USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 68
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CHARLES M. GAGE (1863-1908) Who for Many Years was Engaged in Business in Lakefield.
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continued until 1901, when E. A. Gage bought out Mr. Frederickson's interest in the business, and the firm became known as Gage Brothers. Mr. Gage died at his home in Lakefield, Min- nesota, on July 19, 1908, after an illness of some ten days. lle left a wife, five children and a great many friends to mourn his death.
Mr. Gage was a thoughtful, loving husband, a generous father and a loyal citizen. lle was a member of the A. O. U. W. and the M. W. A. lodges of Lakefield and also a mem- ber of the Lakefield Lodge No. 250, A. F. & A. M., Jackson Chapter No. 73, R. A. M., Jack- son, Minnesota, and Fairmont Commandery K. T. No. 27, Fairmont, Minnesota.
GUST BENSON (1893) is one of the big farmers of West Heron Lake township, in which he owns 400 acres of land on sections 28 and 22. Ite was born in Sweden May 5, 1858, the son of Nels and Johanna (Monson) Benson, both of whom died in their native land.
Gust was educated in the Swedish schools and until eighteen years of age lived with his parents. After that age he worked for his own account and in 1883 came to the United States. He located first at Sugar Notch, Inzerne coun- ty, Pennsylvania, where he worked at the car- penter trade four years. He then came west and for several years worked at his trade in St. Paul. While a resident of the Minnesota capital city Mr. Benson bought the southwest quarter of section 22, West Heron Lake town- ship. and in 1893 he moved onto the land and began farming. He resided on that farm six years and bought the east half of section 28, and has since made his home on that land, farming the whole 480 acres. Hle is treasurer of school district No. 90.
Mr. Benson was married in St. Paul Decem- ber 11, 1886, to Engri Mortenson, who was born in Sweden, the daughter of Morten Nel- son, and came to the United States in 1SS4. To them have been born the followingg named children: Arthur, born April 28, 1890; Alma, born November 4. 1892: Septer, born Septem- ber 26, 1899: Herman, born February 3, 1904. The family are members of the Swedish Lutheran church.
JOHN G. O'DONNELL (1892), a citizen and business man of JJackson, was born in the town of New Diggings, Lafayette county, Wis-
consin, April 7, 1870, the son of John and Mary (Rooney) O'Donnell. He received a common school education at New Diggings and resided with his parents until twenty-one years of age.
In 1991 Mr. O'Donnell went to Ilavelock, Po- cahontas county, Iowa, remained there during the following winter and in April, 1892, located in Jackson, Minnesota, where, witlı the exception of one year spent in Austin, Minnesota, he has ever since resided.
Mr. O'Donnell was married October 28, 1894, to Miss Reka Ilagerman. To them have been born two children: Blanche and Edward. The family are members of the Catholic church.
ANDRE M. ST. JOHN (1897), vice president of the St. John Grain company, and manager of the Lakefield branch, is of the ninth gener- ation of the St. John family since its arriv- al to America from England in the carly days of the country's history. His parents were Matthew and Roxaline (Pierce) St. John and he was born in Albany county, New York, May 6, 1846.
Andre lived with his parents on the farm in Albany county, New York, until 1856, and in that year the family moved to the wilds of Minnesota and were among the fisrt set- tlers of Mower county, the father preempting land twelve miles south of Austin. Owing to the lack of school privileges in Minnesota ter- ritory in these early days the early education of our subject was limited. In a log cabin in Mower county he received his early school- ing from his father, and at the age of sixteen years he became a student in the Cedar Val- ley, Iowa, Seminary, where he studied two years.
After securing his education he returned to his father's farm and assisted with the work until he reached his majority. Ile then bought a farm in Mower county and engaged in agri- cultural pursuits until the year 1879. That year he moved to Mitchell county, Iowa, and was en- gaged in general merchandise business until 1897. He then sold out and moved to Lake- field, where he entered into partnership with his two brothers, W. P. and B. P. St. John, and engaged in the grain business. He erected the grain elevator at Lakefield at that time and has since made his home in that village.
The St. John Grain company is one of the big institutions of Jackson county and carries
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on an extensive wholesale and retail business in grain, coal and flour. The company was in- corporated with a capital stock of $150,000 in 1907. The home office is in Heron Lake and the company owns and maintains elevators at the following named places: Ileron Lake, Wil- der, Windom, Bingham Lake, LeSucur, An- boy, Winnebago City, Elmore, Adrian, Brewa- ter, Beaver Creek in Minnesota, and Ledyard. Hospers and Rock Rapids and other points in lowa. The officers of the company are B. P. St. John, president and treasurer; A. M. St. John, vice president; M. W. Smith, secretary. the dirretors are M. W. Smith, A. M. St. John, D). 11. MeKeller, J. B. Nimerfro. S. S. Striker, S. I. St. John and B. P. St. John. One of the St. John brothers, W. P .. died in October, 1905; the other, B. P., resides in Heron Lake.
Mr. St. John was married at Clinton Falls, Steele county, Minnesota, October 24, 1872, to Ella D. Finch, a native of New York state. She is a daughter of the late W. W. Finch, who came to Minnesota in 1853. Mr. and Mrs. St. John are the parents of the following named children: llelen A. (Mrs. Leslie Ilill), of Watertown, South Dakota: Alice L. (Mrs. Lester B. Parsons), of Watertown, South Da - kota; Wilhelmina (Mrs. Eugene Callan), of Woodstock, Minnesota; Sherman E. St. John, of Republic, Washington.
During the years "1900, 1901 and 1907 Mr. St. John served as president of the Lakefield village conneil and he has also been a member of the board of education. lle is a member of the Methodist church and of the M. W. A. and Yeomen lodges.
ALEXANDER T. FIDDES (1880), junior member of the firm of A. Fiddes & Son, Jack- son, and half owner of the drug business of that firm, is a native of Jackson. He was horn December 21, 1880, and is the son of Alexander and Agnes (Hunter) Fiddes, pio- neers of the village.
The subject of this review secured his gen- eral education in the village of his birth, hav- ing been graduated from the high school in ISDS. He then took a position in his father's drug store, which was purchased that year from C. A. Portmann, and four years later took a course in Drew's school of pharmacy. Later he purchased a half interest in the business from his father and has since been engaged in managing the business. The store is located
in a handsome brick block which was erected by the senior member of the firm in 1899.
Mr. Fiddes is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and of the Chapter. tle is now worshipful master of Good Faith Lodge No. 90.
THEODORE E. GAGE (1884), one of the members of the firm of Gage Brothers, dealers in implements at Lakefield, has resided in Jackson county all his life. lle is the son of the late Charles M. and Estella ( MeC'lel- lan) Gage.
Charles Gage, the father, was born in El- gin, Kane county, illinois, in 1863, and he lived on his father's farm near that city until 18St. He then married and moved to Jackson county. lle bought a farm in Belmont town- ship, upon which he lived until 1897. He then moved to Lakefield and engaged in the in- plement business with John Frederickson. One year later Mr. Frederickson sold to E. A. Gage and the firm became Gage Brothers, which it still continues to be, although there have been changes in the ownership since the firm was named. In 1905 E. A. Gage sold his interests to his brother, John Gage. Charles Cage continued in the business until his death, which ocenried July 19, 1908. Charles M. Gage was the father of five children, as follows: Theodore E .. Florener M., Bertie M., Harold and Sylvia S.
Theodore E. Gage, the eldest of these chil- dren and the subject of this biography, was born on the farm in Belmont township No- vember 3. 1884. lle received his primary edu- calion in the district schools of Belmont town- ship and then attended the graded and high schools of Lakefield, having been graduated from the latter institution in 1902. Hle com- pleted his education in Hamline university. In the spring of 1905 Mr. Gage took a position as bookkeeper in the Jackson County State Bank, and in 1907 became assistant cashier. lle hell that position until his father's death in 1908, when he took his father's interest in the implement business, and he has since been an active member of the firm.
Mr. Gage was married in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. June 17. 1908, to Grace Belle Adair, who was born in Minneapolis May 20. 1881, and who i, the daughter of F. D. Adair, a former merchant of Lakefield. They are the parents of a son. Charles Adair. born April 6, 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Gage are members of
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the Methodist church and he belongs to the Masonic, Eastern Star and Woodmen lodges.
PETER DILLEY (1892) owns and farms a quarter section farm on section 11, Enterprise township, where he has lived for the last eighteen years. He is a native of Huntington, England, and was born June 20, 1860, son of George Dilley, who resides with his son, and Ann (Kay) Dilley, who is dead.
Peter attended school from the age of five to nine years and when a little older learned the blacksmith's trade. He came to the Uni- ted States at the age of twenty-one years and located at Orland, Cook county, Illinois. There he resided eleven years, spending the first year working at his trade and the rest engaged in farming. In 1885 he bought his present farm in Enterprise township, and in March, 1892, moved to Jackson county and located upon the farm, where he has ever since lived. He is a director and stockholder of the Farmers Elevator company of Alpha and has stock in the Enterprise creamery. Ile holds the office of chairman of the township board and has served for thirteen years, and for seven years he was a director of his school district. He is a member of M. W. A. lodge No. 6383, Alpha.
Mr. Dilley was married March 22, 1885, to Hattie Troffer. She died April 6, 1891. The second marriage of Mr. Dilley occurred July 30. 1891, when he wedded Jane Beagley, of Orland, Illinois. She was born June 26, 1867. To these parents have been born the following named children: Cecelia, born June 2, 1892; Gordon, born November 8, 1894; Lilly, born March 26. 1896; Mary, born September 17, 1897; Flossie, born April 8, 1899; Bernard, horn September 2, 1902; Annie, born October 26, 1903; Leonard, born March 31, 1905; Bes- sie, born November 29, 1906.
FERDINAND KOEHN (1884) is one of the prosperous farmers and big landowners of Her- on Lake township, owning 400 acres in one piece on sections 2 and 3, all of which he and his sons farm. Ile has resided on his present farm twenty-five years.
Mr. Koehn was born in Germany November 22, 1855, the youngest of a family of five children. His father died when our subjeet was a child and he spent his early days living with his mother and working on farms. His
mother and the other children came to Am- erica in 1879 and for five and one-half years lived in Lapeer county, Michigan. His mother died in 1899, aged 82 years. Our subject came to Jackson county in 1884, bought eighty acres of his present farm, and upon that land has ever since resided.
In the village of Lakefield, on April 26, 1886, Mr. Koehn was married to Henrietta Dally, who was born in Germany in 1859 and came io the United States when twenty years of age. Eight children have been born to these parents, as follows: Otto, born January 23, 1887; Charlie, born March 11, 1888; Fred, born July 11, 1889; Alvena, born July 20, 1891; Minnie, born December 9, 1892; Paulina, born November 6, 1894; Emil, born Mareb 6, 1896; Bertha, born June 7, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Koeln and children are members of The German Lu- theran church.
LEONARD A. LIBRA (1887) is a landowner and farmer of Petersburg township who has lived on his present place twenty-two years. He was born in Moravia, Austria, September 3, 1867, the son of Joseph and Josephine (Am- brose) Libra.
Our subject received a common school edu- cation in his native country and in December, 1880, emigrated with his parents to America, who located in DeSoto, Iowa. Although not yet a man grown Leonard spent most of the time of the seven years' residence in that place working in a stone quarry. In 1887 Mr. Li- bra came to Jackson county and located on his present farm in Petersburg township, on section 17, where he has since been engaged in farming. He owns 120 acres of land and has served as a member of the township board since 1906. He belongs to the Workmen, Woodmen and Z. C. B. J. lodges.
Mr. Libra was married April 4, 1885, in De Soto, Iowa, to Mary Zebedee. As a result of this union three children were born; Edward A. and Mary E., born July 17, 1887, and Anna born December 17, 1889. Mr. Libra's second marriage occurred October 16, 1892, when he wedded Josie Najt in Jackson. To these par- ents have been born the following children: Roy E., born March 15, 1894; William L., born May 28, 1897; Ella J., born June 5, 1900; Lydia. born Oelober 19, 1901; Nettie, born May 12, 1903; Leonard A., Jr., born March 29,
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1905; John K., born March 15, 1907; Agnes, born December 1, 1908.
CHRIST STUDE (1505), farmer of Alba township, was born in Livingston county, 11- linois, August 19, 1866, the son of Christ and Margaret (Kroa) Stude, of whom the former is dead, the latter living in the state of Wash- ington.
Mr. Stude resided in his native county until the year 1895. That year he came to Jack- son county and bought the northwest quar- ter of section 33, Alba township. He has ever since been engaged in farming the place, making his home with his brother, Henry Stude. He is unmarried and one of a fam- ily of five children, the others being Henry, Charlie, Annie (Mrs. Herman Leeck) and Lewis. lle is a stockholder in the Brewster creamery am also in the Farmers grain elevator at Brewster.
LOUIS W. ASHLEY (1879). proprietor of a dray line in the village of Jackson, was born in Des Moines township, Jackson county, Sep- tember 26, 1879, the oldest son of Leonard and Mary (Thomas) Ashley, who reside just south of Jackson, and who are old settlers of the county.
Louis received his education in the Jackson schools. He worked on his father's farm and at different occupations until reaching his ma- jority. He moved to Jackson in 1900 and for two years worked with the telephone company. In 1902 he engaged in the dray business, which he has since followed. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge and of the Equitable Fra- ternal union.
Mr. Ashley was married in the county June 22, 1907, to Lydia Raasch, daughter of the late Carl Raasch and Mrs. Raasch. One child has been born to this union, Floyd, born January 21, 1909.
MARK HUSBY (ISS)), of Belmont township, was born in that township May 20, 1881, the son of Gunder and Paulina (Peterson) Husby. of Jackson, and the oldest of a family of seven cluldren. On the farm upon which he was born Mark has spent las entire life. He secured an clueation in the school in district No. 79 and until he was twenty years old worked for his
father on the farm. Then he married and ren- ted the home farm, which he has since con- ducted.
Mr. Husby was married in Belmont town- ship December 9, 1903, to Carine Leen, a native of Emmet county, lowa. and a daughter of Christ and Thora Leen. Mr. and Mrs. Husby are members of the Norwegian Lutheran cimurch.
FRANCIS O. LEE (1892) resides in the vil- lage of Jackson, from which place he farms his Middletown township land, four miles southwest of town. He has been a resident of the county seventeen years.
The parents of our subject are John and Hannah (Spink) Lee. John Lee was born in Haslet, Yorkshire, England, October 18, 1829; Hannah Spink, in Hook, Yorkshire, England, January 28, 1831. They were married Novem- ber 30; 1852. and in July, 1853, came to the United States. From the time he was sixteen years of age until his marriage John Lee was a sailor. Upon their arrival to the new world Mr. and Mrs. Lee located at East Haven, New York, and eighteen months later moved to Morgan county, Minois, In January, 1868, they moved to Logan county, Hinois, and the next year to Sangamon county of the same state, where they bought a farm and resided until 1891. They then moved to the town of Buffalo, in Sangamon county, and there they still reside. Mr. and Mrs. John Lee brought up a family of twelve children, of whom eight are living. The children are: George R., born April 21, 1855, died February 18, 1901: William, born September 28, 1856, died May 27, 1908; Mariam, born April 7. 1858: Franei- Oliver, horn February 12, ISGo; Joseph, born Angust 18, 1sol, died April 15, 1863: John Albert, born May 14, 1863: Morris Parker, born Jan- uary 28, 1865: Minnie Anu, born July 15, 1867; Nora Bell, born June 18. 1869: Anna Adelia. horn August 25, 1873; Aldie May, born April 11. 1875; Sarah Elizabeth, born January 10, 1878. died December 20, 188.1.
It was while his parents were living in Mor- gan county, Illinois, on the twelfth day of February. 1800, that Franeis Oliver Lee was Forn. I'ntil he was of age he worked on his father's farm; then he farmed rented land and made his home with his parents until he Was twenty five years old. Then he rented a farm near Curran, Sangamon county, farmed
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the place two years, and then located in Lo. gan county, where he engaged in farming until 1891. The next year he spent farming near Illiopolis, Sangamon county. and in March, 1892. came to Jackson county, Minnesota. Ite farmed in Des Moines township one year, and then located in Middletown town- ship, where he resided ten years. While still a resident of Illinois, Mr. Lee had come to Jackson county and bought the north- east quarter of section 4, Middletown township, which he still owns, but upon which le never lived. In the fall of 1902 Mr. Lee moved to Jackson, bought town property, and has since made his home there, engaged in conducting his farm. During his residence in Middletown Mr. Lee served one term as a member of the township board. Ile holds membership in the A. F. & A. M., the M. W. A. and the Eastern Star lodges. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church and of the Eastern Star and Royal Neighbors lodges.
Francis Oliver Lee was married at Mount Pulaski, Logan county, Illinois, on the first day of the year 1885, to Miss June Alexander, who was born in Waynesville, Dewitt county, Il- linois. May 28, 1862, the daughter of Orrin A. and Lockey M. (Parker) Alexander. Ifer mo- ther died September 2, 1887, aged 56 years, 4 months and 8 days. Her father died October 23, 1908, aged 84 years.
Orrin A. Alexander was a noted photogra- pher of war times and before, and he took several pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Ste- phen A. Douglas when they were on their mem- orable debating trip. These pictures are in the possession of Mrs. F. O. Lee. From these originals all the pictures of Lincoln of that time have been copied. Of Mr. Alexander's work as a photographer the Decatur (Illinois) Re- view of Novemmber 29, 1908, said:
"When O. A. Alexander was found dead in Mount Pulaski it was recalled that during the war he was a traveling photographer with a territory comprising Decatur, Bloomington, Clinton and Springfield. When his daughter, Mrs. Oliver Lee, of Jackson, Minnesota, came to dispose of her father's effects she found great quantities of copper plates, mates, frames and cases used in the mounting of daguerreo- type pictures. Among them she found many photographs of army officers and fair ladies, but of greater interest were pictures of Abra- ham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, taken at the time of the famous debate."
MIr. and Mrs. Lee have three children: Renel Parker. born February 18, 1888, in Logan county, Illinois; Mabel June, born October 17, 1890, in Logan county, Illinois; Royal Emory, born March 27, 1894, in Middletown township, Jackson county.
W. L. CALLISON (1896) is the manager of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator company of Iferon Lake. He was born near the city of Laporte. Indiana, June 9, 1842, the son of James and Paulina (Phillips) Callison. The father was born in Whiteside county, West Virginia, and moved to Laporte county, In- diana, when quite young. After becoming of age he bought government land there and engaged in farming until 1863. That year he moved to Rock county, Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming until his death, which oe- eurred in 1888. Our subject's mother was a native of Erie county, Pennsylvania. She was married to Mr. Callison in Laporte county, In- diana, and died October, 1906, at the age of 86 years. They were the parents of ten child- ren, six of whom are living, our subject being the third oldest.
W. L. Callison resided on the farm in La- porte county, Indiana, until his parents moved to Rock county. Wisconsin. in 1863. He re- mained under the parental roof one year after the family moved to Wisconsin; then he start- ed out in life for himself. He located in Win- neshiek county. Iowa, and for one year was the foreman of the Locus Lane farm. He then went to West Union. Iowa, where he engaged in farming four years. He then engaged in the grain business and that has been his occupa- tion ever since. He bought grain in West Union, lowa, in Hazelton, in Oelwein, and in Poyden, being a resident of the last named town from 1881 to 1889, and serving as post- master four years under appointment by Gro- ver Cleveland.
In 1889 Mr. Callison went to Rock Valley, Iowa, where he bought grain four years; then he moved to Hartland, Wisconsin, where he engaged in the grain and hardware business until 1896. In August of the last named year he moved to Heron Lake, where he has since been a grain buyer. The Farmers Cooperative Elevator company, of which he is the manager, is composed of farmers living tributary to Iteron Lake, most of them living in Jackson county, a few in Cottonwood county. The com-
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pany was organized October 15, 1904, and bought the elevator of the Anchor Grain company. The officers and directors of the company are: Jerry Sullivan, president; Tollef Egge, vice president ; I. F. Lammers, seere- tary : C. F. Morley, treasurer; John Mathias, (. G. Buckley, F. J. Stenzel and N. J. Henkles.
Mr. Callison served as assessor of Heron Lake village four terms. He is a member of the Methodist church and has been superin- tendent of the Sunday school for the last nine years. He belongs to the Odd Follows lodge of Heron Lake, to the Encampment at Windom, and to the lowa Legions lodges.
At West Union, lowa. on December 22. 1868 Mr. Callison was married to Elizabeth .J. Knox. a native of Newark, New Jersey, and a dangh ter of John and JJennie Knox, natives of Ire- land and later residents of New Jersey. and carly settlers to Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Callison have been the parents of four children, of whom the following two daughters are living: Jennie (Mrs. J. F. MeKollar), of Windom: Mabel (Mrs. M. B. Kellam), of St. Paul. Jo- seph C. Callison and William E. Callison, sous of these parents. are deceased.
JOHN B. THOMPSON (1893) is a farmer and breeder of thoroughbred Duroc-Jersey hogs and owns the southeast quarter of section 21. Mid. Alletown township. He was born in Leaf River, township. Ogle county, Illinois, August 31. 1868, the son of David and Mary ( Ballaugh) Thomson.
David Thomson was born in Johnstown, Scot- land. and came to the United States in 1849. In the city of New York he worked at the baker's trade until 1852. The next ten years of his life were spent in California: then be returned to New York, lived there a short time, and then located in Ogle county, Ili. nois, where he bought a farm and where he has ever since resided. He is now SI years old. His wife was born in Brooklyn, was mar- ried to Mr. Thomson in the spring of 1862. and is now living at the age of 70 years. John B. Thomson is one of twelve children born to these parents, of whom the following named loven are living: Will. Jean. Euphemia. John 1 .. Stewart. a doctor of Byron, Ilinois; Alex- ander, a doctor of St. Louis; Mattie, Nisbet. Edward, Robert and George.
The subject of this biography lived with his parents and grew to manhood in his native county. His education was secured in the
country school- and in a business college of Rockford, Illinois. At the age of twenty he took a position as shipping clerk in the S. B. Wilkins knitting factory at Rockford. but later he returned to his father's home and lived there until 1893. That year Mr. Thom- -un moved to Jackson county and located upon the farm which he had bought the year before and where he has ever since resided. Hle ca- tablished his herd of thoroughbred hogs eight years ago.
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