John Blumer was born in Switzerland, and, as his father died while he was quite young, he was early obliged to earn his own livelihood, which he did as a laborer, and for a time found work in the factories of his native country.

In 1853 he came to America, and located in Washington township, Green county, Wisconsin, where he purchased forty acres of land, later adding several different tracts, all of which he finally sold and bought a 200-acre farm in the same township. He was frugal and industrious, and by his careful cultivation his property rapidly increased in value. He sold his farm in Washington township in 1881, and purchased 300 acres in Mount Pleasant township, remaining about three years, in 1884 locating in Monroe, where he lived retired until his death, Dec. 11, 1900, at the age of eighty-four years.

In Switzerland he married Dorothea Blumer, whose death at the early age of thirty-five years occurred in 1849. Five children were born to them as follows: Anna, wife of Jost Tschudy of Palmer, Nebraska; Esajas, of Monroe, Wis.; John, of Monroe; Sarah, wife of Jacob Freitag of Monticello, Wis.; and Caroline, wife of Joseph Hilton of Ireton, Iowa.

After coming to America Mr. Blumer married a second time, Miss Mary Ann Stuessy becoming his wife, and to this second union were born ten children, six of whom are now living; Ursula, wife of Henry Freitag of near Monticello, Wis.; Mary, wife of John Legler of Juda, Wis.; Fred of Minneapolis, Minn.; Samuel of near Elkhorn, Wis.; Katharina, wife of W. F. Truckenbrod of Monroe; and Jacob of Washington township.

~Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and LaFayette, Wisconsin, Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., published 1901, p405.