USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 51
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Mr. Kilen was married in Des Moines town- ship June 13, 1891, to Betsey Teigen, a native of Blue Earth county, Minnesota, and a daugh- ter of Ole Teigen, one of the pioneer settlers of Jackson county. To Mr. and Mrs. Kilen have been born four children, as follows: Peter, born Mareh 29, 1892; Clara, born March 12, 1894; Edwin, born December 15, 1896; Ole, born October 7, 1902.
Vogt, who bas lived in the preeinet sinee he was a boy eighteen years old. lfe owns 360 acres of land and farms it all.
Mr. Vogt was born on board ship on the Atlantic ocean while his parents were on their way from Mecklenberg, Germany, to Ameriea. The date of his birth was September 17, 1854. His father was Peter Vogt, who died in Mis- souri fourteen years ago; his mother, Annie (Selmildt) Vogt, lives in Missouri.
Upon their arrival to the new world the family located near Toledo, Ohio, where they lived eight years, and then resided in Monroe county, Michigan, until they came to Jackson county in 1872. Peter was brought up on a farm and had only meager educational ad- vantages. He accompanied his parents to Minnesota, arriving during the month of Sep- tember, 1872. The family spent the winter of 1872-73 in the village of Hersey (now Brew- ster), then just founded, and in the spring moved onto a farm on section eight, Alba township, which the elder Vogt took as a preemption elaim. This farm is now owned by our subjeet.
Until he was twenty-eight years of age Peter lived at home and worked for his father. During the grasshopper seourge the family ex- perienced very hard times and our subjeet was obliged to work on the seetion part of the time to earn money to support the family, the father being a cripple. At the age of twenty- eight years Mr. Vogt married and engaged in farming and has prospered.
Mr. Vogt was married in Alba township January 12, 1882, to Matilda Toball, who was born in Prussia June 3, 1866. To this union have been born the following four children: Emma, born March 18, 1885; Lydia, born Feb- ruary 6, 1887; Theodore, born May 24, 1889; Ernest, born July 28, 1900. The family are members of the German Lutheran church of Brewster. Mr. Vogt served two years as a member of the board of supervisors of Alba township and he served as a director of sehool distriet No. 86 for sixteen years, giving up the office in July, 1909.
ANDREW C. SERUM (1873), builder of con- erete structures, of Jackson, is an early day settler of the county and one who has taken an active part in the affairs of the county. He was born in Norway September 28, 1845. His
PETER J. VOGT (1872). Among the very earliest settlers of Alba township is Peter J. parents, Christian Hermansen Serum and Mar-
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tha (Johnson) Serum, came to America in 1862, the year after their son arrived, but re. turned after one year's residence here and died in their native land.
Andrew lived with his parents in Norway until he was past sixteen years of age and then, in 1861, came to America. Locating in Dane county, Wisconsin, he worked on a farm during two summers and then went to Madison, where he secured employment in a drug store for nine months. He then went lo Goodhue county. Minnesota, where he lived until the spring of 1873. During those years he was en- gaged in various occupations. For three years he was on the police force of Red Wing, and for a time was engaged in buying grain.
Mr. Serum came to Jackson county in 1873 and for the first year made his home in Heron Lake. lle then took a homestead in West Heron Lake township and upon that place le lived eight years. Selling his farm at the end of that time, he moved to Jackson, and that village has since been his home. He was em- ployed as register of deeds of the county from 1882 to 1889 and after that went into the abstract business, which he was engaged in until 1907. when he sold out on account of poor health. Since the last named date he has been engaged in the concrete business.
Mr. Sorum has held office during many years of his residence in the county. During the time he was living in West Heron Lake township he served as township elerk and jus- tice of the peace. lle was elected sheriff in 1873 and served two years. It was during his incumbency that the grasshoppers came, and the first year of his term the office fees amounted to only $90, and of these he collected only $75. He was elected county commissioner from the third district in 1875 and served three years. Of this time he was chairman of the board from January to July, 1877, and during the year 1878. He was eleet - ed register of deeds in ISS) and was reeleeted in 1883 and 1886. Mr. Serum owns two Jack- son county farms, one in Belmont township and one in Des Moines township. He is a member of the Episcopal church and of the Odd Fellows and Workmen lodges.
Mr. Serum has been married three times, lli- first wife was Maren Severson and his Freund Rikke Severson. On December 3, 1883. he was married lo lelona Brakke. To them have been born the following children: Philip, Marie, Mark and Reuben.
TROND O. TRONDSON (1869) has lived on his present farm on the south bank of Heron lake, on the sonthwest quarter of section 30, Heron Lake township, for the past forty years, and he is one of the oldest settlers of the township. In addition to the quarter section upon which he lives he owns a half of section 25, West Heren Jake township, and is one of the big farmers of the community.
Mr. Trondson is a Norwegian by birth, and first saw the light of day August 1, 1853. lis parents were Ole and Carrie (Olson) Trondson, whom he accompanied to America in 1865. After a residence of four years in Allamakee county, Jowa. the family decided to push on still farther west, and in 1869, accompanied by four other families, a journey to Canton, Dakota territory, was begun. When Swan lake, Jowa, was reached Mr. Trondson, the elder, died, and the trip to Dakota was aban- doned. The other families of the party settled in the vicinity of Estherville, while Mrs. Trondson and her family came north into Jackson county. She bought from a Mr. Cleve- land a homestead right to the southwest quar- ter of seetion 30. Heron Lake township, and there she established her family home. For eighteen years their only habitation was a sod shanty, which stood where Mr. Trondson's home is now.
Mr. Trondson's mother died eleven years ago in Campbell county, South Dakota, where she had made her home with a son. In the early seventies Mr. Trondson homesteaded a tract of land nearby, and later he acquired his mother's homestead. Ever since loeating in the county in 1869 his home has been on see- tion 30. He added the tract in West Heron Lake by purchase about 1893.
The first marriage of Mr. Trondson oceur- red in Heron Lake township January 6, 1879, when he wedded Delena Rongstad, who was born in Norway November 6, 1861, and who was the daughter of Andrew Rongstad. As a result of this union the following children were born: Clara, born April 7. 1881; Al- bert. born May 10, 1883; Theodore, born Oeto- ber 20. 1885; Ole, born December 29, 1888, died May 19, 1909. Mr. Trondson's first wife died, and on January 6, 1892, he was united in marriage to Mary Mone, a native of Nor- way and a daughter of Ole Mone. Mr. and Mrs. Trondson are the parents of nine living children, as follows: Hilda, born April 15, 1893: llannah, born July 27, 1824; Thea, born
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October 16, 1895; Christena, born Jannary 6, 1897; Carrie, born January 31, 1899; Con- stance, born November 1. 1901: William R., born August 1, 1904; Walbag R., born August 1, 1904: Joseph. born December 19, 1906. The family are members of the Norwegian Luth- eran church. Mr. Trondson has been treas- urer of school district No. St since it was or- ganized.
WILLIAM 11. GRUILKE (1869), Petersburg township farmer, is one of the early day set- tlers of that precinct. He was born in Waseca, Minnesota, March 21, 1866, the son of August Gruhlke, who died January S. 1895. and Wil- helmina (Roesler) Gruhlke.
William accompanied his parents to Jackson county in 1869 at the age of three years. His father took as a homestead elaim the south- west quarter of section 30, Petersburg town- ship. and our subjeet has lived upon that land over since-a period of continuous residence of forty years. When the family located there Mankato was the nearest railroad point and to that point they hauled what grain they lad to sell. William received a common school eineation and assisted with the farm work. After growing to manhood he engaged in farming for himself.
Mr. Gruhlke owns 100 acres of land in Jackson county and a quarter section in Da- kota. He has stock in the Petersburg cream- ery, the Jackson Telephone company, the Mid- dletown Telephone company and in the Jack- son Fair association. He served as treasurer of his school district for nine years and is a member of the M. W. A. lodge.
On June 8, 1893, Mr. Gruhlke was married to Ilattie Wolff. They are the parents of fom children, born as follows: Claron, born Au- gust 27, 1894; Gordon, born February 20, 1898; Roy, born December 23, 1901; Kermit, born November 3, 1903.
ROBERT A. GRUHLKE (1869), stock bnyer and shipper of Jackson, has spent forty years of his life as a resident of Jackson county. He was born in Marquette county. Wiseonsin, October 4. 1858. He is the son of the late August Gruhlke and Wilhelmina C. (Roesler) Gruhlke, who resides in Jackson and is 77 years of age.
Both parents were born in llamburg, Prus-
sia, came to the United States in the early fifties and located in Marquette county, Wis- con-in. August Gruhlke engaged in teaching school in the fatherland, and after coming to America engaged in agricultural pursuits and ministerial work, being a German Lutheran minister of the gospel. Abont [860 the family moved to Waseca county, Minnesota, and lo- cated upon land upon which the town of Waseca was afterwards built. In 1869 they came to Jackson county and the head of the family took as a homestead claim the south- west quarter of seetion 30, Peter-burg town- ship, upon which they lived until 1892. An- gust Gruhlke died in Jackson in 1895 at the age of 76 years. Robert is one of a family of five living children.
The subject of this biography lived with his parents until he was twenty-seven years of age. At that age he married and engaged in farming the home farm six years. He ac- quired one hundred aeres of the home place and later added to the farm by the purchase of 120 acres adjoining. Later still he bought an interest in his wife's father's farm on see- tion 2, Middletown. In 1891 Mr. Gruhlke left the farm and went into the butcher business in Jackson. He eondueted a meat market three years, and since that time has been en- gaged in buying and shipping stoek.
Mr. Gruhlke was married in Middletown township on Christmas eve, 1885, to Fannie M. Withers. daughter of the late Walter and Jane E. (Allen) Withers. She was born in Fillmore county, Minnesota, January 28, 1862. To these parents one child has been horn, Evelyn Mae, born July 22, 1902. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gruhlke are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and of the Eastern Star lodge. Mr. Gruhlke is a Mason.
ROBERT MITTELSTADT (1870) is one of the very oldest settlers of Rost township, hav- ing lived in that precinct ever since he was two and one-half years of age. His parents, Fred and Dorothea Mittelstadt, were born in Germany. They came to Jackson county with their family in 1870 and took as a homestead elaim the northwest quarter of seetion IS, Rost township. They eneonntered many hardships in the early days, notably during the grass- hopper times, but they stayed with the coun- try and eventually weathered the hard times. For many years they lived in a typical sod
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house and had a sod barn for their stock. During the memorable winter of 1880.SI their house was entirely covered with snow. There were seven children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mittelstadt, as follows: William, of Seattle, Washington; Julius, of Ileron Lake; Mrs. Tina Trosin, of lleron Lake town- ship; Robert, of this sketch; Minnie Dolly, of Lake Wilson, and Bertha Beyer Kahler, of Ewington township. Fred Mittelstadt died in 1907; his wife still lives on the home place and is 80 years of age.
Robert Mittelstadt was born in Wisconsin November 16, 1867, and accompanied his par- ents to Jackson county in 1870. He lived on the old homestead until 1896; then he moved onto his own place, where he has since lived. His farm consists of 160 aeres of land on see- tion 18, and all the improvements on the place were made by him.
Mr. Mittelstadt was married in Rost town- ship on November 30, 1893, to Bertha Schulz, a native of Germany. To them have been born the following named seven children: Dorothea, born March 4, 1895; Edna, born September 13, IS96; Oleta, born March 20, IS98; Hattie, born March 9, 1900; Leah, born May 2, 1903; Ed- mund, born November 24, 1904; Adolph, born October 1, 1906. The family are members of the German Lutheran church.
EDSON FADER (1872) is a retired farmer living at Lakefield. Ile was born in Calmar, Winneshick county, Jowa, February 13, 1857, the son of Ludwig and Jane (MeNeil) Fader. One year after his birth the family moved to New Oregon, Iowa, and five years later, in 1863. to Fillmore county, Minnesota.
Edson Fader came to Jackson county with his parents in September, 1872, and for the next six years lived on the farm in Minneota township, nine miles south of Lakefield. Ile went to the vicinity of Madison, South Da - kota, in IS78, took a claim there and resided upon it until 1889. Returning to Jackson county that year. he bought a farm in Min- neota township and resided in that precinct ten years. We next tind Mir. Fader at Went- worth, South Dakota, where he engaged in farming two years. He moved to Polk county. Minnesota, in 1901, farmed two years, and then took up his residence in Lakefield. where he has since resided.
During his residence in Minneota township
Mr. Fader was often called upon to serve in an official capacity. lle was assessor two years, served as a member of the board of supervisors, and was town clerk six years. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and He- bekah lodges. He owns six blocks of land in the southern part of Laketield village.
Mr. Fader has been married three times. The first was on July 5, 1880, when he wedded Louisa Welch at Jackson. She died May 24, 1890, after having borne six children, named as follows: Vivian V., born July 24. ISSI; Vira V., born April 13, 1883; Cleveland C .. born December 13, 1884: Leland L., born June 3. ISSU; Mabelle, born March 4, 1888; Maggie, born December 25, 1859, died August 13, 1890.
His second marriage occurred October 8, 1892, to Sarah Nicely at Evansville, Indiana. To this union four children were born: Pern- inna F., born July 4, 1892; Wahnetta, born May 30, 1894: U'la, born June 6, 1896; Ingra. .born August 9, Is98. Mrs. Fader died De. vember 16, 1901.
Mr. Fader married his present wife, Dora M. Starkey, at Princeton. Indiana, February 10, 1903.
JOHN K. BROWN (1879), deceased. Among the men who entered prominently into the business and social life of Jackson mention must be made of John K. Brown, the founder of the first bank in the county.
John K. Brown was born in Canada in 1827. of Scotch, English and Dutch descent. He lived on a farm until eighteen years of age and then moved to St. Thomas, where for four years he was a salesman in a retail store. He moved to London. Ontario, in 1851 and engaged in the dry goods and millinery business. While a resident of that city he served as a member of the city council. Mr. Brown moved to New York in 1860, was with Arnold, Constable & company one year. and then entered the freight office of the Rome & Watertown Rail. road company. From 1865 to 1870 he was a traveling salesman, with headquarters at Mon- treal. his territory including parts of both the United States and Canada.
In 1870 Mr. Brown located at LaCrosse, Wis- ronsin. where he entered the general office of the Southern Minnesota Railroad company and became assistant paymaster. A little lat- er he entered the land department of the same road and served as land commissioner
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENCX AND TIDEN FOUNDATIONS.
MRS. CHRISTINE KNUDSON (Deceased) First Wife of Henry Knudson.
MR. AND MRS. HENRY KNUDSON of Ileron Lake.
IDA MAY KNUDSON (on Left) Daughter of Henry and Christine Knudson.
WILBUR CHRISTENSON Grandson of Henry Knudson
MR. AND MRS. L. T. CHRISTENSON Daughter and Son-in-Law of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Knudson.
CHRISTIAN OSCAR KNUDSON (Deceased) Son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Knudson.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
eight years. When the Southern Minnesota railroad was constructed to Jackson Mr. Brown gave up his position with the railroad company and in 1879 founded the Bank of Jackson, the first bank in the county. He was the head of that institution (later it become the Brown National Bank) until his death, which occurred April 16, 1908.
Mr. Brown was married in November, 1883, to Pluma M. Kimball. Two children were born to this union: John K. Brown, Jr., and Gordon Brown.
JOSEPH H. NOURSE (IS7I) owns a tract of land in the wooded district along the Des Moines river, a short distance up the river from Jackson, where he engages in farming on a small scale, in gardening and wood cut- ting. He is one of the early residents of the county, having come first when he was a boy ten years of age. He is a native Minne- sotan, having been born in Goodhue county January 8, 1861.
Our subject descends from New England stock, his father, William H. Nourse, having been born in Massachusetts and his mother in New York state, her maiden name having been Rosemond C. Stuart. These parents came to Minnesota in 1856 or 1857 and took a pre- emption claim in Goodhue county. Mr. Nourse, senior, was a veteran of the civil war, having enlisted from Red Wing in company F of the Second Minnesota cavalry. The family came to Jackson county in 1871 and Mr. Nourse took a soldier's homestead claim on section 10, Kimball township, where they resided until the ravages of the grasshoppers caused them to leave. Mr. Nourse took his family to Rice county and he later went to Kansas. He died in the soldier's home at Morrow, Indiana, in 1906. There were eight children in the fam- ily, of whom the following seven are living: Anna (Mrs. M. B. Dunn), of Jackson: Joseph, of Des Moines township; Lelia (Mrs. S. J. Dunn), of Grant county, Minnesota: Gilbert F., of Jackson; Walter, of Rice county; Zella (Mrs. Charles Swan), of Wood Lake, Minne- sota; Mark R., of the Minnesota soldiers' home at Minnehaha, he having been disabled at Porto Rico during the Spanish war.
Joseph lived with his parents in Goodhuc county, Minnesota, until June, 1871. Then he accompanied his parents to Jackson county and until the grasshoppers came a few years
later he resided on the Kimball township homestead. Ile accompanied his parents to Rice county and resided there until 1884. That year he again took up his residence in Jaek- son county, where he has ever sinee resided. He engaged in farming and dealt in hay for four years; then he married and farmed a rented place two years. The next three years of his life were spent in the village of Jaek- son, after which he bought a timber lot on section 10, Des Moines township, and since that time he has resided in the country a short distance from Jackson. Several years after locating on his present place he added to his holdings by the purchase of other traets in the vicinity.
During his residence in the county Mr. Nourse has often been called to serve in an official capacity. Ile was deputy sheriff under Sheriff M. B. Dunn, has been township clerk for the past five years, was treasurer of school district No. 10 for three years and has held the offices of road overseer and township as- sessor. He was census enumerator of Des Moines township in 1905. He is a director and secretary of rural telephone line No. 7. Mr. Nourse is a member of the Methodist church. He belongs to the A. O. U. W. lodge and he and his wife are members of the Degree of Honor lodge.
In Lake Fremont township, Martin county, Minnesota, on November 29, 1888, Mr. Nourse was united in marriage to Flora P. Celley, who was born at Wilton, Maine, December 23, 1864. She is the danghter of John C. and Sarah B. (Hall) Celley, both deceased. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Nourse, as follows: J. Walter, born August 30, 1889; Winifred B., born November 21, 1892; Wilma J., born October 3, 1895; Warren K., born March 8, 1898; Isabelle W., born March 14, 1900.
HENRY KNUDSON (1870), ex-sheriff, coun- ty treasurer, and judge of the probate court of Jackson county, who now lives at Heron Lake, is an early day settler of the county and one who has played an important part in public affairs.
Mr. Knudson was brought up on a farm, having been born in Nordre (or Northern) Aurdal, Valders, Norway, September 26, 1843. Ilis father was Knud Chestenson Klevegaard (the latter being the farm name), a farmer
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and tailor by occupation. He was born in Northern Aurdal, Valder-, Norway, came to the United States in 1852. lived respectively in Rock, Walworth and lowa counties, Wisconsin, and in Belleereck, Goodhue county, Minnesota, where he died in 1870 at the age of 59 year -. Our subjeet's mother was Auna Hendrickson Fuglien (the latter being the farm namnet. She was also born in Nordre Aurdal. Valders, Norway, and died near Maxonville, Rock county, Wisconsin, in 1854 at the age of 37 years.
Henry is the second of a family of five chil- dren, of whom the only one besides himself now living is Ole, whose name has been chang- ed to William Christen. He is the president of a mining corporation of Cripple Creek, Colo- rado. The deceased children of the family were Christen Knudson, who came to Jackson county in 1870 and resided on his farm near Wilder until his death in 1998; Knud Knudson, who died in 1863 at the age of abont twelve year -: Anna Knudson, who died in Denver. Colorado, at the age of about 40 years. Bo- sides his full brothers and sisters Mr. Kmid- son has the following half sisters and broth- ers by his father's second wife, namely: Es- ther (Mrs. Ole Tollefson), wife of a prosper- ous farmer of Arville, North Dakota; Mrs. Mary Erickson, of Cannon Falls, Minnesota : Stark Christy, a farmer of Belleercek. Good- hoe county, Minnesota: Elias Kandson, de- ceased. of MeIntosh, Minnesota.
When Henry Knudson was nine years of age he had to go out and make his own living. as his parents were poor. In November, 1861. at Moscow, lowa county, Wisconsin, he on- listed in the union army, and on December S was mustered into company E. Fifteenth Wis- consin infantry, known as the Scandinavian regiment, all being Norwegians from the col- onel down. The regiment was in several en- gagements while he was in it. the principal ones being at the capture of Island No. 10, at Union City, Tennessee, and at Perrysville and Danville, Kentucky, On November 24, 1862, he reenlisted for three years in company K. Fourth United States cavalry, and was trans- ferred thereto by order of the war depart- ment. The first battle he was in after being tran-ferred was Murfreesboro, or Stone River. Tennessee. He was in a number of engage- ments in the vicinity of Murfreesboro and one time was ent off from his command by a body of confederate cavalry at Spring Hill,
Tennessee, and was reported killed or captured. Int his fleet horse and long range revolving rifle saved him.
Mr. Knudson served on General Roseeran-' body guard and was orderly to General Ehner Otis. He was one of twenty picked men of the regiment chosen to charge on twenty con- federate cavalrymen who were stationed on what is known as Round Top. in Wilson coun- ty. Tennessee. In this charge four men were killed and two were taken prisoners. On Feb- ruary Is and 19 the regiment had an engage. ment between Auburn and Liberty, Tennessee. During this time Mr. Knudson was acting as sergeant and led the advance. When ahout two hundred feet from the enemy he was struck by a ritle ball near the right nipple, the ball passing through the lungs and com- ing out near the spinal column. Being es- corted to the rear by two comrades, he was left on the battlefield all night and the next day was taken in an ambulance to Mur- freesboro, a distance of about thirty miles. over a rough road. Mr. Knudson was dis- charged for di-ability at Louisville, Kentucky, July 18, 1863.
After his discharge from the army Mr. Kmudson went back home. near Moscow, Wis- consin, and in the spring of 1865 went to Red. Wing. Minnesota. There be clocked in a gen- eral merchandise store, bought wheat, ran a warehouse and sold machinery. For a time he was also engaged in farming near Belle- errek. Goodho county. He came to Jackson county in the spring of 1870 and took a home. dead claim on section 10, Weimer township.
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