USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 85
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After his graduation Dr. Wiedow com- pleted his studies with a six months course in Vienna and Berlin, taking a special course in bloodless surgery. as advocated by Dr. Adolph Lorenz. of international fame. Returning from his European studies. Dr. Wiedow began the practice of his profession at Round Lake, where he was located two years. On Jan. 1. 1904, he came to Worth- ington. opened an office, and has since been engaged in the practice of his chosen pro- fession.
Dr. Wiedow was married at Victor, Iowa, July 4, 1900. to Miss Cora Simpson, dangh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. G. G. Simpson. Both the doctor and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church,
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On July 1, 1908, Dr. B. O. Mork, of Yel- low Medicine, Minn., a graduate of the Hamline university and Hamlin medical school, formed a partnership with Dr. Henry Wiedow, the firm being now styled Wiedow & Mork.
JOHN COYOUR is one of the very earliest settlers of Nobles county, having resided in Indian Lake and Summit Lake townships ever since he was ten years of age. He owns the northeast quarter of section 19, Summit Lake.
Mr. Coyour was born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., Aug. 30, 1861, and is the son of Nelson and Mary (Mitchell) Coyour of Indian Lake township. The father is a native of New York state, the mother of Canada. At the age of five years John moved with his parents from New York to Wisconsin and located in Dodge county. After remaining there five years the family came to Nobles county, in 1871, and set- tled in Indian Lake township, where the father took a homestead claim on section 32. John lived on the farm with his par- ents until he was of age. Then he went back to the old home in New York. where he was married and where he lived two years, working on his father-in-law's farm. Returning to Nobles county, he located in Summit Lake township and farmed rented land a number of years. In the fall of 1897 he bought his present farm of Shell & Mann and has made his home there since that time. He raises stock extensively.
In St. Lawrence county. N. Y., Mr. Cov- our was married to Melisa Sullivan, a na- tive of the Empire state. To them have been born the following named children: Evelyn, Percy, Harold. Walter and Leslie. Mr. Coyour served as clerk of his school district from 1904 to 1907.
JOHN L. MANGELSON is a member of the firm of Thomsen Bros. & Mangelson, of Round Lake. Although Nobles county has been his legal home only about twelve years, for many years prior he lived just across the line in Jowa-so close, in fact, that Round Lake was his post office address, and he has been getting his mail there ever since the office was established.
Mr. Mangelson was born in Tjarstad, Sweden, Nov. 22, 1861. His father, Magnus
Ilokanson, and his mother, Maria (Sundblad) Hokanson, died in their native country. The subject of this biography lived in Sweden 19 years, during which time he went to school and worked on a farm. During the last year of his residence there he worked at the carpenter's trade.
Deciding to cast his lot with the new world young Mangelson set sail and, unac- companied by relatives or friends, came to America. He went direct to Osco. Henry county, Ill., where he arrived Nov. 5, 1880. There he secured work on a farm, at which he was employed for two and one-half years. In 1883 he moved to Osceola county, Iowa. and secured employment on the hig 1.000- acre ranch of Samuel Peterson, located only a short distance from the village of Round Lake. in Nobles county. During a three vear term as a farm laborer he won the confidence of his employer and gave such satisfaction that he was made foreman of the ranch, a position he held for ten years. Tiring of farm life, Mr. Mangelson. in the fall of 1896. resigned his position and moved to the village of Round Lake. The next spring he and Chas. J. Riley formed the firm of Riley & Mangelson and engaged in the implement business, which they conducted one year. In the spring of 1898 Mr. Man. gelson disposed of his interest in that busi- ness and in partnership with J. C. l'hom- sen went into the hardware and furniture business. Later implements were added to the lines carried, and in the spring of 1904 the firm became Thomsen Bros. & Mangelson.
Mr. Mangelson was married June 27. 1900. at Heron Lake. Minn .. to Mary Obert. daugh- ter of Leopold Obert. of Ewington township. Jackson county. Mr. and Mrs. Mangelson are the parents of two children, Agnes and Johnnie D.
At the first Round Lake village election. held Oct. 29, 1898. Mr. Mangelson was elected treasurer. He was reelected in the spring of 1899. again in 1900. 1901. 1902 and 1903. He was elected a member of the vil- lage council in 1904 and again in 1906. Fraternally he is a member of the M. W. A. of Round Lake.
JOHN S. FRINK is the proprietor of a Worthington plumbing shop, and has been a resident of that city ten years. He was horn at St. Charles, Minn., Jan. 4, 1869,
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and is the son of Adelbert and Jennie (Wood) Frink, natives of Vermont and Michigan, respectively, and now residents of Flandreau, S. D. Both the Frink and Wood families, from which our subject de- seends, are old American families, and have resided in the country for many generations
The first three years of the life of our subject were passed in his native village, and the next five at Kasson, Minn. When Jolin was right years of age the family moved to a farm eight miles northwest of Dell Rapids, S. D., and that was the family home five years. From there they moved to Flandrean. S. D., where John lived until he was seventeen years of age. and where his parents still reside. The subject of this biography secured a common school ednea- tion in the different places in which he lived, and when seventeen years old set out in life for himself. ITe went to Sioux Falls and learned the plumber's trade, at which he worked for Beggs & Ferris nine years. The next iwo years he lived in Luverne, Minn., working at his trade for the junior member of the Sioux Falls firm, who had a braneh shop at that town. One year was spent at West Superior, Wis., where he was employed hy the West Superior Plumbing & Tleating Co., and then he returned to Luverne, and for two years worked at his trade, being employed by the Gray Imple- ment company.
He was married at Luverne Sept. 7, 1897 to Lottie May Beers, daughter of David and Franees (Sands) Beers. Mrs. Frink and both her parents were born at Geneseo, III.
In 1898 Mr. Frink came to Worthington. and for one year was employed as a plumber in A. N. Russell's hardware store. The next six years he held a like position with Dieck- hoff Bros .. and then one year was in the employ of the W. E. Moses Hardware Co. In 1906 he opened a plumbing shop in Worthington, which he has since conducted.
Mr. Frink served five years in company F, of the Second S. D. N. G., at Flandrean. later he became a member of company H. of the Second Minnesota national guard, at Luverne, and still holds his membership in that organization. Ile served a term as sop- ond lieutenant of his company, and was later promoted to first lieutenant. He was one of the organizers of, and is now an active member of, the Worthington Gun club, of which he is one of the eraek shots.
lle is the holder of the Dupont trophy, which he won at Luverne in 1907. Mr Frink has been a member of the Modern Woodmen of America lodge for sixteen years, and holds a membership in the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges.
MATH KLONTZ, Willmont township farm- er, is a Luxemburger by birth and was born l'eh. 24, ISGO. His father, John V. Klontz. died in his nafive land when Math was fif- teen months old. His mother, Barbara (Brand) Klontz, died in Germany in ISSS.
Math spent his early days in Luxemburg and Belgium. In the latter country he worked out as a farm hand. In Luxemburg for five years he was employed in the iron mines. He came to the United States in 1SS5 and located first in Minneapolis, where he resided from October, 1885, till July, 1886. Tle then went to Lemars, Iowa, where he worked out on a farm a year and a half After that he worked at the stone mason's trade in Chieago two years, and then re- turned to Lemars. After farming there one year, he went to Hartley, in O'Brien county. Towa, rented a farm, and farmed five years. ITe came io Nobles county in 1895 and houghi an 120 acre farm two miles north of St. Kilian, upon which he resided one year. Selling that property, he rented a farm three miles southwest of St. Kilian for four years, and then resided one year three miles south of the same place, and then in 1901, he bought the southwest quarter of section S. Willmont township, and there he has since made his home.
Mr. Klontz is a man of family, having been marriedl at Harfley. lowa. July 7, 1891, to Mary E. lesley, who was born in Ontario, Canada, Dec. 15, 1864. To thom have been born the following named ehild- ren, all of whom reside at home: Celesline, Josephine, Annie, John V., Isidore, Emma. Helena Joseph and Henry. The family are members of the St. Kilian Catholic church. Mr. Klontz has held the office of director of school district No. 67 for the last five years.
IBRAM BENIRENDS. Hersey township farmer. was born in Germany March 22. 1879, and came to the United States when one year old. lle is the son of Philip and
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
Elizabeth (Faulkers) Behrends. The father came to America in ISSI and located in Iowa. In 1896 he moved to Jackson county, Minn., where he lived until the spring of 1908, when he moved to Sibley, lowa, where he now resides at the age of 61 years. The mother of our subject died in 1884.
In 1900 Hiram went to Osceola county, lowa, and worked on a farm there for two years. He then came back to Brewster and rented a farm on section 21, HJersey town- ship. In 1903 he moved to Jackson county, and engaged in farming there two years.
Mr. Behrends was married to Elsbeth Kaufman Dec. 20, 1904, and then rented the farm of her parents, upon which he has since lived. Ilis wife was born on the farm March 5, 1879. Her parents home- steaded the farm in an early day and lived on it tifl the spring of 1905, when they moved
to Brewster. Mrs. Behrends' father died Aug. 11, 1907; her mother now lives in Brewster, and is 60 years of age.
To Mr. and Mrs. Behrends two children have been born: Elizabeth, born Jan. 3, 1906; John Iliram, born Dec. 17, 1907. The family are members of the German Presby. terian church.
GRANT CROSS, farmer and breeder of registered Shortborn cattle, owns and farms the east half of section 16, Westside town- ship. He is a native of Logan county, III., and was born April 2, 1869. His father, Edward Cross, was born in Fairfield, Ohio, April 21, 1832, and now lives in Adrian. llis mother, Sarah (Eversole) Cross, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and died in Adrian in 1904, at the age of 69 years.
In his native county Grant Cross lived until 1894, attending school and working on his father's farm. He came to Nobles county and located in Grand Prairie town- ship, where he farmed rented land two years. lle then moved to Westside township and farmed a rented place on section 15 for seven years. In 1903 he bought his present farm and has resided on it since.
Mr. Cross was married in McLean county, Ill., Aug. 29, 1894, to Miss Hattie Dean, a native of that state and a daughter of John and Mina Dean. To them have been born three children : Eddie, born June 30, 1895; Roy, born June 28, 1898; Grace, born June S, 1901.
Mr. Cross served on the township board several years and was assessor five years. He was clerk of school district No. 61 from 1901 to 1904. lle is a member of the Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen lodges.
JOHN HOFKAMP, Leota township farmer, was born in Holland March 1, 1868, the son of Gerret and Beren (Dinne) Hofkamp. The father died Aug. 4, 1904, aged 62 years. The mother is living in Leota village and is 68 years old.
John was raised on a farm and came to America with his parents when seventeen years of age in 1885. The family located in Sioux county, lowa, and resided on a farm there until 1891. That year they came to Nobles county and were among the first of the llollanders to make homes in Leota township. John resided with his parents the first two years and then began farming for himself on rented land. bater he bought the southwest quarter of section 21 and has lived on the place since.
In Leota township on Oct. 22, 1893, MIr. llofkamp was married to Alide Eefting, daughter of William and Johanna Eefting. Her father is dead; her mother lives in Chicago. Mrs. Hofkamp was born in Hol- land Nov. 25, 1870. She was the first Hol- land girl lo become a resident of Leota township. To Mr. and Mrs. Ilofkamp have been born two children: Berndina, born Dec. 6, 1894: William, born March 14, 1898. The family are members of the Reformed church ot Leota. For two years Mr. Hofkamp serv- ed as director of school district No. 59.
JOHN RISS owns and farms the northli- east quarter of section 30, Worthington township. Ile is Illinois born and raised and has been a resident of Nobles county since 1903. He first saw the light of day at Streator, Ill., July 29, 1855. Henry Riss, his father, was born in Germany and died in Streator in 1902. Caroline (Wheeler) Riss, his mother, was also a native of Germany; she died at Streator in 1891.
John Riss's boyhood days were spent on his father's farm near Streator. There he scoured a country school education and as- sisted with the work on the farm. In 1889 he began farming for himself and that has been his occupation ever since. He came to
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Nobles county in 1903 and located on his position he has held since its organization Worthington township farm, which he had purchased the year before.
Mr. Riss was united in marriage June 2, ISI, at Streator to Mary Simpkin, daugu- ter of Samuel and Alice (Tabner) Simpkin. Mrs. Kiss was born in England and came to America with her parents when a child one and one-half years of age. Three children have blessed this union, llenry Samuel, Alice Caroline and Gertrude Maud. all of whom are living at home.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Riss are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Worth- ington. In 1901 Mr. Riss was elected a member of the school board of the district in which he lives, served a three year term, and was reeleeted in 1907.
JAMES SKILLICORN is farmer of Little Rock township, in which he owns 200 acres on section 21. He is a native of Iowa eounty, Wis., where he was born Dec. 12, 1862. His parents, James and Ellen (Skilli- corn) Skillieorn, were natives of the Isle of Man. llis father was born in 1820, came to the United States in 1830, and died in Wisconsin in 1871. Mrs. Skillicorn died in April, 1872.
The subject of this review lived in Iowa county till 1883, when he moved to Aurora county, S. D. There he took a homestead and engaged in farming until 1894. That year he moved to Lyon county, lowa, just south of the Nobles county line, and en- gaged in farming until 1901. Then he bought his present place in Little Rock township: and has since been a resident of Nobles county. During his residence in Lyon coun- ty Mr. Skillieorn served one year on the township board and two terms as a member of the school board. Ile was a supervisor of Little Rock township one year.
Mr. Skillicorn was married at Dodgeville. Wis., July 23, 1885, to Delia Rowe, a na- tive of that city. To them has been born one child- Oscar. Mr. and Mrs, Skillicorn are members of the Congregational church of Little Rock, lowa, and Mr. Skillicorn is a member of the M. W. A. lodge of the same village.
THOMAS T. STRAND is the assistant cashier of the Brewster State Bank, which
in 1902. Ile was born near the village of Norway, in Benton county, lowa, April 20, 1865, the second oldest of a family of six children. llis father, Thomas T. Strand, was born in Stavanger, Norway, came to the United States when eighteen years of age, located in Illinois and later in Benton coun- ty, lowa, where he died in June, 1897, at the age of 62 years. The mother of our subject is Anna (Tysdale) Strand, also a native of Stavanger. She is living in Nor- way, lowa, and is 72 years of age.
In Benton county, lowa, young Strand grew to manhood on his father's farm. lle received a common school education in the district schools and a business education in Blairstown academy, of Norway, lowa. After luis school days he entered the mercantile business at Norway and at Paulina, lowa, and was thus engaged several years. In March, 1902, he moved to Brewster and entered the banking business, in which he has since been engaged. During the year 1904 he served as treasurer of the village.
Mr. Strand was married at Paulina, lowa, July, 1901, to Miss Jane Henderson, who was born at Fostoria, Clay county, Iowa, in 1880. She is the daughter of William and Martha Henderson. To Mr. and Mrs. Strand have been born two children-Marian, born in 1902; Frances, born in 1904. .
HENRY G. WILLIAMS, of Worthington, has resided in Nobles county twenty-three years, the greater part of that time having been spent in Lorain township. lle was born in Burlington, lowa, Feb. 5, 1852. llis parents were John and Dora (Diers) Wil- liams, natives of Germany. His father came to the United States at the age of eighteen years and located in Jefferson county, lowa, where he died in June, 1905, aged 83 years. Our subject's mother died in Jefferson county in 1902.
llenry Williams moved with his parents to Jefferson county when he was three years old. There he was raised and received his eineation. lle engaged in farming, which he followed in that county until 1885. That year he came to Nobles county, bought the northwest quarter of seetion 8, Lorain town- ship, and made his home on the land un- til 1904. During his residence in the town- ship Mr. Williams served several terms as
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
constable and as president of the board of supervisors. Since moving to Worthington he still conducts his farming operations.
Mr. Williams was married in Jefferson county, Iowa, Ang. 5, 1875, to Mary Ann Speilman, a native of that county and a daughter of Louis Speilman. To Mr. and Mrs. Williams have been born the following six children: Bert, Ora, Pearl (Mrs. Alonzo Correll) ; Myrtle, Harry and Jesse. The three eldest were born in Jefferson county, Iowa; the younger in Lorain township.
CILARLES R. IMILDRED owns the east half of section 19, Bloom township, and he has been a resident of that township for the last thirteen years. Mr. Hildred is a son of English parents. His father, Drury Hildred, was born in England in 1834 and came to the United States in 1862. He re- turned to England in 1865, where he was married to Alice Hill. Returning at once to the new world he located in Dakota county, Minn., where he engaged in farming till his death, which occurred May 20, 1905. Alice (Hill) Hildred still lives in Farming- ton, Dakota county, Minn. She was born in England in 1844.
To these parents in Dakota county, Minn., on Ang. 6, 1867, Charles Hildred was born. He resided on the home farm in Dakota county until the fall of 1895, when he moved to Nobles county. For three years he farm- ed the south half of section 20, Bloom, which he rented. He then bought his pres- ent half section and has been engaged in farming it since.
Mr. Hildred made a trip to England in 1898 and on the second day of February, of that year, at Leeds, he was united in mar- riage to Florence T. Taylor. She was born in Leeds in November, 1867, the daughter of Charles Ilenry and Sarah (Taylor) Taylor, both deceased.
CHARLES PETERSON owns and farms the west half of the northeast quarter of section 21, Dewald township, and has lived in the county seventeen years. He is a na- tive of the city of Helsingborg, in south- ern Sweden, where he was born Jan. 1, 1864. His father was Per Peterson, who died in Sweden in 1900. His mother, Engri (Deartia) Peterson, is now living in her na- tive country.
During the first twenty-two years of his life Mr. Peterson lived in his native land. There he secured a country school education and during the greater part of the time worked at farm work. Two years were spent in a flouring mill, and about six months he worked at carpenter work. Com- ing to the United States, he located first at Wilcox, Pa., where he spent one summer working on the public highway. During the next three years he resided at Costello, in the same state. One year of this time he hauled bark for a tannery, one year he work- ed at carpenter work, and one year he was in charge of an electric dynamo. The next winter he spent in his native land, but re- turned the following spring and resided a few months at Warren, Pa.
In the fall of 1891 Mr. Peterson came to Nobles county, and, in partnership with a brother-in-law, rented land on section 27, Olney township, just out of Rushmore, and farmed three years. He then rented an 80- acre tract of land four miles north of Rush- more and farmed that three years. In 1894. at the time he rented the last named land, he had purchased the 80-acre farm where he now lives, and in 1897 he moved onto his own land, where he has ever since resided. He built his house and made other improve- ments on the land at that time.
Mr. Peterson was married July 4, 1898, to Tillie Johnson. They are the parents of one child, Emma Teresa.
RUDOLPH M. V. LENZ is the owner of and farms the east half of section 9, Grand l'rairie township, and has been a resident of the township twenty-five years. He is a native Minnesotan, having been born in Scott county Feb. 2, 1872, the son of the late John Joseph Lenz and Anna Maria (Klinkhammer) Lenz, who still resides in Grand Prairie.
The father of our subject was born in Prussia in 1835 and came to the United States in 1852. Locating first in Kenosha county, Wis., he later became a resident of Scott county, Minn., and in 1883 moved to Nobles county, where he died Nov. 21, 1892. Our subject's mother was also a native of Germany. She came to America when a child eight years of age.
In Scott county Rudolph Lenz lived until 1883, arriving in Nobles county with his
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
parents on July II, of that year. Severat years before coming to the county John Josepb Lenz had bought one quarter of the land where the son now lives, and upon that land the family bome was made for the first year. Upon his arrival the father had also purchased 160 acres on seetion 4, adjoining. and after the first year im- piovements were made on that place, and there the father lived until his death. He was also the owner of one half of section 3, which he had purchased one year after his arrival in the county.
Prior to 1898 Rudolph lived on the home farm, working for his father, and after the latter's death in 1892 he assisted bis broth- ers in the management of the farm. On the 20th of February, 1898, he left home and with a party of Adrian people went to the Klondyke country, where he spent a year and a half in prospecting and mining, leav- ing the northern country on June 12, 1899, and arriving home in August. Returning to Grand Prairie township, he worked out a few months, and on Feb. 20, 1900, was mar- ried to Anna Mary Pint, daughter of Mat- thias and Lucy (Lister) Pint, both deceased. Mrs. Lenz was born in Scott county, Minn., Sept. 16, 1880. To Mr. and Mrs. Lenz have been born the following children: Ruth, born Jan. 5, 1901; Clemons, born April 29, 1902; Irene, born Oet. 15, 1903; Eva, born Nov. 7, 1904; Walter, born Oet. 7, 1906; John Joseph, born May 2, 1908.
After returning from the Klondyke coun- try Mr. Lenz moved onto his present place, part of which he had purchased some years before and part of which he bought at the time of his marriage. He is a member of the Catholic church and of the C. O. F. and Knights of Columbus lodges. He is one of the supervisors of Grand Prairie township, having been elected in the spring of 1908, and is clerk of school district No. 33, which office he has held five years.
THOMAS P. BAKER, of Leota township, was born in Ogle county, Ill., Jan. 9, 187]. His parents, Pierson and Malinda (Ling) Baker, natives of Pennsylvania, are now liv- ing in Sioux county, Iowa, aged 67 and 55 years, respectively.
The family moved from Illinois to Sac county, near Odebolt, Iowa, when our sub-
jeet was nine years of age. There he lived five years, in Lemars five years, and then moved to Sioux county. lle spent three years working iu a harness shop and store in Morris, and thereafter until 1896, be worked on his father's farm. Thomas came to Nobles county in 1896 and located in Westside township, where he farmed one year. During the summer of that year he bought his present farm-the southeast quarter of section 16, Leota-and in the spring of 1897 moved onto the place and has resided tbere since.
Mr. Baker was married at Morris, lowa, March 10, 1893, to Kate Peuse, daughter of William and Sarah Peuse, who now re- side at Morris. Mlrs. Baker was born in Holland Aug. 9, 1871, and came to the United States when a child. To them have been born two children: William Ml. C., born April 30, 1897; Charles P., born Sept. 2, 1903.
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