 1866, and where he now has laid his tired head to rest. Johann Ahles was a mand of rare energy and amiability, dedicated to the fulfillment of his obligations with great fidelity and devoition, in his calling, which he pursued with great diligence, in his family, which he guided as a provident husband and father, in his church, in which he particiated with great interest in all its undertakings, and in the area of charities, ever and always doing his full and entire share, it will be proper to say of him that in him there passes a virtuous man. In the departed, there is taken from us a man with a kind heeart, a noble character, who's memory, among near relatives as well as all who knew of his good manly characterisitics will not be extinguised. The children mouring the death of their good old father are: Mrs. Margaretha Barthel from Albertville, MN; Mathias Ahles from Wauburn, MN; John of Albany, Paul Ahles, County Attorney at St. Cloud; Mrs. Maria Weymann of Melrose; Gotthard, with home the deceased had spent the evening of his life, in Rockville; Christoph from Albany; Joseph of Blue Grass, Minnesota, Mrs. Anna Krippner of Rockville, Mrs. Luzia Krippner from the town of Le Sauk; Peter Ahles, attorney-at-law in Albany; and Nikolaus of the firm of Bath and Ahles in St. Cloud. Burial was on Wed. morning in St. Wendelin's Cemetery with the attendance of a large number of relatives and acquaintances after a requeum in St. Wendelin's Church, conducted by Rev. Pastor Brender. There good old father Ahles rests at the side of his wife, who preceded him into eternity already in 1912 [sic]. To the departed eternal peace, and to the survivors our sincerest condolences.
Naturalization Record for John Ahles, July 8, 1858, Stearns County, MN; Reel 1, Code 1, Vol OA pg. 377"
"I John Ahles do hereby, upon my oath declare that I first arrived in the United States, on or about the 29th day of June in the year A.D. 1854 and that I have ever since that time continued to reside in the United States, and that it is bonafide my intention to become a CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity which I in anywise owe to any foreign Prince, Potentate, State, or Sovereignty, and particularly all allegience and fidelity which I owe to the Reigning King of Prussia of whom I heretafare been a subject. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 8th day of July 1858 (signed) Johann Ahles / Signed by Clerk of said Court. "
Exerpts from the book, "All I Know About the Roots and Shoots of the Joseph and Elizabeth Nett Ahles Family" by Antonette Ahles, OSF, 1992 (distributed to family):
John Ahles was the last of the brothers to come to Minnesota and settle in Rockville Township in 1862. It seems that Christopher and Mathias were very fond of their youngest brother and wished to have him nearby. In 1861 Christopher bought a piece of property adjoining his own along the lake front and later he sold land to John, suggesting a plan on his part. The deed for this property interested me immensly, as it was signed by President Abraham Lincoln! Much of the credit for John coming to Minnesota goes to the two women in the family, great grandmother and her daughter-in-law, Christopher's wife, since they looked after the farm animals as well as each other while the two Ahles men wen to seek their brother, at that time working in Illinois, posibly the same area in which they, too, ahd worked prior to coming to Minnesota. The three Ahles brothers were back in Minnesota by spring, since on May 13, 1862 John bought his first parcel of land from Christopher Bauer, his future brother-in-law, on May 22, 1862 and the last portion three years later from H.C. Wait (who had surveyed and platted Rockville village) on November 22, 1865. Christopher's and John's farms lay adjacent to each other, both with considerable lake front. John paid $1.25 per acre for his land and probably paid cash, since he had been working and earning for mre than seven years. John soon purchased a team of oxen with which he worked the land for 15 years before aquiring horses. John also bought a cow for $50, the only other farm animal he aquired immediately. he also built a log house, which he used until his family grew and required a larger home. As soon as they were able to do so, the Ahles children joined their parents in walking the 5 miles to St. Wendel's for mass. St. Wendel's was very dear to John Ahles. All the children were baptised and received other sacrements there. Even after a church was built in Rockville in 1911, which was less than half the distance to Luxemburg, John insisted on attending St. Wendel's for the big feasts, especially Easter, until his death in 1921. Grandfather was described as a pleasant person of many talents and skills. Mitchell (author of History of Stearns County Minnesota) says of him, "Mr. Ahles has become a successful man and has raised a splendid family. He is well thought of and his fellow citizens have honored him by electing him to such positions as Town Clerk and Assessor." John told his children that one of the reasons he was elected to those positions was that he had the ability to read and write in English as well as German.
From Minnesota Land Records posted on Rootsweb.com:
Name: JOHN AHLES
Date: 01 Jul 1861
Location: MN,
Document #: 1391
Serial #: MN1570__.193
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.0000
Meridian or Watershed: 5TH
Parcel: Township 123 N, Range 29 W, Section 22
Same record on GenealogyLibrary.com:
Land Records: AL, AR, FL, LA, MI, MN, OH, WI, 1790-1907
Document number: 1391 Description number: 1
Number of acres: 40.0000 Accession number: MN1570__.193
Patentee Surname: Ahles Patentee given name: John
State name: Minnesota
Volume: 1570 Page number: 193
Land office: St. Cloud Aliquot part reference: NWNW
Section number: 22
Township: 123 North Range: 29 West
Meridian or special survey area: Fifth Principal Meridian
Title transfer authority: Sale-Cash Entries
Combined signature date: Jul. 1, 1861
Multiple patentees: N Multiple warrantees: N
Signature: Y Canceled document: N Subsurface rights reserved: N
Metes and bounds: N Fractional section: N
Name: JOHN AHLES
Date: 25 Oct 1861
Location: MN,
Document #: 1495
Serial #: MN1570__.254
Sale Type: CASH ENTRY SALE
Acres: 40.0000
Meridian or Watershed: 5TH
Parcel: Township 123 N, Range 29 W, Section 14
Same record on GenealogyLibrary.com:
Land Records: AL, AR, FL, LA, MI, MN, OH, WI, 1790-1907
Document number: 1495 Description number: 1
Number of acres: 40.0000 Accession number: MN1570__.254
Patentee Surname: Ahles Patentee given name: John
State name: Minnesota
Volume: 1570 Page number: 254
Land office: St. Cloud Aliquot part reference: SESW
Section number: 14
Township: 123 North Range: 29 West
Meridian or special survey area: Fifth Principal Meridian
Title transfer authority: Sale-Cash Entries
Combined signature date: Oct. 25, 1861
Multiple patentees: N Multiple warrantees: N
Signature: Y Canceled document: N Subsurface rights reserved: N
Metes and bounds: N Fractional section: N
Minnesota Civil War Records show the following entries:
John Ahles age 30
July 30 1864 Enlist Date Rank: Private
Jul 11 1865 Mustered Out Date
2nd Germany Rockville, Stearns Co., MN
Drafted
Application date: 01 May 1879
Mary Ahles Relationship: Widow Application Date 03 Apr 1880
Christopher Ahles Relationship: Minor Child Application date: 13 Apr 1887
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