ANDREW MAYER AND FAMILY:

Andrew Mayer was born April 5, 1908 in Moltke Township, near Gibbon in Sibley County, Minnesota. He was one of eight children born to Henry Mayer, Sr. and his wife Louisa (Eckert) Mayer. Andrew was drafted into the United States Army in 1942 and served with the medical and engineering corps in North Africa, France, and the Philippines. He operated his family's home farm in Moltke Township all his life, for many years in partnership with his brother Henry Mayer, Jr. Andrew never married. He died on February 22 (?), 1986 at Sioux Valley Hospital in New Ulm, Minnesota.

Henry Mayer, Jr. was born January 12, 1903 in Moltke Township. He farmed all his life and never married. He died March 9, 1964 at the Loretto Hospital in New Ulm, after being ill for several weeks.

Henry Mayer Sr., was born September 8, 1866 in Alsace-Lorraine, France. He immigrated to the United States at age 26, arriving on April 10, 1892. He married Louisa Eckert on October 20, 1896. The couple bought a farm north of Gibbon in 1898. The couple had eight children: Mary, Adeline, Clara, Art, Catherine, Henry Jr., Andrew, and Eleanor. Louisa died January 6, 1934. Henry Mayer, Sr. died January 10, 1939.

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Biographical material includes typed transcripts of Henry Jr.'s (1964) and Andrew's (1986) obituaries, made by the cataloger from the pages of the Gibbon Gazette, and some biographical notes made by the cataloger from Henry Sr.'s obituary (1939). Most of the material dates from 1941 to 1985.

There are five folders of letters written home by Andrew to his brother Henry and to his sister Katie while he was serving with the Army during World War II. These letters are primarily concerned with the Moltke Township farm that he and Henry operated. They unfortunately contain little information about his army service. There are also a few letters received by Andrew from friends and other relatives.

Farm record books include data on income from the sale of hogs, cattle, and other livestock; proceeds from the sale of corn, wheat, soy beans, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and other grains and crops; expenditures for hired labor and machine hire; breeding fees; expenditures for seed and plants, feed, repairs and maintenance, veterinary services and medicines, fertilizers and lime, supplies, gasoline and fuel oil, taxes, insurance, interest, utility costs, freight, express and trucking costs, and other expenses.

Tax returns and schedules include U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns (forms 1040), Minnesota Returns of Income Partnership (forms M-3), and an assortment of 1099s and other forms and schedules. There are some real estate tax statements, bank and mutual fund statements, statements from the Gibbon Farmers Elevator Company, and other documents supporting the tax returns.

There is a small book of notes and memoranda dating from circa 1924 that is said to have been kept by Henry Mayer, Sr.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Andrew Mayer and family papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 13,699; 15,748

Processing Information:

Processed by: Bonnie Palmquist, July 1986; additions by David B. Peterson, August 2003.

Catalog ID number: 990017351240104294

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Agriculture -- Minnesota -- Sibley County.

Family farms -- Minnesota -- Sibley County.

Family partnership -- Minnesota.

Farm life -- Minnesota -- Sibley County.

Farm management -- Records and correspondence.

Farm partnership -- Minnesota.

Farmers -- Taxation -- Minnesota.

Farms -- Taxation -- Minnesota -- Sibley County.

World War, 1939-1945.

Places:

Gibbon (Minn.).

Moltke (Minn. : Township).

Sibley County (Minn.).

Persons:

Mayer, Henry, 1866-1939.

Mayer, Henry, 1903-1964.

Mayer family.

Organizations:

Gibbon Farmers Elevator Company (Gibbon, Minn.).

Types of Documents:

Financial records.

Tax returns.

Occupations:

Farmers -- Minnesota -- Sibley County.

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