USA > Minnesota > Rock County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 81
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 81
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ALBERT D. SMITH (1905), proprietor of the creameries at Hardwick and Edger. ton, is a native of the Badger state, and was born in Otter Creek, Eau Claire county, August 10, 1870. He is the son of Seth and Ann (Vosser) Smith, natives of New York and Ireland, respectively. They settled in Wisconsin in the early fifties, where they both died.
Albert D. Smith was reared on his fath- er's farm and attended the district school near by. His later education was received at the Augusta (Wisconsin) high school. In 1891 he enrolled in the dairy school of the Wisconsin state school of agriculture and there learned the butter-maker's trade. For a year thereafter he was employed in a cheese factory in Outagamie county, Wis- consin; then he established a creamery in his native town of Otter Creek, which he conducted until 1894. On selling out .he moved to Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and was employed at his trade there five years. During the following year he was in Michi- gan; then, after a time spent in Springfield, Wisconsin, he became a resident of Minne- sofa. He built and operated the creamery af Wihnout for three years and in 1905 mov- od to Hardwiek and bought the local cream- ery, which has been closed for some time previous. He has installed the latest and most practical equipment and machinery and en- joys a large patronage. He engages exten- sively in the manufacture of ice eream. Two years ago he came into possession of the creamery at Edgerton, which he con- trols from the headquarters at Hardwick.
Mr. Smith was united in marriage in Ot-
ter Creek, Wisconsin, on October 8, 1895, to Aura Crow, a native of that place, born October 15, 1870. They are the parents of one child, Marion, born at Elkhorn, Wis- consin, October 17, 1896. Mr. Smith holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
ALBERT D. PARKER (1901) is cashier of the Kenneth State Bank and has held that position since the organization of the institution. He was born in Crawford coun- ty, Wisconsin, September 3, 1875. When a two year old child Albert moved with his parents to Lincoln county, South Dakota, and on his father's farm lived until after his twentieth year. His elementary educa- tion was continued with a two years' course in the Baptist college of Sioux Falls and by a year spent as a student in the Sioux Falls Business college. At the age of twen- ty Mr. Parker commenced his business career by engaging in the general mercan- tile business at Harrisburg, South Dakota. He conducted that business until 1901, when he disposed of his property and moved to Kenneth, which has since been his home.
The Kenneth State Bank was established as a private institution in 1902 by R. B. Hinkly and C. J. Martin and had as offi- cers: R. B. Hinkly, president ; C. J. Martin, vice president; A. D. Parker, cashier. In August, 1903, Mr. Parker and Andrew Mess- ner bought out the original owners and conducted the institution as a private bank until July, 1907, when it was incorporated as the Kenneth State Bank. The present officers are: Andrew Messner, president ; B. Holverson, vice president: Albert D. Parker, cashier; John Engebretson, as- sistant cashier. These officers, together with Kittel Olson, constitute the board of directors. The bank is capitalized for $12,- 000 and does a general banking, loan, real estate and insurance business.
Albert Parker is the son of Albert M. and Charlotte (Dunning) Parker, residents of Granite, Iowa. He was married in Lin- coln county, South Dakota, December 9, 1896, to Lillie Messner, a native of that county, born November 27, 1876. They are the parents of three children: Inez, Al- bert and Oliver. Mr. Parker has served as
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a member of the school board for the past six years and is the present township treasurer. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge.
RUFUS J. STEPHEN (1882), the proprie- tor of the City meat market, has been a resi- dent of Luverne for nearly thirty years. He was born near Logansport, Indiana, Febru- ary 15, 1861, and is the fourth in a family of seven children whose parents were Thom- as and Nancy (Dodds) Stephen, the for- mer a native of Ohio and the latter of Irish descent. They were early day settlers in the timber country of Cass county, Indiana, and there Thomas Stephen died on June S, 1902, at the age of seventy-two years. His wife still lives in Indiana with a daughter and has passed her eighty-ninth birthday. The children in the Stephen family beside Rufus J. are Jeannie, Emma (deceased), David, Edward, Nan and Irene.
Ruťus was educated in the district schools and lived with his parents on the Indiana farm until arriving at his majority. He worked for a year in a butcher shop in Logansport before going to Luverne in March, 1882. He entered the employ of his brother, David Stephen, of the firm of Stephen & Gothel, butchers, and remained with them until their business was wiped out by fire. He then commenced work in the shop of Mike Mead, whom he bought out, taking possession of the business June 1, 1885. From that day to this the City meat market has been conducted by Mr. Stephen.
The meat market is located in the Ar- cade building, one of the city's finest and most artistically designed business blocks, and is finished with native red stone from the Blue mounds. This building was erect- ed in 1892 by Mr. Stephen in company with Albert Barck. His place of business oc- cupies the lower west portion of the build- ing and his residence is on the second floor.
Our subject was married in Luverne on December 19, 18SS, to Emma Minard, who was born in Pembrooke, Canada, and who is the daughter of William Minard (de- ceased ), one of the pioneers of Rock connty. Her mother, Hannah (Dickson) Minard, lives with a daughter in Deadwood, South
Dakota. To Mr. and Mrs. Stephen have been horn two children: Hazel, on Febru- ary 16, 1890, and Clyde, on October 27, 1891.
Mr. Stephen holds membership in the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pytbias orders. He has filled all the chairs in the former lodge.
SEVER HAUGNESS (1893) owns and farms the east half of section 29, Rose Dell township. A native of Hardanger, Norway, his birth occurred on the second of Oc- tober, 1867. He grew to manhood on the small farm of his parents, John and Eng- leiv (Skjeie) Haugness, and was educated in the country schools of his native land.
At the age of twenty-one Sever with his brother John set sail from the Norwegian vales for America, the land of possibilities. Our subject first located at Lansing, Iowa, where he was employed for a number of years by a gentleman named Gilbert Hang. In summer he was a fisherman on the Mis- sissippi river, and in the colder seasons labored in the pineries. In 1893 he made settlement in Rock county, buying at the time, in partnership with his brother John, eighty acres on section 29, Rose Dell. The Haugness brothers built a small house and commenced farming in a limited manner. Two years later they added another eighty acres to their original holding, and in 1900 they purchased the northeast quarter of the same section. John Haugness died in 1897 and his share of the land reverted to his brother. who is now the sole owner of a well improved half section of land. Mr. Haugness owns stock in three farmers' co- operative establishments of Jasper, the ele- vator, the store and the creamery.
On the sixth of January, 1903, Sever Hangness took to wife Benta Sponheim, the daughter of Sjur and Johanna (Wam- ben) Sponheim, both of whom are living in Norway. In that country, on November 17, 1883, Mrs. Haugness was born, and she was nineteen years of age on her arrival to this country. The following four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Haugness: Svare J., born May 20, 1904; Engvald J., born December 8, 1905: Emma J., born Septem- ber 7, 1907; Milla S., born August 10, 1909. The family are members of the United Nor- wegian Lutheran church.
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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPILIES.
JOHN PEDERSON (1888) is a well known farmer of northwest Springwater township. His nativity occurred in Soler, Norway, on the tenth of September, 1869. The parents of our subpect were John and Gertu (Nel- son) Pederson. The former died in the old country, where the mother still resides. She came to America in 1887, but in 1908 returned to her native Norway to spend her declining years.
John was reared on the small farm of his father in Norway and received a com- mon school education there. At the age of nineteen lie made the long trip to America all alone, and on arriving at New York came direct to Rock county and Beaver Creek township. He worked out by the month on various farms until commencing to farm for himself in 1896. He has rented and lived on his present place, the north- west quarter of section 2, range 47, since 1905.
The marriage of John Pederson to Olivia Halvorson was solemnized in Lnverne on December 18, 1900. Mrs. Pederson was born in Norway in 1872. To this union have been born two sons: Carl G., born Jannary 19, 1904, and Clarence O., born May 5, 1908.
ELLEN (CHAPMAN) JACOBS (1881) is the widow of George Jacobs, for more than a quarter of a century a prominent Luverne township farmer, whose decease occurred December 28, 1909. Mrs. Jacobs is a na- tive of Vermont, and was born December 27, 1843, the daughter of Isaac and . Pauline (Daggett) Chapman, who came from old Vermont stock.
Isaac Chapman with his family left the Green Mountain state to go to Wisconsin in 1862. For a year they resided in Madi son, then moved to St. Croix county, where the father bought land and engaged in farm- ing. Our subject lived with her parents until her marriage to George Jacobs, which was solemnized at Worthington March 25. 1881. Mr. Jacobs was born the tenth ot January, 1825. Immediately after their mar- riage, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs began their happy wedded life in Rock county, to be first interrupted after twenty-eight years, by the grim reaper's summons to the faithful husband.
On coming to Rock county, Mr. Jacobs became the owner of the whole of section 9 and the west half of the southwest quarter of section 20, Luverne township. In 1890 he disposed of the north half of section 19 but his widow holds title to the remainder of the original estate, over 400 acres of fine- ly improved land.
CHARLIE HILL (1890) bought the home- stead right to the southwest quarter of sec- tion 10, Denver township in March, 1890, and that has since been his home. Not a tree or a building was to be found on the place when it came into Hr. Hill's posses- sion, but today the observer is struck with a different condition and beholds one of the thoroughly improved farms of the precinet. Mr. Hill was a director of school district No. 54 for twelve years prior to 1908, when he was elected to the office of clerk.
The subject of this biography is a native of Pommern, Germany, and was born Febru- ary 6, 1861, a son of William and Wilhelmina (Kruger) Hill. The father is still living in Wisconsin and is in his eighty-fourth year, but his mother died in 1900 and was sixty- six years old at the time. Charlie was edu- cated in the country schools of his native land. At the age of fourteen he commenced working as a shoemaker, but the year fol- lowing he immigrated to America with his parents. That was in the year 1876. The family lived in Chicago two years, and there he worked for most of that time in a brick yard. Settlement was then made in Rock county, Wisconsin. After pursuing an agri- cultural career of twelve years, Mr. Hill departed from Rock county, Wisconsin, to come to Rock county, Minnesota, where he has reaped many a bountiful harvest. He owns stock in the Farmers Elevator con- pany of Hardwiek.
Ou August 22, 1888, in Janesville, Wiscon- sin, our subject was married to Carrie Olson, the danghter of Peter Peterson, and a native of Dane county, Wisconsin, where on April 17, 1864, she was born. To Mr. and Mrs. Hill have been born ten children: Amanda, born January 21, 1890; Lilly, born October 5, 1891; Emma, born June 19, 1893; Carrie, born April 30, 1895; Hettie, born November 11, 1896; Alma, horn October 25, 1898; Freada, born July 28, 1901; George,
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born February 27, 1903; Mabel, born Jan- uary 6, 1904; and Elda, born November 6, 1905.
W. E. E. GREENE (1891), the well known architect and contractor of Luverne, is a native of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, where he was born June 3, 1861. He lived in the county of his birth and attend- ed a select school until after his sixteenth year; then, in the spring of 1878, he went to Scott county, lowa, where he was engaged in teaching school for three years. He re- turned to Pennsylvania for a year, then came west again and located at Sioux Falls. There he worked at the carpenter's trade, which he had learned from his fath- er, and did some contracting. Since 1891 he has been a resident of Luverne.
From the start he has conducted a succes- cessful contracting and drafting business. For the past twelve years he has also been engaged in the plumbing and heating busi- ness. In 1907 Mr. Greene admitted George Delate into partnership in the conduct of the plumbing business, a union which still exists under the firm name of Greene & De- late. In 1910 the firm moved into an ele- gant pressed brick building they erected that spring. Many of the principal build- ings in Luverne have been planned and their construction superintended by Mr. Greene, among them the Manitou hotel, Car- negie library and the county jail. He has also designed many of the best buildings in Worthington, Jackson and other towns and cities in this section of the state.
Our subject is the son of Henry S. Greene, a contractor and a native of Ver- mont. He married Louisa Houck a Penn- sylvanian by birth, and from the time of their marriage they made their home in Newburg, Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. The father died in 1891, at the age of sev- enty-six years. The mother is still living at the old home and is in her eighty-second year. Henry S. and Louisa Greene were the parents of eight children, of whom W. E. E. Greene of this sketch is the sixth. The eldest son, Milton, and the two oldest daugh- ters, Mary and Martha, are dead. The liv- ing children besides our subject are: Fran- ces M. (Mrs. Hillary Chilcote), of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas; Eugene H., of Kansas
City, Missouri; A. V., of Rack Rapids, Iowa; and Aden S., of Pennsylvania.
In Flandreau, South Dakota, in Septem- ber, 1884, Mr. Greene was married to Louisa J. Steinfeldt, who was born in Wisconsin and who is the daughter of Henry Stein- feldt. Mr. and Mrs. Greene are the parents of the following named children: Inde L. (Mrs. E. A. Thiel), of Pierre, South Da- kota; Henry S., a student at the university of Minnesota; Milton M., Dorris S. and Carroll.
Mr. Greene is a member of the M. W. A. and K. P. lodges. He owns business and residence property in Luverne.
NERI NERISON (1885) is a progressive Martin township farmer who owns the southeast quarter of section 23 and also eigh- ty acres of section 35. Norway is his native land and he was born in Boe Telsmarken November 24, 1870. His father, Anund Neri- son, was horn January 16, 1835, and died February 6, 1908, at the age of seventy- three years. His mother, Kari (Kittelson) Nerison, has been deceased since Febru- ary 16, 1890. She was born April 27, 1837.
Neri Nerison of this review was brought up on a farm and educated in the common schools of Norway, which continued to be his home until attaining the age of four- teen years. He came to the United States and direct to Rock county with his par- ents in 1885, they arriving at their desti- nation on May 30. Soon after settling in Rock county Neri was confirmed. For the first four years he worked out on the farm of his cousin, Jake Nerison, in Martin township. Then for six years he farmed 204 acres which he had bought just over the line in Lyon county, Iowa. After quitting the Lyon county farm, for several years he worked at the carpenter trade during the summers and operated a threshing rig during the harvest seasons.
He disposed of his original holdings in Lyon county, but soon after invested in a quarter section adjoining his former land on the south and this he rented out for a number of years or until he sold the piece in 1902. The fall of the preceding year he came into possession of his present holding on section 23, Martin township. Aft- er his second marriage in 1901 he rented
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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.
the Goodman Anderson farm and conduc- ted it for two years, then moved on to his own land, where he continues to reside and prosper.
Mr. Nerison has been married twice. He was first wedded to Sophia Enger on Oc- tober 3, 1894. She died on March 12 of the following year. On January 23, 1901, he was married to Anna, the daughter of Goodman Anderson, of Martin township. Mrs. Nerison was born December 23, 1876, on the old homestead. They have two children. Norman, born January 5, 1902, and Gurine, born September 27, 1908.
For seven years Mr. Nerison served as constable of Martin township. For the past two years he has held the office of treasurer of school district No. 40. Dur- ing the year 1897 Mr. Nerison returned to his old home in Norway and remained for a six months' visit.
CHRISTIAN C. MOE (1872) has spent all but three years of his life as a resident of Rock county. Hle is the only son of Christian and Andrine (Skyberg) Moe. In the family were seven daughters, as fol- lows: Mary (Mrs. Ole Antonson), Jennie (Mrs. August Norby), Minda (Mrs. Otto Nelson), Christina ( Mrs. John Nelson), Ida (Mrs. Nels Nelson) and Clara, who resides at home.
Christian, of this sketch, is a native of Norway and was born in Brandvold Soloe on March 13, 1869. The year of his birth he accompanied his parents in the journey from the old world to America. The fam- ily settled first in Mitchell county, Iowa, where they lived on a farm two years. In 1872 the elder Mr. Moe joined the van- guard of pioneers that were to reap the first fruits of prosperity in Rock county, des- tined to be a garden spot of southwestern Minnesota. He homesteaded the northwest quarter of section 22, Martin township, and it was there that Christian grew to man- hood. As a youth he attended the district school during the winter sessions, assist- ing the rest of the year with the work on the farm. Becoming of age, he rented land near the home place and engaged in farm- ing until 1948, the date of his settlement in Ilills. For a year and a half he clerked in the general store of Olaf Skyberg, and
în March, 1910, he entered upon his pres- ent duties in the store of J. H. Finke, dealer in implements.
Colton, South Dakota, was the scene of his marriage on May 26, 1896, to Josephine Severson, born December 5, 1874, the dangh- ter of Osbjorn and Curie Severson, of Col- ton. Her parents are natives of Norway. Mr. and Mrs. Moe have three children: Carl A., born January 8, 1897; Anne Hen- rietta, born April 5, 1900; and Ruth C., born October 28, 1901.
For eight years Mr. Moe served Martin township as its assessor. He was also for several years a member of the school board. At present he is the marshal of the village of Hills. He is a member of Trinity church and has been its treasurer for three years.
WILLIAM C. RADEMACHER (1901), of Springwater township, was born in Ply- mouth county, Iowa, August 3, 1873, the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Lembeke) Rademacher. The parents settled in north- western lowa at an early date, having come from Mecklenburg, Germany, their birth- place.
William was brought up on the farm of his father and was educated in the district school near by. In 1897, when in his twenty-fourth year, he rented land and commenced his career as an independent farmer, a vocation in which he has achieved deserved success. Four years later Mr. Rademacher made his advent to Rock coun- tv. Together with his brother, Albert, he purchased three quarter sections of most productive soil in Springwater township. He makes his home on the northeast quarter of section 35, range 47, and makes a special- ty of breeding Duroc-Jersey hogs. Mr. Rade- macher and family are members of the German Lutheran church.
Our subject was married in lowa October 13, 1895, to Christina Kounkel, the daughter of Michael and Christina (Hafner) Koun- kel, both natives of Wisconsin. Mrs. Rade- macher was born in the Badger state, in Grant county, on May 26, 1879. To Mr. and Mrs. Rademacher have been born the fol- lowing four sons and four daughters: Viola M., born March 11, 1897; Earl M., born June 14, 1898; Ralph W., born March 15, 1900; Mabel R., born March 26 1902; Flor-
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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.
ence A., born February 4, 1904; Willie J., born August 23, 1906; Fred A., born May 13, 1908; and Fern E., born April 17, 1910.
RALPH L. TOSTENRUD (1887) is one of the youngest-and a progressive one -- farmers of Kanaranzi township. Rock connty is the scene of practically all the achievements of his life. Ralph was born in Osage, lowa, on May 4, 1884, but while an infant accompanied his parents to a new home in Nobles county, Minnesota. He is the son of Ole L. and Mary (Isaac) Tostenrud, residents of Kanaranzi.
In 1887 the family settled in Rock coun- ty, and on his father's farm our subject spent his early youth. At the age of six- teen he began the battle of life for him- self. For a year he was employed in the store of Nick Lenz, at Ellsworth; then until attaining his majority he engaged in farm labor. In 1904 he accepted a position with the Davenport Elevator company, with which concern he was connected for four years as a buyer at Kanaranzi and at Ward, South Dakota. Then he returned to Rock county, rented a farm and engaged in his chosen vocation. In the spring of 1909 he moved to the southwest quarter of section 13, which continues to be his home.
Mr. Tostenrud is one of the directors of school district No. 62 and belongs to the Modern Woodmen lodge. He is unmarried.
ROY E. CHESLEY (1879) farms a half section of Beaver Creek township's prduc- tive soil, the home heing on the southwest quarter of section 23. The father of our subject was Edwin Chesley, a Rock county homesteader, who was born in Can- ada September 18, 1832. He came to Rock county in 1874, homesteaded in Springwater township, and died January 30, 1884. The mother of our subject is Mrs. J. R. San- ders, of Beaver Creek. Her malden name was Maria Carkson.
Roy Chesley is a native of the county, having been born in Springwater township March 29, 1879, After his father's death in 1884 he located in Luverne, where he re- sided until 1900, making his home with his mother. Since the last named date he has been engaged in farming in Beaver Creek
township, having been on the present farm since 1904. Mr. Chesley owns stock in the Farmers Elevator company of Beaver Creek, and for several years past he has served as a director of school district No. 9.
On March 16, 1904, in Beaver Creek town- ship, Mr. Chesley was united in marriage to Ella Walkup, a daughter of Charles and Evangelyn Walkup, of Beaver Creek. Mrs. Chesley was born on the farm npon which she now lives on April 9, 1880. Mr. and Chesley have one child, Evangelyn, born February 28, 1905.
GEORGE W. TURNER (1893), a mer- chant of Magnolia, has been a resident of Rock county for the past eighteen years. Crawford county, Indiana, is the place of his birth, which occurred February 29, 1864. His father, A. H. Turner, of English par entage, is now deceased. His wife, the mother of our subject, Eliza (Culver) Tur- ner, is a native of Kentucky, and now makes her home with her two sons, Will and Albert, in Magnolia township.
Until attaining his majority George lived on his father's farm in the Hoosier state and assisted in its management. At the age of twenty-one he married and moved to the town of Alton, and for four years filled the office of postmaster, receiving the appointment from President Cleveland. At the expiration of his term he returned to manage the home farm and engaged ex- tensively in fruit growing and buying. In 1893 Mr. Turner moved to Rock county and for the first year farmed in Magnolia town- ship, then hecame a resident of the village. For a period of nine years he was in the employ of the Farmers Elevator company as assistant grain buyer. For a time there- after he managed an elevator in Luverne, not moving his family from Magnolia, how- ever. Again he was a farmer and stock raiser until November, 1909, when he es- tablished the general store in Magnolia which he has since conducted .. He carries a complete line of high quality merchandise, including dry goods, groceries, shoes, etc.
Mr. Turner has for the past twelve years been secretary of the Magnolia Farmers Elevator company. He served his village efficiently as recorder for nine years and was a member of the school board for one
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term. He is affiliated with the M. W. A. and Royal Neighbors lodges.
On January 26, 1887, in Crawford county, Indiana, Mr. Turner was joined in marriage to Nora B. Romine, a native of that county and a daughter of Elias and Martha (Bull- ington) Romine. Mrs. Turner was born October 10, 1864. They have one child liv- ing, Violet, born April 9, 1889.
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