An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 70

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 924

USA > Minnesota > Rock County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 70
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 70

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WILLIAM THOMPSON (1885) is the pio- neer merchant of Hills, and to him is given the credit of erecting the first business building in the town-the one in which his hardware business has been housed since its establishment in 1890. The building in question is the work of Mr. Thompson's own hands.

William Thompson is a native of lowa county, lowa, where his earthly career be. gan on January 20, 1865. In infancy he removed with his parents to Benton county, the same state. William was left fatherless at the age of four years, and until his twen- tieth year he remained on the home farm, assisting in its management and in the care of his widowed mother. His residence in Rock county dates from 1885. For several months he operated a cream route in Martin township, was a carpenter in Beaver Creek awhile, then married and settled in Martin township, where he farmed until the spring of 1890. Then it was he moved to Hills, erected the first business building in the town, and with O. E. McClarey engaged in the hardware business. Six months later

Mr. McClarey retired from the firm and in Janu ry, 1893, F. H. Fritz was admitted to j.rtnership by Mr. Thompson. This union continued until the spring of 1900, since which time Mr. Thompson has con- ducted the business alone. He is also the proprietor of the Hills telephone exchange, which was established in 1903 and is con- dueted from the store building. Mr. Thomp- son was the township treasurer in 1898 and is now serving as a member of the village council. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges.

William is the second son of William and Sophia Thompson, both natives of Norway, who came to America in the fifties and lo- cated in Ottawa, Illinois, where they were married. They lived in Iowa county, Iowa, for many years. During the civil war Mr. Thompson, Sr., enlisted in the Eighth Towa regiment and served with distinction for three years. At the battle of Shiloh he was taken prisoner and was lodged in the fa- mons Libby prison at Richmond and later was transferred to Andersonville, the fright- ful dungeon hole of the confederacy. The confinement cf six months under the most revolting conditions proved disastrous to the health of Mr. Thompson, as it did to hundreds of other union heroes, On re- turning to his lowa home and while yet a sick man he joined the home guards, a band organized for protection against the roving bands of savage redskins on mischief bent. Due to the excessive strain on his vitality, from which there was no recuperation, Mr. Thompson died in 1869. His wife is still living at Norway, lowa. Besides William of this sketch there are only two other members of the family of children living: Mrs. Henry Tuttle, who resides on the home farm in lowa, and Mrs. J. O. Johnson, of Eagle Grove, Iowa.

William Thompson was married in Rock county on January 10, 1886, to Dora Colby, a native of Clear Lake, lowa. They are the parents of four living children: Walter, Lottie (Mrs. A. H. Moen), of Inwood, lowa; Elsie and Pearl.

JOSEPH WILLERS (1889). Well up on the list of practical and successful agri- culturists of Rock county must be placed the gentleman whose name heads this re-

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view. His slogan might be said to be: "Better farming through more improved and scientific methods." Not once in his twenty-one years residence in the county has Mr. Willers experienced a crop l'ail- ure, and each succeeding year has brought with it attendant prosperity. The Green Russian variety of oats, now so universal- ly found in Rock county, was first intro- duced in 1895 by Mr. Willers.

A complete reckoning of the land hold- ings of Mr. Willers discloses a total of 2622 acres. Of this, 780 acres are of the finest quality of Rock county soil, partly in Beaver Creek and the remainder com- prising the home place in Luverne town- ship; a half section near Butterfield, in Watonwan county, Minnesota; and a vast tract of 1522 acres of valuable land in the Las Vegas country, New Mexico.

This man of successful career and rich in the possession of worldly goods is a na- tive of Germany and was born at Alger- missen, in the province of Hanover, Febru- ary 13, 1858. He is the son of Francis and Nettie (Schrader) Willers, both of whom lived and died in the land of the kaiser. The father passed away in October, 1902, at the age of eighty-three years, and his good wife followed four years later, while in her seventy-fourth year. Germany was the home of Joseph Willers for the first twenty-six years of his life. After complet- ing the course of the graded schools, he was for one term a student at the famous agri- cultural college at Hildesheim, the largest institution of its kind in the world. At the age of twenty, on November 9, 1878, he en- listed in the second regiment of the Impe- rial Guards of Berlin, and served with dis- tinction until the term of his enlistment ex- pired, on September 21, 1881.

Returning to his home after his career in the army, our subject remained there until March 2, 1884, when he set sail for the new world, arriving at New York twenty days later. From the metropolis he journeyed to Mendota, Illinois, and for two years farmed land in the vicinity of that place, in Bureau county. Then in company with a brother he worked on a farm in Texas for a year. The next few years were filled with varied interests. He was employed in Scotland county, Mis- souri, for two months, and next we find him

in St. Paul. From that city he worked out with a surfacing and steam shovel crew on the Great Northern railroad until har- vest time, when he joined the reapers in Cass county, North Dakota. He left that locality on October 20, 1887, and rejoined the surfacing crew at Alexandria, Minneso- ta, but remained only three weeks.

The winter of 1887-88 was passed by Mr. Willers in the timber country near Rhine- lander, Wisconsin. Early in the spring he was in St. Paul again and was offered the management, by George P. Jacobs, of Merriam Park, of that gentleman's large farm in Grant county, Minnesota, known as the Jacobs Spur. Under the cultivation of our subject, the farm netted for the season of 1889, twenty-six cars of wheat and three of barley.

Resigning his responsible position in November, 1889, Mr. Willers came to Rock county, the scene of his subsequent fruitful activities. He bought the northeast quar- ter of section 33, Beaver Creek township, which he farmed thirteen years, during which time he was continually adding to his landed possessions. In 1901 he be- came owner of his present farm on sec- tions 1 and 2, Luverne township, upon which he moved two years later and where he still continues to reside! All the sub- stantial and up-to-date improvements now found on the well ordered farm are entire- ly the product of Mr. Willers' labors. With its fine residence and roomy barns Mr. Willers' place is one of the attractive and model farms of the precinct. He is 2 stock raiser of wide repute and makes a specialty of Shorthorn cattle.

At St. Cloud, Minnesota, on January 22, 1889, Joseph Willers was married to The- resa Beck, who was born at Cold Springs, Minnesota, March 16, 1868. She is the daughter of Andrew and Kathrine (Paule) Beck, both deceased. The following nam- ed children have been born to this union: Joseph, born December 1, 1889; Alex, born December 6, 1891; Nettie, born May 16, 1894: Francis, born November 17, 1896: Willie, born February 27, 1899; Bernard, born November 12, 1901; Lawrence, born February 17. 1904.

Mr. Willers has always taken an active interest in matters of public interest. He served as pathmaster during most of his

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residence in Beaver Creek township and was the chairman of the board of super- visors of that precinct from 1902 to the time of his removal, and has served in a similar capacity in Luverne township since 1905. In 1898 Mr. Willers received the democratic nomination for state sen- ator, but was defeated on election day. He owns stock in the Farmers Elevator com- panies of both Luverne and Beaver Creek.

NELS P. JENSEN (1873), retired Kana- ranzi township farmer and now a resident of Luverne, is a native of Denmark, his birth occurring in that country on April 2, 1839. His parents, Nels and Mattie Johnsen, were farmers. Our subject's early life was spent on the home farm and he received his education at the common school in the near vicinity. For two and one-half years he served in the Danish army.

In 1873, at the age of thirty-four years, Mr. Jensen came to America and journeyed direct to Rock county. He homesteaded the northwest quarter of section 8, Kana- ranzi township. There were misfortunes galore at the start. It was during the days of the grasshopper scourge and for several years the fruitage from the new farm was very small. But better days came, and Mr Jensen was allotted his share of the pros- perity which followed. On five different oc- casions he invested in Kanaranzi township land until he became the owner of a sec- tion and a half. Feeling the burden of years press heavy, in 1909, disposing of all but 480 acres of his holdings, which he rents out, he retired from active labor and moved to Luverne to enjoy the rewards which are due the faithful.

Mr. Jensen was married in Denmark on July 6, 1867. to Lena Jensen. One of their three children, Mattie Maria, born December 7, 1877, died on February 11, 1904. Jens P .. born April 16, 1872, and Andrew, born January 26, 1880, are still living. While a resident of Kanaranzi township, Mr. Jensen served two years as supervisor, and for twelve years he was treasurer of school district No. 24. He ald his family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.

CHARLIE G. MATTHIESEN (1892), of Denver township, is one of Rock county's prominent and most successful agricultur- ists and stock raisers. He owns and farms the north half of section 34. When he came into possession of the place tien- ty years ago in no wise did it resemble the thoroughly improved and model appear- ance which it presents today. Then the only building to be found on the place was an old dilapidated dwelling house, much the worse for wear. Years of noisevering labor have replaced this original improve- ment with an elegant, modern two-story residence, 32×34 feet, which was erected in 1907 and constructed of cement blocks. Over 6000 trees set ont in the earlier days have developed into an attractive grove and a yielding orchard.

Charlie was born in Germany November 23, 1859, the son of Johan F. ann Annie (Cady) Matthiesen, and is one of a family of seven children, all of whom are living. Besides our subject they are Fred, John, Peter, Hans, Willie and Annie. The parents came to the United States in 1868 and set- tled in Tama county, lowa, where Johan Matthiesen died in 1875. His wife is still living on the old Tama county farm at the age of seventy-nine years.

Our subject was a lad of eight when he accompanied his parents to their home in the new world. He attended the Tama county schools and lived on the home farm until attaining his majority; then he com- menced farming on his own account in the same county. In 1892 he moved to Rock county and to his present farm, which he had bought the year previous. He is an extensive breeder and shipper of high grade stock. Mr. Matthiesen has always taken an active interest in the conduct of the civic and educational affairs of lis community. For the past twelve years he has served as the treasurer of Denver township and has been the treasurer of school district No. 71 since 1900. He holds stock in the Hardwick Farmers Elevator company and also in the Independent Har- vester company of Plano, Illinois. He is affiliated with the M. W. A. and I. O. O. F. lodges and belongs to the German Luther- an church.

Mr. Matthiesen was married in Tama county, lowa, November 9, 1887, to Doris

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Petersen, the daughter of Jurgen and Christina Petersen.' She was born in Ger- many March 18, 1866, and came to this country at the age of fifteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Matthiesen are the parents of eight children, namely, John, George, Frank, Carl, Eddie, Herbert, Clara and Bertha.

R. B. HINKLY (1882), who has for nearly thirty years been a well known Rock coun- ty resident, is a Luverne citizen of many extensive interests. He first came to Lu- verne in March, 1882, and organized the Rock County Bank, which commenced bus- iness May 2 of that year, and of which he became the first cashier and active man- ager. He was later elevated to the presi- dency, an office he held until retiring from all interest in the bank in 1909. His time has since been devoted to the supervision of the important and large industry he created a number of years ago in his home city, the Luverne Brick & Tile company, and his extensive farm and real estate possessions.

A native Iowan, Mr Hinkly's birth occur- red in 1860 at the town of Claremont, Fay- ette county. He was educated in the pub- lic schools of that place and later attended Oberlin college, Ohio. At the age of eight- een he assumed the editorship of the Clare- mont Independent and at the same time read law. He was admitted to the bar the year of attaining his majority, He departed from lowa and for a year pre- vious to settling in Luverne he was engaged with the Northern Pacific railroad at

Brainerd, Minnesota. During his long and successful career as a banker he assist- ed in the organization of a number of finan- cial institutions in Minnesota and South Dakota, but now has disposed of all such interests except a connection with the leading bank of Howard, South Dakota. Mr. Hinkly owns several thousand acres of Rock county's choicest land and has made heavy real estate investments in the Gulf Coast country in Texas, near San Benito.

In Claremont, Iowa, on September 26, 1882, R. B. Hinkly was united in marriage to May Harrington, a native of Boston. Three sons and one daughter have been born to these parents. They are William,

the organizer and cashier of a bank at San Benito, Texas; Harry J., who assists in the management of his father's real es- tate: Bryant Stanton, superintendent of the Luverne factory; and Laura (Mrs. John Connell), of Luverne.

AMUND H. HERREID (1873) is one of the old-timers of Martin township and can point to a record of nearly forty years un- interrupted residence in Rock county. The son of Hover and Breta (Quammen) Her- reid, both of whom are buried in the old country, his earthly career commenced in Hardanger, Bergen, Norway, October 11, 1845.

He was reared on his father's farm, re- ceived a common school education, and in the first year of his manhood came alone to America. For the first five years he was employed at farm labor in Dane county, Wisconsin: then for two years he followed a similar occupation near De- corah, Iowa. In 1873 Rock county beckon- ed Mr. Herreid. He heeded the call and cast his jot with many other sturdy Nor- wegian pioneers who arrived in those

early days. Our subject homesteaded the southeast quarter of section 17, which has developed from a barren waste to a land of fruitful acreage. He is the owner of 240 acres of thoroughly improved farm land, having bought an eighty in section 16, which has been added to the original claim. For many years Mr. Herreid served as a school director in his district. He and his family belong to the Norwegian Lutheran church.

At Beaver Creek, on April 13, 1877, Mr. Herreid took to wife Engeborg Danielson, who came to this country from Norway in 1871. To these parents the following chit- dren have been born: Haaver A., born February 7, 1878, died July 7, 1908; Dan- iel A., born July 28, 1879; Bertinus, born April 14, 1881; Gurine B., born April 13, 1883; Randolf T., born October 5, 1885; Anton 1., born October 6, 1888, died Octo- ber 16, 1890; Emelia H., born August 30, 1890; Antonette J., born October 16, 1892; Oskar H., born December 19, 1894; Idvar- dina J., born December 2, 1898.

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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

JOHN ENGEBRETSON (1880), cashier of the Kenneth State Bank, is Rock county born and bred. He is the son of Hans and Gina ( Halverson) Engebretson, natives of Norway, who settled in this country some forty years ago. For the first year after their arrival they lived near Madison, Wisconsin; then after a residence of the same duration in Iowa, in 1872 they joined the ranks of Rock county's pioneers, Mr. Engebretson taking as a homestead claim a quarter in section 4, Vienna township. Here the venerable couple lived until the spring of 1910, when they moved to the city of Luverne, there to enjoy in old age the rewards of successful and faithful labor. There are four living chil- dren in the Engebretson family, Emma (Mrs. Ole T. Olson), of Luverne, Tilda. John and Betsey (Mrs. B. J. Farness), of Kimball, South Dakota. One son, Carl, is dead.

On the old homestead in Vienna town- ship John was born June 1, 1880, and there grew to manhood. His education in the district schools was supplemented by a business course at the Breck school, Wilder, and by a teacher's course in the Southern Minnesota normal school, locat- ed at Austin. After his school days he taught for four years in district No. 27. In 1906 he moved to Kenneth to assume his duties as manager of the Farmers Elevator company's interests.

On January 7. 1911, Mr. Engebretson was made cashier and a director of the Kenneth State Bank, faking the position formerly held by A. D. Parker. The other officers and directors remain the same as before except that John Wunderle becomes a director in place of Mr. Parker.

Mr. Engebretson is unmarried. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge of Lu- verne and of the Norwegian Lutheran church. For the past nine years John has efficiently served as the township clerk.

but the mother is still living and resides in Canada.

While yet in his first year Andrew ac- companied his parents to the then new Rock county. That was in June, 1872. The father took as a homestead the north- west quarter of section 22, Clinton town- ship, where he lived to the time of his death. The family endured many hard- ships during the bitter pioneer days.

Our subject was educated in the rural schools and lived on the home farm until 18SS. That year he moved to the vicinity of the new town of Steen and for several years thereafter worked as a farm hand and on the railroad. In 1892 he rented land on section 17, Clinton township, and for the next eight years was engaged in farming for himself. In 1900 he commenc- ed his residence in Steen, which has been continuous since that date. For ten or twelve years prior to that he had been engaged in the threshing business and since retiring from the farm he has de-

voted a great deal more of his time to that business. He also works at various other occupations. He is now serving his fifth year as a road overseer. Mr. San- derson holds membership in the M. W. A. lodge of Steen.

At Luverne, on February 4, 1897, Mr. Sanderson was joined in wedlock to Clara Steen, the daughter of Ole P. Steen and a native of Clinton township. The follow- ing children have been born to this union: Selmer Olaf, born July 16, 1898; George Louis, born August 31, 1900; Josie Sophia, born March 25, 1901; Rose Alma, born De- cember 7, 1903; and Lloyd Williams, born June 18, 1909.

KNUDT G. OLDRE (1882), of Enverne, has been one of the enterprising citizens of Rock county for nearly thirty years, and to its present-day prosperity he has con- tributed an ample portion of effective en- ergy. He is the president of the prosper- ous Rose Dell Mutnal Fire Insurance com- pany, and in addition conducts a real es- tate and loan business in the county seat and manages his extensive farming inter- ests. The Rose Dell Insurance company, one of the strongest institutions of its

ANDREW SANDERSON (1872), of Steen, is a native of Emmett county, Iowa, and was born on the twenty-fifth of May, 1871. Hle is the son of those well-known pioneers of Clinton township. Sven and Aase San- derson, who were born in Norway. Sven Sanderson died in Rock county in 1877, character in the state, was founded in 1884

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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

by one of the county's substantial pio- neers, K. K. Steen, and in the following year it was incorporated. An idea of its wonderful growth can be realized from the fact that the company now has insurance in force to the amount of a million and a half dollars. The present officers are: President, K. G. Oldre; vice president, M. K. Steen; secretary. T. M. Jacobson ; treasurer, E. T. Thorson. The officers with the following constitute the board of directors: Otto K. Steen, J. P. Ingle- son, Nels Iverson, A. Jenson and James Mckeon.

The subject of this review is a native Norwegian and was born September 12, 1854. At the age of sixteen years Mr. Oldre departed from the land of the midnight sun to make his future home in the do- main of Uncle Sam. He arrived in New York in June, 1870, and from there went direct to Goodhue county, Minnesota, where he secured a common school educa- tion and resided with an uncle until join- ing forces with progress in Rock county in 1882. In that year he took as a home- stead the southwest quarter of section 24, Battle Plain township, which by untiring industry he evolved from a stretch of treeless prairie to one of the ideal farm homes of the precinct and county. Our subject still owns the old farm and has added to the original holdings until now he is the possessor of 400 acres of Battle Plain's choicest soil.

K. G. Oldre has been a citizen of Luverne since 1902. He was the census enumera- tor of that city when the federal count in 1910 was made. In political affairs and in movements for the promotion of every worthy civic enterprise Mr. Oldre has always been a prominent figure. During his long residence in Battle Plain he was honored on repeated occasions with elec- tion to high offices of trust. He filled with great credit the offices of township supervis- or four years, town clerk fourteen years, jus- tice of the peace fourteen years and clerk of his school district fourteen years. Mr. Oldre represented the first district for a term of four years on the board of county commissioners. In 1906 he was defeated for the republican nomination as caudl- date for the state legislature from the dis- trict comprising Rock and Pipestone coun-

ties by only seventy votes. He received the appointment of committee clerk in the Minnesota legislature for the session of 1911. Fraternally he is a Knight of Py- thias.

The parents of our subject, Guttorm and Dorthe Oldre, lived and died in their na- tive land of Norway. Five other children of this union are living. They are Nels Oldre, of Rock county; Gertrude (Mrs. J. B. Iverson), of Hardwick; Inga Remme, of Goodhue county; Dorthy Remme, of Rock county; and Ole Oldre, of Norway.

Knudt G. Oldre has been twice married. On New Years day, 1877, he took to wife Anna Oyle, who was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, and died in Rock county. Three sons, Gustav, Martin and Gilbert, were born to this union. The last named died at the age of sixteen years. Our sub- ject was married in Rock county Novem- ber 3, 1886, to Bertha Engebretson, a na- tive of Norway who came to this country when twelve years of age.

HALVOR HALVORSON (1874) is reck- oned among the oldest residents of Mar- tin township, having come to the precinct when a lad of five years, and since then it has been his home. He is now one of its sub- stantial farmers and owns 181 acres of its fertile soil. He has devoted much of his time during the many years in promoting the interests and welfare of the commun- ity. For five years he served as a member of the hoard of township supervisors and for the last three years has been the chair- man of that board. For a time he was one of the directors in school district No. 37, and for four years was its clerk.

Mr. Halvorson is a native of Walworth county, Wisconsin, the date of his birth be- ing September 17, 1869. He is the son of Peter H. and Martha (Tveten) Halvorson, who are now residents of Hills. Halvor accompanied his parents to Rock county in 1874. The father homesteaded the southwest quarter of section 13, range 47, Martin township, and it was on that farm that our subject grew to manhood. His education in the district schools was sup- plemented by a year's course in the Queen City Business college at Sioux Falls. Be- coming twenty years of age, he rented land

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and started farming for himself. In 1900 he bought a quarter section of land in South Dakota, which he retained for three years. Disposing of this, he invested in a 400 acre farm in Sargent county, North Dakota. He later sold that and bought the northwest quarter of section 14, range 47, Martin township, his present home. His place adjoins his boyhood home. At the present time he is also the owner of 80 acres of land in Swift county, Minne- sota.

At Hills, on October 10, 1895, occurred the marriage of Mr. Halvorson to Laura M. Rossum, who was born February 9, 1876. . She is the daughter of Bent and Maren Rossum, of Martin township. To them the following children have been born: Myr- tle E., on September 13, 1896: Ida L., on January 20, 1898: Palmer B., on April 25, 1900: Lawrence R., on February 26, 1902: Helge L., on May 19, 1904: Edna V., on August 30, 1906: Malvin A., on August 11, 1908.

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An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 70

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970 Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company Number of Pages: 924

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 924