Edward and Catherine Goerger

Edward Goerger (may be spelled Görger or Gorger) Catherine (or Katharina) Richter Married: 12 August 1868 (may be 1862?), Collegeville, Minnesota

Children: 

                        | Barbara                B. 07 MAY 1869  /  D. 03 DEC 1947
                        | Elizabeth              B. 20 APR 1870  /  D. 19 JUN 1953, St. Joseph MN
                        | John Bernard (Barney)  B. 29 AUG 1871  /  D. 30 MAY 1967, Breckenridge MN
Edward Goerger     \    | Gerhard (Jerry)        B. 28 JAN 1873  /  D. 25 Jan 1945, Seattle WA
      &             }---| Edward                 B. 11 SEP 1874  /  D.        1927, St. Cloud MN
Catherine Goerger  /    | Nicholas               B. 10 DEC 1875  /  D. 25 APR 1968, Great Falls MT
                        | Philip                 B. 07 MAR 1877  /  D. 22 FEB 1931, Collegeville MN
                        | Katherine              B. 26 JUN 1878  /  D. 08 JUN 1943, Roscoe MN
                        | John Theophilus        B. 29 OCT 1883  /  D. 10 MAR 1884, Mayhew Lk Twp MN
                        | Mary Catherine         B. 11 APR 1886  /  D. 17 Nov 1949, Sauk Centre MN
Edward Goerger
Edward Goerger
Taken at the Old Soldiers Home in Los Angeles, Calif., early 1900s.
Katharina Goerger
Catherine (Katharina) Goerger
Grave marker
Grave marker - located in Calvary Cemetery on S. Cooper Ave. in St. Cloud, MN. 		plate
CATHERINE
GOERGER
DIED 1900
EDWARD
GOERGER
DIED 1920
From: Compendium of History and Biography of Central and Northern Minnesota (Chicago, Geo. A. Ogle & Co., 1904), page 528.

Edward Goerger, residing in St. Cloud township, is one of the prominent citizens of Stearns county. He has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and has gained valuable property and the esteem and respect of his fellow men.

Mr. Goerger was born in Clinton county, Illinois, in 1844. His father was a farmer and was a native of Germany. He came to America in 1831, prior to his marriage, and settled at St. Louis, Missouri. He became a resident of Minnesota when our subject was eleven years of age, in 1856, and settled on the farm now owned by our subject in section 23, township 124, range 28. This was timber and prairie and the father at once began the improvement of the farm. He built a log cabin and this served as the home for several years. He farmed with oxen for many years and did his marketing at St. Cloud. The first two years grasshoppers destroyed the entire crops. Our subject assisted his father and drove oxen in his early youth. He enlisted August 15, 1862, in Company I, Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, campaigned with the regiment and was discharged from the service on account of disability caused by injuries. After receiving his honorable discharge Mr. Georger [sic] returned to the home farm and has resided there continuously since that date. He has met with success and enjoys prosperity in his pleasant home, surrounded by all the comforts of country life.

Mr. Goerger was married in 1868 to Catherine Richter. Mrs. Goerger died April 10, 1900, leaving nine children, who are as follows: Barbara, born May 7, 1869; Elizabeth, born April 20, 1870; Bernard J., born August 29, 1871; Gerhard, born January 28, 1873; Edward, born September 11, 1874; Nicholas, born December 10, 1875; Philip, born March 7, 1877; Kathrina, born June 26, 1878; and Maria, born April 11, 1886. During the many years that Mr. Goerger has resided in St. Cloud township he has become recognized as one of the public-spirited citizens and he has been called upon to serve in numerous offices of trust. He has been assessor twenty years, clerk six or seven years, supervisor at different times and about thirty years has served as school clerk in his district. Politically he is a Democrat.

Military Service
"Edward Gorger" is listed as a Private in the records of the Minnesota Volunteers, 7th Regiment, Company I. Jeanne Goerger provided the following information compiled from "MN in the Civil and Indian War" a narrative of the 7th Regiment, p. 349-50; "A History of Minnesota, Vol II" 1924. by Wm. Watts Folwell; and Edward's discharge and pension papers.

Edward Goerger enlisted Aug. 15, 1862, at St. Cloud, Minnesota, enrolled by Lt. George V. Mayhew, put into Co. I with Asa Libby in charge. Aug 18, 1862 he was mustered at Ft. Snelling (near St. Paul, at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers). They marched down there in a hurry because news of the Sioux massacre at New Ulm was heard, were issued a Springfield musket, 2 rounds of ammunition, no blankets or jackets. Then marched hurriedly back to Ft. Ripley (just north of Little Falls), 130 miles north. In late August Capt. Libby's regiment was camped across the river from St. Cloud when rumors of Indians had been sighted a few miles south of town (about where Edward lived), so some of the Company marched through town singing the John Brown song. It's reported the Indians did not attack that night. Later in December, this same company were ordered to witness the hanging of 38 Sioux Indians at Mankato. Edward's discharge papers state he received his injury "while loading large logs on a wagon to build Camp Quarters at the Chippewa Agency" in Crow Wing County.

[Note: The Sioux Uprising of 1862 began with the deaths of five white settlers near Acton, Minnesota, on August 17, 1862. The Sioux attacked New Ulm on August 18th.]

Edward lived on the farm at St. Cloud until 1905. He entered the Old Soldiers Home at Los Angeles until 1911, then returned to St. Cloud to live with his daughter, Barbara Weyrens, until his death on November 11, 1920.

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