Mathias Lochner is one of the progressive and up-to-date farmers of the town of Fitchburg, and he is justly entitled to recognition as a pioneer resident of this part of the Badger state. He was born in the kingdom of Prussia, Dec. 21, 1828, and received his education in the public schools of his native land, although the opportunities were very limited. He remained in Prussia until he had reached the age of twenty-two years, and then migrated to America, in 1850, with Wisconsin as his final destination. Locating at Milwaukee, he first secured employment on a steamboat, plying the great lakes, and later turned his attention to farm work in the town of Sun Prairie, Dane county. He was thus employed only one summer, and was then taken sick and returned to Milwaukee. After he had sufficiently recovered his next employment was chopping cord wood for one winter, after which he worked in a brick yard for three months and then went to Kenosha. From the latter place he went to Chicago, where he was employed by a large lumber company, but remained in that place only about three months, and then worked on a farm in Illinois for seven months. He then came to the town of Berry, in Dane county and purchased six yoke of cattle, which he used as one team for breaking new ground, and he remained in Berry for three years, at the end of which time he was married. Purchasing forty acres of land, he resided thereon for twenty-four years, and then disposing of his farm he removed to the town of Springfield and worked a farm on shares for one year. He then removed to Marshfield, Wis., where he resided five years, and then returned to Dane county, locating in the town of Fitchburg, which place has been his home since 1882. A sister of our subject, Mrs. Peter Marks, resides in Brooks’ addition to the city of Madison, and another sister, Anna, is also living. Mr. Lochner was married in May, 1858, to Miss Barbara Smith, who is also a native of Prussia, born March 1, 1836, daughter of John and Elizabeth Smith. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Lochner there have been born ten children, of whom the following facts are appropriately given, in connection with the review of their worthy parents: John married Elizabeth Marks and resides in the town of Berry; Matthew married Bridget Kenney and resides in the town of Fitchburg, where he now fills the responsible position of town treasurer; Mary was the third child in order of birth, and is deceased; Peter married Katie Croud and resides in Madison; Nicholas married Tillie Kettlepeter and resides in the town of Springfield; Henry married Mary Holt and resides in Madison; Willie and Michael reside at home; Katie married Fred Tupp and resides in the town of Madison; and Frank died in infancy. The subject of this review proved his loyalty to the country of his adoption when the integrity of the nation was being attacked in the early sixties. On February 13, 1865, he enlisted as a private soldier in Company K of the Forty-fifth Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, and served with that command until July 17, 1865, when he was mustered out, peace having been restored. During his term of service he remained at Nashville on guard duty. Mr. Lochner gives an unswerving allegiance to the tenets of the Democratic party, although he has never been an aspirant for public office. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church at Madison.

History of Dane County, Madison, Western Historical Association, 1906, Page 570