USA > Minnesota > Rock County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 76
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 76
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Martinus lived on the home farm and at- tended the district schools near by until 1898, when he became a student at Pleasant View Lutheran college, located at Ottawa,
Illinois. On graduating the following year he filled a position for three years as book- keeper for a wholesale concern. In 1902 he became the assistant cashier of the State Bank of Hills and served in that capacity until the following year, when the institu- tion was merged with the First National Bank. For four years thereafter he was a teller in the Sioux Falls National Bank. In January, 1907, he became connected with the Security Trust Co., of St. Paul, and was given special charge over the state agency work of the insurance department. For the first six months of the year 1909 Mr. En- gebretson was with the Sioux Fire Insur. ance company as special agent for the state of towa, with headquarters at Des Moines. It was in July of that year that he returned to Hills and was instrumental in the or- ganization of the Farmers State Bank, which received its charter on Angust 30. He was made the cashier and a director of the institution, offices he now holds. With his brother Carl he organized the Farmers Bank at Jasper about the same time. He is interested in the real estate firms of Finke Bros. & Engebretson of Hills, and the Engebretson Land company of Jasper. Fle is a member of the Masonic order and holds degrees up to and including the Shrine.
The Farmers State Bank was organized by Mr. Engebretson and other prominent men of Hills and vicinity in August, 1909, with a capital stock of $10,000. The present officers are: President, W. F. Finke; vice president, P. O. Skyberg; cashier, M. Enge- bretson; assistant cashier, A. C. Finke. These gentlemen together with G. D. Nel- son, H. Halvorson and Olaf Kolsrud consti- tuto the board of directors. The bank has. had a most successful career and is making a showing that attracts special attention. In 1910 the deposits aggregated more than $50,000, and in the same year the institu- tion laid by a handsome surplus.
GUS A. HAGEDORN (1888), of Spring- water township, lays claim to the distinc- tion of being the only breeder of Polled Hereford cattle in the state of Minnesota. An Iowan by birth, he was born in Scott county April 28, 1873, the son of James and Catherine (Brandt) Hagedorn. Both parents
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were natives of Germany and came to America and Scott county, Jowa, in 1847.
When Gus was in his fifteenth year he ac- companied his parents in their removal to Rock county. He completed his schooling and until attaining his majority assisted with the management of the home farm. Then he rented land of his father and commenced farming on his own account. In 1897 he left Minnesota and for three years resided and farmed in Colorado. Since his return he has continued to rent and farm the west half of section 33, Springwater township, and the northwest quarter of section 4, Beaver Creek township. Mr. Hagedorn is the clerk of school district No. 73. He is a stockholder in the Independent Harvester company of Plano, Illinois.
At Canon City, Colorado, on November 14, 1898, our subject was united in marriage to Clara Wichmann, also a native of Scott county, lowa. Mrs. Hagedorn was born July 5, 1875, and is the daughter of Claus and Catherin (Lahann) Wichmann, both na- tives of Germany. One daughter, Alice Ma- tilda, was born to these parents, March 22, 1903.
MADISON O. PAGE (1902), cashier of the First National Bank of Beaver Creek, was born in Hancock county, Illinois, Oc- tober 12, 1878. He is the second in a fam- ily of three sons whose parents were J. S. and Isahelle (Ohler) Page, natives of New York and Kentucky, respectively. They set- tled in Illinois several years before the civil war and in 1880 moved to Ida county, Iowa. Nine years later the family home was made at Sioux City, where Mr. Page still resides. Ilis wife died in October, 1903. The broth- ers of our subject are Sam Page, a lawyer of Sioux City, and B. R. Page, of Trosky.
Madison O. Page was a child two years of age when he accompanied his parents from Illinois to Ida county, lowa, and be accompanied them from there on their re- moval to Sioux City. He was educated in the Sioux City high school, pursuing a busi- ness course in that institution. On leaving school he accepted a position with the George Savings Bank, of George, Iowa, as a stenographer and was later promoted to the assistant cashiership. For one and one- half years, beginning in 1901, Mr. Page held
a similar position with a bank at Alvord, lowa. Since the fall of 1902 he has been connected with the First National Bank of Beaver Creek in his present position. He is also the proprietor of the Beaver Creek creaniery. From the first year of his resi- dence in Beaver Creek he has held the of- fice of village treasurer.
Mr. Page was joined in wedlock in Beaver Creek on November 20, 1907, to Gertrude M. Jones, a native of Luverne and a daugh- ter of J. H. Jones, of that city. To these parents one son, Don W., was born April 7, 1909.
The First National Bank of Beaver Creek is the successor of the Bank of Beaver Creek, a private institution organized by the following named gentlemen: M. O. Page, Charles Shade, B. L. Richards, S. S. Wold and W. H. Bradley. The bank opened its doors for business on September 15, 1902, with the following staff of officers, who served continuously during the life of the bank: President, Chas. Shade; vice president, S. S. Wold; cashier, M. O. Page.
The reorganization into the First National Bank took place early in January, 1909. The capital stock was increased to $25,000 and the following stockholders added to the original promoters: J. S. Crawford, E. J. Dunbar, C. Taubert, W. R. McCurdy, An- drew Ingelson, F. H. McDermott, Charles Walkup, G. Oesterle and C. S. Dyke. The present officers are: President, Charles Shade; vice president, J. S. Crawford; cash- ier. M. O. Page.
The bank does a general banking busi- ness, makes farm loans, writes insurance, etc., and under its present management is a conservative, prosperous institution. Each succeeding statement published exhibits the proof of healthy growth. The present sub- stantial home of the bank was erected in 1902.
AMOS SCOTT (1884) is a respected citi- zen of Luverne township who has achieved distinction and success in two distinct fields of endeavor, those of the farmer and auctioneer. A native of Will county, Illi- nois, he was born January 6, 1861. His fath- er, Jacob Scott, was born in Ohio and pass- ed away from the family circle when Amos was a child of three years. The mother of
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our subject, Martha (Kightlinger) Scott, also Buckeye state bred, died some fourteen years ago in Ford county, Illinois.
Amos Scott lived in the county of his birth until after passing his fourteenth birthday, moving thence with his mother to Ford county, of the same state. His boy- hood days were spent on the farm. He was married at the age of nineteen and moved soon after with his young bride to Pettis county, Missouri, where he farmed for a year. Returning to Illinois, he operated a farm in McLean county two years, up to the time of his coming to Rock county in 1884. For the first eight years after that date our subject rented and farmed land on sec- tion 25, range 47, Martin township. The three following years he resided on the William Jacobsen farm in Luverne township and then for ten years was on section 2, Clinton township. At the beginning of the year 1911, he moved to his present home, just east of the Rock Island depot in Lu- verne, which has been known as the LaDue dairy farm. This desirable piece of land, containing eighty-five acres, is now the pos- session of Mr. Scott. He pays especial at- tention to the raising of high grade hogs and cattle.
As an auctioneer Mr. Scott's reputation is more than local. For the past nineteen years he has been engaged in the business and is now associated with Mr. Sanders un- der the firm name of Scott & Sanders. The territory over which their business extends is very large, the demand for their ser- vices being wide-spread through Rock and parts of Nobles county and in lowa and South Dakota.
Mr. Scott was married in Ford county, Illinois, January 8, 1880, to Sarah Matthews, who was born near Jacksonville, Illinois, May 9, 1861. To them have been born six children, as follows: Bertha (Mrs. R. W. Steen), of Steen: Goldie (Mrs. Logan Trun- nel, of Martin township; Ione (Mrs. Ben McDowell, of Springwater township; and Rhoda, Claude and Russell, the last three living at home. Mr. Scott has served for six years as the treasurer of school district No. 3. Ile is a member of the M. W. A., I O. O. F. and K. P. lodges of Luverne.
CHARLES A, BAKER (1880) operates what is known as the Muxlow farm of 350 acres on section 16, Luverne township. Mr. Baker is a native Minnesotan, having been born in Steele county October 30, 1862. His parents, Charles B. and Louisa (Lane) Bak- er, live at Oberon, North Dakota. The fath- er, a native of New York state, spent his boyhood days in Ohio and was one of the pioneer settlers of Steele county.
The first eighteen years of the life of our subject were spent as a resident of Steele county. He was brought up on a farm and received an education in the neighborhood schools. His schooling was continued for some time after coming to Rock county, which was in the fall of 1880. For the first three years he lived with a cousin on a farm in Springwater township. After a year spent as a teacher in Minne- haha county, South Dakota, Mr. Baker took up a permanent residence in Rock county. For fifteen years he made the city of Lu- verne his home, during that time heing em- ployed by an implement firm. In 1901 he took his place in the ranks of Rock county farmers. For nine years he farmed in Beav- er Creek township. In the spring of 1910 he moved to his present location. He is an extensive stock raiser and has been very successful in that line.
On New Year's day, 1885, in the city of Luverne occurred the wedding of Mr. Baker and Nettie Chesley, who was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, the daughter of Chesley and Maria (Clarkson) Chesley. Mr. and Mrs. Baker have one son, Charles Edwin, a student at the Luverne high school, born April 16, 1889. Mr. Baker has at all times been prominently identified with the civic and educational affairs of his community. While a resident of Beaver Creek, he was for six years a member of the township board and for four of the six years was the board's chairman. He served as one of the directors of school district No. 9 for four years. He is affiliated with the A. O. U. W. lodge of Luverne and the Yeomen lodge of Beaver Creek.
WILLIAM M. STEFFEN (1900), who owns and farms the southwest quarter of section 20, Springwater township, is a na- tive of Holstein, Germany, where he was
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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.
born January 9, 1870, the son of Henry and Margretta (Sindt) Steffen. The parents are still living on a farm in the old country.
In the land of the kaiser our subject re ceived a common school education and lived until after his twenty-third birthday. In the year of that event, 1893, William crossed the briny deep and commenced his career as an adopted son of Uncle Sam. For the first seven years the scene of his labors was Pottawattamie, Carroll and Pocahontas counties, lowa, in each of which be was en- gaged at farm labor. His residence in Rock county began in 1900. For ten years there- after he farmed rented land in Beaver Creek township. In the spring of 1910 he moved. on his present farm, which had come into his possession the year previous. Mr. Steff- en owns stock in the Farmers Elevator com- pany of Beaver Creek.
The marriage of William M. Steffen to Lena Ohm occurred in Pocahontas county, Jowa, June 26, 1901. Mrs. Steffen was born July 6, 1876, the daughter of Jorgen and Frances (Ehlers) Ohm, natives of Germany. To this union have been born the following children: John, born Aprit 16, 1902; Laura, born April 25, 1903; Annie, born May 23, 1905; William, born October 28, 1906; and Frank, born April 11, 1910. The family are members of the German Lutheran church.
FRANK FERGUSON (1883) is a member of the Luverne firm of Ferguson Bros. & Vincent, engaged in the real estate, farm loans and insurance business. He has been a resident of Rock county twenty-eight years. He is a native of Attica, Indiana, and was born September 29, 1865.
The parents of our subject are W. H. and Amanda (Leslie) Ferguson, natives of Som- erset, Ohio, and Attica, Indiana, respec- tively. From 1866 to 1883 the family lived in Illinois; then they came to Rock county, bought a farm and lived here several years. Afterwards Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson lived at Valley Springs, South Dakota, at Willow Springs, Missouri, and now are residents of Luverne. There are five living children in the family.
Frank Ferguson was a baby when the family moved from Attica, Indiana, to Illi- nois. The home was, respectively, at Maiseil- les, Fairbury, Forrest and Bellflower, and
in those places Frank received his educa- tion and grew to young manhood. He ac- companied his parents to Rock county in 1883, attended school two. years, and then engaged in teaching school, which was his occupation for sixteen years. Then, in part- nership with his brother, O. E. Ferguson, he engaged in the real estate business, buy- ing out A. P. Adams, who had founded the business fifteen years before. On March 1, 1909, the brothers admitted A. P. Vincent as a partner, and since that time the firm name has been Ferguson Bros. & Vincent.
At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war in 1898 Frank Ferguson assisted in the organization of a company at Luverne and he was chosen the company's first lieuten- ant. The company was mustered into the United States service in July, 1898, as com- pany G, of the Fifteenth Minnesota volun- teer infantry, and was in the service about ten months, being stationed at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, Camp Meade, Pennsylvania, and Camp Mckenzie, Georgia, heing mustered out of the service at the last named place March 27, 1899. Mr. Ferguson is a Mason and Woodman.
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JOHN ALINK (1879) is one of the early day settlers of Beaver Creek township, where he has passed all but the first two years of his life. He is a native Minnesotan and was born in Fillmore county December 16, 1876. His parents, Jacob and Dora (Brusse) Alink, were natives of Wisconsin and Holland, respectively. The paternal grandfather of our subject emigrated from Holland to the United States.
Jacob Alink journeyed from eastern Min- nesota to Rock county in the days of the grasshopper scourge. Undaunted, he pur- chased land at his own price, prepared it for cultivation, and in 1879 removed his family from Fillmore county via the over- land route. The land taken by the elder Mr. Alink is the same as that which his son John of this sketch now farms.
John was educated in the district schools and the public school at Beaver Creek. At the age of seventeen he commenced on a small scale to farm for himself. His father had died two years after settling in Rock county, in his thirty-first year, and as a re- sult much responsibility early devolved on
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the son. John bought the home quarter on section 17 in 1902, to which he added an adjoining quarter by purchase four years lat- er. He is now the owner of a productive half section of well-improved land. Mr. Alink raises considerable stock and general- ly maintains in his herd forty head of cat- tle, twelve horses and 125 hogs. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator com- pany of Beaver Creek.
Our subject was married in Beaver Creek township on December 16, 1903, to Frankie Chesley. Mrs. Alink is a native of Spring- water township.
SVEN KITTELSON (1881), a farmer of Rese Dell township, is a native of Allama- kee county, Iowa, where he was born Sep- tember 15, 1856. His parents, Kittel and Libbie (Espelie) Olson, came from Norway and at an early date settled in lowa.
Sven passed the first twenty-five years of his life in the county of his birth. There he was educated, and there he early engag- ed in agricultural pursuits. On arriving in Rock county thirty years ago, he bought the timber claim right to the southeast quarter of section 28, Rose Dell township. He work- ed out for several years, and then built on his farm, which has been his home to the present time, with the exception of five years when he lived on the northeast quar- ter of section 24, land he homesteaded and afterwards sold. Besides his home farm, Mr. Kittelson is the owner of 240 acres of fine land on sections 27 and 28, and also of a 200 acre farm in Grant county, Minnesota. He is an extensive breeder of high grade stock.
The marriage of Sven Kittelson to Annie K. Bingen was solemnized at Luverne in 1888. Annie K. Bingen was born in Nor- way February 20, 1860, the daughter of Kittel and Enger (Froland) Bingen, both de- ceased. The following four sons and four daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kittelson: Laura L., born July 18, 1889; Carl 1., born February 15, 1891; Enga S., born October 11, 1893; Clarence, born Sep- tember 19, 1895; Alma M., born November 11, 1897; Theodore O., born November 22, 1899; Albert A., born January 1, 1901; Sel- ma A., born May 1, 1905.
FREDERICK PAUSTIAN (1896) has been one of the prominent citizens and leading men of affairs in the town of Hardwick ever since the first year of the town's existence. Frederick Paustian and William Ross, the first banker of Hardwick, were the lead- ing spirits in perfecting the incorporation of the village of Hardwick. Many of the substantial buildings to be found in the town were erected by this loyal citizen and at one time he was the largest owner of real estate in the village.
Frederick Paustian is a native of Scott county, Iowa, and was born in a sod shanty on bis father's farm, fourteen miles from the city of Davenport, on October 15, 1853. He is the eldest son of Fred and Caristana (Roesh) Paustian, both natives of Holstein, Germany, who came to America at an early age. They were among the pioneers of Scott county and eastern lowa, having settled there in the early forties. That was their home up to the time of their death. In the Paustian family were twelve children, of whom nine are living.
Frederick continued to live on the old farm of his birth until his twenty-fourth . year. Then he married and for six years thereafter be farmed rented land in Scott county. At the end of that time he was able to buy the farm, which he retained for three years and then sold out. Leaving Scott county to go to the adjoining one of Cedar, he lived for several years on a farm near the town of Bennett, and at the end of that period moved to Bennett, where for one fall he threshed and then engaged in the real estate and cream business for about a year.
During the month of January, 1896, Mr. Paustian took up his residence in Rock county and in Hardwick, which has since been the scene of his fruitful activities. For seven years he conducted the hotel and saloon combined, which he disposed of and then built the saloon now owned by Hage- dorn Bros. This our subject conducted for three years and then for the same length of time he operated a billiard hall, bowling alley and confectionery in the substantial two-story brick building which he erected adjoining his other property. Since retir- ing from the last mentioned business in December, 1909, Mr. Paustian has been deal- ing to some extent in real estate with a
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view to engaging permanently in that bnsi- ness. He is at present conducting a first- class auto livery.
In Scott county, in April, 1881, Fred Paustian was wedded to Lena Suhl, also a native of Scott county. Mrs. Paustian was born in 1857 and died April 22, 1909. To these parents six children were born, two sons and four daughters, as follows: Emil, of Hardwick; Laura (Mrs. A. J. Hennings), of Akaska, South Dakota; Clara (Mrs. Will Mannegal), of Hardwick; Caroline, Littian and Alfred.
HEINRICH J. HEMME (1890) has been a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Den- ver township for the past twenty-one years. He was born on his father's farm in Han- over, Germany, on December 10, 1865. His father, Carl Hemme, was a farmer and a carpenter. His mother was Doris (West- hof) Hemme. Both parents died before Heinrich left the fatherland to come to the United States, which he did in 1873, at the age of eighteen years.
Mr. Hemme lived in Benton county, lowa, prior to making settlement in Rock county. In Iowa he followed agricultural pursuits and also worked at the carpenter's trade. The year of his arrival in Rock connty, 1890, he rented the southwest quarter of section 31, Denver township, of which he became the owner ten years later, and has farmed tbe land continuously since. Mr. Hemme is an extensive breeder, feeder and shipper of high grade stock. He owns stock in the Farmers Elevator company of Hardwick. He is one of the township's su- pervisors and a director of school district No. 49.
Our subject was married in Benton coun- ty, Iowa, on Jnly 3, 1888, to Anna Meyer, who was born in Clayton connty, Iowa, on June 2, 1868. Mrs. Hemme is the daughter of Ernst and Eliza (Strankmann) Meyer, natives of Germany. The following named five sons and the same number of daugh- ters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hem- me: Ernst, Lessette, Heinrich, Lizzie, Ag- nes, Willie, Elmer, Ida, Elfrieda and Ray- mond. Mr. Hemme and his family belong to the German Lutheran church. Frater- nally he is a member of the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. W. lodges.
C. J. MCCURDY (1885) is an enterprising farmer of Beaver Creek township, the own- er of the southwest quarter of section IS. He is a native of Illinois and was born in McLean county on the fifteenth of March, 1872. Both his father and mother, Simon McCurdy and Mary Ann (Hay) McCurdy, are living and make their home with our subject.
Mr. McCurdy's early life was spent in the county of his birth, and there he receiv- ed a common school education. At the age of thirteen, in 1885, with his parents, he departed from Illinois and journeyed to Rock county. For the first eighteen months the family were located on a farm a short distance west of Luverne, then moved to the northeast quarter of section 18, Beaver Creek township, land which the elder Mr. McCurdy bad bought. Our subject assisted in the management of the home farm until 1903, since which time he bas farmed for himself on the land described above, which he purchased the same year. Mr. MeCurdy is an extensive stock raiser. For three years past he has served as a director of school district No. 44. He is a member of the Beaver Creek Methodist church.
At Luverne, on September 17, 1902, C. J. McCurdy was married to Sophia Sand- stede, the daughter of John and Anna Sand- stede, the latter of whom survives her hus- band. Mrs. McCnrdy is a native German, born November 16, 1880, and came to this country in 1883. These parents have two children: Mabel, born Jnne 4, 1907, and Verna, born January 23, 1910.
OLE R. HOLVERSON (1880) is a young and progressive farmer of Hardwick, who has spent his entire life within Rock coun- ty's borders. He was born September 22, 1880, on his father's homestead in Mound township. He attended the district schools and until he was twenty-three years of age he was a valued assistant to his father in the operation of the home farm. In 1903 Ole commenced farming for himself on his present location. He owns the farm, which is located on section 36, Denver township, and is within the corporate limits of the village of Hardwick. His place has been improved and is up-to-date in every respect.
The parents of our subject are Rasmus
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and Lizzie (Thorson) Holverson, the former a native of Norway and the latter of Fay- ette county, lowa. The worthy couple were among the first to settle in Mound town- ship in the early seventies, and on the old homestead, the northeast quarter of sec- tion 12, they still make their home, Mr. Holvorson at the age of sixty-three and his wife four years younger. 'They are the par- ents of the following ten children: Hen- ry, Theodore, Ole R., Lizzie, Willie, Hattie, Alfred, Lillian, Stella and Leonard.
Ole R. Holverson was united in marriage at the home of his father September 21, 1904, to Eda Smith, who was born near Northfield, Minnesota, February 9, 1884. She is the daughter of Julius Smith, of Trosky. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs, Holverson: Clarence, on Oc- tober 26, 1905, and Esther, on June 25, 1910. Mr. Holverson holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
JASPER CHRISTENSEN (1891) is the owner of one of Kanaranzi township's most thoroughly improved farms and is one of the precinct's most progressive agricultur- ists and stock raisers. He is a native of Kolding, Denmark, where he was born Oc- tober 2, 1870. His parents, Mads and Sopl- ia (Peterson) Christensen, are both de- ceased, the former having died in the old country in 1891 and the mother in 1902.
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