Biographical Sketch of

Christian Umbreit

Transcribed by Suzanne Folk for the Marquette Co WI Pages



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, 
published 1890 by Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, Page 378

CHRISTIAN UMBREIT, who is engaged in general farming and stock raising on section 32, 
Manchester township, is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Green Lake 
County, where he has made his home since 1853. He was born in Germany, April 26, 1842, 
and is one of a family of seven children, who accompanied their father, John Umbreit, 
to America in the year above mentioned. Mr. Umbreit located on a farm which is now the 
home of our subject and is still here living, at the ripe old age of seventy-eight years. 

He is one of the prominent and respected citizens of the place who has many friends but no 
enemies. He is one of the leading members of the Evangelical Methodist Church, and aided in 
the organization of the first society of that kind in the county. From the beginning he has 
served as Class Leader and to the support of the ministry be has given liberally and freely, 
increasing his donations as success attended his efforts. He was in limited circumstances on 
his arrival, but by industry and perseverance became one of the wealthy citizens of the 
community. Of the children of the family, Traugott is a minister of Waukesha, Wis.; Henrietta 
is the wife of William Soure, a farmer of Columbia County, Wis.; Henry is engaged in farming 
in the town of Manchester; Christian is the next younger; William is an extensive farmer and 
stock-raiser of Wright County, Iowa; Caroline is the wife of Andrew Bates, a butcher of 
Pipestone, Minn.: Philip, the youngest, is a druggist of Liberty, Missouri. The mother of 
this family, a noble Christian woman, died in 1881, aged 72 years.

Our subject was reared to farm life and his manhood days have been spent in like manner. 
On the 6th of February, 1865, he was united in marriage with Eliza Blochwitz, who was born 
in New York in 1846. Their union has been blessed with four children-Katie, Frank, Edward and 
Lydia. Since coming to Wisconsin, Mr. Umbreit has spent fourteen years in Columbia County and 
the remainder of the time in this county. In 1878, he purchased 136 acres of the old homestead 
farm, to which he has since added 80 acres, the entire amount consisting of 216 acres which 
pay tribute to his care and cultivation. It is one of the finest farms in the community, 
being furnished with good buildings and all the necessary improvements. A fine stone fence 
has been built, forty feet long and four feet high, the width of the base being four feet and 
at the top eighteen inches. The home and its entire surroundings indicate thrift and industry,
taste and refinement. Mr. Umbreit is engaged extensively in the raising of fine stock, giving 
special attention to the breeding of Durham cattle, Clydesdale horses and Poland-China hogs. 
He has done much to advance the grade of stock in the county and is accounted one of the 
leading farmers. As a citizen, he is public spirited and progressive and does all in his 
power to promote the best interests of the community. Socially, he a member of the United 
Workmen, and politically he is a Republican. He cast his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln and 
from that time to the present has been an inflexible adherent of the party. He and his wife 
belong to the Evangelical Church and no better citizens can be found in the community than 
that worthy couple. 






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