USA > Minnesota > Lyon County > An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota > Part 67
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JAMES WALTER ATWOOD (1880) is the owner of the feed mill, wood yard and dray line in the village of Lynd. He was born October 4, 1861, a son of James L. and Mariah Atwood, natives of Pennsylvania. The father died in 1892 and the mother in 1869.
The subject of this sketch received his early education in Wisconsin, where he at- tended school until fourteen years of age. His time was then spent working in a chair factory in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, until he was nineteen years of age. In 1880 Mr. Atwood landed in Lyon county and worked out at farm labor near Lynd during the summer months and in the woods of Wis- consin winters. Mr. Atwood followed that work two years and then hired out as teamster at the Camden mill. In 1892 he went to South Dakota, where he homestead- ed land fifteen miles from Watertown. He lived on that place six years, after which he returned to Lynd and purchased land in Lynd township, which he operated six years and then moved to the village. He con- ducts a feed mill, wood yard and dray line.
Mr. Atwood has been town treasurer and a director of school district No. 1 for five years and is treasurer of the Lynd Cemetery Association. He is a Modern Woodman and is banker of that lodge at Lynd.
On March 29, 1893, Mr. Atwood was united in marriage to Jessie Kiel, a daughter of L. S. Kiel, who was a pioneer resident of Lyon county but who now resides at Rath- drum, Idaho. Mr. Kiel is a native of Penn- sylvania and Mrs. Kiel was born in Michi- gan. Mr. and Mrs. Atwood have the follow- ing children: Howard J., born January 11, 1895; Clair W., born November 7, 1897; Donald V., born September 20, 1902. All reside at home with their parents.
EUGENE B. KILEY (1887), manager of the Van Dusen Grain Company at Minneota, has spent the greater part of his life as a resident of Lyon county. He was born in Canada June 27, 1872, the son of James and Ellen (Donnahue) Kiley, natives of Ire- land and Canada, respectively. The family settled in Lincoln county, Minnesota, in 1881 and later were residents of Lyon county. The father of our subject died in March, 1911, at the age of eighty-five years; his mother is still living. There are eight liv- ing children in the family: John, James, Eugene B., Cornelius, Martin, Margaret and Jeremiah and Mary Ann, who are twins.
Eugene came to Minnesota with his par- ents from Canada when nine years of age and for six years lived on a Lincoln county farm with them. The family home was then made in Westerheim township, Lyon county, where our subject grew to manhood and resided until 1904. That year he was niar- ried and engaged in farming on his own account and followed that occupation until 1909. Since that time he has resided in Minneota, acting as the local representative for the Van Dusen Company.
The date of the marriage of Mr. Kiley to Annie Mullen was October 25, 1904, and the ceremony was performed in Minneota. Mrs. Kiley is the daughter of Daniel and Ellen Mullen. She was born in England and came to Minneota with her parents in 1880. Mrs. Mullen is still a resident of Lyon county, living on the farm south of Minneota. To Mr. and Mrs. Kiley have been born four children, named as follows: Eugene B., Patrick T. and Daniel J. and Mary E. (twins).
CARL R. SWONSON (1898), one of the most prosperous farmers and stock raisers of Lake Marshall township, was born in
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
Sweden January 18, 1871, a son of Swen and Anna (Carlson) Williams. Carl started to work out at farm labor when fourteen years of age. At twenty-one years of age he served thirty days in the standing army of Sweden, after which he secured a leave from the king of Sweden that he might come to America. He came in 1892 and located. at Aledo, Illinois, near which place h worked for his uncle on the farm one year. Later he went to Oakville, Iowa, where he worked at farm labor three years, and then rented land two years.
In the fall of 1898 our subject came to Lyon county. He worked at threshing that fall and purchased the northeast quarter of section 16, Lake Marshall township. Later he purchased the southeast quarter of the same section, making him the owner of the east half of section 16. He has a fine place, known as Pleasant View Farm. In addition to farming, Mr. Swonson raises a great deal of stock, among other breeds Shorthorn cat- tle, O. I. C. and Chester White hogs, Oxford Down Sheep, White Plymouth Rock chick- ens, White Pekin ducks, Bronze turkeys and geese. He has received several premiums at the fairs with his stock. Mr. Swonson is a member of the Maccabees lodge.
On March 8, 1901, at Marshall, occurred the marriage of Mr. Swonson to Gusta B. Swonson, a native of Sweden. She was born April 13, 1875, and is a daughter of Swan and Enrin Maria S. Williamson. Mrs. Swon- son came to America in 1900. To Mr. and Mrs. Swonson have been born the following named children: Esther E., born February 23, 1902; Emma M., born October 11, 1903.
CHARLES F. PAGEL (1886) has been a resident of Custer township the past six years, having purchased in 1906 the south- west quarter of section S, where he now resides.
Mr. Pagel was born in Germany April 19, 1873, and the first thirteen years of his life were spent in the old country, where he received his early education. The family came to this country and settled in Amiret township, the father buying land and farm- ing. Charles completed his education in the country schools and helped with the farm work. In 1897 he bought eighty acres on section 36, Sodus township, and commenced
farming for himself. Nine years later he bought the land in Custer where he now resides. Mr. Pagel raises Hereford cattle and Poland China hogs and engages in general farming.
Charles Pagel and Martha Bollmann were joined in the holy bonds of matrimony in Balaton on May 3, 1903. To this union have been born two children, Arthur and Kermet. Mrs. Pagel is the daughter of Carl and Amelia (Teske) Bollmann and was born in Germany.
Our subject is a shareholder in the Cur- rent Lake Telephone Company of Balaton.
PETER HANSEN (1887) is a prosperous retired Shelburne township farmer who has made his residence in Russell since the fall of 1909. Since making his home in town he has engaged some in stock buying and has operated two threshing outfits in the fall of the year. Last season he purchased a steam gang plow, which he operated some. and he will from now on do contract work. Mr. Hansen has a fine residence in town and still owns a well improved quarter sec- tion of land in Shelburne township.
Mr. Hansen was born August 18, 1876, in Iowa county, lowa. His parents, Rasmus and Mary (Hansen) Hansen, were natives of Denmark who came to this country and located first in Iowa, moving to Lyon county in 1887. They bought land in Coon Creek township and resided there until their deaths. The father died in 1899, and Mrs. Hansen died in 1891. Besides Peter, there were five brothers and one sister, named, respectively, William, Julius, Henry, Louis, Charles and Christina. Charles died in 1911. The others are living in or near Russell. Peter lived on the home farm until the death of his father; then he purchased the quarter section in Shelburne which he now owns and which he farmed until moving to Russell.
Our subject was married October 14, 1900, to Carrie Peterson, a native of Denmark and a daughter of Hans and Ellen Peterson, who now reside in Russell. Mrs. Hansen was born April 3, 1882. She came with her parents to this country in 1883 and the fam- ily settled in Iowa, coming to Lyon county in 1887. Three brothers live in or near Rus- sell, namely, Jay P., Hans C. and William C.
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Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hansen have three chil- dren, whose names are Carl Wallace, born December 9, 1901; Harry Raymond, born No- vember 24, 1903; and George Lewis, born January 22, 1906.
Mr. Hansen is a member of the Presby- terian church of Russell. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masons, Workmen and Degree of Honor lodges. He is master work- man of the A. O. U. W. lodge. For several years he was clerk of the school district and at different times has served as justice of the peace and road overseer in Shelburne township.
JOHN BUCKLEY (1880) is one of the oldest settlers, in point of residence, of the township of Westerheim. He farms 240 acres of his own on sections 7 and 19 and 240 acres of rented land and is ably assisted in the work on the farm by two of his sons, Leo and Cyril.
John Buckley is the son of George and Catherine (Terry) Buckley and was born in Birmingham, England, in 1862. He at- tended school in England and worked with his father, who was a contractor and builder. In 1880 the family came to America, and in May of that year George Buckley purchased the south half of the northeast quarter of section 19, Westerheim township. There the family made their home and there our sub- jeet has always resided, except one year when he was in St. Paul. The first home of the Buckleys was burned by a prairie fire and they endured many of the discom- forts of the early days. The town of Ghent did not exist; it was simply a flag station. Among the few farmers in the township at that time were Knud Kjorness, O. J. Moe, Ole Orsen and M. Leeland.
Mr. and Mrs. George Buckley were the parents of three children: Mary, of St. Paul; Lizzie, of Fargo, North Dakota; and John, of this sketch. Mrs. Buckley died on the farm February 14, 1898, aged seventy-nine years. Her husband then sold out to his son and moved to Minneapolis with his two daughters, and he died there in May, 1906, at the age of eighty-two. John has since been successfully conducting the farm. He is active in township affairs and has served on the district school board.
The subject of this sketch was married
in Minneota on January 21, 1885, to Helen Culshaw, and to this union the following children have been born : Edward J., of Eidsvold; Elizabeth (Mrs. Will McMahon), of Eidsvold; Rose, Leo, Cyril, Catherine, Lional, Vincent, Helen, Agnes and Bernard. His wife was born in Stafford, England, March 18, 1866. and came to the United States in 18SI with her parents, Robert and Helen (Parker) Culshaw. The father died in Minneota May 7, 1912, aged seventy-two years; Mrs. Culshaw died in 1907 at the age of sixty-six.
The Buckleys are members of the Catholic church of Minneota. That church was built by the subject of this sketch and his father, who constructed many of the houses in that village. They also erected the first building -a store-in Ghent, then called Grandview.
JAMES H. HALL (1897), county attorney of Lyon county, was born in Kankakee coun- ty, Illinois, in 1876. He is the son of James and Margaret (MeGlade) Hall, of Balaton. Both parents were born in Ireland and came to America when children.
In 1883 the family moved to Hand county, South Dakota. Our subject received his edu- cation in the country schools of that county and in Wessington Springs Seminary. After his school days he taught one year in South Dakota, and in 1897 he located in Lyon county. After teaching two years in Lyon county Mr. Hall took up the study of law in the offices of O. E. Maxson, E. C. Patter- son and V. B. Seward. He then attended the night school of the St. Paul College of Law, took the state bar examination, and was admitted to practice in 1905. He formed a partnership with E. C. Patterson, of Mar- shall, and was a member of the firm of Patterson & Hall from October, 1905, until January 1, 1910. Mr. Hall then opened an office in the Dibble Block. 'He was elected county attorney in 1910 and took office the first of the following year.
Mr. Hall was married December 31, 1905, to Rose Parfitt, of Sunnyside, Washington. He is a member of the Methodist church and of the Masonic order.
WILLIAM C. EHLERS (1887) is one of the thrifty young farmers of Lynd township
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
who has, in the true sense of the word, "made good." He is a native of the Badger State and was born in Greenville June 20, 1869, a son of Louis and Mary (Lorenz) Ehlers. The father was killed in a runaway accident in 1873 and the mother died at the home of her son in Lynd township Septem- ber 23, 1911. William received his educa- tion in the country schools of Greenville, which he attended until fourteen years of age.
After finishing school young Ehlers worked for his brothers on the farm for three years, moving with his brother Louis to Lyon coun- ty in 1887, where he spent eight years more in his employ. When twenty-three years of age he rented a farm, which he operated two years, and then he purchased the north- west quarter of section 6, Lake Marshall township. He farmed that three years and then traded the place to his brother Fred for the farm he now operates, the southeast quarter of section 2, Lynd township. Be- sides farming, our subject carries on stock raising. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of Marshall. Mr. Ehlers is a member of the Evangelical Association church of Marshall, of the M. W. A. lodge, and is clerk of school district No. 9. He was road overseer in Lynd township one year.
Mr. Ehlers was married February 20, 1895, to Minnie C. Friend, a daughter of John and Sophia (Burmeister) Friend. To this union have been born the following children: Ray- mond L., born May 26, 1897; Lillian M., born October 27, 1902; Walter W., born February 11, 1906; Albert C. (deceased), born October 20, 1899.
HENRY J. CAIN (1889) is district man- ager of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York and a man who has spent the greater part of his life in Lyon and Red- wood counties. He was born in the little village of Dundee, Osceola township, Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, on the fourth day of April, 1860. He received a common school education and was brought up on his father's farm, having the management of the farm two years before coming to Minne- sota.
On the twentieth day of August, 1879, Mr.
Cain left home and two days later arrived in Marshall. He did not remain in Lyon county at that time but located in Redwood Falls, where he held a position as hotel clerk until the following March. He then squatted upon the northeast quarter of section 24, Westline township, Redwood county, and the next year, having received word that his claim was valid, he made homestead entry to the land. He improved the farm and made his home there until he became a citi- zen of Tracy in 1889. He developed the farm until it came to be recognized as one of the finest in the county.
Upon his removal to Tracy Mr. Cain was made district manager of the Mutual Life Insurance Company, a position he has since held. He has made a success of the busi- ness and has won many state prizes. From November, 1903, to April, 1904, he wrote more insurance than any other agent of the company in Minnesota, and received as a prize a free trip to the St. Louis exposition.
Mr. Cain owns land in Texas and a beauti- ful home in Tracy. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus lodge. During his resi- dence in Redwood county he served as as- sessor of Westline township.
The marriage of our subject to Sarah E. Hogan occurred at Tracy on November 22, 1887. She is a native of Illinois and was brought up in LeSueur county, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Cain have three children: Jay E., an employe of the Northwestern Railroad Company; Hazel M. and Harry P.
Henry J. Cain is a son of James and Mary Ann (Corcoran) Cain. They were born in Ireland, crossed the water to Canada in an early day, and were married there. Later they lived in New York State, and later still engaged in farming in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin. The father homesteaded in Red- wood county and later became a resident of Tracy. He died in Redwood county, at the home of his son, John F. Cain, in 1908, at the age of eighty-nine years. Mrs. Cain died in Redwood county in 1SSS at the age of sixty-nine years. There are five living chil- dren in the Cain family, as follows: John F., of Redwood county; Margaret (Mrs. Andrew Holmes), of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; James, of Staples, Minnesota; Edward, who is in the United States navy; and Henry J., of this sketch.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
WILLIAM CULSHAW (1882), who owns and farms the southwest quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of sec- tion 9, Nordland township, has spent the entire thirty years of his life in that pre- cinet. His is one of the finest farms in the neighborhood and he is an experienced agriculturist. He specializes on Duroc- Jersey hogs and Shorthorn cattle.
The parents of our subject were Robert and Helen (Parker) Culshaw. They ar- rived in Lyon county May 3, 1881, pur- chased land in Nordland township, and spent the rest of their lives there. The mother died on the home farm June 8, 1907; the father moved to Minneota in the fall of 1911 and died in that village May 7, 1912. They were highly respected residents.
William Culshaw was born to these par- ents in Nordland township February 2, 1882. He attended the district schools un- til sixteen years old and then received in- struction from his parents, both of whom were former school teachers. He lived at home until 1908. Then he married, bought his farm, and engaged in agricultural pur- suits independently.
Mr. Culshaw is a stockholder of the Farmers Elevator Company of Minneota. He served as road overseer two years, is a member of the Catholic church of Minne- ota and of the Modern Woodmen lodge of the same village.
The marriage of our subject to Carrie Jeremiason occurred at Minneota May 12, 1908. She was also born in Nordland township, the date of her birth being May 25, 1885. Her parents, Swen H. and Ber- tha (Bolsta) Jeremiason, came to Lyon county and homesteaded land in Nordland 1 1872. They still live in that precinct. Mr. and Mrs. Culshaw have three children: Ignatius Robert, born November 30, 1909, and Blanch Mary and Beatrice Sophia, twins, born January 9, 1912.
JAMES VON WILLIAMS (1881), attor- ney at law, is a native of Marshall and has spent practically his entire life in that city. He was born March 26, 1881. After graduating from the Marshall High School he was a student at the University of Min- nesota for six years. He was graduated
from the academic department in 1903 and from the law department in 1905.
After his graduation, Mr. Williams worked in a Marshall bank for a few months and then located in Fessenden, North Dakota, where he was admitted to the bar. There he was engaged in the practice of law, in abstracting, and in the insurance and real estate business for one year and eight months, at the end of which time he returned to Marshall. He has since practised his profession and engaged in the insurance business, making a spe- cialty of collections.
Mr. Williams has been city attorney the last two years. He is a member of the Blue Lodge (being master of the local lodge in 1912) and of the Chapter of the Masonic orders and of the Modern Wood- men of America lodge. He owns land in Lyon and Lincoln counties and in Colorado, the cement block garage on Main Street, and a half interest in the Hitch livery barn, his partner being August Durren- burger.
The father of our subject is James W. Williams, who was born in Wisconsin, came to Marshall in the early seventies, and is still a resident of the city. For many years he engaged in the hardware business. He has served as a member of the Minnesota Legislature, as county treas- urer and clerk of the district court. The mother of our subject is Ada Frances (Webster) Williams, a daughter of Cap- tain S. Webster, a homesteader and early settler of Lyon county. There are three children in the family, the other two be- ing Roy W., of Lyon county, and Helen A. (Mrs. C. E. Hall), of Gary, Indiana.
Mr. Williams was married at Cottonwood November 8, 1911, to Amelia Anderson, a native of Lyon county and a daughter of Gabriel Anderson, one of the county's early settlers.
LEO HENNEN (1883), a Westerheim township farmer, was born in Holland January 3, 1870, and spent the first thir- teen years of his life in his native country. He was brought up on his father's farm and received practically all of his schooling before the family came to America in 1883.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
He is the son of Arnold and Helen Hennen. The family located in Ghent, Minnesota, soon after their arrival to this country, and after spending a few weeks in that village they moved to Wisconsin, where they lived on a farm about six years. The Hennens then returned to Lyon county and bought a quarter on section 21. The father still lives on the place; Mrs. Hen- nen died in 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Hennen were the parents of seven children, of whom the following are living: Leo, of this sketch; Jacob J., Mary ( Mrs. Anton Van Uden), of Westerheim; and Mathew.
Leo Hennen lived with his parents until about thirty-two years of age. Then he purchased the southwest quarter of section 32, Westerheim township, and he has since resided on the place. He has acquired ad- ditional land, and the original quarter, which was an unimproved place with no buildings on it, has been converted by our subject into a model farm, with buildings, fences, groves and modern conveniences. Mr. Hennen realizes the revenue to be de- rived from stock and every year feeds a carload of cattle for shipment to market. He deserves credit for the success he has made.
The subject of this sketch married Christina Van Uden in Ghent on May 24, 1904. She is a native of Holland and came to this country in 1892. Four chil- dren have been born to this union, their names being Annie, Leo, Dora and Ger- trude.
Mr. Hennen is a member of the Catholic church and belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters lodge.
F. W. RULIFFSON (1893) is cashier of the First National Bank of Balaton. He is a native of Lincoln county, Minne- sota, and was born August 29, 1888, a son of C. P. and Alice M. (Sloan) Ru- liffson, who were pioneer residents of Steele county, Minnesota. They located in Lincoln county in an early day, later mov- ing to South Dakota, and still later to Lyon county, in 1893, locating near Rus- sell, where they now reside.
Our subject accompanied his' parents to Lyon county in 1893. He attended the common schools until 1900, when he en-
tered the Marshall schools, from which he was graduated in June, 1907. After completing his high school work, Mr. Ru- liffson entered the First National Bank of Balaton as bookkeeper and was later made assistant cashier of that institution. In November, 1910, he was promoted to the cashiership, which position he has since held. He is also a stockholder of the bank.
Mr. Ruliffson is a member of the Con- gregational church of Marshall. He holds membership in the Masonic, Elks and A. O. U. W. lodges. He has stock in the Union Land and Credit Company of Bala- ton.
Mr. Ruliffson was married at Minneota May 23, 1912, to Amy T. Dahl, who was born at Granite Falls, Minnesota, Decem- ber 2, 1890. Her parents, Herman N. and Anna (Hanson) Dahl, have been residents of Minneota since 1895. Mrs. Ruliffson was graduated from the Minneota High School in 1907, took a two-year course at Carleton College, Northfield, and was grad- uated as a nurse from the Chicago Baptist Hospital in October, 1911.
HANS VOLDEN (1893), who owns and farms 240 acres of land on sections 15 and 22, Lucas township, is a native of Guld- brans, Norway, and was born October 28, 1869, a son of Ole and Mare (Bergum) Volden. He grew to manhood in his na- tive land, working at farm labor and for four years in a flouring mill.
In 1893 Mr. Volden crossed the Atlantic to make his home in the New World. He proceeded at once to Cottonwood, Lyon county, and his home has ever since been in that vicinity. For a number of years he worked out on farms and in 1902 be- gan farming for himself. He has made all the improvements on the farm and has a good home and set of buildings. He raises Durham cattle and Poland China hogs. Mr. Volden was clerk of school dis- trict No. 74 one year and he and his fam- ily are members of the Norwegian Lu- theran church.
Mr. Volden was married to Johanna M. Peterson at Cottonwood June 24, 1899. She was born in Rice county, Minnesota, August 8, 1868, a daughter of Christopher
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
and Beret (Slette) Peterson. Her parents camefrom Norway to the United States in 1868, lived in Rice county a few years, and in 1872 came with the early settlers to Lyon county and took as a homestead claim the southeast quarter of section 22, Lucas township. Her father died in 1909; her mother lives in Cottonwood. Mr. and Mrs. Volden have three children, Clark, Melvina and Oscar.
WILLIAM E. HEAGLE (1883) is a pros- perous farmer of Lyon county and makes his home on the northwest quarter of sec- tion 9, Clifton township. He also owns 160 acres in Stanley township and 338 acres in Redwood county. Mr. Heagle is interested in stock raising and has been doing a profitable business in the shipping of Duroc-Jersey hogs and Durham cattle. He is a shareholder of the Farmers Ele- vator Company of Marshall and of the Lyon County Fair Association.
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