As Written by Margaret Hollern Peschl, 1895 - 1990

(As written by Margaret [Hollern] Peschl (1895 – 1990) in 1975. Note: some spelling errors corrected.)

JOHN AND ELIZABETH RUSSELL CALLAHAN HOLLERN

Our grandparents, John and Elizabeth Russell Callahan were married in Sacred Heart Church in Buffalo, New York (Year unknown).

John Hollern, or O’Hollern, which was his name when he lived in Ireland and later in Canada, and his family immigrated to Canada when England offered free land to farmers. These people were very poor. The land was covered with heavy forests. They settled near Orangeville, Ontario. There were no schools and our grandfather could neither read nor write. Granddad was a very small boy when he came to Canada. We do not know how many were in his family. We do know this; one sister, Julia, and her family lived in or near Depew, New York south of Buffalo.

Many families came from Ireland and Scotland to Canada and upper New York State. Among these were a family named Alex Russell. Alex Russell and family settled near Lockport, New York. Two children were born there. One was Mary, who later married Joseph Towls of Buffalo, New York, and the other was Elizabeth, our grandmother. The Russells moved to near Orangeville, Ontario where there was free land. They were neighbors of the O’Hollerns. The Russells had a large family of boys and girls. John O’Hollern fell in love with Elizabeth. Elizabeth went to Buffalo to work and live with her sister Mary, who was now married. While in Buffalo, Elizabeth met and married a man by the name of Callahan. He was a worker on the Erie Canal. He left on a trip on the Canal and never returned. A child was born to the Callahans and named Elizabeth. When Callahan did not return after seven years, Elizabeth had him declared dead.

About this time, the U.S. Government had opened up land to people from all over. This land was in the Northwest Territory. Many people, who had gone to Canada years before and had failed, left Canada for the United States. They came by way of Buffalo where there may have been a U.S. Land Office. The Alex Russells and John O’Hollern came, and John and Elizabeth were married in Sacred Heart Church in Buffalo. Many families from St. Johns, New Brunswick and Newfoundland started West together. How they came, we have no knowledge, probably by train to St. Paul and then drove by wagons to Benton County.

The Russell Clan, with John and Elizabeth Hollern and their little girl, came to Benton County, to the area near Foley, Minnesota. They moved onto farms. These folks were all farmers; some of the sons worked in the lumber wood and saw mills.

The Hollerns lived in the Foley area for several years and then moved to the western part of Benton County, in Mayhew Lake Township. There, our grandfather bought several acres of very good land. Some of this land could have been homesteaded. He later acquired land north of the Home place for his sons, Frank and Matt.

The Hollern family consisted now of Matthew, William, Frank, James, Edward, Mary and John.

Edward was killed at the age of 12 years, 8 months 16 days on March 12th, 1891. He was killed by a falling tree in deep snow. Mary passed away of typhoid fever at the age of twelve years. Her family missed her greatly. Mary and Edward are both buried in Calvary Cemetery with their parents.

Here is something about our grandparents that many of the younger members do not know. Our grandfather was a sturdy Irishman, who worked very hard. He came from Ireland at the time of the Potato famine. He told us the first meat he ever tasted fell from the Captain’s table on the ship when they were coming over. He grabbed the meat and ate it. He told of his family living on pots of corn meal mush, served from a big pot in the middle of the table. The Hollern family in Canada was always poor, but granddad prospered with hard work and the help of a big family. He was a husky man – always wore blue and black, or red and black woolen shirts, summer and winter. I can remember him coming to our farm astride a farm horse, bare back. He came with some news of the community, or just to visit and see how we were. There were no telephones or rural delivery in those days. He was always kind to everyone. He loved to dance and he liked a good drink once in a while.

Our grandmother was a gracious person, always very neat, always wore a long apron over her neat dress. She always had a white apron handy in case someone called – when she always served a cup of good green tea – strong. She was an excellent housekeeper. Her house was a large log house with rooms upstairs. She served good, wholesome meals. Near the house was a milk house. The walls were of fieldstone with a dirt floor. Around the walls of the mild house were shelves, which held the crocks of milk. Every afternoon about four, the cream was skimmed from the milk. Cream was churned into butter and the milk given to the young calves and pigs.

Here are a few more memories of Grandma and Dad, as we all called him. One day, the beautiful old log house burned. Grandma lived in a big tent all summer, while a new big farmhouse was being built. This was in the early 1900s. Next a big barn was built; the largest, then, in Benton County. So you see, the family had prospered. All was going well when granddad became ill with pneumonia. He passed away on July 13, 1904. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery. Grandma ran the farm with the help of Jim, who was now married. She moved to St. Cloud in 1905 and Jim and his family stayed on the farm until it was sold. Later the family lost all our granddad had worked for.

Our grandmother’s daughter, Lizzie, was a most beloved member of the Hollern family. Aunt Lizzie, as she was called by all, married Walter Murphy. Murphy was a contractor, building railroads. The Murphys had seven children, Eugene, Mayme, Rose, Walter, George, Julia and Cecilia. This family has all passed away.

Matt married Clara Hartz. He had a farm north and adjoining our grandfather’s farm; good land; a good house and barn. Uncle Matt was not a farmer. He rented his farm to his brother Frank and went on construction work, building railroads and later road building. His family lived on the farm for a while and then moved into St. Cloud. Aunt Clara was not a farmer’s wife. Later, Uncle Matt took his family with him on construction jobs. There were six children in this family – most all followed construction work, as wives and husbands. Uncle Matt and Aunt Clara have passed away and are buried in Calvary Cemetery, St. Cloud.

William was next in the family. He was a handsome person. He married Rose Kaufman, a teacher. Rose survives and now in 1975 is 93 years old. She is very alert, but is badly disabled by very sore legs. They had three children, one son, Harold, who died as a young man and two daughters, Sybil, who has retired as a policewoman in St. Cloud, and Kathleen, who is married to John Ellenbecker. They have several children. Uncle Will was a very successful road and railroad contractor. He met with reverses before he passed away. His family lives in St. Cloud.

James was a farmer for a while. Then the Hollern farm was sold. James married Anna Siebert of St. Cloud. They had three children, Arthur, Marie and Leo. Arthur was a veteran of World War II. He lived with his family in Centralia, Illinois. Arthur passed away of cancer in 1973. Marie and Leo live in Duluth, where their families moved after leaving the farm. Marie has two children. Leo never married and is retired from work in the steel plant. He lives in Duluth.

Our father, Frank, was number three in the Hollern clan. He was baptized John Frances and was born December 5, 1870 in Benton County in Minden Township. He attended school in the Foley area and in May of 1883, the family moved to Mayhew Lake Township in western Benton County. After the move, the Hollern family went to school in District 29. It was a three-mile walk each way. Our father could read and write. He was very good in arithmetic. When he was old enough, he went to work for his brother-in-law W. W. Murphy, who was just starting in the construction business. One of Murphy’s first big jobs was the excavation for the St. Cloud Reformatory. Our father met our mother about this time, when she was working in the Murphy home when Walter was born. Our parents were married on May 15, 1894 in St. Patrick’s Church in Ninden Township.

Our mother was Kate Hurley, fourth child of John and Maggie Hurley. Mother was born on August 25, 1869. Her parents were of Irish descent and came from Joliet, Illinois to Minnesota. Grandpa homesteaded land. A large colony of Irish people came to Benton County. Grandma’s family were Brennans. There were several Brennan families in the St. Patrick’s area. Our grandfather was born in Ireland and came to this Country, when he was a very young man. He acquired land and became a very good farmer. Our grandmother was Maggie Brennan and she was born in Ottawa, Canada. Her family moved to Joliet, Illinois. There, at sixteen, she was married to John Hurley. The Brennan Clan was a large one. They came to Benton County about 1850. The families were large. The men were farmers and lumberjacks. All these folks were poor and very hard workers and later all prospered.

On our parent’s wedding day, there was a cloudburst. All roads were flooded and bridges washed out. Guests at the wedding had to stay at Hurley’s until the water went down. We have a clipping about this day. It was taken from a St. Could paper at that time.

Our parents lived on the Simon Brennan farm for one year, then they moved to their own farm in Mayhew Lake. This farm was just north of our Grandpa Hollern’s farm. A new house and barn had been built, and other out buildings. They had a team of horses, some cows and a strong back. Their first child was due in September. Her name was Margaret.

Margaret was a teacher in Benton and Stearns Counties. She taught nine years. On November 29, 1922, she married Stephen J. Peschl in Annunciation Church in Mayhew Lake. Stephen was a road contractor working in Minnesota for years. In 1925, the Peschls moved East and lived in many Eastern States and during World War II; they worked in the deep south. After the war, they moved back to New York State, where they worked on many very large projects. Stephen passed away on October 17, 1954, in the Veteran’s Hospital in Buffalo, New York. He is buried in Annunciation Cemetery, Benton County, Mayhew Lake, Minnesota. Margaret returned to Minnesota to live after her husband’s death and now lives in St. Cloud.

Ray was one of the twins. His twin, Roy, lived eight months and passed away. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Benton County. Ray finished grade school and then went to work on road construction, working in Minnesota and in Montana. He spent fifty years in the construction business. He married Caroline Laudenbach on November 17, 1926. Three children were born to them; Delroy who is married and has four children. He and his family live in Great Falls, Montana. Ione, a daughter, who is married to Leon Turck, has two daughters. They live in Spokane, Washington. Another daughter was born to Ray and Caroline; she passed away at birth. Ray’s wife Caroline passed away on December 11, 1960. She is buried in Great Falls. Ray became ill and passed away on May 30, 1973. He is buried beside Caroline.

Ray was a well-loved person and had a score of friends who miss him.

Stella was the number four child in this family. She stayed with the folks on the farm until the family moved to Sauk Rapids in 1932. She was employed at the Veteran’s Hospital in St. Cloud. In 1945, she married Julius Thoen. They lived in St. Cloud until Juilis’ death in January of 1948. He is buried in the Cemetery at Mayhew Lake. Stella lived in her home in St. Cloud for about two years when she sold that house and bought her present home in Sauk Rapids. Our parents were living in that house and they continued to live there until they passed away. She continued to work at the Veteran’s Hospital until she had been there 20 years, when she retired. She continues to live in her home at 315 2nd Ave. So.

Edward was the fifth child. he loved farming. When he was 15 years old, he passed away of a heart attack. Dad’s farmer was gone.

Next in line, a baby girl, was still born. She is buried in the St. Patrick’s Cemetery with Ray’s twin, Roy.

John was number seven. He was a big, happy baby and grew into a fine, big man. In his early 20s, he contracted a serious heart condition and passed away when he was 31 years old. He is buried in Annunciation Cemetery, Mayhew Lake.

Our dad suffered a stroke in April of 1952. He lived two years and was gone.

Mother lived until April of 1958. She broke her hip in 1956 and was an invalid from that time on. She was in a nursing home for six months. We brought her to Stella’s home and we cared for her until she passed on April 28, 1958. God Bless Them All.

I hope each family who receives a copy of this history of our families will complete their own family history so your children will have a record of their own. There may be some errors in this history, but I will have done the best I could. Stella and I knew our grandparents very well. They were grand people.

Margaret Peschl.