USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 82
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Mr. Finstuen was married in Dane county, Wis., May 18, 1876, to Miss Annie Kliffgard, who is also a native of Norway. They are the parents of two children-luger So- phia, born Sept. 17. 1879, and Herman, born May 22, 1882.
W. O. TILMAN, junior member of the implement firm of O. Il. Tilman & Son, Wil- mont, is one of the carly settlers of the village of Wilmont. He was born on a farm in Franklin county, Iowa, Ang. 11. 1860, the son of O. Il. Tilman and Louise (Klinesmith) Tilman. now residents of Wil- mont.
When the subject of this sketch was five years of age he moved with his parents from the farm to the town of Aekley. Iowa, where his father engaged in the
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implement business. Here .he attended the Ackley high school and a few years later returned to the farm in Franklin county. In 1893 he entered the Cedar Rapids Busi- ness college, and later the Cedar Rapids school of penmanship and pen art, graduat- ing from both these departments. In the meantime his father had again taken up the implement business in Geneva, Iowa, and in 1896 he formed a partnership with him and they continued in that business until No- vember, 1900, when they sold out and moved to Worthington. They remained in the capital of Nobles county until the follow- ing spring, when they moved to Wilmont, purchased the implement business of the Montgomery-Root Co., and since that time have been in business there.
Mr. Tilman was married at Wilmont March 22, 1904, to Anna UT. Young, daugh- ter of Aleek and Ililma Young, of the same place. One ehild, Olive II., has been born to this union.
ED KNOWLTON, Lismore township farm- er, has resided in Nobles county since he was seven years of age. Ile is a son of Thomas E. and Marjorie (Bethel) Knowlton, who reside in the village of Kenneth.
Thomas E. Knowlton was born in Chau- tauqua county, N. Y. At the age of four years he went to Dane county, Wis., and after growing to manhood engaged in farm- ing. He moved to Roek county, Minn., in 1887, farmed there two years, and then moved to Lismore township, buying the south half of seetion 19, He lived on the farm until 1904, when he moved to Kenneth, where he now lives a retired life at the age of 67 years. He was married in Dane county, Wis., to Margery Bethel, a native of Penn- sylvania and a daughter of Benjamin Bethel. She is now living at the age of 65 years. To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Knowlton were born six children as follows: Jennie (Mrs. Frank Church), of Cass Lake, Minn .; Frank, Roek county farmer; Alfred, contractor of Ken- neth; James, a mail earrier out of Ken- neth: Grant, in the hardware business at Kenneth; Edward, the subject of this sketeh. Ed Knowlton is the youngest of this family. He was born in Dane county. Wis., Nov. 21, 1879. He eame to Minnesota with his parents and received his education in the
district schools of Nobles county. He assisted with the work on his father's farm and after his marriage in 1901 rented the home place. In 1904 he rented a farm north of Kenneth, conducted it a year and a half, then spent six months in Kenneth, after which. in the fall of 1906, he again rented his father's place, and is now located there- on.
Mr. Knowlton was married in Luverne Oct. 30, 1901. to Miss Jennie R. Ohele, who was born in Mankato in 1882. She is the daughter of Andrew and Katherine Obele, of Leota township. To Mr. and Mrs. Knowl- ton have been born two children: Gladys, born Sept. 11, 1902; Gerald, horn Aug. 6, 1907. Mr. Knowlton is a member of the M. W. A. lodge.
GEORGE H. LeGROS, undertaker and fur- niture dealer of Adrian, has been a resi- dent of Nobles county twenty-eight years. He is a son of William and Annie (Madden) LeGros, who are now residents of Pine eounty, Minn. His father was born on the isle of Jersey when it was a French possession. His mother was born in Dub- lin, Ireland.
Our subjeet was born in Liverpool, Eng- land, July 18," IS60. In 1871 the family went to Port Glasgow, Scotland, and from there embarked in the well known Ameriean ship Pocahontas and sailed for the new world, arriving in the United States in July. During the first two years the family resided on a farm near Salem. Mass. The next three years were passed on a farm near Dedham, in the same state, and several years more at Haverhill. There George com- pleted his edueation and learned the carriage making trade.
In the spring of ISSO he moved with his parents to Nobles county, the head of the family seeuring from the Catholie Colony company the northwest quarter of sretion 21, Lismore township. George lived on the farm with his father several years; then he took as a homestead the northeast quarter of seetion IS. Lismore township. upon which land he lived and farmed six years. In Mareh, 1891. he moved to Adrian and worked at the carpenter's trade three years. In 1897 he bought a stock of furniture and went into the business he has ever since
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conducted. He is a licensed embalmer, and was the first to be granted a license in Nobles county. Besides his business property Mr. LeGros owns residence property in Adrian. He was one of the signers to the petition asking for the organization of Lis- more township, which came into an official (xistence in 1883. He served two years as clerk of school district No. 68. Ile is a mem- ber of the Catholic church and of the M. W. .A. and A. O. U. W. lodges.
Mr. LeGros was married in Lismore town- ship Jan. 27, 1890, by Rev. Fr. P. C. N. Dwyer, to Catherine Sweeney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Sweeney, who were born in Ireland and who now reside in Lis- more township. Mrs. LeGros was born in Rutland, Vermont. Feb. 11, 1872. To these parents have been born seven children, of whom the following five are living: Leo, born Nov. 13, 1800; Ruth, born Ang. 17, 1893; loratio, born July 23, 1895; Georgia, born July 15, 1897; Ingeluis, born Dee. 23, 1899. The two deceased children were Hazen, born Jan. 10, 1892, died Jan. 17, 1892; La- fayette, born June 6, 1898, died March 2], IS99.
ROBERT ROSS SMITHI, of Worthington, manager and one of the principal owners of the Smith Implement Co., is a Nobles county boy. Ile was born on a farm in Worthington township, two miles north of the village, July 24, 1880. the son of Mil- ton S. Smith, of Worthington, and Flora (Ingram) Smith, who died in 1886.
Bob made his home with his father on farms in the vicinity of Worthington until 1896. Ilis education was secured in the schools of Worthington, and he was gradu- ated from the high school there with the class of 1897. The fall after his graduation he went to Beaver Dam, Wis., where he attended Wayland academy, from which he was graduated the following spring. Mr. Smith then took a course in the Curtiss Business college, of Minneapolis, studying stenography, and received his diploma in the fall of 1898. He was employed as stenog- rapher in Minneapolis one year, and then went to Sank Centre, Minn., where for a year and a half he was bookkeeper and stenographer for the Keller Manufacturing Co. Returning to Minneapolis, Mr. Smith
was employed a few months by the Minne- apolis Journal as proof reader. Thereafter until the spring of 1902 he was employed by the Ossoso Carriage Co. and the Minneap- olis Threshing Machine Co., as office man and salesman. In the spring of 1902 MIr. Smith went to Minnewaukon, N. D., near which place he took a bomestead claim of 100 acres. He commuted in fourteen months, and in 1903 moved to Worthing- ton. He organized the Smith Implement Co., and since that date has been manager of the company. Under his management the company has built up a strong and pros- porous business.
Mr. Smith was married at Worthington Jan. 1, 1906. to Pearl G. Tupper, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Tupper, formerly of Worthington. Mrs. Smith was born in Rock Rapids, Iowa. To them has been born one child, Clarence Milton, born July 13, 1907.
Mr. Smith is a member of the Masonic, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows lodges, holding the office of past grand in the last. named, He served as a member of eom- pany F. (Minneapolis), of the first regi- ment M. N. G., for a year and a half. The enlisted as a private when the Worthington company was formed, and is at present its first sergeant. Ile has been a member of the regimental rifle team and has won honors in several tournaments.
ANDREW P. WICKSTROM, in partner- ship with his brother. Stephen P. Wiekstrom. owns and farms the southeast quarter of section 24, Bigelow township, and eighty acres in section 19. Indian Lake township. Andrew Wiekstrom was born in Bigelow township March 15, 1875, the son of Peter and Margaret (Stephenson) Wiekstrom. Pet- er Wiekstrom was one of the pioneer resi- dents of Nobles county. Ile was born in JJemtland, Sweden, April 13, 1844, eame to the United States in 1870 and to Nobles county the following year. Ile died Jan. 20. 1SS9. The mother of our subjeet still lives with her son.
Andrew was raised on his father's farm in Bigelow township and secured his edu- eation in the Nobles county district schools. lle lived with his parents on the farm until after his father's death in 1889, sinee which time he and his brother have farmed the
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home place. It is a finely improved farm and has one of the finest orchards in the county. Some of the apple trees are exceptionally large, having been set out in the early days
Stephen P. Wiekstrom was born on the home farm in Bigelow township April 10, 1878, and has spent his entire life there. Both brothers are members of the Swedish Lutheran church or Worthington.
THOMAS FLETCHER (1846-1907) was a native of New York city, where he was born Oct. 27, 1846, the son of Samuel and Eliza (Lee) Fletcher. When still a child he moved with his parents to Canada. That was the family home a few years, and then they moved to Syeamore, Ill., where the subject of this biography lived until after the close of the civil war.
In 1864 MIr. Feteher enlisted in an II- linois regiment and served until the close of the war. He then returned to his moth- er's home at Syeamore, and later engaged in farming in Ogle county, where he re- sided until the spring of 1900. That year the family moved to Spencer, Iowa, and in the spring of 1903 to Larkin township, Nobles county. Late in 1904 Mr. Fletcher and family moved to the farm on seetion 10. Dewald township, where his widow and children still reside. MIr. Fletcher died Jan. 20, 1907.
Mr. Fletcher was married March S, 1877. to Miss Ida Bly, a native of Ogle county, III. To them have been born the following children: John. died in infancy; Clara (Mrs. .Johnson). of Spencer, lowa; Henry. Anna (Mrs. Treckey), of Iowa Falls, Iowa; Roy. Lydia (deceased). George, Susie. Samuel and Boulah. All exeept the two married daugh- ters reside at home.
CHARLES A. CEDERBLADE owns and farms the northwest quarter of section 35 and the south half of the southeast quar- ter of section 25, Seward township. where he has lived since 1888. He was born in Sweden June 15, 1864. the son of Swan Swanson and Betsy Mary (Lindberg) Swan- son, the former still residing in his native country at the age of 76 years. The latter died three years ago at the age of 70 years.
Charles lived with his parents in the old country until seventeen years of age, work- ing on his father's farm and elerking in his father's store. In 1882 be eame to the Uni- ted States and located in Henry county, III., where he worked on farms for a period of six years. He then moved to Nobles county and took up his residence on the northwest quar- ter of section 35, Seward township, which land he had purchased three years before, making a trip to the county for that purpose, paying therefor $0.00 per acre. A few years later he purchased the south half of the southeast quarter of seetion 25. He farms all of his land, and, besides being a heavy grain raiser, has a number of graded cattle and a large herd of sheep.
Several years ago the subject of this sketch, who prior to that time went by the name of Swanson, assumed the name of Ce- derblade, that being the name of his paternal grandfather.
Chas. Cederblade was married in Henry county, Ill., in December, 1890, to Amanda Anderson. a native of Sweden, who came to the United States when fourteen years of age. She died in April. 1893. To this union one daughter was born-Alice Myrtle Victoria.
Mr. Cederblade was married the second time in February, 1905, in Sweden, to Julia Anderson, a sister of his first wife. To them has been born one daughter-Lilly.
the spring of 1903 Mr. Cederblade and his brother, Ernest, bought a livery barn at Currie, Murray county, Minn., and ran it seven months, trading the property for a farm in Lac qui Parle county. They have since sold this place. Since Charles has been a resident of the United States he has made three trips back to the old coun- try. Ile is the next to the oldest of a fam- ily of six living children-two girls and four boys. He is a member of the Swed- ish Lutheran church of Worthington.
JAMES CHERMAK is 2 Worthington township farmer who has resided here seven years. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in IS71. the son of Dominick Chermak and Antonia (Yupa) Chermak, both of whom re- side with their son. Dominick Chermak was bern in Bohemia August 4, 1837, learned the machinist's trade, came to America in 1867,
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lived in Cleveland, Ohio, eight years, in Tama county, lowa, twenty-six years, and in Nobles county seven years. He is the father of five children: Igonitz. of St. Paul, Minn .; James, of this sketch; Charles, Worthington township; Frank, Disston, Oregon; Dominick, Worthington township.
James Chermak lived in Cleveland until four years old and then moved with his parents to Tama county, Towa, where he lived until 1897. Tle then resided in Pow- shiek county, Iowa, until 1901, when he came to Nobles county. During his residence in Iowa, after growing to manhood, he was engaged in farming. When he came to this county he purchased the northwest quarter of section 16, Worthington township. where he has since been engaged in farming.
Mr. Chermak was married Nov. 5, 1901, in Powshick county, lowa. to Catherine Kluber, a native of Johnson county. Iowa. To these parents have been born two children, Edna Helen and Louis Edward.
Mr. Chermak holds the offices of town- ship treasurer and school director.
CHARLES F. MARTIN. farmer, Elk town- ship, is a native of North Carolina, having been born in Davie county Jan. 30. 1865. Ile is the son of Neil Martin (deceased), who was also a native of North Carolina, and Elizabeth (Jones) Martin, who resides in Davie county. N. C .. and is 78 years old.
Mr. Martin resided in Davie county, North C'arolina. until eighteen years of age, ob- taining his education and working at farm work. In 1888 he moved to Marshalltown, Jewa, near which eity he was engaged in farming twelve years. Ile came to Nobles county in 1900, bought the southwest quar- ter of seetion 31. Elk, and has since resided there. Later he bought the southeast quar- fer of section 36. Summit Lake township. He served six years as treasurer of the school district in which he lives. Mr. Mar- tin is an extensive feeder of cattle and hogs.
Mr. Martin was married at Laurel, lowa, Nov. 29. 1894. to May Paul, to whom have been born the following children, all of whom reside at home: David Neil, Saran Elizabeth und Glenn Franklin.
Mrs. Martin is the daughter of David and Sarah Paul, the former dying ten years ago; the latter resides in Marshall county, lowa.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin are members of the Presbyterian church of Reading. Mr. Martin holds membership in the K. P. and M. W. A. lodges.
FRANK W. CUTLER, cement goods man. ufacturer, of Worthington, was born in Curro Gordo county, Iowa, Sept. 25, 1864, the oldest of a family of six children. llis parents, B. M. and Adaliza Cutler, reside in Nobles county, and are natives of New York and Ohio. respectively.
The subject of this sketch resided in the counties of Floyd, Plymouth and Cherokee, Iowa, until 1895, when he came to Worth- ington. In that village he engaged with his brother, Earl W. Cutler, in the manufac- ture of cement sidewalks, crossings, founda- tions, cellar bottoms, etc. Since the spring of 1907 Frank Cutler has continued the business.
Mr. Cutler was married in Butler county, Iowa, April 15, 1899, to Grace Clark, daugh- ter of J. N. Clark. They are the parents of one child, Mildred, born Ang. 31, 1901. Mrs. Cutler was born in Butler county, Jowa. June 1, 1879. Her father and mother reside at Aplington, Towa, aged 55 and 53 years, respectively.
WILLIAM E. HOCKING is a Grand Prairie township farmer who resides five miles north - west of Ellsworth. He has been a resident of the county during the last twelve years. several years of that time having been spent in Ellsworth.
Mr. Hocking is of English descent and is the son of George and Anna M. (Jackam) Hocking, who are residents of Stoughton. Wis. George Ilocking was born in Cornwall. England. Oet. 26. 1831, came to the United States in 1847 and located in Wisconsin with the pioneer settlers of that state. With the exception of seven years. which were spent in llinois, he has resided in Wis- consin ever since. Our subject's mother was born in England in 1839. She came to the United States in 1850 and was married to Mr. Hocking in Wisconsin.
To these parents in Lafayette county, Wis .. on June 30. 1863, was born William E. Hocking. The first ten years of his life were spent in the town of Hazel Green. The
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family then moved to Jo Daviess county, Ill., and for five years our subjeet lived on a farm there with his parents. lle then left home and went to Lemars, Iowa, near which town he engaged in farm work four years. Going from there to Luverne, Minn .. he was employed nine months in a humber yard. During the next few years he resided in several different parts of the country and was engaged in various occupations. Six months were spent in Shullsburg, Wis., two months working in a coal shed at Waterloo, Iowa, one year at the old home in Jo Daviess county, Ill., one month in Water- loo. lowa, and one month in Sheffield, lowa. In June, 1887, Mr. Hocking went to Lafayette county, Wis., where he engaged in farm work until fall. After one month spent in Franklin county, Iowa, he went to Cherokee county, of the same state, and established a permanent residence there.
Mr. Hlocking was married at Meridan, lowa. Nov. 22, 1889, to Miss Ida Dull, who was born in Shullsburg. Wis., Dec. 1, 1860. Mrs. Ilocking's parents were Daniel Emery Dull and Mary Jane (Thompson) Dull. The father was born March 5, 1826, and died at Shullsburg, Wis., March 20, 1899. The mother was born Sept. 10, 1829, and died at Shullsburg Feb. 21, 1886. To Mr. and Mrs. Ilocking have been born the following children, all of whom reside at home: Gladys M., born Dee. 7, 1890; Frank, born Feb. 5, 1892; Pearl Maud, born Feb. 19, 1895; Opal Leone, born Aug. 21, 1896; Vivian Beatrice, born June 1I, 1898; George Sylvester, born Ang. 1, 1900; Robert IFarley, born April G, 1902; Helen Evelyn, born June 12, 1903.
During the greater part of the time of his residence in Cherokee county, lowa, which extended from the fall of 1887 to July, 1896, Mr. Hocking was engaged in farming, but he spent part of the time working in a lumber yard and in a store. lle moved from there to Ellsworth, Minn., which was the family home four years. During the first two years he was manager of a lumber yard, then was engaged eight months in the draying husiness, eight months at carpenter work, four months as village marshal, and the bal- ance of the time as manager of a lumber yard. In the fall of 1900 Mr. and Mrs. Ilocking moved onto their present farm- the southwest quarter of section 6. Grand Prairie-which had been bought the spring
before. and that has been their home since.
Mr. Hocking has served as clerk of school district No. 39 ever since he has lived on that farm and was township assessor in 1906. Ile was one of the organizers of the Grand Prairie Telephone company and is its secre- tary. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of America lodges.
HANS H. GEHL, farmer, dairyman and stock raiser of Graham Lakes township, was born in Holstein, Germany, Oct. 16, 1868. His father was William Gehl, who came from Germany in 1893 and settled in Murray county, where he died in 1901. His mother is lleinke (Leebens) Gchl, who now resides on a farm in Murray county.
In 1886 the subject of this biography came to the United States and located at Fulda, Minu. There he remained two years and then went to Cass county, Iowa, where for seven years he engaged in farming. He re- turned to Murray county in 1895, purchased a farm there, and had a residence there six years. Selling out in Murray county, he moved to Graham Lakes township, in Nobles county, and bought the northwest quarter of section 8, the north half of the north- east quarter of the same section and thirty aeres in section 9. While living in Murray county he served as township supervisor three years and he is now a school director of district No. 4.
Mr. Gehl was married at Atlantic, Towa, Feb. 26, 1892, to Miss Emma Peters, a na- tive of lowa. To them have been born the following children: Annie, Martha, Elsie, Clara. Adelae. Willie, Ether and Herbert. Mr. and Mrs. Gehl are members of the Ger- man Lutheran church of Fulda.
PETER SPARTZ is a thresherman whose home is at Wilmont. He is a native of Brighton county, Wis., where he was born March 29, 1874, the son of Mathias and Ger- trude (Iless) Spartz. The father died in Pipestone county March 7, 1902. aged 61 years; the mother lives in Wilmont.
When Peter was three years of age, the family moved from Wisconsin to Lyon county, lowa, and that was his home four- teen years. ITis education was secured in
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the country schools of Lyon county and in the village school of AAshton, and he was raised on a farm. In the fall of 1890 Pet- er came with his parents to Nobles county and for ten years made his home on the farm on section 29, Willmont township. Until he was of age Peter worked for his father. Then, after spending one summer in Osecola county, lowa, he came back to Nobles county and with Fred Sanders bought a threshing machine. With his partner he engaged in threshing four years, then bought his part- ner's interest, and has been engaged in threshing ever since. In 1900 he changed his place of residence from the farm to S .. Kilian, resided there two years, and since then has made his home in Wilmont.
Mr. Spartz is an inventor, and spends his spare moments perfecting many useful and valuable contrivances. lle has built a self feeder for his threshing machine, has construct- ed a steam engine and an automobile. The antomobile, which is up-to-date in all par- ticulars, he has sold and is now constructing another. Ile is an engineer as well as a thresher and is an expert with gasoline en- gines, having frequent calls for his services. in addition to his other business enterprises, Mr. Spartz is a half owner of a well dig- ging outfit.
At St. Kilian on Nov. 20, 1901, Mr. Spartz was married to Mary Pollman, daughter of Angust and Mary Pollman, of Larkin town- ship. Mrs. Spartz was born in the old conn- try Oct. 10, 1876, and came to America when two years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Spartz are the parents of the following children: Mattie, born Jan. 13, 1903; Alfred, born May 22, 1905, died Sept. 13, 1906; Paulina, born Jan. 29, 1907; Leo, born March 31, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Spartz are members of the Catholic church, He served on the Wil- mont village council from 1903 to 1907. lle holds a membership in the M. W. A. lodge and is counsel of the order at Wilmont.
I. II. JOHNSON, manager of the Dun- die Mercantile company's store at Dundee, is a native Minnesotan, having been born in Vasa township, Goodhne county, Oct. 28, 1875. lle is the son of Haken and Maggie ( Landberg) ) Johnson.
In 1879 the family moved from Goodhne county to Jackson county and located on a
farm just out of the little village of Duu- uce, and on that farm the subject of this sketch was raised. Ile was educated in the country schools, in the Worthington public schools and in the Breck school at Wilder. In 1896 he began elerking in a Dundee store, which position he held until June, 1898. Ile then enlisted in the Third United States infantry, and served during the Spanish- American war, being stationed with his regi- ment at Fort Snelling, Minn., and at Fort MePherson, Georgia. Ile had a severe siege of typhoid fever during the time of his service. Before his illness he was company clerk, and thereafter was bookkeeper in the commissary department of the regiment. After his army service Mr. Johnson returned to Dundee, and that village has ever since been his home. In January, 1906, in part- nership with his brother, Ole, he engaged in the farm machinery business, succeeding his father.
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