USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 53
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started a feed mill. The venture proving unsuccessful, he lost everything he had. We next find him in Fillmore county, Ne- braska, trying to recoup his fortunes by working at farm work. In July, 1887, Mr. Modisett returned to Bigelow, and that vil- lage has ever since been his home. fle took a position in the general store and ele- vator of John DeBoos, the pioneer mer- chant, which he held twelve years. He bought his present farm in 1898, and the following year moved onto the place, and has ever since resided there.
In addition to his duties in the store Mr. Modisett wrote insurance and dealt in real estate. lfe served as postmaster seven years, receiving the appointment during President Cleveland's first term. He was clerk of Bigelow township eight years and chair- man of the board of supervisors three years. He was a member of the village council during 1901, 1903 and 1904 and has been village recorder since the spring of 1907. Fraternally, he is a member of the M. W. A.
Mr. Modisett was married in Bigelow May 24, 1888, to Louisa B. DeBoos, a native of Arena, Wis., daughter of John and Theresa (Gray) DeBoos, early day settlers of Bige- low. now residents of Sibley. To Mr. and Mrs. Modisett have been born the following children: Charles C., born July 13, 1889; Leona B., born Aug. 11, 1891; Cecil B., born Sept. 11, 1893; David L., born Nov. 8, 1895; Dorothy J., born Oct. 14, 1897: John D., born Nov. 1, 1900; Margaret L., born April 5, 1905, died June 3, 1905; Alma L., born Feb. 17, 1907.
JOHN W. SHAW is one of the substan- tial farmers of Little Rock township. lle has been a resident of the township twenty- eight years and owns the northwest quar- ter of section 22. He was born at Mineral Point, Wis., Oet. 17, 1858, the son of Wil- liam and Mary Ann (Campbell) Shaw. His parents were born in Ireland, fourteen miles from Granart, between Dublin and Belfast. The father came to the United States in 1851 and located in Wisconsin. lle died Jan. 15. 1906. The mother came to Amer- ica in 1847. She died Feb. 1. 1896, and was 62 years and one month old at the time of her death.
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U'ntil he was past twenty-one years of age John lived on his father's farm in Fen- nimore township, Grant county, Wi -. In the spring of Isso he accompanied his father to Nobles county, arriving here on the lith day of April. the family following in the fall. The father located on the south- west quarter of section 12. Little Rock. John worked out the first year and then began teaching school. He taught nine- teen terms of school in Little Rock town- ship and one in Grand Prairie. He bought his present farm in 1853 and the next year began to farm it, although he did not make his home on the place until after his mar- riage.
llis marriage occurred at Worthington on March 16. 1889. when he wedded Miss Ellen Olson, a native of lowa county, Wis., and a daughter of Andrew and Annie (Thompson) ol-on, both of whom are deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Shaw have been born the follow- ing named children: Alfred G., born Nov. 3. 1893: Esther A .. boru May 13, 1897; Chr- tis J .. born Jan. 11, 1901.
Mr. Shaw has held many offices of trust within the gift of his neighbors. Ile was elected county commissioner from the Fourth district on the republican ticket in 1898 and served a four year term. He was as- sessor of Little Rock township many years, was justice of the peace six years and town clerk nine and one-half years. For many years he has been clerk or director of school district No. 12 and is now holding the lat ter office. He was federal crusns enumera- tor in 1890 and in 1900.
CHARLES NIENABER, president of the State Bank of Round Lake, has been a resident of that village since 1894 and has been engaged in many business enterprises there. He was born in Muscatine county, Iowa, Der. 13, 1864. the second youngest of a family of ton children. of whom the fol- lowing five are living: Emma, John, Mary, Charles and Lena.
The father of our subject was Frederick Nienaber. He was born in Germany June 14. ISIS, and came to the United States m 1551. He located in Muscatine county. lowa. upon his arrival and resided there. engaged ir farming, until his death. which occurred Jan. 26. 1900. Our subject's mother was
Mary (Fintel) Nienaber. She was born in Germany and died in Muscatine county Jan. 25, 1887, aged 02 years.
Charles Nienaber was raised on his father's farm in Muscatine county and there received a common school education. At the age of twenty-two years he rented his father's farm and conducted it two years. At the end of that time he sold out and went to the Pacific coast, where he spent a year traveling. Returning to lowa, he went to Davenport and took a course of study in the Davenport Business college.
The date of Mr. Nienaber's advent to Round Lake was Juine 4, 1894. Soon after he became a member of the firm of II. II. Sindt & Co. and erected the first elevator put up in the village. Three years after the founding of the firm Mr. Sindt sold out to Ed. Denkmanu and thereafter the busi- pess was conducted under the firm name of Nienaber & Denkmann, which had an exis- tence until June, 19DO. The partners then sold to S. W. Harrington, and he to the Tuthill Lumber company. In July, 1900, Mr. Nienaber entered the Bank of Round Lake as its cashier, and has been in the banking business ever since. During two years of the time he held the position of cashier he conducted a general merchandise store.
The Bank of Round Lake, of which Mr. Nienaber took the position of rashier, was started as a private bank in October, 1898, with John W. Cravens as president and C. W. Flint as chashier, those gentlemen being the principal stockholders. The bank was a private concern until February, 1906. when the interest of Mr. Cravens was mir- chased by a number of stockholders and the institution was reorganized as the State Bank of Round Lake. Mr. Nienaber then became president, and he has held that po- sition since. The bank has a capital and surplus of $37,000. and does a general bank- ing business, makes real estate Joans and writes insurance. The present home of the bank was erected in 1907 at a cost of $10,000, including fixtures, vanlis, safes, etc.
Mr. Nienaber is a large property owner. He has three acres in the village and several lots in Cravens' addition. He owns eighty acres in section 35. Indian Lake township; 240 acres in Jackson county; a quarter see- tion near Westbrook. in Cottonwood county;
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100 aeres in Sherburne county, Minn., and 320 acres in Canada.
At Lake Park, Jowa. on Dee. 21, 1892, Mr. Nienaber was married to Mary Mundt, who was born in Germany Jan. 11, 1875, and who came to the United States at the age of six years. She is the daughter of Reimer and Anna Mundt. who reside in Jackson county. To Mr. and Mrs. Nienaber have been born the following children: Anna, born June 17, 1894; Ivy. bom Oct. 7, 1895; Pauline, born April 2, 1598; Fred, born Feb. 8, 1900; William, born Dee. 5, 1901; John, born Aug. 27, 1903; Leroy, born Oct. 18, 1903; Alfreda. born March 4, 1908.
Mr. Nienaber has always taken an active part in the affairs of the community in which he resides and has assisted materially in the growth and welfare of the village of Round Lake. He has served as elerk of the village school board since 1895. Be- fore the incorporation of the village of Round Lake he served some time as a mem- her of the Indian Lake township board, and after the incorporation was president of the village council four years.
F. A. TORRANCE, member of the firm of F. 1. Torrance & Son. proprietors of Worthington's "Big Store," is one of Nobles weunty's early settlers, having resided in the connty continuously thirty-five years.
Mr. Torrance was born in Bennington county. Vermont, in 1851, the son of Andrew J. and Anna (Far) Torrance, natives of New York and Connecticut, respectively. The father died in Worthington in 1886; the mother in December, 1893. The American branch of the Torrance family was founded by the great grandfather of our subject, who came from Scotland.
Until he was seventeen years of age F. 1. Torrance resided in his native county. Then, in 1868, he came west and settled in Olmsted county, Minn., where he worked on a farm one and one-half years. He re- turned to Vermont, engaged in farming and lumbering there about eighteen months, and then returned to Ohusted county. accom- panied by his parents. In 1873 Mr. Torrance came to Nobles county and took as a homestead eighty acres on section 14, Olney township. purchasing another eighty adjoin- ing soon after. There he lived during the
whole seven years of the grasshopper scourge, endeavoring to farm, but not once did he raise a erop. Each year his fields were swept bare, and no season did he raise a sufficient supply of potatoes for his own use, nor feed for his horses. One year the hoppers left a part of a crop, but the grain that year was blighted. In 1879 he sowed one hundred acres, but did not harvest a bushel of grain.
Discouraged with the outlook, Mr. Tor- rance left the farm in 1879, moved to Worthington, and accepted a position in the store of his brother, Henry E. Torrance, who had begun business there in 1876. F. A. 1895, when he purchased an interest in the business and the firm beeame Il. E. Tor- rance & Bro. In the spring of 1902 Il. E. Torrance died, and from the estate Mr. Tor- rance of this sketch and his son, R. H. Tor- rance, purchased the former owner's interest, and since that time the store has been con- ducted under the firm name of F. A. Tor- rance & Son. The store is the largest one in Worthington and is housed in the hand- some brick block erected by IT. E. Torrance in 1892.
Mr. Torrance was married in Olmsted county. Minu., in 1876 to Sophia Fender. To them have been born the following chil- dren, all residents of Worthington: Richard 11., Jenie E. and Rayland C.
Mr. Torrance is a member of Fraternity Lodge No. 101, A. F. & A. M., of Worth- ington.
OLE OLSEN is one of the early settlers of Smmmnit Lake township. lle owns the northwest quarter of section 2, which he set- tled on as a homestead in 1882, and upon which he has ever since resided. llc (n- countered many hardships getting a start. but has overcome all the obstacles and today is in prosperous ciremmostances. lle is an enthusiastic admirer of Nobles county and its institutions.
Mr. Olsen is one of a family of five boys. of whom four are living. and all of whom except himself live in Wisconsin. Ilis parents were Ole and Emily (Olsen) Gold- houg. The father was a soldier in Norway and hi- occupation was that of a farmer. lle came to the United States in 1866 and settled in lowa county, Wis., where he died at the
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age of 77 years. Our subject's mother died in Towa county, Wis., at the age of 70 years.
To these parents Ole Olsen was born in Norway on May 9, 1842. Ile was educated and confirmed in his native country and made his home there until 1867. working on his father's farm. Coming to the United States he located in lowa county, Wis., where for ten years he worked on his fath- er's farm. For the next few years he worked in Madison, Wis. Mr. Olsen ar- rived in Nobles county in 1882, bought a homestead relinquishment to his present farm in Summit Lake, and has ever since made his home there.
In Iowa county, Wis., on Dee. 14, 1871, Mr. Olsen was united in marriage to Miss Georgana Hansen, who was born in Norway and came to America when 19 years old. They are the parents of the following six living children: Josephine. born Dee. 10, 1872; Bertie, born Sept. 13, 1874; Clara, born June 29. 1877; Ole, born Dee. 3, 1879; Dick. born Junte 22, 1884; Osear. born April 26, 1894. Mr. and Mrs. Olsen are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church. He was one who secured the organization of school district No. 82 about fifteen years ago, and for several years served as a dircetor of the distriet.
W. W. JENKINS. In only a few of the townships of Nobles county are there any great minber of the pioneer settlers left. In Indian Lake, Bigelow and Little Rock they are to be found in greatest numbers, and among those in the last named is W. W. Jenkins, the subject of this biography. Hle has resided on his homestead, the north- west quarter of seetion 32, ever since the spring of 1872.
Mr. Jenkins was born in Mercer county, Ell., on Oct. 16, 1841, the son of Sylvester and Rebecca (Watson) Jenkins. Sylvester Jenkins was born in Boston, but moved to Mercer county, Ill., in an early day and was one of the pioneers of that section of the state. He homesteaded in Nobles county in 1872 and resided in Little Rock township until 1894, when he moved to Kansas. After at six years' residence there he moved to Arkansas, where he now lives at the age of 87 years. Our subject's mother died in Mercer county in 1850.
In the county of his birth Mr. Jenkins lived until he came to Nobles county. Ile enli-ted in company C. 16th Illinois volun- teer infantry, Jan. 13, 1864, and served eigh- teen months in the first brigade of the sec- ond division of the fourteenth army corps, be- ing discharged at Louisville, Kentucky, July 8, 1865. He was in General Sherman's army and was with the forces of that command all the way from Chattanooga to the close. Ile participated in the grand review at Washington after the close of the war.
In the spring of 1872 Mr. Jenkins, ac- companied by his wife and two children, drove through from Mercer county, Ill., to Nobles county. He took his homestead in Little Rock township and has always lived on it since. Ilis first home in the new country was a sod house, in which he lived seven years. He then bought the old school house of distriet 14-one of the first erected on the prairie-and made his home in that until 1898, when he erected his present home.
Mr. Jenkins was married at Aledo, Mercer county, Ill., Aug. 10, 1869, to Miss Sarah M. Boynton, a native of Maine. To them have been born the following named chil- dren: Lucy (deceased), Addie (Mrs. John Webber), Charles, Nancy (deceased), Nettie (deceased), Vinnie (Mrs. August Nienkerk), Arthur and Luther (twins), Lottie (Mrs. Frank Nienkerk), and George. Mr. Jenkins is a member of the G. A. R.
FRED KUIIL owns and resides on the west half of section 2, Dewald township. He has been a resident of Nobles county nineteen years. He was born in Schleswig Holstein, Germany, April 14, 1863, the son of a tailor. Ben Kuhl, the father, died in Germany in May, 1875, at the age of 45 years. Annie (Sass) Kuhl, the mother, died in Illinois July, 1891, aged 55 years.
Fred lived in his native country until a little past seventeen years of age. Ile se- cured a country school education and at the age of fourteen began working at the mil- ler's trade, which he followed until his re- moval to America. His departure from the old country was not without exciting ex- periences. In company with a cousin he decided to leave his native land and seek a fortune in the new world. The consin had
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been drawn for service in the army and Fred was within the age limit, and neither were permitted, under the German laws, to leave the country. At the port from which they sailed an agent was found who, upon the receipt of 25 marks from each, made it possible for them to evade the law. The agent to whom the cousin paid his fee proved to be a detective, and this seriously interfered with the plans of the cousins. Fred sailed from the Fatherland to England and from there to the United States. The cousin was retained as a witness against the immigration agents, who served sentences for their enterprise, but was permitted to follow on a later boat. Fred landed in New York on September 15, 1880, after a stormy voyage of 21 days on the water. Owing to this delay and by the merest chance the cousins were reunited on this side of the water.
Mr. Kuhl went at onee to Davenport, Iowa, where he was successful in getting a position in a flouring mill. Ile was about to begin work when the mill burned down. He was then without money, and the pros- peets were not the brightest. Successful in getting work, however, he spent the next three years of his life working for wages. One year of this time was in the vicinity of Davenport; the other two years at Mon- mouth, Ill. He then rented a farm near Monmouth and spent two years oo that. From Illinois he went to Benton county, Iowa, and for four years farmed rented land.
In the fall of 1899 Mr. Kuhl came to Nobles county and became a land owner. Ile purchased the northeast quarter of see- tion 30, Elk township, and lived there three years. Owing to the failure of the Fred- erickson company, through which ageney the land had been purchased, Mr. Kuhl lost the land. He then rented the whole of section 33, Elk township, broke out the land, and made his home there two years. In 1894 he bought the southwest quarter of section 2, Dewald, and moved to his new possessions. Three years later he bought the northwest quarter of the same seetion. Besides these 320 acres of land, he now owns a quarter section in Clay county, Minn., near Moor- head. In the spring of 1902 Mr. Kuhl rented his farm and moved to Worthington, where he resided five years. During that time he
was engaged in the management of a bil- liard hall and bowling alley, in the insur- ance business and in working for a creamery company. Ile returned to the farm in the spring of . 1907 and has since made his home there.
Mr. Kuhl was married in Illinois April I, 1884. to Mary Will, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Will. Both her parents are dead, her mother having died when she was two years old and her father in 1904. She was born in Germany, and as a girl worked in the same mill in which her husband was employed. They were engaged in the old country and Miss Will came over the year after her future husband did. Mr. and Mrs. Kuhl have been the parents of four children, only one of whom survives: Annie, died when six months oldl; Ben and Peter, twins, died in infancy; Charlie, born Sept. 4, 1892, residing at home.
A. A. KLIFFGARD has been engaged in farming in Graham Lakes township twenty- two years. He owns 160 acres of Jand on section three. Mr. Kliffgard was born in Norway June 20, IS47. the son of Arna and Sarah Kliffgard. The father was born June 20, 1816, and died Sept. 20, 1902. The mother died in Norway in 1853.
Our subject received a common school edu- cation in his native land and came to America in 1867. settling at Blue Mounds, Wis., where he engaged in farming nineteen years. Ile came to Nobles county in 1886 and moved onto the farm which has ever since been his home.
Mr. Kliffgard was married in Wisconsin Jan. 1, 1878, to Mary Kliffgard, who was born in Norway Sept. 14, 1847, and came to the United States and to Wisconsin in 1849. They are the parents of the following chil- dren: Sam Anton, Isaac. Annie Sophia and Emma. One ehild died in infancy. Mr. Kliffgard is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
HENRY TITENBERG, whose home farm is located within the limits of the village of Wilmont, is one of the earlier settlers of northwestern Nobles county and a home- steader. lle was born in Red Wing, Good- hue county, Minnesota, July 20, 1860, the
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son of German parents. His father, Anthony Titenling. died when Henry was only two. years old. His mother, Elizabeth Titenberg. liel in 1900.
During his minority Henry worked on his father's farm near Rel Wing and scenred an elucation in the schools of that city. When he was of age, in Isst. he came to Nobles coun y and took an righty-acre homestead in Laikin township, only a short distance from the present village of Wilmont. At that period the settlers were few and far lowween and Mr. Titenberg went through many of the experience of pioneer life which had been experienced by the earlier st tlers in other portions of the county. Ile has fought prairie fires, weathered the blizzards. and gone though nearly every. thing except fight the grasshopper -. From 1831 to Is85 he divided his time between his Larkin township homestead and his old home m Red Wing. During these years he improved the place, and in 1883 moved ont permanently. That was bis home until 1900, when he moved to Wilmont and purchased a quarter section of land within the limits of the new village. Besides the farm upon which he now resides. Mr. Titenberg owns 100 acres of land in Larkin township. E addition to his farming interests. he engages to some extent in buying and shipping cattle.
Henry Titenberg was married at Red Wing Frb. 10. 1886, to Lena Persig. They are the parents of ten children. all of whom are living at home. They are: Emma. Julia, Amic, Carrie, Lilly, Tony. Herbic, Jennie, Regina and Hattie.
ANDREW F. LUCHT. of Bloom township, owns and farms 240 acres on sections !Land 15. Ile is a native of the province of llan- over. Germany, where he was born June 1. 1860. He is a son of Everich and Peterke (Meyer) Lucht. The father is a retired farmer pow living in Crescent City. Iroquois county. Ill .. and i- 77 years of age. The mother diel in Illinois in Is;5 at the age of 16
Andrew came to the I'nited States with his parent- in 1865, landing during the month The family located in Livingston After two years a residence was established near Minonk, in Woodford
county, where the family resided three years. The next four year- were spent near Eureka. in the same county, and then in 1874 the Luchts moved to near Mitford. Iroquois county, where our subject lived until 1890. He lived on the farm with his father until 1882 and then began farming for himself on rented land. In March, 1890, Mr. Lucht que to Nobles county and bought the farm where he has ever since resided. The land was then raw prairie, a vast difference from the finely improved farm that now graces the spot.
Mr. lucht was married in Iroquois county April 14. 1882. to Talke Schmidt, who was born in Livingston county. Ill., May 20, 1866. She was the daughter of Oltman and Almuth Schmidt, who died at the family home in Bloom township. the former in 1907, the lat - ter in 1905. To Mr. and Mrs. Lucht have been born the following children: Peterka Annie ( Mrs. Wm. Koehn). of Bloom, born Jan. 17, 1883; Oltman A., born Nov. 9, 1884; Fred A .. born June 14, 1889; Arend A .. born Sept. 19, 1892: Jonas A .. born March 13. 1895: Alma, born Sept. 8, IS98; Katie, born Ang. 3, 1903. All except the married daughter reside at home. Mr. and Mrs. Lucht are members of the Evangelical Lu- theran church of Pfingsten.
For about ten years Mr. Encht was treas- nrer of school district No. 70 and he was a Bloom township supervisor for four years.
LEONARD GUNDERMANN. The gentle- man whose name heads this sketch has been a resident of Seward township, Nobles county, for the last twenty-two years. He is a German by birth. having been born in the province of Bavaria, Oct. 6, 1861. Ilis father was George Gundermann, who died in bis native country Dee. 26. 1873. Ilis mother. Margaretta (Wolff) Gundermann, re- sides in Seward township.
Mr. Gundermann resided in Germany im- til 25 years of age. There he got his edu- cation and until he obtained his majority les worked on his father's farm. le then en- tere the German army and served a term of three years. lle came to America in the spring of 1886 and located first at Dwight, IM. There he remained only abont four months, and then came to Nobles county, arriving August 10. He then bought
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the northeast quarter of seetion 10, Seward township, and that place has been his home ever since. Later he purchased 80 acres of land adjoining. Mr. Gundermann has pros- pered since coming to his adopted country, and he has a finely improved farm. In 1895 he struck an artesian flow of water on hi- farm, which since that date has furnished a constant flow of water, supplying more than he needs. During the thirteen years it has been flowing there has not been a cessation or a diminuation of the flow.
Mr. Gundermann was married Ort. 12. 1886, at Fulda to Margaretta Lober, daugh- ter of George Lober. To them have been born eleven children, all of whom are living at home. They are George, Miunie, Fred, Mary. Lydia, Carl. John. Otto, Lawrence, Ernest and Adolph.
Several township and school offices have been held by Mr. Gundermann during his residence in Seward township. He has held the office of town treasurer since 1900. was director of school district No. 57 for about twelve years and since 1906 has been sery- ing as elerk of the district, and during the last four years has been road overseer.
PETER H. OSBON. With the possible ex- eeption of Indian Lake and Bigelow town. ships there are more homesteaders living in Little Rock township than any other portion of Nobles county, and among these is the man whose name head- this sketch. Peter Osbon was born in Helsingborg, Sweden, July 4. 1844, the son of Hans Paulson and ('olla Paulson. Both his parents are dead, his father having died in 1853 and his mother when he was only seven years of age. Until he was twenty-five years old Mr. Osbon lived in his native country. During the greater part of this time he was on the farm, but eight years of it were spent in the Swedish army.
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