The Meinz Family

The following is copied from "History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume 2" by William Bell Mitchell.

    Peter Meinz was born in Prussia on January 22, 1833 and came to America in 1854.  Upon reaching Minnesota, he was favorably impressed with the possibilities in Stearns county, and finally took up 160 acres of land in section 4, Rockville Township.  He built a log cabin and started in to improve the land.  With the help of his faithful oxen, he carried on farming during the pioneer days, and as the years passed, he kept pace with the trend of the times until he had the most modern farm equipment. He increased his holdings to 412 acres, all in one tract, except 40 acres which is in St Joseph Township.
  Though busy with his work, he was not unmindful of his duties as a citizen.  At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in Company G, Ninth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and he followed the fortunes of that regiment throughout the conflict, both in the northwest against the Indians, and in the south against the Confederates.
    In December 1899 after a long and useful life he retired to St Cloud, where he died on April 19, 1901.
    Peter Meinz was married July 4, 1865 to Theresa Pohl, who was born in Prussia June 6, 1847, and came to America in 1856; for seven years lived in Calumet county Wisconsin, and in July 1863 came to Stearns county and located in Jacobs Prairie in Rockville Township. His widow still resides in St. Cloud.
    Mr. and Mrs. Peter Meinz reared a family of 12 children, all of whom have attained success in life and occupy honorable positions in their respective communities.  Joseph is a farmer in Rockville Township.  John is a blacksmith in Rockville village. Henry lives on the old homestead. Frank is a traveling man with St. Paul as his headquarters. Michael is a public school teacher, of Cold Spring. William is a Roman Catholic Priest, known as Father Pius, O.S.B, located at St. Paul. Peter is a tinner located at the Great Northern Car Shops at Waite Park. Kate is a sister of the Order of St. Benedict and a teacher at Browerville, MN, where she is known as Sister Mary Celina.  George is the assistant cashier at the Zapp State Bank of St. Cloud. Aloysius and Theodore are merchants in Rockville.  Josephine is the wife of John Hollenhorst, a barber of St. Cloud.

From the history of the St James Church in the St Cloud Diocese:

Peter Meinz, the other pioneer, at the age of twenty-three came to the United States in 1854.  Working hard and long, he finally acquired 418 acres of land, which he left to join the Fourth Minnesota Regiment, Company G on October 14, 1861.  After fighting Indians in the Northwest and Confederates in the South was released at Savannah, GA in December 22, 1864, he returned to his farming which he kept up until retiring to St. Cloud in December, 1899.  There he died on April 18, 1901. 

also, from another page on the same site:

Peter Meinz also left his mark on the memories of the people of the Prairie by donating two cows to aid in the payment for the rebuilding of the church after the tornado of June 27, 1894.  The two cows were raffled off; the first prize went to John Doll, who, though blind, picked the best one.

I found a baptism record from Prussia, now Germany, that appears to list Peter Meinz. I wonder if there is a birth record in Germany.

The information is as follows:
Name: Petrus Mainz
Gender: Male
Baptism Date:22 January 1833
Baptism Place: Waxweiler, St Johannes, Kath, Rhnlnd, Prss
Father: Georgius Mainz
Mother: Catharina Weber
FHL Film Number: 559039

I originally thought there was a problem with the above record because the family history says he was born in Trier, Germany. I just didn't know the exact location designation: Waxweiler, Prüm, Trier, Rheinland, Preussen. Per this site.

Peter Meinz came to America when he was 21, in 1854. Theresa Pohl came to America with her family when she was 7, in 1856.

Minnesota Territory was formed in 1849.  It was previously a part of other American territories. Minnesota became a state on May 11, 1858.

Peter served in the Fourth Infantry, not the Ninth.
Civil War Service
Minnesota 4th Infantry

He participated in the Siege of Vicksburg, was in reserve for the battle of Missionary Ridge, fought in the battle of Allatoona Pass in Georgia, and must have participated in part of Sherman's March to the Sea, as his term of enlistment ended when he was near Savannah. I have his records from the US Archives if you would like to see them.

Peter and Theresa's marriage was one of the earliest recorded marriages in the area.  Theresa was 18, and Peter was 32. They were married July 4, 1865.

these images (above and below) came from a Minnesota newspaper.

(28 Jul 2016- The certificate says St Jacob, but it was actually St James in Jacob's Prairie)

(28 Jul, 2016) The history of St James Parish in Jacobs Prarie:

https://stjamesjp.wordpress.com/historical-information/history-of-the-first-100-years/

Peter Meinz became a US Citizen on December 14, 1896.

Peter died 1901. He is buried in St. James Cemetery in Jacobs Prairie, Minnesota. Theresa died in 1921, and is buried next to him. See also, Meinz Graves. Sometimes Peter Meinz is listed as "Peter E. Meinz" in other family trees, but I have never seen him have a middle initial on any record. Perhaps people have added the "E" to designate that he is the elder Peter Meinz.

The wife and children of Peter Meinz.
Back Row: Henry, Mike, Pete, Geroge
Middle: Joe, John, Frank, Fr. Pius (William), Al, Ted
Front: Peter Meinz (picture), Theresa (Pohl) Meinz, Sister Celina, Josephine

For more, see Sister Celina Meinz.

Peter F. Meinz married Josephine Becker on October 1, 1901 in St Cloud, MN.
I have a copy of the marriage certificate and am trying to find exactly what church.

Peter F. Meinz, engagement picture.

Groom- Peter F Meinz.  Bride- Josephine Becker. Back- his cousin Theresa Pohl and George Meinz

 Josephine (Becker) Meinz

They had three kids, Theresa, Alfred, and Richard.  Their mother Josephine died in 1922 at the age of 57. The boys were still young. Father Pius Meinz, Peter F.'s brother, officiated at her funeral.  Peter F. Meinz remarried, to Eleanor Vossburg.

Alfred Joseph Meinz, called Al, was born in Minnesota, and moved to Escanaba, MI to work for Montgomery Ward. Bernice Goodreau worked there in the catalog department. They married in 1943. Alfred served in WW2, and their first child was born while he was overseas with a the 728th Railroad Operation Battalion. They had four children together.

Alfred and Bernice on one of their first dates.

As an interesting side note, this is what a railroad battalion did. Railroad Battalion, WW2.

Peter Meinz is my great-great, grandfather. Alfred and Bernice are my grandparents.