FLORIN, Christian

History of Northern Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1881, p 166

Christ FLORIN, hardware dealer, Fountain City [Cross Township (per 1878 
Atlas), Buffalo County, Wisconsin], was born 30 April 1843 in Switzerland. 
He came to America in 1868, and located in this town [Fountain City], and 
engaged in his present business with Mr. STOLL. [John J. STOLL was the only 
STOLL found in the 1880 census residing in Fountain City, and is the head of 
the family adjacent to that of Christian FLORIN. In the enumeration John J. 
STOLL, hardware dealer, is forty-nine years of age, born in Switzerland (from 
his census age about 1831) to parents also born there. He resides with his 
wife, Barbara STOLL, age fifty-five, also born in Switzerland to Swiss-born 
parents. Their children appear to be John J., age nineteen, and William, age 
twelve, both born in Wisconsin. Is Emma STOLL, the wife of Christian FLORIN, 
a daughter of his business partner?] 

He [Christian FLORIN] married Emma STOLL, a native of this county [United 
States]. They have three children: John J., Olga, and Oscar. Christian 
FLORIN and family are enumerated in the 1880 census of Fountain City: 
Christian, age thirty-seven, hardware merchant, born in Switzerland (from his 
census age about 1843, which supports the year of birth given in the 
biography) to parents also born in Switzerland; his wife Emma, age 
twenty-four, born in Wisconsin (about 1856) to parents born in Switzerland; 
and the following children: (1) son John, age five, born (about 1875) in 
Wisconsin; and (2) daughter Olga, age three, also born (about 1877) in 
Wisconsin. Not enumerated with the family is (3) son Oscar, who was not 
born yet when the 1880 census was enumerated. Oscar FLORIN was born 06 
January 1881, and died in December 1972 in Fountain City, Buffalo County, 
Wisconsin.]

[Also residing in Buffalo County in the 1880 census was Josias FLORIN, a 
resident of Waumandee Township, likely related to Christian FLORIN. In this 
enumeration Josias, fifty-one years of age, born in Switzerland (about 1829 
by his census age) to parents also born there, is recorded as being a farmer. 
His wife, Franciska, age thirty-two, was born in Austria to parents also 
born in Austria. The children enumerated include: (1) son John, age 
twenty-one, and (2) son Christian, age seventeen, both farm workers born in 
Switzerland to parents also born there; (3) Gottfried, age thirteen, and (4) 
Josias, age twelve, both born in Wisconsin to parents born in Switzerland 
(Mrs. Franciska FLORIN, who was born in Austria, cannot therefore be the 
mother of John, Christian, Gottfried, or Josias); and (5) a stepson Emil, 
also age twelve, born in Austria to parents both born in Austria (whose 
mother is probably Franciska, but whose father cannot be Josias FLORIN, who 
was born in Switzerland). A twenty-one-year-old female domestic servant, 
Lena HOEFEL, completes the enumeration of the family. Bracketed material 
added by submitter (who is not researching these surnames) to support and 
clarify information given in the biography and to raise questions.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly