Julius W. Schramm, a leading banker of Fairfax, was born in Germany December 5, 1855, son of Karl G. and Johanna (Fenscke) Schramm. The family came to America in 1856 and in 1857 Karl G. Schramm started a general store in New Ulm in company with his brother-in-law, Henry Schalk, which they operated for only a short time. After selling out his interest in this store Karl G. Schramm bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Milford township, Brown county, to which he moved and where he lived until 1875. In 1871 he opened a general store in New Ulm with Michael Redman under the firm name of Redman & Schramm. Each partner was to furnish a man in the store and Julius W. Schramm took his father's place in the store and managed his father's interest until 1879. In the meantime the father in 1875 moved from the farm to New Ulm, where he lived until about 1891, when he moved to Fairfax, where he remained until his death, August 29, 1899, at the age of sixty-seven. Mrs. Johanna (Fenscke) Schramm died January 1, 1913. In 1879 Julius W. Schramm bought his father's interest in the store and remained there with Mr. Redman until the store was destroyed by the cyclone which demolished a part of the city in 1881. Mr. Schramm was severely injured in this storm. After his recovery he worked as a clerk in a general store in Albert Lea until 1886, after which he spent four years in a general store in St. Paul. Mr. Schramm came to Fairfax in 1891 and bought a half interest in the general store of Emil F. Sell, where he remained until 1900, at which time he became president of the State Bank of Fairfax, which position he still holds. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which they take an active part. Mr. Schramm was married on October 19, 1881, to Minnie Redman, a daughter of Michael and Henrietta (Breitkrentz) Redman. Mr. Redman was a pioneer merchant of New Ulm, the one who has been mentioned as being connected with the Schramms in the general mercantile business at that place. He died in 1881 at the age of fifty-six years. His widow is still living at the age of eighty-five years and makes her home with her daughter Anna, Mrs. Charles Ferke, at Sleepy Eye, Minn. Mr. and Mrs. Schramm have four children. The eldest, Estella J., is married to Frank Hopkins, of Fairfax, a prominent attorney of Renville county. They have three children: Ora, Lois and Wayne. The second child, Edna H., is a teacher in the Fairfax public schools. She is a graduate of the Fairfax High school and of the Winona State Normal school. The third child, Minnie J., is a graduate of the Fairfax High school and of the Swedish Hospital of Minneapolis and is now a visiting nurse for the city of Minneapolis. The fourth child and the youngest, Benjamin J., is a graduate of the Fairfax High school and of the Minneapolis Business college, and has been assistant cashier in the State Bank of Fairfax since July, 1913.