USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 63
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W. E. Oliver came to Worthington Aug. 22, 1882. and for several years worked on the farm. He then began working in a butcher shop, and in 1889, in partnership with W. E. Madison, opened a butcher shop and engaged in the stock business a part- Dership which has had a life of nineteen years. The firm of Oliver & Madison is the oldest stock shipping firm in the city.
At Worthington on Sept. 30, 1896, Mr. Oliver was married to Miss Emma S. Pepple. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Pepple. They are the parents of four children: Ernest. l:orn Aug. 18, 1897; Walter, born May 12. 1899: Dorothy, born Oct. 28. 1901: Dell. born Dec. 25, 1902.
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Mr. Oliver is a Mason, Woodman and Yroman. He served one term as a member of the village council, elected in 1903.
JOHN NELSON owns a farm on the west shore of Okabena lake, three miles from Worthington. Ile has lived in Nobles county twenty-one years. Mr. Nelson was born in Sweden Feb. 12, 1857, the son of Andrew Nelson, now of Worthington, and Nellie Nel- son, who died in Sweden in 1868.
In his native country John Nelson se- cured his education and worked at farm work until 1880. That year he came to America and on April 13 took up his resi- dence at Burlington, Towa. There he took employment in the building department of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad, with which he was connected seven years. On the thirteenth of April, 1887, Mr. Nelson came to Nobles county and localed on see- tion 16, Elk township, where he bought 240 aeres of land and engaged in farming until 1900. Disposing of his Elk township prop- erty at that time he hought the northeast quarter of section 28, Worthington township, and has since made his home there. During his residence in Elk Mr. Nelson served four years as a township supervisor.
Mr. Nelson was married in Elk township March 11, 1892, to Annie Anderson. To them has been born one child, A. Ruht.
CHARLES M. CRANDALL, attorney at law of Worthington, has made his home in No- bles county twenty-three years. lle was born and raised in Illinois. After receiving a high school education he engaged in teach- ing, which he followed two years. There. after he engaged in clerical work. In 1886 he moved to Ellsworth, where he was in business several years.
Mr. Crandall was graduated from the law department of Union University of New York in 1894, since which time he has been practicing his profession in Worthington. He has served eight years as county at- torney of Nobles county, having been elected on the republican ticket in 1896, 1898, 1900 and 1904. He is president of the Carnegie library board, and has held several minor village and school offices.
FRANK BAKER is a Summit Lake town- ship farmer who resides only a short dis- tance southwest from Reading. He owns 200 acres of land in sections 26 and 35 and has made his home there since 1002. Mr. Baker was born near Adrian, Mich., on April 12, 1860, and descends from an old New York state family, the American branch of which was founded by an Englishman who came in colonial days. Levi Baker, a farmer, was the father of our subject. Ile was born near Adrian, Mich., July 30, 1837, and died Ang. 14, 1901. Our subject's mother was Sophronia E. (Mason) Baker, who was born near Adrian June 17, 1840, and who died in 1892.
In the place of his birth Frank Baker liv- ed until fourteen years of age. Then he moved with his parents to Butler county, Iowa, and that was his home until his ar- rival in Nobles county. During the greater part of his residence there he engaged in farming. One year he spent working at the printer's trade. He came to Nobles county in 1902, bought his farm, and has been en- gaged in farming there since. He was one of the organizers of the Reading Mutual Telephone company and was its first presi- dent, serving in that capacity three years.
Mr. Baker was married Feb. 21, 1884. at Allison. Butler county, lowa, to Annie E. Dopking, a native of Monroe county, Wis .. and a daughter of George M. and Ahagail (Jarvis) Dopking. To them has been born one child, named Lulu.
Mr. Baker is a member of the Presby- terian church of Reading and of Fraternity I odge No. 101, A. F. & A. M., Worthington. He served on the Summit Lake board of supervisors four years and during the last year of his service was chairman of the board.
MARTIN KALLEMYEN, of Leota town- ship, is a native of Mahaska county, Iowa, where he was born June 10, 1849. He is the son of John William and Tryntje (Ver- mer) Kallemyen. The father was born in Holland and came to America at the age of CO years. He located in Mahaska county, Iowa, where he lived until his death in 1862, at the age of 75 years. Our subjeet's mother. also a native of Ilolland, died in
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Mahaska county in 1878, at the age of GS years.
On his father's farm in Blackoak town- ship. Mahaska county. Fowa, Martin lived until he was seventeen years of age, spend- ing most of that time getting his education. Ile moved to Ackley, lowa, in 18GG and worked at farm lahor three years. After lis marriage, which occurred at the end of that time. be rented a farm in the same vi- rinity and farmed three years. He moved to Sioux county, Iowa, in 1873, and became a pioneer settler of that county. He bought a homestead relinquishment there, proved up on the land. and farmed six years. During the next five years he was engaged in the hardware business in llospers. Disposing of that property. he bought a farm two miles north of Hospers and engaged in agricultural pursuits several years.
During the year 1889 Mr. Kallemyen came to Nobles county and bought 200 acres of land on section 9, Leota township, upon which he lived three years. He then bought half section in Murray county and farmed that eight years. The next six years were passed in Leota village, during three and one-half years of which time he caried mail out of Leo.a. In 1906 he bought the sixty acre tract of land on section 6. where he now lives.
. Mr. Kallemyen was the first Hollander to locate in Leota township, and it was he who was responsible for the settlement of Ifollander- in that precinct. Being pleased with the country to which he had come in 1889, he visited a llollander settlement in Sioux county, lowa. and induced many to seHI and locate there. All who came and have remained here have prospered.
In Ackley, Iowa, in November. 1869. Mr. Kallemyen was married to Martha Kooiman. a native of Andyk. Ilolland. To them have leen born the following children: Tryntje. horn Rec. 16. 1871: Gerret. born Nov. 13. 1873: Lena, born Jan. 7, 1876; Willhemina. born March 23. 1878; Marie. born April 23. 1880: Jan Willem, born Mareh 13. 1882: Jacob, born July 2. 1884; Susanna. horn Nov. 15. ISS6; Martha, born Jan. 29. 1889; Martin. born May 1, 1891; Klaus, born June 13, 1898; Pieter, born Inne 17. 1897.
Mr. Kallemyen has served seven years on the town board during his residence in Mur riy county. Mrs. Kallemyen served six years
as a member of the school district while a resident of Murray county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kallemyen are members of the Dutch Reformed church. Our subject and John Kreun were named a committee in the early days to select and purchase the site for the Presbyterian church of Leota, which was a year later made the Reformed church.
JOIN BUSCHMAN, Willmont township farmer. owns the southwest quarter of sec- tion 14. and has made his home there dur- ing the last sixteen years. He is a native of Winneshiek county, lowa. and Sept. 20. 187], is the date of his birth. Ilis parents. Barney and Kate (Eich) Buschman, natives of Germany and Racine county, Wis., re- spectively, live in Winneshiek county, Iowa. The father was born in 1938 and came to the United States eighteen years later.
John was raised on his father's farm and made his home in Winneshiek county until 1892. That year he came to Nobles county. bought his farm in Willmont township, and has ever since resided thereon. He holds the office of director of school district No. 65 and has had the office for the past five years. Prior to being elected director he held the office of treasurer of the district for five Tears.
Mr. Buschman was married at St. Kilian Sept. 26. 1893, to Elizabeth Kleve, daughter of Anton and Margaret Kleve. Her mother lives in Winneshiek county, lowa; her father is dead. Mrs. Buschman was born in Winneshiek county Sept. 21, 1868. To Mr. and Mrs. Buschman have been born the fol- lowing named children: Maggie, born Oct. 15. 1894; Henry, born Ort. 6. 1896. died Dec. 20. 1896: Julia. born Dec. 3. 1997; Hugo .John Henry. born Nov. 24, 1899. died Sept. 5. 1901: Hilla. born June 27. 1903: Hugo, born July 27. 1905: Walter, born Jan. 1S. 1909. The family are members of the Catho. lie church of St. Kilian, and Mr. Buschman is a member of the C. O. F. of Adrian.
IT. W. LARSON. junior member of the firm known as the Wilmont Creamery com- piny. was born in Neenah. Wish. Sept. T. 1579, the son of A. (' and Lena Anderson) larsop. The father. a native of Denmark came to the United States when a young
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man and located in Wisconsin, in Polk eoun- ty, of which state he is now a resident at the age of 60 years. Our subject's mother, also a native of Denmark, died in Neenah, Wis .. in 1892. at the age of 37 years.
Mr. Larson was educated in the district schools near Neenah and in the normal school at Oshkosh. Ile lived near Neenah until fifteen years of age and then the family moved to Freeborn county, Minn., where he resided on the farm with his parents two years. He then went to Clark's Grove, Minn., where he took employment in the first creamery separator plant operated in the state of Minnesota, with which he was connected two years. During the next four years he was located at Hartland. Minn., where he had charge of a creamery plant. Then he returned to his home, where he worked in a creamery two and one-half years.
It was in March, 1906, that Mr. Larson came to Wilmont and bought a half inter- est in the Wilmont creamery, of which he has since had charge. This creamery was first started in the summer of 1002, by Smith & West. There were several changes in the ownership before Mr. Larson hecame identified with the business, A. V. Smith, of Hardwick, retaining an interest all the time, however, and that gentleman is still a part owner of the plant. Mr. Larson has added new machinery and made other im- provements in the plant, and the result is an increased and increasing patronage. The creamery is one of the best in the country and has capacity for all future demands.
Wherever Mr. Larson has been engaged in the creamery business he has established a record as a butter maker. and during the years he has been so engaged has taken a number of prizes. At the Minnesota state fair in 1900 he received third prize, and see- ond prize at the Pan- American exposition in Buffalo. He was awarded a bronze medal at the St. Louis exposition, and at the Wis- consin State Buttermakers' convention in 190t he won the gold medal on grand sweep- stakes.
Mr. Larson is a member of many fraternal orders. He belongs to the M. W. A .. Yco men, Odd Fellows and Masonic orders, Of the latter order he holds membership in the Blue lodge at Neenah, Wis .. in the Royal Arch a! Worthington, and in the Commandry at Luverne.
HENRY BURGESON is a Graham Lake- township farmer, who after having followed the sea the greater part of his life, came to Nobles county twenty-one years ago, and has since been engaged in the less strenuous life of an agriculturist.
Ile is a Norwegian by birth, having been born in Stavanger March 25, 1843, the son of Burgess Burgeson, a farmer. He attended the common schools until fourteen years of age, and then began work in a cabinet shop. which occupation he followed for six years. .At the age of 20 he went to sea, which he was destined to follow twenty-three years. During the first three or four years of his life aboard ship he served as a carpenter. Then he took a one year's course in a navi gation school, and thereafter served as a sea- man. For eleven years he was a captain, and during that time sailed the Mediter- rancan, Black, Baltic and North seas.
In 1886 Captain Burgeson quit the sea. came to America, and direct to Nobles conn- ty. lle purchased the northwest quarter of section 14, Graham Lakes, at that time, and has ever since been engaged in farming that property.
Mr. Burgeson was married in Norway in 1869 to Christina Davidson. who died in 1881. Three children were born to this union, Bernhard. Harry and Johanna.
JOSEPH G. MURPHY. implement dealer of Adrian, and member of the board of county commissioners, is one of the carly day settlers of Nobles county and a pioneer of the west end. He was born at. Portage. Wis., Sept. 13. 1853. His father. Joseph Murphy, was born in Ireland. came to the I'mited States in 1847. and located at Por tage. Wi -. There he engaged in farming aml freighting between Milwaukee and Portage before railroads were built in that part of the country. and in chat town he died. Our subject's mother is Elizabeth (Mason) Mur- thy. who was horn in Dublin and is still living in Portage. She has nine children living eight sons and one daughter.
Mr. Murphy was edneated in his native state and engaged in farm work near Por- tage until 1876, when he went to Rochester, Minn. There he remained until the fall of 1877, when he came to Nobles county and took an eighty arre homestead on section 30, Leota township. For several years he work-
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ed on the farm of Thos. Grace, three miles west of the village of Adrian, three years of which time he was foreman of the farm. He then went onto his own place and farm- ed it three years. In ISSS he moved to Ad- rian. bonght a dray line. and ran it five years. He purchased the Grant & Ranna implement house there in 1890, and ever since that date has been engaged in the implement business.
Mr. Murphy was married at Rochester, Minn., Jan. 16, 1883. to Bridget C. Ryan. daughter of Daniel and Bridget Ryan, of Rochester. To Mr. and Mrs. Murphy have been born two daughters: Elizabeth (Mrs. Robert Thom), of Kenneth, born Sept. 19. 1884; Mary (Mrs. Joseph Lenz), of Grand Prairie. born Oct. 15. 1885. Before their marriage hoth daughters taught three years in Nobles county's schools.
When Leota township was organized Mr. Murphy was elected chairman of the board of supervisors and served two terms. He served eight years as coustable of Adrian village. and was a member of the village council in 1904 and 1905. lle was elected county commissioner from the third district on the democratic tieket in 1900 and was re. elected in 1904. During the year 1906 he served as chairman of the board.
Mr. Murphy is a member of the Catholie church and of the Catholic Order of For- esters. Ile owns eighty acres of land in section 3. Olney township, and six lots in the village of Adrian.
MADISON J. BRYAN. of Worthington. is one of the earlier settlers of Nobles county. having made his home here since 1873. the greater part of this time having been spent in Grand Prairie township.
Tle was born near Courtwright. Delaware county. New York. in 1844, the son of J. M. Bryan and Sarah Jane ( Rockwell) Bryan. The father was a native of New York state. and is still living, at the age of 90 years. at FIlsworth. The mother. also a native of New York state. died in 1860.
When Matt was about one and one-halt years of age his parents moved to Geanga county. Ohio. which was the family home uncil 1852. On the last named date another move was made, and the family took up residence at Independence, Buchanan county,
Iowa. There Matt engaged in farm work on his father's place and secured a common school education.
On June 29, 1861. Mr. Bryan, then a boy of 17 years of age. enlisted in company E. of the 5th lowa volunteer infantry, and serv- ed during the war. He was a member of the 5th Iowa infantry until Jan. 4, 1861, when he was mustered out. He immediately reenlisted and was transferred to the 5th Iowa cavalry, becoming a member of com- pany G. He received his final discharge from the army at Nashville. Tenn .. September 19. 1865. ITis record as a soldier was excel- lent, and his discharge was an honorable one. For a time he served as corporal. later as sergeant, and finally was promoted to he orderly sergeant.
His service was in the army of Tennes- see, and at different times he was under Generals Fremont. Pope. Rosecrans. Grant, Wilson and Thomas. He saw severe fighting. taking part in the battles of Iuka. Corinth. Lookout Mountain. Mission Ridge and other important engagements. He was in the severe fighting about Memphis and took part in the siege of Chattanooga. Later. in ISG4, he took part in the Vicksburg cam- paign.
After his muster out in the fall of 1865. he returned to his home at Independence, Iowa. and near that city he engaged in farming until 1873. April first of that year is the date of his arrival in Nobles county. In Grand Prairie township he located a homestead. and there he made his home until the town of Ellsworth started in ISS4. He then moved to the new village and engaged in business. Ellsworth enntinned to be his home until ahont the year 1895, when he moved to Worthington, and that city has been his place of residence since. At the county seat he has been engaged in varionq occupations. At present he has charge of Dr. Goull's veterinary hospital.
Mr. Bryan was married at Independence. Iowa. November 28, 1966. to Etta P. Wash burn. daughter of Henry and Anna Wash- hurn. Three daughters and one son have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bryan, all of whom are living. They are as follows: Cora Know Mrs. George Wood). Clinton. Iowa, Lucy (now Mrs. William Nisson). Washing ton: Mattie M. now Mrs. Adolph Thomptel. Worthington; CFarles V., Worthington.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
While a resident of Ellsworth Mr. Bryan served two or three years on the village council. lle was nightwatchman of Worth- ington village during the years 1899 and 1900.
LOUIS K. FISCHIER, of Dewald township, owns and farms the southwest quarter of section 27. lle was born in Germany April 13, 1874, the son of George and Paulina (Keiser) Fischer.
The family came to America in 1883 and located in Washington county, Wis., lived there three years, and then, in the spring of 1887. came to Nobles county. The father bought the southeast quarter of section 27, Dewald township. and on that farm our sub- jest resided until after his father's death, which occurred in 1901. He moved onto his present farm in 1902, having bought the place two years before. With the exception of the year 1903, which he spent in Worth- ington conducting a blacksmith and machine shop in partnership with his brother, Henry, he has resided on the farm ever siner.
Mr. Fischer was married in Worthington in Angust. 1902. to Freida Kampff, who was born in Germany and came to the United States in 1900. To them have been born three children: Annie, Gertie and Gertrude. Mr. Fischer is a Lutheran.
PETER SCHOLTES, foreman of the C. R. I. & P. round house at Ellsworth. is of German birth, and was born March 31. 1857. His father. Jacob Scholtes, came to the United States in the early eighties and lo- cated in Dunkirk, N. Y., where he died in 1895, aged 76 years. llis mother, Mary (Banz) Scholtes, died in the same town a few years after her husband at the age of 77 years.
In the fall of 1879 Peter Scholtes came to America and located at Jordan, Minn., where he spent the first winter. Then he took up bis residence at Union Hill, Minn., where he resided until the spring of 1885, when he came to Nobles county, which has been his home ever since. During the summer of 1885 Mr. Scholtes worked on a farm and then moved to Ellsworth -at a time when the town was only one year old. For iwo and a half years he worked on the section
at that point, and then took a position as hostler at the round house. He has been an employe of that institution ever since, and for the last five years has been foreman.
Just prior to his leaving for America Mr. Scholtes was united in marriage to Miss Anna Hempler. To them have been born the following children: William, of Oregon; Peter, an engineer with headquarters at Es- therville, Iowa; Matthew, a fireman of Estherville, lowa; Henry, a fireman who makes his home at Watertown, S. D .; Mayme, who is clerk in a general store at Larchwood, lowa: Anna, an inmate of the convent at Rochester, Minn .; Henry, Frank, John, Clara, Josephine, Lizzie and Rosa. the latter seven residing at home.
Mr. Scholtes is a member of the Catholic church and of the A. O. U. W. and C. O. F. lodges. Ile is master workman of A. O. TT. W. lodge No. 182.
ANDREW EVENSON is a farmer whose farm is in section 25. Hersey township, with- in the limits of the Brewster incorporation. Ile is a native of Norway and was born Jan. 4 1865, the son of Even and Mary (Sever- son) Hilick. The mother died in Norway in 1868: the father in South Dakota in 1887, aged 67 years. Andrew is the young. est of a family of eight children. of whom the following named six are living: Julia. Mary. Carrie, Severt, Ole and Andrew.
Andrew came to the United States with his father in 1878 and located in Alba township. Jackson county, where he lived two years. The family then moved to Brule county. S. D .. where the father took a home- stead and where he died in 1887. The fol- lowing year Andrew moved back to Jack- son county and bought a farm. After farm- ing that eight years he sold out and bought his present place in Brewster, where he has since resided.
Mr. Evenson was married at Jackson. Minn .. Dec. 12. 1891. to Miss Mary Ander- son, who is a native of the county in which she was married. She was born May 7. 1874, and is a danghier of Ole and Emma ( Anderson) Anderson, early settlers of Jack- son county.
In Alba township Mr. Evenson served as a school director. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Brewster.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
JOHN ALTHOFF farms 240 acres of land in Olney township, his home place being on section 30. lle was born in Walworth eoun- ty. Wis., Sept. 6, 1875, and is the son of William and Kate (Vogelsberg) Althoff, of Grand Prairie township, natives of Germany and Wisconsin, respectively.
In his native county John resided until eight years of age. He then came to No- bles county with his parents and resided on his father's farm in Grand Prairie town- ship until 1902. That year he moved onto his father's Olney township property, and has sinee been engaged in farming.
Mr. Althoff has been married twice. Ilis first marriage occurred at Adrian on Sept. 2. 1902, when he wedded Kate Martini, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nick Martini, and a native of Pennsylvania. She died March 2. 1904. Mr. Althoff was married the see- ond time at Ellsworth on Jan. 9, 1906, to Lena Martini, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. l'eter Martini, and a native of Nobles coun- ty. By the second marriage one child has been born. named Clara. Mr. and Mrs. Althoff are members of the Catholic church of Adrian.
GEORGE HOFFMEISTER has been en- gaged in farming in Lorain township for the last eighteen years, being the owner of the southwest quarter and the west one half of the southeast quarter of section 1, in that township. lle is a native of Chicago, Ill., where he was born Sept. 2, 1857. His fath- er, George Hoffmeister, and his mother, Eliz- abeth (Topfer) Hoffmeister, were both born in Germany, and both came to America when young.
When the subject of this skeich was two weeks old his parents moved from Chicago to New Bremen, Ill., and there he was brought up and lived until 17 years of age. In 1874 he moved with his parents to Boone, Boone county, lowa. In different parts of Boone county young Hoffmeister lived and engaged in farming until 1890. That year he moved to Jackson county. Minn., where he lived from Mareh till December 1. He then purehased his land in Lorain township, Nobles eounty, and has resided there since that date. For the last eight years he has bren treasurer of the school district in which he lives.
Mr. Hotlineister was married at Ogden, Boone county, lowa, Sept. 16, 1880, to Annie Elizabeth Sehaffner. To them have been born the following children: Chris G. 1l., married and lives in Jackson county; Frank Joseph, Charles Herman, Martha Margaret (How Mrs. W. L. Pigman), lives in Jack- son county; Annie Augusta, Ray Roy, Elmer Edward and Everett Ernest. All execpt Chris and Mrs. l'igman reside at home.
L. Il. BECKLEY, market gardener Worthington, is one of the citizens who has a period of over thirty years residence in Nobles county to his credit. Mr. Beckley is a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he was born May 2, 1844. Hle is one of a family of eight children. Ilis father, Jos- eph Beckley, was a native of New York state, who went to Michigan in 1832 and be- came a pioneer of that state. He died about fifteen years ago at the age of eighty years. Clarasa (Sweetland) Beckley was the name of our subject's mother. She died at the age of 78 years.
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