Joseph Winkler, Sr., born October 2, 1831 , immigrated in 1882 from Ritterswalde, Germany, lying between Neisse and Neustadt in the area known as upper Selesia which is part of modern day Poland. With his wife, Theresia Kirsch, and children, Frank, Katherine (Mrs. Charles Ertelt), Casper, and John, a homestead was established in the Northwest 80 of Section 2 in Cuba Township. A son, Joseph, Jr., had earlier immigrated to Barnes County in 1875 or 76. Joseph,
Sr., farmed until retiring in Valley City. He also worked at the mill in Valley City before his death, June 3, 1905. Theresia died January 2, 1913, at the age of 81.
Joseph Winkler, Jr., son of Joseph and Theresia (Kirsch) Winkler, was the first Winkler to settle in Barnes County. He homesteaded on the west half of Section 22 of Alta Township in 1876. His parents came with the remainder of the family from Ritterswalde, Germany, and settled here in 1882. Joseph, Jr., was married to Katherine Ertelt about 1883. They farmed in the Oriska area and ran the livery stable in Oriska before retiring in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where Joseph Jr., died in December 1924 and Katherine died in 1933. Their children were Mary (Mrs. John Heiling), Joseph, and Pauline (Mrs. John Lodemeir).
Casper Winkler, son of Joseph and Theresia (Kirsch) Winkler, Sr., immigrated from Germany with his family at the age of 10 or 11. He was sheriff of Barnes County for two terms about 1910. He later operated a pool hall in Valley City and farmed in Section 2 of Cuba Township. He and his wife, Mary, had one daughter, Mabel (Mrs. George Staples). After farming they moved to Oregon where Casper died in 1931.
Frank Winkler, son of Joseph and Theresia (Kirsch) Winkler, had learned the shoemaker trade in Germany before immigrating here in 1882 at the age of 16 years. He worked for August Wagner to learn the language in the new land. He started farming in 1892 in the Northeast quarter of Section 35 in Alta Township. He married Anna Glombitza in 1894, and their children included Frank (died in infancy),
Albert (now in Canada), William C. (deceased), Elsie (Mrs. Art Foreman), Thomas and Walter both of Oriska. Anna died of asphyxiation December 10, 1927. Frank revisited the homeland in Germany with his son Thomas in 1928.
In 1932 Frank was remarried to Katie Leffrig. They retired in 1936 and moved to Valley City where Frank died in 1953.
John Winkler, born May 9, 1876, the son of Joseph and Theresia (Kirsch) Winkler, Sr., immigrated from Ritterswalde, Germany, with his family in 1882. Picking up buffalo bones from the prairie helped provide income for the family in the early years. He later worked for the Dalrymple and Chaffee farms of the Bonanza era. He married Margaret Thorne in 1901. After his father retired to Valley City, they lived in the original family homestead sod shanty in Section 2 of Cuba Township where children George (deceased) and Eleanor (Mrs. Paul Wigent, Chicago) were born. A new farm site was later built by John across the road in Section 35 of Alta Township where children John, Archie (died in infancy), and Archie Joseph were born. After retiring from farming in 1941, he worked at the shipyards in Portland, Oregon, during World War II. After the war he returned to the Valley City area where he resided until his death, May 30, 1962. Margaret died January 1937.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 271