USA > Iowa > Audubon County > History of Audubon county, Iowa; its people, industries, and institutions > Part 45
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On November 14, 1873, three years before coming to this country. Chris Hahn was married to Charlotte Wohlgamuth, who was born on August 29, 1845, a daughter of Foergen and Elizabeth (Porsch) Wolgamouth, who lived all their lives in their native land of Germany. To this union the fol- lowing children were born: Gustav, Paulina, Hannah, Emma, Herman, Zelma and Ella. Gustav lives in Canada, and is the owner of a section and a half of land there. He married Margaretta Klever, and they are the par- ents of seven children, six daughters and one son; Ella and Emma (twins), Hildegarde, Christ, Ethel, Mabel and Helen. Paulina is the wife of Chris Klever. They live in Audubon county and have one child, Herman. Ramon died at the age of seven months. Hannah is the wife of Charles Brown. They live in Canada, and the parents of five children, Walter, Zelma, Alice, Arthur and Charlotte. Zelma is the wife of William Mantz, and they are also residents of Canada. They have one child, Clarke. Emma died at the age of two years and three months. Ella was killed on the railroad at the
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age of one year and eight months. Harmon was killed by a horse at the age of eighteen. Since coming to this country Mr. Hahn has been identified with the Democratic party, but he is more or less independent in his voting, sup- porting measures and men rather than political emblems. He and his wife and family are members of the Evangelical Lutheran church, in whose wel- fare they are deeply interested, and to the support of which they are liberal contributors.
WALKUP M. CREES.
The office of biography is not to give voice to a man's modest opinion of himself and his accomplishments, but rather to leave upon record the verdict of his neighbors and fellow citizens. Touching upon the life history of Walkup M. Crees, a well-known farmer of Hamilton township, Audubon county, Iowa, it is sought to avoid fulsome encomium and extravagant praise. Nevertheless, there should be held up for the consideration of the reader, those facts which have shown the earmarks of a true, useful and honorable life, a life characterized by perseverance, energy, broad charity and well- defined purpose. Walkup M. Crees being a man of this type, is admired by his neighbors and respected by a large circle of friends.
Walkup M. Crees was born on March 22, 1864, in Muscatine county, Iowa. He is the son of Joel and Catherine ( Hines) Crees. They were natives of Ohio, coming west to Iowa when very young with their parents. They located in Cass county, Iowa, and in 1885 they came to Audubon county, locating north and west of Exira, in which vicinity they lived until their death. They were the parents of ten children, five sons and five daugh- ters, of whom Walkup M. Crees was the second child.
Walkup M. Crees received a limited country school education. He lived at home until he was married and then rented land until 1907 when he purchased seventy-nine acres of land in section 15 of Hamlin township where he now lives. In 1908 Mr. Crees was elected sheriff of Audubon county and after his election, moved to Audubon, where he lived for four years moving back to the farm in 1913 after the expiration of his term of office. As the sheriff of Audubon county, Mr. Crees performed the duties of this respon- sible office in a highly satisfactory and creditable manner. It is the verdict of the people of Audubon county that he was one of the best sheriffs that the county ever had.
On January 30, 1889, Mr. Crees was married in Audubon county to
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Julia E. Dimick, who was born on January 21, 1871, in Johnson county, Iowa. She is the daughter of John J. and Fannie (Mitchell) Dimick. It is thought they were natives of New York and New Jersey, respectively. They came to Audubon county about 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Crees are the parents of five children, Beatrice, born on October 14, 1892; Charles, June 12, 1895; Cecil J., February 23, 1900; Everett, August 2, 1903; and Fred, December 30, 1906. All of these children live at home.
The Crees family is of Dutch and Irish descent and the Dimicks are of old Yankee stock. W. M. Crees' mother, Catherine ( Hines) Crees, died on February 6, 1905, and her husband died on March 18, 1908. Mrs. Crees' mother died on March 1, 1879, and her father died on January 1, 19II.
Mr. Crees is now engaged in general farming and stock raising. He keeps an excellent quality of live stock and has been very successful in rais- ing them for the market.
Mr. Crees is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, and is a Demo- crat in politics. Although the principal office which Mr. Crees has held is that of sheriff, he has served as clerk of Greeley township and assessor of Hamlin township. He is well thought of by his neighbors and friends, and his repeated election to public offices is the best testimonial in support of the generous esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens.
PETER MADSEN.
Any vocation, whether humble or exalted, may produce a satisfactory measure of success if enterprise, industry and well-directed purpose guide the individual in his pursuit of success. In no case is this fact more apparent than in farming. It is a well authenticated fact that success is the result of well-applied energy, determination, perseverance and good judgment. When a course of action is once decided upon, these attributes are essential to suc- cess, and those who diligently seek her favors ever receive her blessing. Peter Madsen, the subject of this sketch, is one of the well-known and suc- cessful farmers of Hamlin township and his success has been achieved by traveling no royal road. Industry and good management have been the key- note to his success.
Peter Madsen was born on January 7, 1840, in Jylland, Denmark. He
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is the son of Mads and Sisse (Nelson) Madsen, also natives of Jylland, Den- mark, where the father was a farm laborer.
Peter Madsen lived at home until 1862, at which time he had to join the army. He served two and one-half years in the war between Prussia and Austria, but was never wounded nor taken prisoner, though he saw some of the hardest fighting in this war. In 1870 Mr. Madsen came to the United States. landing at New York city, and after spending a short time in that city, he came directly to Atlantic, Cass county, Iowa. At that time, Atlantic just had one store, a hotel and a few houses. Mr. Madsen had fifty dollars in money when he arrived at Atlantic. He first got work on a farm where he remained for three months, when he got work on the section of the Chi- cago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad. Mr. Madsen worked at this job at Atlantic until the spring and then went back to Wilton, where he helped to build a branch of the railroad down into the state of Missouri. In the spring of 1871, Mr. Madsen came to Atlantic again and purchased forty acres of land in Shelby county, paying ten dollars an acre for it, and here he lived for nine years. In the meantime, his family grew larger, so that in 1880 he purchased eighty acres in section 3 of Hamlin township, where he now lives. It was without buildings, although seventy acres of it had already been broken with the plow, and there were no roads nor no schools. Two years later, Mr. Madsen sold the township one acre of land, receiving twenty- five dollars for it, and after this there was a school near his house. Before that, one of the neighbors had given one room in his house for the purpose of conducting a school.
One year after Mr. Madsen came to the United States, his future wife, Johanna Conradene Johansen, came to this country. She was born on December 10, 1848, in Jylland, Denmark, and was the daughter of Lars and Mary Johansen. Peter Madsen and Johanna C. Johansen were married in Princeton, Missouri, October 7. 1871. She died in July, 1886, leaving eight children, Jens C., who is unmarried and lives in Hamlin township: Peterena Mary, deceased, who married Peter Paulsen and had two children, Conradene and Marie: Lawrence M., who married Marie Petersen and has six children, Dena, Anna, Peter. Edna, Laura and Jens ; Cecelia, deceased, married Walter Jensen and had three children, Martha, Helena and Elsie: Johanna M., who is unmarried and is now a patient in the hospital at Clarinda, Iowa: Lora, who lives in Washington, married Chris Sorrensen and has three children, Mary, Gladys and Helena; Peter, who is unmarried and lives in Elkhorn where he follows the butcher's trade; and Martha, who married Jens Ander- sen and has three children, Freda, Leo and Alice. Lawrence M. is now liv-
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ing on the old home place and also tends forty acres which he owns near there. He was married on January 6, 1906.
Mr. Madsen has retired from active farming. He is a stockholder in the Elkhorn-Marne Telephone Company and is also a member of the West Hamlin Creamery Company, being one of the organizers of the latter. Peter Madsen is one of Hamlin township's first settlers and is, in truth, a pioneer of this section of the state.
Mr. Madsen is a Democrat and his son, Lawrence M., is also a Demo- crat. Mr. Madsen has held nearly all of the township offices, except assessor and clerk, and he has always taken an active part in local politics and his counsel is widely sought. The family are all members of the Danish Luth- eran church.
ANTON NELSON.
Among the farmers of Audubon county, Iowa, who believe in following twentieth century methods, is Anton Nelson, of Hamlin township. Mr. Nelson comes from a splendid family, one that has always been foremost for right living and industrious habits, for education and morality and for all that contributes to the welfare of the commonwealth. Such people are wel- come in any community, for they are empire builders and as such have pushed the frontier of civilization ever westward and onward, leaving the once green, wide-reaching wilderness and the far-stretching plains populous with contented people and beautiful with green fields. They have constituted that sterling horde which caused the great Bishop Whipple to write the mem- orable words, "Westward, the course of empire takes its way."
Anton Nelson was born on May 3, 1874, in Denmark, and is the son of Nels and Christina (Rasmussen) Nelson, both natives of Denmark. Nels Nelson was a painter by trade and Anton helped him at his trade until he was fourteen years old. Anton Nelson received a good, common-school educa- tion.
In 1893, or when Anton Nelson was nineteen years old, he came to the United States, landing at New York city, and came direct to Audubon county, where he had two brothers, H. C. and Nels J. Anton Nelson first worked by the month. He worked for six years but after working about four years, he purchased eighty acres of land where he now lives, but did not begin farming it himself until two years after he bought it. When Mr. Nelson was married, he moved to this farm and has lived there since that time. The farm was but poorly improved at the time and had only a small
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three-roomed house for a residence. Mr. Nelson has since built a large eight-roomed house with halls, pantry and basement. Two large barns are now standing on the farm, one of which is fifty-two by fifty-six feet and the other thirty-six by fifty-two feet. Mr. Nelson has good hog houses, cribs, granaries, implement shed and garage. He has also added one hundred and twenty acres more to his farmi and is, indeed, a progressive citizen.
On February 22, 1896, Anton Nelson was married at Audubon, Iowa, to Mary Aagaard, the daughter of Andrew Aagaard. Five children were born to this union, Nelson C., Mabel. Andrew, Martha and Tilda. The mother of these children died on February 18, 1910.
On May II, 1912, Mr. Nelson was married to Thea Top in Chicago, Illinois. She was born in Denmark, May 12, 1885, and is the daughter of Hans and Hannah (Nelson) Top, both natives of Denmark, where her father was a laborer. Thea Top came to the United States in 1908. To this second union, two children, Hannah and Rosa, have been born.
Mr. Nelson is a member of the Blue Grass Creamery Company and is assistant secretary of the organization. He assisted in the organization of the Farmers Savings Bank of Hamlin and is a director in this institution. He does general farming and stock raising and has been, as this brief record of his life will show, very successful as a farmer.
Mr. Nelson is a Republican, and is at present a school director, being keenly interested in the educational affairs of his township. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson and all the members of the family are identified with the Danish Lutheran church.
LARS C. CHRISTOFFERSEN.
In examining the life records of self-made men it will invariably be found that indefatigable industry has constituted the basis of their success. True, there are other elements that enter into and conserve the advance- ment of personal interests, such as perseverance, discrimination and the mastering of expedients, but the foundation of all achievement is earnest, persistent labor. At the outset of his career Lars C. Christoffersen recog- nized this fact and he has never sought any royal road to the goal of his ambition. He began to work earnestly and diligently in order to advance himself and the result is that he is now numbered among the progressive, suc- cessful and influential business men of Audubon county.
Lars C. Christoffersen was born in Denmark on October 17, 1861, the
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LARS C. CHRISTOFFERSEN
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son of Peter and Mette Christene (Larsen) Christoffersen, also natives of Denmark, the family being residents of the island known as Moen. Peter Christoffersen was a laborer and was the father of three children, Peter, Lars C. and Carrie C.
Lars C. Christoffersen lived at home until 1883, in which year he came to the United States, landing at New York City on May 23. His brother had proceeded him seven years and had located in Illinois. Lars C. Christ- offersen came direct to Audubon county, locating near Kimballton where two of his uncles had settled some years before. He first started to work by the month, but the corn crop was drowned out and he went to work on the section for the Chicago & Northwestern railroad. He later went to Illi- nois, where he worked for a short time, but soon came back to Audubon county, and spent the winter with one of his uncles. In the spring of 1884 he went back to Illinois, where for about two years he worked at various jobs. In February, 1886, he went to New York and lived there until 1888, working at various occupations. On New Year's day, 1888, he came back to Audubon county and has lived here since that time. His parents and sisters, who came to this country in the spring of 1889, also came west. After coming back to Audubon county, Mr. Christoffersen worked on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad section, a job entailing a great deal of hard work, as there were but two men to care for a section. After being thus employed for two years Mr. Christofferson bought eighty acres of land near Kimballton and made a home there for his mother, his father having died in 1890. For nineteen years Mr. Christoffersen lived on this farm.
In 1908 Lars C. Christoffersen was elected recorder of Audubon county 'and filled that office very acceptably for four years, after which for six months he acted as deputy recorder. In the meantime he helped organize the Farmers Savings Bank at Hamlin and was elected cashier of the bank, a position he has filled since that time in a manner wholly acceptable not only to the directors of the bank, but to the large public served through this sound financial institution, he possessing the unbounded confidence of the entire community.
On December 26, 1895, at Atlantic, Iowa, Lars C. Christoffersen was married to Anna B. Rassmussen, who was born in Denmark, the daughter of Andrew and Anna (Scherning) Rassmussen, who came to the United States in the spring of 1892. To this union seven children have been born, four sons and three daughters, Hans, Alfred, Hazel, Leonard, Edwin, Ethel and Clara, all of whom are living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Christoffersen are
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members of the Danish Lutheran church and their children have been reared in that faith.
Mr. Christoffersen is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Danish Brotherhood of America. He is a Democrat and when he was elected county recorder had a normal opposition of six hundred Republican majority and was not widely acquainted in the county, but he was elected by a majority of one hundred and nine votes. In campaigning he did not go east of the railroad tracks. Since moving to town, Mr. Christoffersen has sold his farm. The bank building is owned by the corporation of stockholders.
Although the most important public office which Mr. Christoffersen has held is that of county recorder he has held several township offices in Sharon township, among them that of justice of the peace, township trustee and township clerk, and for fourteen years was secretary of the school board. By virtue of his vocation he comes into touch with all the people of his town- ship and is honored and respected by them. He is progressive in his ideas and this characteristic accounts for a very large measure of his success, he being regarded as one of the most enterprising and public-spirited citizens of Audubon county.
NELS MORTENSEN.
It cannot be other than interesting to note in the series of personal sketches appearing in this work, the varying conditions that have conipassed those whose careers are here outlined. An efforts has been made in each case to throw well-focused light on the individuality and to bring into proper perspective the scheme of each career Each man, who strives to fulfill his part in connection with human life and human activities, deserves recognition whatever may be his field of endeavor. It is the function of works of this nature to perpetuate for future generations an authentic record concerning those represented in these pages. The value of such publications is certain to be cumulative for all time to come, and will present the individual and specific accomplishment of each generation. Nels Mortensen is one of the well-known business men of Hamlin, Iowa, and he is entitled to rank as one of the representative citizens of this great county.
Nels Mortensen was born on May 10, 1883, in Audubon county, near Gray. He is a son of Nels and Carrie (Rattenborg) Mortensen, who were natives of an island possession of Denmark and Schleswig, respectively. The
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island where Nels Mortensen was born was called Fyn. Nels Mortensen always worked on the farm, although his father, Morten Petersen, was a day laborer. The parents of Nels Mortensen came to the United States in 1881. They had four children who were born in Denmark, and Nels Mortensen was the eldest of five children born to his parents after they came to the United States.
Nels Mortensen attended the common schools of this county until he was twelve years of age and lived with his parents until his marriage. After his marriage, Mr. Mortensen rented a farm for one year, after which he purchased eighty acres of unimproved land. His wife was a school teacher, and for four years after their marriage she continued teaching in order to assist in paying for the improvements on their land, while Mr. Mortensen farmed and worked at any kind of labor to get ahead. In 1909 he sold his farm and purchased the hardware store belonging to Johnson & Carstensen, of Hamlin, Iowa, and here Mr. Mortensen has been engaged in business since that time.
On March 23, 1905, Nels Mortensen was married at Audubon, Iowa, by Rev. Mr. Cousins, to Cloe Petty. When three weeks old, Mrs. Morten- sen was taken to be reared by her mother's parents, Joseph and Rebecca Red- path, and from that time was known by the name of Redpath. She is a graduate of the Audubon high school, and after leaving school, taught for six years, during this time having been engaged in teaching a single district, with the exception of two terms. Mr. Mortensen and wife are the parents of two children, both of whom are boys. George M. was born July 2, 1911. Harvey was born October 17, 1914.
Mr. Mortensen is a member of the Middle West Implement Dealers Association. He carries a large line of implements in connection with gen- eral hardware. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Savings Bank, of Ham- lin, and was one of the leading factors in the organization of this financial institution.
Mr. Mortensen is a Democrat, but he is not a politician, and has never held office, nor has he ever aspired to office. Mr. and Mrs. Mortensen and family are members of the Lutheran church.
Mrs. Mortensen's grandfather was one of the first settlers in Audubon county, Iowa, paying one dollar and a quarter for one hundred and twenty- five acres of land near Audubon. This land grew in value from year to year, and is worth now a hundred times its original purchase price.
Nels Mortensen is one of the best known citizens of Hamlin township, Audubon county, Iowa. He is a man who has always been scrupulous in his
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dealings with the public and has built up an enviable reputation in a business way in this section of Audubon county. He is entitled to the liberal patron- age he enjoys, as his business has been founded upon right dealing and good business management.
WILHELM C. OLSEN.
Practical industry, wisely and vigorously applied, never fails to bring success. It carries a man onward and upward and brings out his individual character and acts as a powerful stimulant to the efforts of others. The greatest results in life are often attained by simple means, and the exercise of the ordinary qualities of common sense and perseverance. The every- day life with its cares, necessities and duties, affords ample opportunity for acquiring experience of the best kind, and its most beaten paths provide a true worker with abundant scope for effort and self-improvement. Wilhelm C. Olsen, one of the well-known farmers of Hamlin township, Audubon county, Iowa, throughout his entire life, has been industrious, frugal and judicious in the management of his agricultural enterprises.
Wilhelm C. Olsen was born on October 6, 1862, in Denmark, the son of Christian J. and Dora (Olsen) Jensen. Christian J. Olsen was a black- smith in Denmark and followed that occupation all his life. He was the father of five children : Christ, Annena, Anna, Dora and Wilhelm C.
Mr. Olsen lived at home until he reached the age of eighteen years. In June, 1881, he came to the United States, landing at New York harbor. He had an uncle in Shelby county, Iowa, and made the trip with the inten- tion of returning to his native country, but did not do so. He came to Shelby county, lowa, where his uncle lived at that time, and worked out by the month on the farms in that county for five years. He then rented land for eighteen years, and in 1901 he purchased a farm just north of Exira, where he lived for four years, and then sold it and purchased fifty-three acres in Hamlin township, adjoining the town of Hamlin. Mr. Olsen has greatly improved this farm and has made a remarkable success of his chosen vocation.
On January 9, 1886, Mr. Olsen was married in Shelby county, Iowa, to Mary C. Jacobsen, who was born on January 3, 1869, in Kellogg, Jasper county, Iowa. Mrs. Olsen is a daughter of Andrew and Dora (Kock) Jacob- sen, who were natives of Denmark. Mr. and Mrs. Olsen are the parents of four children: Dorothy, born on October 1, 1887, married Jacob Jacobsen, and they have three children, Hans, William and Mae; Ella, born on Novem-
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ber 27, 1888, married Fritz Nissen, and they are the parents of four children, Elmer, Regina, Ellanora and Daisy; Ellanora, born on May 3, 1891, mar- ried John Petersen ; Victor William, born on June 29, 1904, is living at home with his parents.
Mrs. Olsen's father, Andrew Jacobsen, drove oxen through to Iowa when he came west and after arriving in this state, used them for farming purposes. He was one of the pioneer farmers of Shelby county, Iowa, and was well known in that county, where he lived for so many years.
Wilhelm C. Olsen is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and also of the Danish Brotherhood, to which order he has been attached for more than twenty years. In politics he is mostly independent, but leans toward the principles of the Democratic party, especially in national affairs. Mr. Olsen is not a politician in any sense of the word, and has never held office, nor has he ever aspired to office, preferring to devote his atten- tion to his home and his family and his farm. The members of the family are identified with the Danish Lutheran church, and are active in the affairs of this denomination, not only in the church, but also in the Sunday school, and are liberal contributors to the support of the church.
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