Some time ago, I acquired a photograph of three young men who were identified as the “Burr Bros.” – Geo, Bill, and Joe.
The postcard languished until, by a stroke of good fortune, I found from the same dealer another postcard photograph identified as “Joe Burr”.
The photo of the three brothers was made at a studio in Red Wing, Minnesota – so I started the search there.
We will meet the other brothers in a later postcard story.
Red Wing is a city and the county seat of Goodhue County in the upper Mississippi Valley of southeast Minnesota.
The first European settlers traveled to this area by Mississippi steamboats in the mid-19th century.
In 1873, Goodhue County produced more wheat than any other county in the United States.
An influx of skilled craftsmen from Germany, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden fostered the development of local businesses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Wing,_Minnesota
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Joseph Burr
In May of 1891, Joseph Lorentz Burr was born in St. Paul, Minnesota.
He was the son of Sebastian Coloman Burr (1866-1919) and Frederika Dora Hagen (1861-1937)
Sebastian and Frederika had been married in St. Paul in May of 1890.
Joseph was the oldest of seven children, he had two sisters and four brothers.
All the children lived to adulthood.
By 1895, the family was living in Dakota County – the historic area, east of the Twin Cities in southeast Minnesota.
The county seat of Dakota County is Hastings – which will be relevant to the lives of other Burr Brothers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_County,_Minnesota
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I believe that this photograph was made before 1917, when Joe would have been 26 years old.
In the photograph, Joe looks very young and innocent.
He is wearing a suit; his shirt has a low collar; his long tie is not centered.
There appears to be a button, insignia, or medal attached to his lapel – but I cannot distinguish it.
Here, Joe appears to be wearing the same jacket that he is wearing in the photograph with his brothers.
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Joseph registered for the draft in 1917-1918, and was discharged from the military in February of 1919.
In October of 1919, Joseph married Magdalena Reuter (1896-1958).
The couple had no children and remained in Dakota County throughout their lives.
Joseph died in October of 1941, at age 50.
He is buried in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Snelling_National_Cemetery
Magdalena lived as a widow for seventeen years; she died in May of 1958 at age 72.
She is buried beside her husband in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/442350/joseph_lorentz-burr
