USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 60
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For several terms Mr. Knips served as chairman of the Leota township board of supervisors and he was also director of school district No. 75 for many years.
JOHN S. BLAIR, of Minneapolis, made his home in Nobles county from June, 1892, to July. 1899. lle was born in Eureka. Wood- ford county. Il., April 6. 1869, a son of I cander V. and Martha L. (MeGohan) Blair. who were natives of Brown county, Ohio. and who now reside in Clarinda, Jowa. Mr. Blair received his education in the common and graded schools of Eureka, and in 1885 was appointed depuis postmaster of that place, which position he filled until 1889. when he resigned to take a position with a Chicago publishing house.
In 1892 Mr. Blair came to Worthington and took employment as traveling salesman in Minnesota and South Dakota for the Worthington Cigar company, which firm he was with until December, 1893. The next month, in company with C. W. Schultz, he began business under the firm name of
Bliir & Co., dealers in shoes. Two disastrous fires within a year with heavy losses com- jelled them to abandon the business. In December, 1894. Mr. Blair went to Adrian and joined John F. King in the publication of the Nobles County Democrat. In June of that year he returned to Worthington and took charge of the Worthington Globe, which he published until 1899, when he was appointed deputy state weighmaster by Governor John Lind and removed to Min- neapolis. In August, 1901, Mr. Blair ac- cepted a position with the Duluth Elevator company, and is still employed by that company in the capacity of assistant soc- retary.
On Nov. 27, 1895, Mr. Blair was united in marriage to Lillian C. Plotts, daughter of Rozean B. and Katherine L. (Slavin) Plotis. of Worthington. Two children have been born to them Katherine L., born March 14. 1898. and Ler Plotts. born Nov. 10, 1902.
Politically Mr. Blair has always been a firm believer in the principles of the demo- eratie party. He has had some preference in a political way. He was deputy post- master of Eureka, Ill., and for a time was employed in the county recorder's office. In Nobles county he served as chairman of the democratie county central committee . four years, was a member of congressional and state committees, and represented the sec- ond congressional listriet in the national con- vention in 1896, when W. J. Bryan was first nominated for the presidency. Mr. Blair was a candidate for register of deeds of Nobles county in 1896 and was defeated by A. G. Lindgren.
Mr. Blair is a member of the Masonic lodge Ark. No. 176. A. F. & N. M., Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica.
LAWRENS KREIN owns and farm- 240 acres of land on sections 7 and 8, Leota township. and also owns twelve and one-half deres in Graves' addition to the village of Li-more. He is a native of Sheboygan county. Wis,, where he was born Dec. 0, 1858.
The parents of our subject were Cornelius and Susan (Zeeveld) Kreun, and Lawrens is the second oldest of a family of four chil- dren, the others being John, Henry and Jane.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
The father of this family was born in Hol- land in 1825. He came to the United States when ten years of age and located with his parents in Sheboygan county, Wis., when the . only other human beings in the vicinity were Indians. The family carved a home out of the fore-ts and cleared a forty acre farın. Cornelins Kreun died there in 1865. ITis wife, also a native of Holland, mar- ried again after her first husband's death. She died in Sioux county, Iowa, in 1890.
Lawrens was raised on a farm in his na- tive county and resided there until eighteen years of age. He then moved to Fillmore county, Minn .. where he engaged in farm work six years. Hle next moved to Sioux county, Iowa, where he also worked for wages at farm work. He moved to Nobles county in October, 1891. and bought the farm upon which he has ever since lived. At the time there was not a stick on the place, nor was there a foot of land broke.
Mr. Kreun was married in Fillmore county, Minn., Feb. 14, 1879, to Miss Hattie Hof- tiezer, who was born in Holland and came to the United States with her parents when twelve years of age. Her parents were H. J
and Christina Holtieser, who located in Fillmore county upon their arrival from Hol-
land. Both are dead. To Mr. and Mrs. Krenn have been born seven children : Charlie, born July 23, 1879; Kate, born Jan. 10, 1881; Samuel, born Dec. 11, 1883; John, born Oct. 23, 1887; Annie, born Sept. 7. 1890; Laura, born Sept. 12, 1894; Alfred, born Jan. 6. 1897. The family are members of the Dutch Reformed church. Mr. Kreun served as a member of the Leota township board from 1894 to 1906.
C. W. BECKER, lumber dealer and post- master of Wilmont. has been a resident of Nobles county for twenty-one years and has the honor of having been the first but-iness man to locate in the new town of Wilmont. ITe is a native of Germany, having been born in the province of Westphalia. He is the son of Gustaf Beeker and Marie (Lang) Becker. Both his parents are deal, his mother having died in her native country in 1881, and his father in the same country in 1906.
C. W. Becker came to America in 1887, and the same year is the date of his arrival
in Adrian, Nobles county. He at once began work in A. M. Becker's store there, and he was thus employed for six years. Ile then took employment with N. P. Ilanson & Co., lumber leaders, and was with that firm from 1893 to December, 1899. That month he resigned his position and moved to the site of the future Wilmont and started in the lumber and coal business for bim- self the first business house of the town. He became the townsite agent, being em- ployed by Thos. H. Brown, and had charge of the sale of lots of the new town.
He at onee took an active part in the af- fairs of the new town. He prepared and circulated the petition asking the county commissioners to take favorable action to ward incorporating the village in 1900. When the Wilmont postoffice was established he was appointed postmaster, his commission being dated Feb. 6, 1900, and he has held the office ever since. He has been a member of the Wilmont school board ever since the distriet was organized.
Mr. Becker was married at Adrian June 3, 1897, to Gertrude Chandler. To them have been born three children: Max Wilfred, Paul Gustave and Florenee Gertrude, all of whom are living at home.
ANDREW JOHNSON is one of the early settlers of Westside township. He owns three hundred acres of land in one body on seetions 10 and 11, where he has a fine home. ITe has lived on his present farm over a quarter of a century.
Mr. Johnson is of Swedish birth. having first seen the light of day in Westerjemt- land on June 18, 1849. His father was a la- borer, John Peterson by name, who was lorn in 1826 and died in his native land in 1882. Our subject's mother, Annie ( Ander- son) Peterson, was born in 1823 and died in Sweden in 1868.
In his native country Andrew Johnson lived until 1878, working ont at farm and railroad work from the time he was old enough to be of any service whatever. In the year last mentioned he went to Norway and during the next two years worked on a railroad seventy miles north of the city of Christiana. He then sailed for the new world and landed in New York city on May 31, 1880. Coming direct to Nobles county,
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
he took employment at the section at Adrian, and was so engaged two years, spending the harvest season- working in the fields of Westside township. He then moved onto the farm where he has ever since reside l. llis wife was the owner of the eighty where the home was billed. Two years later he bought another righty acres and later pin- chastel the test of his property. There was only a "-hack" on the farm when he first located on the place; now he has one of the finest firm homes in the township. He en. gages extensively in stockraising. breeding thoroughbred Durce-Jersey >wine and well graded castle and sheep.
Mr. Johnson was married in the fall of 188] at Luverne, Minn .. to Hannah Isaac- son, a native of Norway. To them have been born the following named children: Laura. born Aug. 27. ISSA: William. bo.n Oct. 9. 1886; Amanda, born July 17. 1889; Omar Raymond, horn Ort. 11, 1991; Lo.die, born Dee. 9. 1894. By a former marriage Mrs. Johnson is the mother of the following named children : Isabel (Mrs. John Isaac- son), of Alli-on. Butler county, lowa. barn Dec. 7. 1875; ( hri-tina (Mrs. Iver Erickson). of Crookston. Minn., born March 5, 1877: Ida (Mr -. Charles Miller), of Bristow, Butler county. lowa, born Jan. 25, 1879; Annie (Urs. Carl Anda), of Turtle Lake, Mclean county. N. D., born July 1. 1982. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Adrian.
Mr. Johnson is a self educated man. hav ing had not a day's schooling in his life. his early days having been spent in corning a livlihood. By careful home sindy in later years he has made himself a fairly well edu cated man. He has always taken an active interest in the affairs of the community in which he has resided so many years. He served on the Westside township board five years, and during three years of that time was the chairman, ile is now the township treasurer and has held the office two years. le is also treasmer of school district No. 6l. having held that office continuously for the last twenty six years.
CHARLES A. SANDS, president of the First National Bank of Adrian and mayor of Adrian, is one of the pioneer residents of his town. having made his home there since
he was twelve years of age. He was born in Berlin, Wis., Aug. 12, 1866, the son of . John and Mary (Finnegan) Sands, natives of Ireland. Ilis father came to the United States in 1831 and to Adrian in 1878, where . le engaged in farming until his death in 1891. Ilis mother is 77 years of age and resides in Adrian.
Charles Sands came to Adrian with his parents in 1878, and that village has been his home ever since. He was educated in the Adrian public schools. His first business experience was in the grain business. for some time being employed as grain buyer for the Peavy Elevator company. In 189] he engaged in the hardware business as a mem her of the firm of Roll & Sands. This firm was in business until 1901, when Mr. Sands purchased his partner's interest. and there- after until 1906 he eondneted the business alone. In the last named year he soll out to Weyer & Dumbel and went into the bank- ing business. He became president of the First National Bank, which position he still retains.
Mr. Sands has always taken an active in terest in local affairs. le is a member of the board of education and mayor of the city, having been elected in 1907 and ro. elveted in 1908.
Al Des Moines, Towa, on Oct. 15. 1888. Mr. Sands was married to Miss Catherine Sullivan. To them have been born four chil. dren. of whom the following two are living: Olive, born in Adrian June 10, 1891; Paul. born in Adrian Sept. 5, 1894.
CUST HOUL has resided upon the farm in Little Rock township where Je now lives ever since he was five years old, having ar- lived there with his parents on July 3. 1873. He is the son of the late Nicholas and Bertha (Ulwin) Joul, and was born in lowa county. Wis .. Sept. 17. 1868.
Coming to the county with his parents as a child, he went through all the experi- ences of pioncer life. His schooling was oh. tained in the school of district No. 11, and his boyhood days were spent on the farm. After his father's death in 1886 he and his brother, Ole, farmed the home place- the northeast quarter of section 14, Little Rock township- the partnership existing until 1897. Since that date Gust Joul has owned and farmed the home place for himself.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
He was married in Luverne, Minn., Oct. 22, 1904, to Julia Bakke, who was born in Nor- way, came to the United States in 1890, and who, prior to her marriage, resided in Lu- verne. Mr. Joul was one of the charter members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Little Rock, and he and his wife are now members of that church. On several oe- casions Mr. Joul has served his township in an official capacity. For two years he was a member of the township board, served two years as assessor, and was township treas- urer one year. He was treasurer of the school board of the district in which he re- sides for a number of years.
FRANK D. WELLS is manager and mem- ber of the firm of F. D. Wells & Co., which is composed of himself and P. Geyerman & Sons. The firm has a well equipped hardware store at Brewster which was or- ganized under the present title Jan. 1, 1907, succeeding the Brewster Hardware company, one of the pioneer firms of the city.
Frank Wells was born in Sandwich, De- kalb county, Ill., April 5, ISC9, one of a family of six children. Ilis father, David A. Wells, was born in Massachusetts in 1820. When a young man he moved to New York state and in 1857 to Sandwich, III., where he lived the rest of his life, dying Feb. 19, 1883. Ile was a millwright and contractor and during the last thirty years of his life was engaged in putting up elevators. He was the inventor of the elevator grain dump system. Our subjeet's mother is Elizabeth (Perry) Wells, 2 descendant of Commodore Perry, the hero of the war of 1812. She was born in Canada in 1836 and came to the states when a girl. She married William Kellam, who was killed in the civil war, in 1850, and in 1855 moved to Little Rock, ill. She was married the second time in 1866 at Sandwich, III., to David Wells. She is now living in Sandwich with a son, Levi Kellan.
In his native town Frank was educated and made his home until he became of age. In 1890 be engaged in farming in Dekalb county, and followed that occupation many years. He farmed there four years, in O'Brien county, Iowa, three years, and in Clay county, Iowa, four years. In 190] he moved to Jackson county, Minn., bought a
farm in Ewington township, and farmed it two and one-half years. He then moved to Brewster and engaged in the implement business, which he conducted two and one- half years. At the end of that time he sold to N. A. Arvidson, and on January 1, 1907, bought an interest in the hardware store and has sinee been its manager.
Mr. Wells was married in Dekalb county March 8, 1892, to Miss Esther Bend, who was born in that county in 1866. She is the daughter of Lewis and Jane Bend, natives of England. Iler mother died in IS91; hier father is 78 years of age and resides on the old homestead he purchased in an early day. To Mr. and Mrs. Wells have been horn the following children: . Ila, born March 3, 1893; Effie, born Feb. 13, 1894; Harvey, born July 20, 1896; Emma, born June 21, 1897; Alice, born June 2, 1899.
Mr. Wells owns a home in the village. Hle is a member of the M. W. A .. lodge and in 1905 served as member of the village coun- cil.
MILTON S. SMITH, Nobles county sur- veyor, bas resided in the county since 1879. He was born in New Brunswick, N. J., Jann- ary, 1852, the son of Richard R. Smith, now a resident of St. Paul, and Julia A. (Stelle) Smith, deceased.
In 1857 Milton accompanied his parents to Minneapolis, where the family resided nine years. They moved to Faribault in 1866, and there the subject of this sketch resided until 1879. He secured an education in the public schools of Minneapolis and Faribault. When he was nineteen years of age Mr. Smith returned to Minneapolis, where for two years he held a position in the city engineer's office, having charge of the survey for grades and sewers. He re- turned to Faribault, and in company with his father became the representative of a lumber company and had charge of the l'ari- lault office. After two years in this capa- city he and his father bought the office and continued in the lumber business until his removal to Worthington.
Mr. Smith came to Nobles county in 1879 and from then until IS91 he engaged in farming on different farms in the vicinity of Worthington. He then took up his residence in Worthington, and was appointed city en-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
gineer. Ile has served in that capacity ever since. For seven years he also served as city clerk. A vacancy occurring in the county surveyor's office in 18?1, he was ap- pointed to complete the nnexpired term, and since that time has been regularly elected every two years. lle now also holds the office of county superintendent of roads, to which he was appointed in 1906. Besides his official duties he engages in surveying for private account, and sinec taking up his residence in Worthington has done most of the surveying in Nobles county. In recent years he has been engineer in charge of the survey of eight drainage ditches in Nobles county, three in Iowa, one in Rock county and one in Cottonwood county.
Mr. Smith was married at Faribault, Minn., July 21, 1874, to Flora E. Ingram, who died in Worthington Ang. 14, 1886. To this union were born three sons, as follows: Samuel Stelle, a Worthington attorney; Robert R .. engaged in the implement busi- ness at Worthington; Byron E., of Schnee- tady, N. Y.
Mr. Smith is a member of the Baptist church, having been one of the charter mem- hers and having served several years as clerk of the church society. lle is a mem- ber of the Knights of Pythias and Maccabee lodges.
CHARLES SHORE is a resident of Ran- som township and is the eldest son of Rob- ort and Eliza (Greenhalgh) Shore, residents of the same township. He was born in Ben- ton, Lafayette county, Wis .. July 4, 1852. When he was one year old the family moved to Grant county, in the same state, and that was his home until 1873. He then moved with his parents to Nobles county, and in Ransom township he has made his home ever since.
From the time of his arrival to the county up to 1892 MIr. Shore resided on his father's farm and worked out at farm work. Ile then married and located upon his own farm the southeast quarter of section 16, Ran- som-which he had purchased in 1875. There he has since been engaged in farming for himself.
The date of his marriage was Feb. 18, 1892, when he wedded Miss Harriet E. Mil- ton, a native of southern Wisconsin, and the
daughter of Isaac and Helen (Cole) Milton. of Ransom township. To Mr. and Mrs. Shore .have been born the following children: Chester M., born Feb. 17, 1893; Wilbur E., born Oct. 6, 1895; Arthur W., born Sept. 12, IS97; Mary E., born Aug. 21, 1899; Carrie, born Ang. 3. 1900, died March 25, 1908; Roy. horn Oct. 9, 1905; Ruth Irene, born Feb. 13. 1908. Both Mr. and Mrs. Shore are members of the Ransom Methodist Epis- copal church. During the years 1901 to 1903, inclusive, Mr. Shore served as a member of the board of supervisors of Ransom town- ship.
NICK H. NEVENS is a pioneer settler of Nobles county. having come with the col- onists of 1872. He lives in Grand Prairie township, where he owns a 320 acre farm on section 24.
Mr. Neyens was born in the city of Chi- cago June 27, 1855. Ilis father, Herman K. Neyens, was born in Holland in 1826 and came to the United States in 1845. He lo- eated in Chicago, later moved to Dubuque, Iowa, spent six years in lowa county, Wis., and came to Nobles county in 1872. During the year 1900 he moved to Sibley. lowa. where he died in July, 1905. Our subject's mother, Annie (Peckler) Neyens, also a na- tive of Holland, now lives at Sibley.
When Nick was a child one or two years old the family moved to Dubuque, remained there one year and then took up residence in lowa county. Wis. There he was educate l in the district schools and raised on a farm. Nick accompanied his father and bro. her when they came to Nobles county in the spring of 1572. The father homesteaded a quarter section on 30. Little Rock township. and on that farm on subject resided antil 1885. He then movel onto his present place. which he had taken as a tree claim, and en that has since engaged in farming. During the early days the family suffered many hardships. and for three or four years dur- ing the grasshopper period lost nearly every- thing. In order to secure enough ready cash to live on the father and eller children had to go down into Jowa and work out. The prairie fires often wrought havoe with their possessions, the elder Neyens losing 60 tons of hay and 20 acres of wheat from that source in one day.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
At Adrian in November, ISS5, occurred .the marriage of Mr. Neyeus to Mary Carey, a native of New Jersey. To them have been born three children: Thomas. John and Leo. The family are members of the Catholic church of Ellsworth. Mr. Neyens served as supervisor of the township three years.
WILLIAM BOFENKAMP, proprietor of the leading Ellsworth hardware store, has made his home in that village almost from the time of the founding of the town, and has been in the hardware and implement business during the last eight years.
Mr. Bofenkamp was born in Burlington, Wis., Oct. 6, 1866, the son of Lambert and Anna (l.indermann) Bofenkamp. His father was born in Germany and came to America when a young man. Ile died at Valley Plain, Minn .. in 1895, aged 84 years. His mother was born in Wisconsin and is living at the age of 66 years.
The Bofenkamp family moved from Wis- consin to Belleplaine, Minn., when the sub- ject of this sketch was two years old, and that was the home five years. Then a resi- dence was made at Seneca, Kansas, and our subject lived there four years. Coming back to Minnesota by the overland route, the fam- ily located at Union Hill. There William completed his education which had been be- gun in Kansas, and lived on his father's farm until he was seventeen. After that ho worked at carpentering for a few years.
It was in Tune, 1885. that Mr. Bofenkamp came to the recently founded town of Ells- worth, since which time he has resided there. For the first three years he engaged in carpenter work and with a crew of bridge carpenters. The next two years he tended bar for Michael Fahey, and then in partner- ship with Henry Fischenich he engaged in the livery business, with which he was iden- tified only eight months. He then bought a half interest in the saloon business from his brother. Theodore, and in partnership with Henry Whalen conducted the business two years. At the end of that time he bought his partner's interest and conducted the sa- loon alone for six years. During the next two years he engaged in the feed business, buying the feed store of T. A. Towsley. In 1900 he purchased the hardware store and has since conducted the business. In addition
to the hardware store and implement build- ing, Mr. Bofenkamp owns two residences in the village and a quarter section farm in Westside township.
At Adrian on Sept. 16, 1890, Mr. Bofen- kamp was married to Miss Mary I. Lenz, daughter of the late Peter Lenz. To them have been born the following children: Ray- mond, born Sept. 13, 1891; Celia, born Jan. 13, 1894; Ferdinand, born Oet. 28, 1898; Re- gina, born April 18. 1001; Mary, born Dec. 14, 1902; Lambert, born June 6, 1905.
During his long residence in Ellsworth Mr. Bofenkamp has taken a prominent part in local affairs. In ISOS he was elected a mem- ber of the village council, which office he held seven years. He was then elected presi- dent of the council. in which capacity he served until the spring of 1908. During his administration the city hall, water works, opera house and jail were erected and four steel bridges were put in. He serv- (ul on the board of education during the samo length of time. during which was erected the handsome public school build- ing. Mr. Bofenkamp is a member of the Catholic church and of the C. O. F. and Knights of Columbus lodges.
JOHN F. O'CONNOR, proprietor of the Le- ota Stock farm, is one of the big farmers and stock raisers of Leota township, as well as one of the county's pioneers. He owns 640 . acres of land on sections IS. 17, 10 and 20. T.cota, and a half section in Pembina county. N. D. He breeds Belgium horses, Shorthorn cattle, Shropshire sheep and Duroc-Jersey swine and has large herds of each. He also buys and ships stock from Kenneth.
Mr. O'Connor's life history is one of inter- est. He is the son of Robert and Catherine (Foster) O'Connor, both deceased. The father was born in County Kildare, Ireland. Tn 1818. being a colonel in the rebel or insur- gent army, he was forced to flee his native country and came to the United States. Ile and his half brother. Charles O'Connor. now a noted criminal lawyer of New York city. were smuggled aboard an American ship by an aunt. who was the wife of the mayor of Dublin and made the trip in safety to the land of the free. The English crown had confiscated 300,000 pounds from the estate of the brothers, the estate now known as the
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
Lord Pertarliton estate, located in the town of Monasterovin, in the county of Kildare.
After arriving in the new world Robert O'Connor worked for a time in a dry goods store in New York city, and later engaged in the real estate business there. Leaving the metropolis, he went to western Pennsyl- vania and engaged in the oil business, be- coming a member of the firm of O'Connor, MeAllister & HInghes. The partners were highly successful and became millionaires. Later their business was cornered and they were forced out of business by a powerful oil company-a company which developed into the all-powerful Standard Oil company. Practically bankrupt, Robert O'Connor in 1868 moved west and located in Fillmore county, Minn. There he made his home with his son, John, until his death, which oc- curred at the age of 56 years.
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