USA > Minnesota > Rock County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 79
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 79
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James was educated in the district schools of his native county and resided on the home farm until after his twentieth birthday Then he went to LaSalle coun- ty, Illinois, worked out on farms two years, then rented land and commenced farming on his own account. He moved from Illinois to Sioux county, Iowa, and farmed near Rock Valley for a number of years. llis advent to Rock county was in 1888. In the spring of that year he locat- ed in Clinton township there
and he continued his occupation of farming. Buy- ing three-quarters of a section of land in Murray county, he moved thereon, im- proved the place, and finally sold in 1897 to become the owner of his present Battle l'lain township farm. That he rented out, and the following year Mr. Varah journey- od to the gold fields of Alaska, then open- ing up. He remained in the northern conn- try three years and met with considerable success in his ventures.
Our subject returned to the states and to Rock county in 1901. For two years he worked at the carpenter's trade in Lu- vorne and in the fall of 1903 he located on, and has since resided on, his Battle Plain township farm, which is rapidly being im- proved. Mr. Varah owns stock in three
co-operative concerns: the South Dakota Rural Telephone company, the Farmers Elevator company of Harwick, and the In- dependent Harvester company of Plano, Illinois. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen lodge.
James E. Varah has been twice married. His marriage to Elizabeth Murphy occur- red at Odell, Illinois, February 6, 1882. Mrs. Varah died six months later. In Lyon county, Iowa, on September 28, 1887, he was married to Anna Oestreich, a native of Clayton county, Iowa. She was born on Christmas day, 1869, the daughter of Wil- liam and Rosalie (Adler) Oestreich, na- tives of Germany. William Oestreich now resides at Marshall. His wife died Jan- uary 3, 1910.
ANDREW J. TANGEMANN (1903) is a prominent merchant of Beaver Creek. He was horn in Benton county, Iowa, March 19, 1866, and is the second oldest in a fam- ily of six children whose parents were Au- gust and Henrietta (Meyer) Tangemann, natives of Ohio and Germany, respectively. The mother died thirty-two years ago and the father in December, 1909.
At the age of four years Andrew moved with his parents to Allamakee county, lowa, where he received a common school education. On leaving school he commenc- ed working for his father in the latter's flour mill. The elder Mr. Tangemann was also the owner of a saw mill, of which An- drew assumed complete management at the age of sixteen. After nine years of con- tinuous service with his father he entered the employ of the home creamery as a butter maker. At the age of twenty-nine years, with a thousand dollars capital, Mr. Tangemann moved to Vivian, Minnesota, and established a general mercantile bus- iness, which he successfully conducted for nearly eight years. On selling out in 1903, lie went to Beaver Creek and purchased the George Chisholm stock of general merchandise and a two-story building, into which he moved the stock. He disposed of the business at the end of three years and moved to Ellsworth, Minnesota, where he remained eight months. He then re-en- gagod in the mercantile business at Hud- son, South Dakota, but after a year moved
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the stock of goods to Lester, Iowa. He finally traded the business for a half sec- tion of land in Pipestone county and then returned to Beaver Creek, hought back the store he had sold three years previous, and since then has built up a prosperous bus- iness. He carries an $8000 stock of staple merchandise. Our subject is a member of the A. O. U. W. lodge.
In Allamakee county, Iowa, March 12, 1891, Mr. Tangemann was united in mar- riage to Julia Bratsberg, a native of North McGregor, Iowa, where she was horn Oc- tober 5, 1869. Mrs. Tangemann is the daughter of John and Inga Bratsberg, both natives of Norway. John Bratsberg died fifteen years ago; his wife lives with a daughter, Mrs. J. L. Parrott, of Mobridge, South Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Tangemann have two children: Verra H., a student at Carleton college, horn February 13, 1892, and Arthur J., horn February 23, 1896.
BEN HOVEN (1881) is a Rock county resident of thirty years standing and is one of the successful farmers of Vienna township. He owns the northwest quar- ter of section 1, which has developed through his efforts from a treeless prairie tract, boasting only a few old, worn-out buildings and sheds, to one of the finely improved farms of the precinct, with an elegant farm residence and commodious barns. He was born in northern Norway on October 15, 1861, the son of Henry and Gertie (Kittelson) Hoven. The former parent, a farmer by occupation, died in 1890; the mother still resides in Norway.
Ben was brought up on his father's farm in the old country, which he left in 1880, at the age of eighteen, to come to Ameri- ca. He lived for part of a year with an uncle in Emmett county, Iowa; then in April, 1881, he began his career in Rock county. For seventeen years he was em- ployed on many of the leading farms in the county, for the most part in the town- ships of Magnolia, Beaver Creek and Lu- verne, and had among others as employers L. M. Fogg, ex-Sheriff Gillham, John Michelson and George B. Huntington. He became the owner of his present farm in October, 1897, and has lived on it since the spring following the date mentioned.
Mr. Hoven is an extensive breeder of high grade stock. He belongs lo the Norwegian Lutheran church of Kenneth.
In Luverne, on October 18, 1895, Ben Hoven was married to Carrie Johnson, who was born in Norway August 4, 1873, and came to the United States two years previous to her marriage. Of the five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoven, two have died: Gilbert, born September 21, 1900, died April 21, 1901, and Gena, born January 23, 1902, died March 22, 1903. The living children are: Harry, born January 27, 1896; Josie, born Decem- ber 11, 1897; and Gilbert, born March 29, 1905.
EDWARD C. SCHWARTZ (1886) has been the city recorder of Luverne since 1896 and is engaged in the tinning and lieating business. He is a native Minne- sotan, born at Rochester May 24, 1866, and is the son of William and Catherine (Glasow) Schwartz, who came to this conn- try from Germany in childhood. They are now residents of Sargent, Mower county, Minnesota.
Edward was educated in the Rochester high school and for one term was a stu- dent at Miles college in the same city. After school days he learned the trade of tinner under A. T. Stehbens, now a state senator. He was twenty years of age when he first went to Luverne. He re- mained one year, was married, and then located at Zumbrota, Minnesota, where he carried on his trade. His next move was to Yankton, South Dakota, at which place he was engaged in the hardware and tin- ning business for two years; then for the same length of time he was located at Sioux City. In December, 1893, Mr. Schwartz returned to Luverne and has continued to make it his home. Until . two years ago he was in the hardware business; now he devotes his entire atten- tion to tinnng and heating. He has made an enviable record as the city recorder.
In lodge circles Mr. Schwartz has always been an active worker. For the past fifteen years he has been the clerk of the local lodge of the M. W. A. and is also the noble grand of the subordinate lodge in the I. O. O. F. He is a Patriarch
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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.
Militant, the highest degree attainable in Odd Fellowship and is the commandant.
Our subject was married in Luverne on November 10, 1887, to Estella E. McGee, the daughter of William E. and Mary E. McGee. She was born in Farmer City, Illinois, October 26, 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz have two living children: Nina, born at Sioux City April 29, 1892, and Eu- gene, born at Luverne September 5, 1899.
GILBERT J. QUALLEY (1880) is one of Rock county's native sons, who has achiev- ed success in his chosen vocation. The son of those early day Norwegian settlers, George G. and Julia A. (Reste) Qualley, he was born May 26, 1880.
On his father's Denver township farm Gil- bert passed his youth, and at the near hy district school he received his education He commenced doing the work of a man at the age of fifteen and worked out as a hired hand for a number of years. At the age of twenty he rented land and com- menced farming on his own account. For two years he was a resident and farmer of Lyon county, Minnesota, but returned to the county of his hirth, and since 1907 has farmed the northeast quarter of section S, Martin township, land which he rents from his father. Mr. Qualley is a director of school district No. 9 and is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
Onr subject was married at Luverne on September 30, 1902, to Clara Belle Streator, who was born September 8, 1884. She is the daughter of Richard and Luthnia (Judd) Sircator, who homesteaded in the vicinity of Kenneth and are now residents of that village. To Mr. and Mrs. Qualley have been born the following three children: Gilma E., bern September 25, 1903; George W., born October 1, 1905; and Ethel J., born March 12, 1908. The last named child died the day of her birth.
W. A. JOHNSON (1890), a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Luverne township, who owns the northwest quarter of section 4, first saw the light of day in Sandusky, Ohio, Angust 19, 1854. Ilis mother, Char- lotte (Johnson) Johnson, a nativo of Ire- land, died when our subject was a child.
The father, William Johnson, horn in New York, is also dead, having passed away in Meeker county, Minnesota, some twenty- three years ago.
When a child, Mr. Johnson of this bio graphy accompanied his father to Wiscon- sin. The family remained there only a short time, moving to LaPorte county, In- diana, where for a number of years he lived with a brother. At the tender age of twelve our subject started to carve ont his own fortune. In 1867 he journed alone to Fulton county, Illinois, where he was employed on a farmi for a year. In McLean county, of the same state, he settled down for a period of more than twenty years. Aft. er growing to manhood he worked for a number of years at farm labor and at var- ions other occupations, by the day and by the month, anyway to get along. In 1885 he rented a farm which he conducted for five years, or until 1890, the date of his arrival to Rock county. He first located on section 17, Luverne township, and five years later moved to a rented farm in Battle Plain township, which was his home for six years. Having bought an eighty acre farm in Meeker county, Minnesota, he moved there in 1901 and worked the place for the next four years. At the end of that period he returned to Rock county, bought his present farm, and has successfully con- ducted it to the present date.
The marriage of Mr. Johnson to Mary R. Arnold was solemnized February 22, 1888, at Cooksville, McLean county, Illinois. Mrs. Johnson was born in Wabash, Indiana, No- vember 27, 1864, and is the daughter of .Jo- seph D. and Catherine J. Arnold, both de- ceased, the former having died in 1890 and his wife in 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have the following children: Edna Pearl, born December 19, 1888; Harry W., born March 29. 1891; Elmo R., born September 23, 1893; Irl W., born April 19, 1896.
Mr. Johnson has served as clerk of school district No. 10 ever since his return from Moeker county. For six years previous he was clerk of district No. 50. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge of Luverne.
GEORGE BLEEKER (1890), one of the prosperous farmers of Kanaranzi township, is a native of Germany, where he was born,
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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.
in Osfresland, on November 6, 1866. When five years of age he accompanied his par- ents, Everet and Annie (Heikens) Bleeker, on the long journey to America. The moth- er of our subject died in Renville, Minne- sota, at the age of sixty-four years. The father, now sixty-nine years old, is still a resident of that place.
The family's home for the first two years after the arrival in the new world was at Pekin, Illinois. Then a move was made to Grundy county, Iowa, and in that locality George Bleeker passed his youth and early manhood. In 1890, after having worked for a year in Dickenson county, lowa, he made his advent to Rock county. For three years he worked out on different farms, then set up in farming for himself on a rented place. In 1902 he hought his own piece of land, the northwest quarter of section 18, Kan- aranzi township, which he has improved and where he has since made his home. On November 28, 1910, Mr. Bleeker purchased two hundred acres of land near Willow Lakes, in Clark county, South Dakota, for which he paid $70 per acre. He is a mem. ber of the Presbyterian church and at the . present writing is a director of the same. He was a member of the board the first three years of its organization.
Mr. Bleeker's marriage to Annie Nutt- bruck, of Lennox, South Dakota, took place in Lyon county, Iowa, January 13, 1899. To them the following named three children have been born: Tena, on February 20, 1901; Geerty, on January 13, 1903; and Ilarm, on January 4, 1904.
DUANE A. HULETT (1872), one of the proprietors of the West Side Automobile company, was born in Oswego county, New York, January 21, 1867, being the eldest son of Almon O. and Ann (Lounsberry) H11- lett. They were pioneer residents of Rock county, emigrating from New York and locating on a homestead in Beaver Creek township when the subject of our sketch was only five years of age. Mr. Hulett's ancestry dates back to colonial days, he heing a descendant of the lluletts who took a prominent part in the life and strug- gles of the eighteenth century. A number of his ancestors were veterans of the revo- lutionary war, his grandfather was a sol-
dier in the war of 1812, and his father served in the civil war.
Mr. Hulett spent the early years of his life with his parents on the farm, secur- ing an education such as those pioneer days afforded and giving his spare time to the study of machinery. December 4, 1889, he was married to Mary Snook, also a resident of Rock county and a daughter of J. L. Snook, Sr. Of this union four children were born, namely, Glenn, Leslie, Reva and Gor- don.
In the spring of 1891 Mr. Hulett moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where he worked at the machinist's trade. Returning to Rock county the following year, he devot- ed five years to farming and threshing. In 1897 he formed a partnership with H. M. Young, of Sheldon, Iowa, where for two years they conducted a general repair and machine shop, returning to Luverne in the fall of 1899.
On October 1, 1909, Mr. Hulett engaged in the automobile repair business, and the following year there was organized the West Side Automobile company, composed of D. A. Hulett, S. B. Hulett and S. W. Rose. The firm conducts a garage on West Main street and has the agency for the fol- lowing cars: E. M. F. 30, Flanders 20 and Parry car.
EMMET E. RAYMOND (1883) owns and farms the southeast quarter of section 32, Rose Dell township, and has been a Rock county resident for twenty-eight years. He was born in Branch county, Michigan, on November 1, 1854, and was reared on his father's farm in that county, acquiring an education in the district schools of his home precinct. He is the son of Volney and So- phia (Mitchell) Raymond, both natives of New York.
Emmet E. Raymond of this review started in life for himself at the age of twenty- one. He was for eight years engaged in farming in Tama county, Iowa, whence he came to Rock county in 1883. At that time he bought his present farm property, upon which he has ever since resided, with the exception of four years spent in Lu- verne. Mr. Raymond raises considerable stock and has exceptionally excellent horses. He served for ten years as a mem-
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ber of the board of directors of his school district. He is a stockholder in the Inde- pendent Harvester company of Plano, Illi- nois.
In Blackhawk county, lowa, on December 12, 1883, Emmet E. Raymond was united in marriage to Clara E. Nelson, the daugh- ter of Engene and Elizabeth (Fairborn) Nel- son, both of English birth. Mrs. Raymond was born near Freeport, Illinois, on April 20, 1864. To these parents have been born a son and a daughter, Jessie May (Mrs. A. M. Godby), of Sherman, South Dakota, and Vernie H., a farmer in Springwater town- ship.
JAMES A. KNOWLTON (1887) is in the service of Uncle Sam in the capacity of rural mail carrier on ronte No. 1 out of Kenneth. He was born September 13, 1874, in Dane county, Wisconsin, and is the son of T. E. Knowlton and Margery (Bethel) Knowlton, natives of New York and Penn- sylvania, respectively. For the past seven years they have been among the respected residents of Kenneth. Six children, all living, have been bern to Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Knowlton: Jennie (Mrs. Frank Church), of Nobles county; Frank, of Lu- verne; Alfred, James A., Grant and Ed., all of Kenneth.
At the age of twelve James Knowlton moved with his parents to Rock county, and for a year the family lived on a farm one mile south of Magnolia, then locating in Nobles county, on section 19, Lismore township. Until he had attained his ma- jority, our subject lived on the home farm and attended the district schools. At the age of twenty-one he began farming for himself in Lismore township, and continued in the occupation until 1905, the date of his settling in Kenneth. For two years he was associated with his father and brother Grant in the hardware and implement business under the firm name of T. E. Knowlton & Sons. On disposing of his interest to his brother, he became landlord of the Kenneth hotel. In June. 1907, Mr. Knowlton re- ceived his appointment as rural mail carrier and has continued in the service up to date.
In Luverne, on October 25, 1898, Mr. Knowlton was joined in marriage to Anna
Obele, a native of Mankato, Minnesota, where she was born February 6, 1880. They have five living children: James L., Lillian, Margery, Thomas and a baby girl. The eldest son, Vivian, died in infancy. Mr. Knowlton has served as clerk of the vil- lage school district since 1908. He is af- filiated with the M. W. A. lodge of Mag- nolia.
P. D. WHYTE (1906), physician and sur- geou, who is successfully engaged in the practice of his profession at Hardwick, has won for himself a reputation that classes him among the leading physicians of the county. He is yet a young man, but his years are no limit to his ability, and the exercise of his talents in the future will un doubtedly bring him still greater success.
Dr. Whyte is a native of Canada and was born at Loho, Ontario, April 28, 1874. He lived in his native country twenty years. His early education was supplemented by high school training in the Strathroy Col. legiate institute. When fourteen years of age he entered the drug business of Dr. William Saunders, the celebrated chief of the Canadian Agricultural department, who was his preceptor, and in whose employ he remained five years, a sufficient time to acquire a complete knowledge of the drug business. A year later he crossed the Canadian border and located in Chi- cago, where for four years the was the acting manager of a retail drug store. In 1898 our subject matriculated at the medi- cal college of the university of Illinois, from which he was graduated in 1902. Aft- er serving as an interne in the Kedzie & Northwestern hospital of Chicago for a year and a half, he practiced for awhile in the city and then moved to Goodhue, Min- nesota, where he resided and practiced his profession until 1906, the date of his arrival in Hardwick, where he has since built up a large and Incrative practice.
Dr. Whyte is the son of Peter and Chris- tina (McMurphy) Whyte, natives of Scotland who went to Canada with their parents when children and settled near London, On- tario, and where they both died. They were the parents of four children, as follows: Lillie, Annie, Tina and Peter D., the sub- ject of this review.
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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.
At London, Ontario, on November 14, 1893, Dr. Whyte was married to Bertha Hodges, a native of that city and the daughter of George and Anna Hodges, of English birth. Two children have blessed this union, Dor- othy, born June 9, 1895, and Frank, born March 11, 1899. The doctor has served as county coroner, having been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Dr. S. J. Fros- haug, of Hills. He is president of the village board of health, is a member of the Southwestern Minnesota Medical society and of the Sioux Valley Medical association and belongs to the I. O. O. F. and Maccabee lodges.
HERMAN HEMME (1893), a farmer and stock raiser of Rose Dell township, has been for eighteen years a resident of the United States, and that entire period has been passed in Rock county. He was born in Hanover, Germany, on the first day of Feb- ruary, 1879, the son of Henry and Lena (Koester) Hemme.
Our subject was born on a farm and de- parted from the fatherland to come to the United States at the age of fourteen. He was accompanied on the journey by his sister, Dora, and on landing at the metrop- olis they came at once to Rock county, where two brothers and a sister had pre- ceded them. For fifteen years Herman worked out on different farms; then in 1908 he bought the southeast quarter of section 23, Rose Dell township, which he has since tarmed. His wife is the owner of the south- east quarter of section 23, upon which the family home is made. All the land is thor- oughly improved.
Mr. Hemme is a successful breeder of Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He is secretary of the Farmers Elevator company of Hardwick and is a member of the German Lutheran church and the I. O. O. F. lodge. He is musically in- clined and is the director of the Denver Cornet hand and has been a member of var- ious other bands in the adjoining towns.
At Luverne, on March 3, 1903, our sub- ject was married to Doris Piepgras, the daughter of Peter J. and Mary (Grawart) Piepgras, of Luverne. She was born in Benton county, Towa, on February 23, 1885. Three children have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. Hemme, as follows: Alfred l'., born August 1, 1904; Herbert H., born July 15, 1907; and Eldo, born November 17, 1909.
WILLIAM JACOBSEN, JR., (1879), cash- ier of the First National Bank of Luverne, is a native of Rock county's capital and the son of one of that city's pioneer and promi- nent men of affairs, the late William Jacob- sen, who died in August, 1905. His mother, Milla C. (Erickson) Jacobsen, is still a resident of Luverne. Besides our subject there are six other children living who were born to these parents. They are Effie (Mrs. C. H. Christopherson), of Luverne; Dr. Leonard, of Seattle, Washington; Wal- ter, of Howard, South Dakota; Nora, Jessie and Milton.
The date of the birth of William Jacob- sen, Jr., is September 24, 1879. He was graduated from the Luverne high school with the class of 1897, after which he was a student in an Iowa college and also in a Minneapolis business school. He entered the employ of the First National Bank of which his father was for many years the president, in 1898 as a clerk and stenogra- pher. Five years later he was made the assistant cashier and after the death of William Jacobsen he was elevated to the cashiership. At the same time the de- ceased president was succeeded by A. D. LaDue.
In Minneapolis, on October 4, 1905, the subject of this review was united in mar- riage to Blanche E. Garlick, a native of Winona. To this union have been born two children : William Horton and Milla Kara.
GEORGE WOLF (1905) is the proprie. tor of the "Evergreen Farm," located on the northwest quarter of section 21, Mound township, upon which he has maintained a continuous residence since coming to the county in 1905. Our subject is the son of John and Catherine (Holzinger) Wolf, both natives of Germany. John Wolf came to this country in 1852 and located in Illinois, where he died in 1884, at the age of sixty- three years. His wife is still living.
On his father's farm in Henry county, Illinois, George Wolf of this sketch was born October 31, 1861. He was educated
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in that county, which continued to be his home until coming to Rock county in 1905. He commenced farming at the age of twen- ty-two and lived at home for twelve years after that, until his marriage in 1896. He had bought his present Mound township farm in 1902, three years before moving on the place. Mr. Wolf is responsible for the many extensive improvements found on the farm, which is rated second to none in the precinct. He has been unusually successful as a breeder of high grade stock.
At Leon, Whiteside county, Illinois, on November 25, 1896, George Wolf was mar- ried to Mattie M. Drain, who was born in the county of her marriage in 1868. The first child born to this union was George M., who was born November 13, 1897, and died at the age of eleven months. The six liv- ing children are: Willard, born Febrnary 16, 1899; Earl, born March 25, 1900; May, born May 14, 1901; Floyd and Lloyd, twins, born July 30, 1905; and Teddy, born Decem- ber 17, 1907. Mr. Wolf and family are mem- bers of the Evangelical church. Our snb- ject has been the treasurer of school dis- trict No. 59 since 1907.
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