John Paul's Last Years
Some of the best sources of information are pension files and applications for assistance. His pension file indicates he spent several months in The Milwaukee House July 1, 1905 – August 4, 1905. Here is one of the last records for John Paul Steinbach.
Application Letter to the Minnesota Soldiers’ Home for Paul Steinbach
Wadena, Minn. Nov. 24, 1906 Dear Sir: Enclosed find application for admission to the Home for Paul Steinbach of Verndale. He is feeble and imbecil. And I don’t now if he can be cared for there. He has daughters, one in Wadena and one in Bertha, who are able and willing to care for him, but not his wife, but he will not stay with either of them. If he is taken in at the home, I would suggest that he be made to stay. Don’t know if it can be done, but if possible do so. His wife had run him in debt – very bad at Verndale among the debts are $15. for beer, whiskey and cigars although the old man uses neither. She also had her house wired for electric lights, and all such foolishness. She thinks the state will have to pay the bills. So she does not care. We had a guardian appointed (for the old Man) who has paid some of the bills but not all. The wife made it so uncomfortable for guardian that he threw up the job. Respectfully, Harry Lowell “Comment by Ronald D. Steinbach: Harry Lowell is identified as the County Agent on Paul Steinbach’s Application for Admission to The Minnesota Soldiers; Home which is dated November 17, 1906. In the application, Paul declared that he became a resident of Brown County, Minnesota in 1866, and resided there for 11 years. Paul further declared that he had resided for property as follows: ‘An undivided on half interest in House & farm lost in Village of Verndale, other half belongs to wife’. His disability was described as “Hear Trouble Rheumatism”. The application was stamped “RECEIVED Nov 26, 1906”. ... Paul did not live long at the Soldiers’ Home, since he died on April 9, 1907.”
His Pension file indicates he was admitted to the Soldiers’ Home Jan 14, 1907. His surviving relatives included brothers Charles and Gustave living in Mayville, Wisconsin. |
1905 MN Census Wadena County, Verndale
Paul J Steinbach, male, 77, white, born Germany Resident of state 39 years 9 months Occupation “nothing” Amelia, female, 60, white, born Germany resident of state 20 years 11 months Zacharias, Loena, female, 18, white, born MN, parent born Germany Obituary
STEINBACH, Paul, 78, formerly Town Williamstown: Died during the week of Apr. 15, 1907, in Soldiers home in St. Paul, Minn. He was born in 1829 in Wechselburg, Kingdom of Saxony. He came to America in 1847 and was married that same year. The couple immediately settled on a farm in Town Williamstown. Served in the Civil War. In 1866 he moves to Minnesota. He was the half-brother of Carl and Gustav Steinbach of Mayville. Survived by his widow, one son and five daughters. “The above obituary was republished in the Mayville News, Bicentennial issue, September 1976. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage. He is buried on the edge of his Germania homestead which is about four miles east of Bertha on Road #24. |