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Today is the birthday of Sigmund O. Mitler (June 18, 1850-October 18, 1896). He was born in Trnava, Slovakia, which was formerly Srenitz, Hungary. He was initially a banker, and was the director of the Anglo-Hungarian Bank in Vienna, but after emigrating to the United States around 1884, and settling in Peoria, Illinois, he co-founded the Union Brewing Co. with his brother-in-law Jacob Woolner in 1886. It closed in 1920 due to prohibition, re-opening briefly as the Peoria Brewing Co. in 1934 but closing for good in 1940.
![IMG_1175](https://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/16670064-e068-48eb-a56c-431f075e8239.jpg?client=trees-mediaservice&imageQuality=hq&maxWidth=3078&maxHeight=1732)
I couldn’t find out much else about Mitler other than he worked as the general manager and treasurer of the brewery until the day he died.
![](https://www.taverntrove.com/imagecache/brewery_photo_765.jpg_H1151.jpg)
![](https://www.taverntrove.com/images/brewery_day/large/trivia_photo_1440.jpg)
Although not exactly relevant, when he was 30 he married Ernestine Sternberg Mitler, who had a fondness for big hats.
![Ernestine Sternberg Mitler](https://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/1093/media/a21c39ad-b0bd-4a51-806f-58392a676745.jpg?client=trees-mediaservice&imageQuality=hq&maxWidth=3078&maxHeight=1860)