Andreas SAUER found his way over the Atlantic Ocean in 1848, as his older brother Conrad did six years before him. He traveled from Le Havre/France to Philadelphia, Pa. and entered the country 6 Nov 1848 on the ship "Manchester" from Rotterdam to Philadelphia. Although Andreas was a butcher by profession and used to work in the Cincinnati ... he never returned to his trade. After the discovery of gold in the West he, like so may others, went westward where they believed their fortune would be. 1859, after years of heavy work to earn money, he married Kate Becker and they settled down in Washoe Valley in the state of Nevada where he owned a ranch until he died. Andrew Sauer used to say that he left "the paradise of the world" referring to the beautiful countryside in Germany that he would never see again once he left his home country.

1870 Nevada, Washoe County, Washoe City, p. 10
dwelling 75, family 70
Sauer, A., age 41, male, white, farmer, real estate $1500, person $1500, born Baden
-------, Catherine, age 30, female, white, keeping house, born Bavaria
-------, Mary, age 9, female, white, at home, born Nevada
-------, Lilly, age 7, female, white, at home, born Nevada
-------, Catherine, age 5, female, white, at home, born Nevada
-------, Louisa, age 3, female, white, at home, born Nevada
-------, George, age 2, male, white, born Nevada
Sasspell, M.L., age 19, male, white, farm laborer, born Prussia

1880 Nevada, Washoe County, Washoe Township, E.D. 53, sheet 10B
dwelling 70, family 72
Sauer, Andrew, white, male, age 51, head, married, farmer, born Baden, parents born Baden
-------, Catharine, white, female, age 41, wife, married, keeping house, born Bavaira, parents born Bavaria
-------, Lillie, white, female, age17, daughter, single, at home, born Nevada, father born Baden, mother born Bavaria
-------, Katie, white, female, age 15, daughter, single, at home, born Nevada, father born Baden, mother born Bavaria
-------, Louise, white, female, age 13, daughter, at home, born Nevada, father born Baden, mother born Bavaria
-------, George, white, male, age 12, son, at home, born Nevada, father born Baden, mother born Bavaria
-------, Ida, white, female, age 7, daughter, at home, born Nevada, father born Baden, mother born Bavaria
-------, Frank, white, male, age 5, son, at home, born Nevada, father born Baden, mother born Bavaria
-------, William, white, male, age 2, son, at home, born Nevada, father born Baden, mother born Bavaria
Sider, Richard, white, male, age 55, boarder, married, farm laborer, born North Caroling, parents born Pennsylvania
Zambotta, Thomas, white, male, age 33, servant, single, farm laborer, born Austria, parents born Austria
Bolli, Simon, white, male, age abt 50, boarder, widower, farm laborer, born Switzerland, parents born Switzerland

1900 Nevada, Washoe County, Washoe Precinct, E.D. 43, sheet 2B
dwelling 46, family 50
Sauer, Andrew, head, white, male, Feb 1829, age 71, married for 41 years, born Germany, parents born Germany, imm 1857, naturalized, farmer
-------, Catherine, wife, white, female, Nov 1838, age 61, married for 41 years, mother of 4 children, 4 living, born Germany, parents born Germany
-------, Louise, daughter, white, female, Aug 1868, age 31, single, born Nevada, parents born Germany, cook
-------, Ida, daughter, white, female, Sept 1873, age 26, single, born Nevada, parents born Germany
sheet 3A
-------, Frank J., son, white, male, Jan 1875, age 25, single, born Nevada, parents born Germany, farm laborer
-------, Wm F., son, white, male, Oct 1877, age 22, single, born Nevaa, parents born Germany, farm laborer

—————————— deceased

Newspaper Clipping from Pamela Schaff, McGill, Nevada
Nevada State Journal (Reno, Nevada) 13 January 1908 page 3
Final Chapter of a Life Nobly Spent
Andrew Sauer Dies at Home Near Washoe City
For 50 Years He Lived and Labored to Help Build Up This County
Andrew Sauer, one of Reno’s first settlers, passed away in Washoe City yesterday morning shortly before 4 o’clock, on the farm which he had made his home for nearly 50 years continuously, where his 11 children were born and grew to womanhood and manhood. Old age was the cause of death. He had been feeble for the past six years or more and the event was not unexpected. Most of his family was present when the tired spirit of the faithful husband, kind and loving father and good citizen passed to its Maker.

Deceased was a native of Germany, age 78 years, 11 months, and 28 days. He was a prominent member of the Odd Fellows of Nevada and was probably the oldest member of the order in this State.

He came to Nevada more than 50 years ago and was married at Virginia City. He moved with his bride to the farm near Washoe City, and through all the years that have passed that place has been their home. Eleven children were born to them and of these eight are now living, four sons and four daughters, all grown, and every one among the substantial and best-liked residents of this county. The daughters are: Mrs. George Kornmayer, Mrs. Preston Smith, Mrs. H. Heidenreich and Mrs. L. Zurfluh. The sons are: George Sauer, Frank Sauer, Louis Sauer and William Sauer.

The remains were brought to Reno by Perkins & Gulling last night. The funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock from the Masonic Temple and will be under the auspices of Reno Lodge No. 19, I.O.O.F. Interment will be at the Mountain View cemetery.

Nevada State Journal, Wednesday 15 January 1908, p. 8
Buried Yesterday

The funeral of the late Andrew Sauer was held from the Masonic Temple yesterday afternoon. It was under the auspices of Reno Lodge No. 19, I.O.O.F., and was one of the largest seen here for some time. Interment was in the Odd Fellows cemetery.

Memorial Biography 1962
Nevada Appeal (Carson City), Wednesday 22 September 1962, p. A-8
A forgotten settler of the Washoe Valley
by Barbara Egbert
Appeal Staff Writer

The pioneers who settled western Nevada seem larger than life, with careers that dwarf anything their descendants can do. Some of them are remembered because they gave their names to landmarks or developed cities or became political leaders. Others, just as important, have been forgotten. In Washoe Valley, that is the fate of the man who, as near as I can tell, once owned and ranched the land where I live now. Andrew Sauer did not leave his name behind, as did his neighbor to the south, Theodore Winters. Only true old-timers and history buffs recognize the name.

Andrew Sauer was born in 1829 in Dielheim, near Heidelberg, Germany, and fought on the losing side of the 1848 revolution. He fled to America and worked in Cincinnati for three years as a butcher. He worked his way down the Mississippi River to catch ship for Panama, and nearly walked across the Isthmus. From San Francisco he traveled to Sacramento and worked as a miner and butcher in the gold country. When he saw the Washoe Valley, however, he knew had had found a substitute for the Rhine River country of his youth. He and partner Joe Frey bought 432 acres in 1859 and brought Mexican longhorn cattle in to graze the lush wild grasses. Sauer married Katherine Becker, also a native of Germany, the same year.

The first years were not designed to make Sauer certain he was wise in moving to Nevada. The winter of 1859-60 was so severe all the cattle died but one. Trouble with the Pyramid Lake Paiutes panicked the settlers, and the Washoe Valley women and children barricaded themselves in Carson City. Frey sold the ranch out from under Sauer and he had to start over again on a new ranch north of Winters’ Rancho del Sierra.

Sauer prospered after that, clearing the land, raising grain and food supplies for the hungry Comstock and running livestock. He built a frame house with a view of Washoe Lake to replace the earlier log cabin. Sauer became known for his generosity as well as his temper, and while people with designs on his water rights learned to leave him alone, old friends depended on him for help in lean times. He had a habit of singing while driving his team and wagon home from Virginia City after a day of selling hundreds of dollars worth of produce to the miners, and his voice was known all over the valley. He was know as an astute but honest businessman, and apparently the only venture he tried that failed was a hotel in Boca, on the Truckee River. In a dispute with “Thee” Winters, he paid for some land twice, rather than have trouble with a neighbor.

Andrew and Katherine had 11 children, two of whom died in childhood. The rest grew up, learn English (the Sauers spoke German at home) and went to school in Washoe City. When Sauer lost his sight, Katherine would walk over the ranch, reporting back to him on what she saw and taking doers for what had to be done. Some of the children married into local families, others left the area.

Andrew died in 1908 and Katherine in 1910 after making a major contribution to the history of Washoe Valley. The ranch was carved up and the land now supports a scattering of houses and businesses. Today, not even one of the Sauer graves can be identified in the old Washoe City cemetery.