The Schlepers and Weidners of Minnesota:Information about Peter Peters

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Peter Peters (b. October 29, 1859, d. November 14, 1934)

Peter Peters

Peter Peters (son of Peter Peters and Anna Maria Thiel)³⁶ was born October 29, 1859 in Schleid, Germany, and died November 14, 1934 in MN, USA. He married Barbara Biersdorf on February 19, 1895 in Faribault, MN, daughter of Nick Biersdorf and Lucia Berg.

Notes for Peter Peters:
Peter Peter arrived in USA in 1883. Peter Peters was the only member of his family to come to the United States. He had 4 sisters and one brother who stayed in Germany. He arrived at age 23, after a few years in France. He left Germany so that he wouldn't have to serve in the German Army. According to John Peters (son of Peter Peters), "He landed in New York--and they were supposed to go to Faribault. He got on the train but forgot to get off the train--and landed in Kansas."

According to John Peters, "He worked in Kansas, I believe, for 3 years. That's where my dad learned English. You know, it was pretty hard to tell he was German--listening to his English."

After working on a Kansas for 3 years, he worked as a woodcutter and a farmer in Faribault, MN, where he met and married Barbara Biersdorf on February 19, 1895.

On Wednesday, September 9, 1981, Jennifer Anne Schleper, David Robert Schleper, and Rose Marie Weidner Schleper drove to Faribault, MN. In the Faribault courthouse, we found an entry showing that on November 14, 1894 at 3:30 pm, Peter Peters purchased 80 acres of land in Forest Township, north of Faribault from Mathias Weiers and wife. On March 28, 1894, prior to the purchase, he borrowed money from the Bishop Seabury Mission.

Jennifer, David, and Rose went to find the farm that Peter Peters purchased back in 1894. After driving around, they found a mailbox with "Prinzling" on the mailbox. According to Rose, "We had a good view of the buildings from their, but decided we had come this far and we would go one step farther and drive in and see if anyone was home. No one answered when we knocked on the door, but we could hear a mower running so drove over to it and found a lady on a riding lawn mower. When we introduced ourselves and told her why were there, she told us that it was her father-in-law, Jake Prinzling who had bought the farm from our grandfather, Peter Peters. Lucille Prinzling, who had married Jake's son, was now a widow. She was very friendly and helpful. She took us into her house and showed us the papers showing that the farm had been purchased from Peter Peters in 1903. She also told us that the original barn had burned down and the one that was there now was in a different location. One shed was an original shed. The porch on the house was original, but most of the rest of the house had been removed or adding on to. The farm is located 12 1/2 miles northwest of Faribault, near Circle Lake. It is 80 acres. Lucille Prinzling said that when her father in law purchased the land, he also wanted to buy additional acreage from a neighbor, John Schmidt, because then his property would include lakeshore property so his cattle could have water. However, Schmidt would not see him the land. The area is very nice, lots of trees and hills."

The Peters worshiped at St. Lawrence Church in Faribault, MN.

Around 1902 the Peters moved to Cogswell, ND. "Must have been 1910 or 1912. That was the year we dried out. That time, wheat used to run 40 bushels an acre, and this time when it dried out, it ran only 16. People figured it wasn't worth it. That hailstones hit the following year," said son John Peters.

"Dad (Peter Peters) used to tell about the team of buckskin horses he had in Dakota. Guess they were broncos. Anyway, they were fast. He kept them for driving on the road as we had 7 miles to town. His eyes used to light up when talking about them. Their names were Pet and Sam," said Catherine Peters Kuefler.

According to daughter Catherine Peters Kuefler, "I remember them saying that after we hailed out and then dried out, we decided to go back to Minnesota." After about 8 years in Cogswell, they moved to Lake Henry, MN, where Peter Peters farmed until 1931. Catherine Peters Kuefler said, "Our dad didn't take us for a ride on the machinery very often...too dangerous, or maybe we were a bother. Anyway, one time, I took lunch out to him, and I got a ride a few rounds on the drill. I thought it was great!"

Peter Peters retired in Belgrade, MN in 1931. He died at age 74 after 8 months of illness with cancer on November 14, 1934.

More About Peter Peters:
Date born 2: October 29, 1859, Schleid.³⁶
Died 2: November 14, 1934, Belgrade, MN.³⁶

More About Peter Peters and Barbara Biersdorf:
Marriage: February 19, 1895, Faribault, MN.

Children of Peter Peters and Barbara Biersdorf are:

+Marie Elizabeth Peters, b. March 08, 1896, Faribault, MN, d. April 04, 1977, Hastings, NE.
+Alphonse Peters, b. December 23, 1897, Faribault, Rice County, MN, d. February 15, 1953, West Union, MN.
+John Peters, b. February 12, 1900, Faribault, Rice County, MN, d. August 03, 1982.
+Magdalene Peters, b. October 24, 1901, Faribault, MN, USA, d. date unknown.
+Margaret Peters, b. October 24, 1901, Faribault, MN^{36, 36}, d. January 30, 1988, Regal, Kandiyohi, MN, USA.
+Leo Peters, b. October 30, 1903, Oaks, ND, d. February 28, 1970, Holiday, FL.
+Catherine Peters.
+Barbara Marie Peters, b. July 07, 1909, Cogswell, ND, d. June 18, 1972, San Diego, CA.