USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 88
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At Cresco. Towa. June 22. 1903, Mr. Lewis was united in marriage to Miss Alice Bents. a native of the village in which she was married. To this union have been born two children. Virginia and Venita. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Modern Brotherhood of America.
REINHOLD STUERMER (1890) is a Bel- mont township farmer, owning the southwest quarter of seetion 33 of that township and the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 4. Des Moines township. He is a son of the late Fred and Johanna (Hartwig) Stuer- mer, natives of Germany. After their mar- riage in the old country the parents of our subject came to America and located at Man- ister, Michigan. They resided there until 1990, when they came to Jackson county and en- gaged in farming in Belmont township. Fred Stuermer died in 1901 at the age of 63 years; his wife died in April. 1909, aged 73 years. Four children survive them. They are Augusta (Mrs. Carl Pohlman). Tillie (Mrs. Julius Gentz), Luna (Mrs. Fred Bretzman) and Rein-" hold.
To these parents in Manistee. Michigan, June 12. 1876. Reinhold Stuermer wag horn. He began his education there and at the age of fourteen years, in 1800. accompanied his parents to Jackson county. He has ever since made his home on the Belmont farm. Hc worked for his father until the latter's death and then fell heir to the farm, which he has since conducted.
Mr. Stuermer was married in Jackson coun-
ty July 21, 1901, to Clara Krumweide, who was born in Iroquois county, Illinois, March 16, Isso, and who is the daughter of Henry Krum- weide. now living in Iroquois county, Illinois. Two children have been born to this union, namely: Lydia, born July 7, 1907; Esther, born August 27, 1908.
CUIRIS L. HEMMING (1907), proprietor of a saloon at Heron Lake, is a native of Den- mark and was born July 18. 1879. the son of Robert and Caroline (Brown) Hemming. He accompanied his parents to the I'nited States in 1882 and located in Minnesota. The fam. ily resided one year in Glencoe, two years in St. Paul, and in Kenyon. Minnesota, from 1885 to 1891. Chris receiving a public school edu- cation in the last named town.
In 1894 Mr. Hemming, then a boy of fifteen years. set out in life for himself. He was em- ployed on a work train on the Soo line out of Minneapolis two years and in 1896 went to Pennington, Wisconsin, where he spent the next winter. After spending a short time in South Park, St. Paul, and in Oelwein, Iowa, he went to work for Swift & Company, in St. Paul, and was employed by that company one year. The next year he tended har in St. Paul. and in 1899 went to Escanaba. Michi- gan. where for a year and a half he was a fireman on the Northwestern railroad. Ro- turning to St. Paul in 1901, Mr. Hemming took a position as fireman on the Great Western and on June 1, 1902, was made an engineer. He moved from St. Paul to Pluim City, Wis- consin. in 1905 and was engaged in the saloon Inisiness there two years. still owning the property. Ile arrived in Heron Lake in the spring of 1907 and has since been engaged in the saloon Insiness in that village. He owns 110 acres of land in Dunn county, Wisconsin.
Mr. Hemming was married in St. Paul in June. 1900. to Miss Mayme Bergeon, and to them have been born two children: Marie V., born al Escanaba. Michigan, March 12, 1901; Ruth T., born in Heron Lake March 15, 1907. The family are members of the Catholic church.
BERT KEPHART (1890) is a Christiania township farmer living a short distance north of Bergen. He is a native of Dubuque county, Jowa, and was born April 24, 1863.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
The parents of our subject are Milton and Margaret ( Mettler) Kephart, now of Lakefield. The grandparents of our subject eame from Pennsylvania to lowa in a very early day and Milton Kephart was born in that state in the forties. There are eleven children in the family, namely: Ellmore, a carpenter of Spir- it Lake, lowa: Bert, of this sketch; Elenor (Mrs. James Darcy), of Lakefield; Rose (Mrs. llenry llardman), of Spirit Lake; Lizzie (Mrs. Charles Yoder), of Spirit Lake; Ernest, of Canada; Tillie, of Lakefield; Maggie, a school teacher: Milton, of Lakefield; Elbe, farmer and well digger of Dakota; Sarah, who resides at home.
The first four years of the life of Bert Kep- hart were spent in Dubuque county, Iowa, and the next eleven years in Clayton county of the same state. In 1880 he moved to Dick- inson county, Iowa, and in the spring of 1890 he came to Jackson county to reside. He en- gaged in the well digging business, which he has followed for eighteen years. He has been engaged in farming the last six years. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge.
Mr. Kephart was married May 8, 1887, to Lucy Willford, of Spirit Lake. To them have been born the following named three children: Guy, born February 5, 1888; Ollie, born July 18, 1890: Helen, born June 17, 1899.
ISIAH L. SMALLEY (1901) resides in Heron Lake township, just west of Lakefield, where he owns and farms 286 acres of land. Ile is one of the township's successful farmers and has not had a erop failure since he located in the county. Ile is a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and was born August 21, 1849. llis father, Nathaniel Smalley, was born in Ohio in 1812 and died March 13, 1902. Ilis mother, Rachael (Smith) Smalley, was a native of Pennsylvania.
Ilis mother having died when he was a baby, our subject made his home with his father until he was twenty-five years of age, At the age of six years he went to Putnam county, Illinois, and three years later to La- Salle county, where he grew to manhood. He worked for his father until twenty-five years of age; then he began farming for himself, buying land adjoining his father's farm. He sold out his interests in Illinois, and in the fall of 1882 located in Osceola county, Iowa, where he and his father bought 580 aeres of
land. They farmed this land in partnership five years and then divided the estate. Mr. Smalley continued his farming operations in that county until 1901. In the year last hamed he became a resident of Jackson county, locating in Lakefield, where he bought property and resided three years. In 1904 he bought his present farm and has since been engaged in its cultivation.
Mr. Smalley was married in Osceola county, lowa, m 1883, to Emma J. Woolstrom. She died in 1888, after having borne him one child, Clarence E., born May 11, 1887. Mr. Smalley's second marriage occurred in Osceola county in May, 1889, when he wedded Minnie E. Can- tonwine, who was born in Benton county, Iowa, January 19, 1873. To them have been born the following named children: Oliver C., born February 6, 1891; Zoella E., born January 7, 1893; Darrel M., born March 30, 1898; Fleda M., born July 11, 1904; Uanda I., born April, 1909.
JOSEPH EDEL (1889), a retired farmer liv- ing in Belmont township, was born in Bo- hemia in 1841. He resided with his parents in the old country until twelve years of age, and then began working out as a farm hand, later engaging in the livery business. He came to America in 1876 and located at Cleveland, Ohio, where for many years he worked in fae- tories. Ile came to Jackson county in 1889 and bought the northwest quarter of section 23, Belmont township, where he has ever since resided. In recent years Mr. Edel turned over the management of bis farm to his sons and now lives a retired life.
Mr Edel was married at Cleveland, Ohio, to Catherine Peterlek, a native of Bohemia. Seven children were born to this union, of whom the following five are living: Joseph, Thomas, Edwin, Alba and Rosa. Two children, named James and Alba, are dead. The two daughters are married: Alba to Joseph Hayek, of Mountain Lake, Minnesota; Rosa to Burriel JIruby, of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The family are Catholics.
FRANK SKALSKY (1898) owns and farms the northeast quarter of seetion 3, Petersburg township. His parents were Joseph and Nora (Skalsky) Skalsky and he was born in Bo- hemia August 4, 1853.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
Our subject had but few advantages in an educational way. At the age of fifteen years he started working as a glass blower and he followed that occupation fifteen years. At the age of thirty he emigrated to the United States and for the next fifteen years engaged in farming near Earlham, lowa. He moved to Jackson county in August, 1898, bought his farm in Petersburg township, and that has since been his home. He owns stock in the Farmers' Cooperative Elevator company of Alpha.
Mr. Skalsky was married in April, 1883, to Julia Frost. To these parents have been born the following named children: Josephi, born June 16, Iss4; Frank, born August 28, 1889; Tony, born September 5, 1890.
JENS JENSEN (1904) is the proprietor of a Jackson blacksmith shop. He is a native of Denmark and was born October 7, 1881. He is the eldest of a family of four children, all but himself living in the old country. His father, Nels Jensen, died ten years ago; his mother, Hannah (Erickson) Jensen, lives in Denmark.
Jeus lived with his parents in Denmark un- til 1904. There he received his education and there he learned the blacksmith's trade. Ile came to America in 1904, worked a short time in Canada and a short time in Chicago, and the same year arrived in Jackson county. Ile worked in the manufacturing plant of Ludvig- sen Brothers, Jackson, until October, 1908. Then he bought the W. T. Muir blacksmith shop and has since been in business for him. self. lle does general blacksmithing. horse- shoeing. repairing and boiler work.
Mr. Jensen is a member of the Lutheran church and of the Danish Brotherhood lodge.
HENRY PAULSON, Kimball township farmer, has spent his entire life in Jackson county. He was born in Kimball township, the son of John and Betsy Paulson. These parents were born in Norway, came to the United States in 1867. and homesteaded on section 30, Kimball township, in 1871. Mr. Paulson still lives on the homestead; his wife died in 1895. There are three sons in the family, Fred, Henry and John.
Henry secured a district school education and lived on the home place until he was of age. Then he located upon his present farm,
the southwest quarter of scetion 30, and that has ever since been his home. Ile is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
Mr. Paulson was married November 7, 1901, in Kimball township, to Ida Berge, a native of Jackson county and a daughter of Ole Berge, deceased. To them have been born four children, as follows: Oscar, Mamie, Bertha, Perry.
JOHN TUSA (1884) is a farmer of Wiscon- sin township residing just south of the village of Alpha. He was born in the city of Chicago Angust 31, 1876, the son of John and Maria (Frantna) Tusa. He came to Jackson with his parents in July, 1884, and resided at home until 1892, when he was sixteen years of age. lle then started out in life for himself, work- ing the first six years for W. W. Tuttle. He then engaged in farming one year, and in 1899 bought a well digging outfit, and was en- gaged in the well drilling occupation for seven years. In 1906 he began farming again.
Mr. Tusa was married February 22, 1906, to Josie Ambrose, to whom have been born two children, as follows: Alfred, born July 14, 1907; Mary, born September 18, 1908. The family are members of the Catholic church of Jackson and he belongs to the Modern Wood- men lodge.
CHARLES GEISSEL (1905) is one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of Mid- dletown township. Ile owns and farms the north half of section 28. In addition to his general farming he makes a specialty of breeding Shropshire sheep and Duroc-Jersey hogs. Another specialty is the raising of pop corn, which he finds to be a very profitable erop. Each year he raises about eighty aeres of that cereal.
Mr. Geissel was born in Benton county, Jowa, November 22, 1866, the oldest of a family of two sons born to Fred and Catherine (Quit- zow ) Geissel. At the age of nine years he moved with the family to Sae county, Iowa, where he spent the greater part of his life. He was educated in the public schools of Sae county and in the state agricultural college at Ames, where he was a student four years. Un- til he reached bis majority Mr. Geissel ro- sided with his parents. Then he took the man- agement of the Cook ranch in Sae county, one
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
of the largest individual farms in the state of Iowa and comprising an area of twelve sec- tions. That his management was satisfactory is attested by the fact that he remained in charge eighteen years. He came to Jackson county in 1905 and located upon his present farm, which he had bought in 1900.
Since coming to Jackson county Mr. Geissel has interested himself in several enterprises. He was largely instrumental in the organiza- tion of the Middletown Farmers Telephone company and is secretary of the company. Largely through his interest in the matter the county ditch, intending to drain 15,000 acres of land is being constructed, bonds to the amount of $68,000 having been sold for the purpose. He is a director of school district No. 60 and is a member of the Masonie and Odd Fellows lodges.
Mr. Geissel was married in Sac county, Iowa, January 15, 1888, to Emma Griesse, a native of Benton county, Iowa. Five children bave been born to this union, named as follows: Cather- ine, Elenora, Minnie, Elmer and Herbert.
PETER KLEIN (1903) is a farmer and stockraiser of Christiania township. He was born in the city of Brooklyn, New York, July 27, 1860, the son of Peter and Isabella (Heald) Klein. The former was a truck gardener by trade and emigrated to the United States from France in the forties, having ever since that time made his home in Brooklyn.
Peter grew to manhood in one of the sub- urbs of Brooklyn. He was educated in the public schools and in Winsburg business co]- lege, and after growing up engaged in the truck gardening business. He made his home in his native city for nearly forty years, and then in 1899 came west and located in Grundy county, Iowa. Four years later, in March, 1903, he came to Jackson county and has since been engaged in farming on section 21, Christiania township. Mr. Klein engages extensively in stock raising and makes a specialty of red polled cattle, which he has been raising for the last three years. The head of his herd received three first premiums at the Minnesota state fair.
The subject of this biography was married March 31, 1881, to Mary Kumarde, and to this union have been born the following named chil- dren: Peter H., born August 13, 1882; Charles, born June 1, 1884; Lizzie, born February 1,
1886; John, born February 17, 1888; Christ, born May 25, 1890; Joseph, born January 22. 1892; Minnie, born February 10, 1804. Mr. Klein served three years as deputy sheriff. Hle is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge.
FRANK H. BROWN (1896), of Jackson, was born in Brown county, Wisconsin, Decem- ber 21, 1873, the son of W. N. and Mepa (Ilay. den) Brown, natives of Maine and New Hamp- shire, respectively.
Until he was thirteen years of age Frank lived with his parents on the farm in Brown county, Wisconsin, and then he accompanied them to Dickinson county, near Spirit Lake, Iowa. He lived with his parents on the farm until he was twenty years of age. Then he married and engaged in farming on rented land for himself three years. He came to Jackson county in 1806 and during the next five years engaged in farming in Middletown township. Giving up farming in 1901, he moved to Jackson and for several years was engaged in various occupations. In 1907 lie engaged in the livery business in Jackson in partner- ship with Scott Huestis, having bought out Robert Henderson, and conducted the barn until the spring of 1909.
Mr. Brown was married in Jackson county March 22, 1893, to Edith Gruhlke, a native of Waseca, Minnesota, and a daughter of Ed- ward Gruhlke, deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been born the following children: Harry L., Vera M., Iva G. and Earl. Mr. Brown is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge.
AUGUST LARSON (1902), a farmer of Dela- field township, was born in Sundsvall, Sweden, October 12, 1877, the son of Lars Erick Erick- son and Ingeborg (Nelson) Erickson. His father still lives in Sweden; his mother died in Sweden in 1893.
August lived in his native land until 1902. Ile received a public school education and was raised on the farm. After becoming old enough to work he spent the summer months working on the farm for his father and the winter months working in the woods. He ar- rived in Windom, Minnesota, direct from Sweden on May 31, 1902, and since that time has been a resident of Jackson county. For three years he worked for his brother Oscar on the farm south of Wilder. Then he rented Mrs.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
l'eter J. Johnson's farm in Delafield, farmed it three years, and in the spring of 1908 rented his present farm, the southwest quarter of see- tion 26, Delafield. lle owns a 160 acre farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, which he bought in JOH. Mr. Larson has been ill much of the time in recent years to such an extent that he was unable to work at times. A serious operation was performed in the winter of 1908.09.
Mr. Larson was married in Jackson April 17, 1905, to Emma Johnson, who was born in Delafield township March 20, 1874. She is the daughter of Peter JJ. and Majlen Johnson. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lar- son, namely: Agnes Alida, born October 2, 1905: Malvin Theofild. horn September 11. 1908.
WILLIAM ALLEN (1908) is an Enterprise township farmer who farms the northeast quar- ter of section 11. He was born at Morris, Ill- inois, March 17, 1867, the son of Dewitt and Dorothy (Talbott) Allen. On his father's side Mr. Allen descends from an old New York state family. His mother came from England when a small girl. She died September 19, 1880.
When William was two years old the family moved to the city of Joliet, and that was the home of our subject for twenty-six years. There he received a common school education and after growing up worked at various oc- cupations. For six years he worked in a wire mill as a wire drawer, and during the last nine years of his residence there was a street car motorman. In 1905 he moved to Martin county, Minnesota, and for three years resided in the adjoining county. He moved to Jack- son county February 12. 1908, and has since been engaged in farming in Enterprise town- ship. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge No. 6383 at Alpha.
Mr. Allen was married in 1895 to Miss Sophie Meyer, who was born November 14, 1872. To them have been born the following named children: Ina. born October 15, 1895, ched Ih cember 4. 1903: Luverne, born August 27, 1897: Bertha, born August 19, 1809. died No vember 25, 1903: Floyd, born August 10, 1901; Else. barn August 20, 1903; Alva, horn Deto- ber 12, 1905; Herence, born September 10,
OTTO VAGT (1902), of Middletown town- ship, i- one of the county's successful farmers and big stock feeders and shippers. He owns all of section 9 and with his sons farms it all. Ile feed- hogs and cattle extensively and each year ships three car loads.
Mr. Vagi was born in Germany June 25, 1854, the youngest of a family of eleven chil- dren, of whom the following four are living: Mary (Mr-, Herman Lippold), of Memphis, Tennessee: Louisa (Mrs. Hartwig Buene), of Germany; Dora (Mrs. Christ Carlson), of Germany, and Otto. The parents of our sub- jeet were Nicholas and Anna (Hinak) Vagt.
Utto lived in Germany until nineteen years of age, attending school and working on his father's farm. He came to the United States in 1873 and located at Davenport lowa. Ile worked in a butcher shop in the city one year and on a farm nearby two years; then he rented land in the vicinity and engaged in farming eight or nine year-, llis next location was Pipestone county, Minnesota, where he bought a half section farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits until he came to Jack. son county in 1902. He bought his 640 acre farm of (. I. Puckett.
Mr. Vagt was married at Reinbeck, Grundy county, Iowa, November 3, 1883, to Mary Brix, also a native of Germany. They have nine children, named as follows: John, born August It, ISSt: August, born October 19, INS5; Herman. born January 26. 1887: Hugo, born June S, ISSS: Emma. horn January 2, 1890; Anna, born August 20, 1893; Louisa, born September 11, 1891; Frank, born October 23, 1897; George, born January 21, 1901.
Mr. Vagt is a member of the German Luth- eran church and of the M. W. A. lodge.
LARS HELVIG (1904), Christiania town- ship farmer, was born in Norway October 10, 1863, the son of John and Mary ( Larson) Hel- vig. Both parents are living and will soon celebrate their golden wedding; the father is 72 years of age, the mother 73.
Lars' father followed the sea in the carly days, and when our subject was fifteen years of age he became a sailor, at which he was employed five years. At the age of twenty he came to America and located in Story county, lowa. where he engaged in farming twenty years. In the spring of 1004 he moved to Jackson county and began farming the south-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
west quarter of section 4, Christiania, and that has since been his home. In addition to his general farming Mr. Helvig raises blooded stock and has a fine herd of Chester White hogs.
Mr. Helvig was married September 22, 1892, to Carrie Sampson. As a result of this union there have been born the following named chil- dren : Oscar C., born July 28, 1893: May, born October 30, 1895; Louis, born July 19, 1898; Allie, born February 3, 1903; Arthur, born February 6, 1906; Ruth, born February 2, 1909. The family are members of the Luther- an church.
THOMAS J. CONNER (1905), of Jackson, is a native of Clayton county, Iowa, where he was born April 30, 1858, the son of Thomas and Marie (Taylor) Conner. In 1864, when six years of age, he moved with the family to Delaware county, Iowa, where he lived the next sixteen years of his life. He was edueat- ed in the town of Manchester and was gradu- ated from the high school of that town in 1877.
In 1879 Mr. Conner started learning the bar- ber trade in Manchester and two years later moved to Osage, Iowa, where he conducted a shop eight years. He then disposed of his business and in 1889 moved to Lyle, Minnesota, where for six years he conducted a saloon. The next four years were spent in Austin. He spent six months of the year 1899 in Dead- wood, South Dakota, and again took up his abode in Austin. A short time later he moved to Sheldon, Iowa, and in that town and in Sanborn he lived three years. He lived in St. James one year, and on the first day of July, 1905, moved to Jackson and engaged in the saloon business.
Mr. Commer was married July 8, 1881, to Miss Margaret Coonfair and to them have been born the following children: Verda, born September 10. 1886; Ruthford, born Septemher 10. 1890. died at the age of seventeen months; Vera, born December 30, 1904.
OLE M. NORDBERG (1891) farms a half seetion of land in Belmont township and lives on section 24. He was born in Norway Novem- ber 20. 1865, the eldest of a family of three children born to Sefanias and Bertha (Otteson) Nordberg. The other children of the family are Anna Nelson, who lives in Norway, and Nels T. Nordberg, of Minneapolis.
Our subject was thrown on his own resources when eight or nine years of age. At the age of eighteen he began working at the black- smith trade and followed that trade during the remainder of his residence in the old coun- try. In 1891, at the age of twenty-six, le came to America and to the village of Jack- son. There he established a blacksmith shop, which he conducted thirteen years. During the next four years he conducted a shop in Christiania township, and then, in 1908, be- cause of failing health, he sold out and en- gaged in farming, renting a half seetion in Bel- mont for a period of five years.
Mr. Nordberg was married in Norway Jan- ary 31, 1890, to Mary Nelson, daughter of the late Nels Bordson. To them have been born two children. John C. and Bennie M. The family are members of the Norwegian Luther- an church.
IIENRY STRUCK (1897) is one of the suc- cessful and prosperous farmers of Kimball township. He is a native of Germany and was born December 28, 1879, the son of Christ and Katie Struck. His parents emigrated to America in 1894 and lived in Martin county, Minnesota, until their death. The father died December 24, 1908. aged 79 years; the mother died June 19, 1902. aged 66 years. There were four children in the family. Henry being the third in point of age.
In his native country Henry Struck lived with his parents until twenty-two years of age, working at various occupations and serv- ing two years in the German army during the early nineties. He came to the United States in 1892 and for five years lived in Mar- tin county. during part of which time he farmed rented land. Ile rented a farm in En- terprise township, Jackson county. in 1897, and farmed it four years. lle then moved onto his present place. the southwest quarter of section 25, Kimball, which he bought at the time and where he has ever since lived. There was not a building. fence or tree on the place when Mr. Struek bought the farm, and the present fine improvements are all the result of his work. He now lives in a fine home, erected at a cost of $3.000. and the barns and other buildings are in keeping with the house.
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