Adolph Brohmer family

Our Brohmer Ancestry

Celebrating the lives and history of

Adolph and Mabel (Bingman) Brohmer

Read a brief biography of Adolph Brohmer
Link to Adolph Brohmer family photo page

Gustav Alolph "Adolph" Brohmer
(10/08/1879 - 1958)

Parents:    Otto B Brohmer                (1845 - 1924)
                Dorethea "Dora" E. Weichman    (1858 - 1929)

Siblings:    Elinor (Elenora) Brohmer   (b. Unknown)
                August Alfred Brohmer    (1878 - 1965)
                Louise Brohmer                  (1882 - )
               Albert William Brohmer    (1885 - 1973)
               Dena W. Brohmer              (1889 -    )
               Arthur Brohmer                (1893 - 1913)
               Anna Brohmer                (1894 -    )
               Emma Brohmer                  (1896 -       )

Mabel B. Bingman

(March 1878 - 1957)

Parents:   Isaac N. Bingman (1845 - 1925)
               Mary Louisa Renick (1846 - )

Siblings:   John Bingman         (1875 -    )
               Lora E Bingman    (1880 -    )
               Eva L Bingman     (1883 -    )

Adolph and Mabel were married about 1907.
(The 1910 census reports that they had been married for three years.)

Children of Adolph and Mabel:

Paul Otto Brohmer, Sr. (1908 - 1969)

Dwight Brohmer              (1911 - )
Richard Franklin Brohmer (1912 - 1971)
Mary Louise Brohmer     (1920 - 1991)

A brief biography of Adolph Brohmer:
(This record is compiled mostly from U.S. Federal census data. )

Adolph Brohmer is first seen on public census data on the 1880 United States Federal Census, where he is found living in his grandfather's household in Jefferson township, Monroe County, Wisconsin. John J. "Wickman" is the head of household, with Adolph listed as his grandson. (Note that other records show John's family name spelled as Weichman.) John (age 50) is the head of a full household, with wife Mary (age 64), son Henry (age 25), mother Katherina (age 79), son-in-law Otto Brohmer (age 32), daughter Dorethea Brohmer (age 22), grandson August Brohmer (age 2) and grandson Adolph (age 8 months.)

The next available census record is for 1900, where we now see Otto Brohmer as head of his own household, with all eight living children living with him and wife Dora. Adolph is 19 years old at the time of this census. His occupation is listed as a "farm laborer." As this researcher reviewed again the 1900 census form, it was seen for the first time that the listing right above that for Otto Brohmer was that of Adolph's grandfather, John Weichman. Between the census taker and transcriber, this name had been recorded to online databases as John Wirchman. "Grandpa" Weichman was 70 years old in 1900, remarried now to Frederica, and showing an "adopted daughter" named Bertha Kngel, age 13, also in the household. It is assumed that this may be a daughter from a previous marriage for Frederica, though my genealogy software points out that Frederica would have been age 55 or 56 when Bertha was born. (Spelling uncertain.)

By 1910, Adolph has moved to Lincoln township, Polk County, Wisconsin where he would settle and remain until his death. It is not known by this researcher what drew Adolph several counties north and west to Polk County. The census tells us that Adolph is now married to Mabel and has been for three years. We know from family history records that Adolph's wife is Mabel Bingman. Mabel's family resided in Vernon County, Wisconsin, a neighboring county to Monroe County where Adolph was raised. In 1910, Adolph and Mabel's first son, Paul is two years old. Adolph's occupation is listed as a "general farmer."

Over the next ten years, two more sons were added to the family; Dwight and Richard Franklin. The 1920 census reports the ages of Paul, Dwight and Richard as 11, 9, and 7, respectively. Interestingly, daughter Mary Louise is known to have been born on January 19, 1920 and is not listed on the 1920 census. A closer look at the census reveals that it was " enumerated...on the 22nd and 23rd day of January, 1920." There is an interesting story in these facts somewhere! Maybe the census taker wasn't sure how to record a 3 day old baby. Maybe she was born over the weekend, before he finished up the page the following Monday!

If census information was our only available resource, it might never be revealed that Adolph Brohmer was only part of the full name given "Adolph" at birth. One form that has been a real help to genealogy researchers is the World War I Draft Registration Card. "Gustav Adolph Brohmer" completed such a card on September 13, 1918, signing it with his full and complete name. It looks like he began to complete the card as "Adolph" and squeezed the "Gustav" in front of it, perhaps at a prompting to list his full and complete name. "Gustav Adolph" lists his nearest relative as Mabel Brohmer, that he is currently living in Amery, Polk, Wis., he is 38 years old, self-employed at farming, and that he is "tall" and "slender" with brown eyes and brown hair. Note that Adolph's grandfather Brohmer is named Gustav Adolph Brohmer. It is possible that he also had an uncle of the same name.

Having visited the Brohmer family farm and visited with Adolph's son Dwight, still living on the farm at that time, we had opportunity to go with Dwight to the cemetery in Amery where Adolph and Mabel were laid to rest. They can be found at the East Lincoln Church cemetery, on the corner of 70th Avenue and 75th Street, Amery, WI. A beautiful monument marks their graves.

Rev. March, 2006