An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 89

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 89
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 89

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Ed. J. Dunbar of this review is a native of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and was born July 12, 1864. He lived with his parents and attended school in his home town un- til 1881, and for the next twelve years was engaged in teaching school at Gary, South Dakota, and at Lac qui Parle, Minnesota. Then for a year he bought grain in Gary, South Dakota, moving from that place to Beaver Creek in 1896 to accept a position with Hubbard & Palmer. He was connect- ed with that firm for seven years, resign- ing to accept his present position with the co-operative company. For a number of years Mr. Dunbar efficiently served on the village council and was the president of that body for several terms. Frater- nally he is affiliated with the 1. O. O. F., M. W. A. and Yeomen lodges.

The father of our subject is Mike Dun- bar, who came to the United States from Ireland in young manhood. He was first located in Canada, later in New York, and then went as a pioneer in the late fortles to Manitowoc county, Wisconsin. He be- came a land owner and was engaged in farming until arriving at an advanced age, when he retired and deeded the old farm to his children. He now resides in Beaver Creek with his son Joseph. His wife died some fifteen years ago. They were the parents of five sons and two daughters, one of whom, Sarah, has been dead for eighteen years. The living chil- dren are John, of Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Will, of Langford, North Dakota; Ed. J., of this sketch; Joseph, of Beaver Creek; George, of Beaver Creek, and Maggie

(Mrs. McDermott), of Beaver Creek town- ship.

Mr. Dunbar was married to Maggie Bil- by at Lac qui Parle, Minnesota, on March 4, 1892. Mrs. Dunbar was born in Fill- more county, Minnesota, in 1871 and is the daughter of John and Katherine Bilby, now residents of Idaho. They have two adopted children, George and Grace.

JOHN CAMERON (1908), proprietor of a Luverne grocery store, is a native of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, and was born February 22, 1855. His parents were Dun- can and Christina (Finlayson) Cameron, both natives of Scotland. They came to America when children, were married in Canada, and spent the remainder of their lives there.

John Cameron, who was one of a family of twelve children, resided on the home farm in his native county until twenty-four years of age, receiving a common school education and assisting with the farm work. He went to Garnett, Kansas, in 1878, remained there 'one year, and then returned to his old home. In the fall of 1880 he made the trip overland to the wilds of North Dakota to seek his fortune in that new country. There he secured government land on the outskirts of civi- lization, taking a homestead, pre-emption and tree claim. When the Great Northern railroad built through North Dakota Mr. Cameron was the first person to pay pas- sage over it from Grand Forks to Fargo. He encountered many hardships incident to pioneer life in that frontier region in the early eighties, where he lived twenty- seven and one-half years. He is a member of the Red River Valley Old Settlers union.

On his farm in Grand Forks county Mr. Cameron lived until the spring of 1891; then he went to Thompson, North Dakota, and engaged in the hardware and machin- ery business. He sold out at Thompson in 1905 and during the next two years was engaged in the real estate business at Fargo. During his residence on the farm Mr. Cameron serevd part of the time as chairman of the board of supervisors of Michigan township, Grand Forks county, and while living in Thompson was a mem-

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ber of the board of education nine years and justice of the peace two years. In February, 1908, Mr. Cameron located in Luverne, bought the "Handy Grocery," and has since been engaged in the grocery business. He has one of the largest and best exclusive grocery stores in the city and has built up an excellent trade. Be- sides his Luverne property Mr. Cameron owns a section of land in Adams county and a section in Hettinger county, North Dakota.

Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on the eighth day of March, 1882, Mr. Cameron was united in marriage to Agnes Smith, a native of Sarnia and a former school-mate of Mr. Cameron. She is the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (White) Smith. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Cameron: Lena (Mrs. Arthur Beers), of Wessington Springs, South Dakota; May, Earl and Claud.

J. A. THORIN (1897), who owns and farms a half section of Martin township's fertile soil, is a native of Sweden, where his earthly career began August 22, 1871. Both of his parents, John and Louisa (Lar- son) Thorin, still reside in the old country.

The father of our subject was a school teacher and as a consequence J. A. Thorin received a careful education under the pa- rental roof. At the age of nineteen Mr. Thorin bade farewell to native land and came to the new world, arriving in New York City on February 26, 1890. For seven months he resided at Bainbridge, Chenango county, New York; then he moved to the vicinity of the county seat, Norwich, where he was employed on a dairy farm fifteen months. Striking for the west, he located for the next fifteen months at Batavia, Illi- nois, and followed the occupation of coach- man. A longer residence was made at Rock Rapids, Iowa, where his time was divided between work on near by farms and on the section. In 1897 he commenced farming for himself in Lyon county, just across the lowa line from his present loca- tion. His lowa farm was rented from O. M. Skattum. In 1907 he moved to the Rock county farm, on section 33, Martin township, which passed into his hands

three years later. Mr. Thorin is an ex- tensive raiser of high grade stock.

The marriage of Mr. Thorin to Matilda Dahl occurred at Rock Rapids on April 23, 1895. Mrs. Thorin is a native of Nor- way and came to the United States in 1887. They are the parents of seven chil- dren: Leonard, Carl, Mabel, Arthur, Amel, Louisa and Emma. Mr. Thorin is a mem- ber of the Norwegian Lutheran church and of the M. W. A. lodge.

ED. S. EBERLEIN (1890), a prominent Clinton township farmer since 1890, is a native of Aurora, Illinois, where he was born on December 18, 1867. He is the son of Andrew and Barbara (Bower) Eberlein, natives of Germany, who came to America at an early date and settled in Illinois.

At the age of seven our subject accom- panied his parents in their removal to Grundy county, lowa, and on the home farm he remained until his twenty-third birthday, and it was there that he received his schooling. Coming to Rock county in 1890, in partnership with his brother, he bought a farm on section 15, Clinton town- ship, where he remained until 1899. Sell- ing out his interest in the land, he made another investment, taking the northwest quarter of section 11, in the same town- ship, where he now resides. He served on the township board of supervisors for three years.

Mr. Eberlein has been married twice. His first wife was Annie Martin Eberlein, who died in November, 1889, nine months after their marriage. At Luverne, in Janu- ary, 1893, Mr. Eberlein was again married, this time to Edith Smith, the daughter of Morris and Maria Smith. Her father died in 1904, but her mother still lives in Lu- verne. On child, Clifford, born to this union, died in 1904 at the age of ten. The children living are Mildred I., Neva M., Stanley E., Bernard L. and Ila. Mr. Eber- Iein is affiliated with the Modern Wood- men lodge.

OLE O. ORMSETH (1891) has been a resident of America and of Rock county for the past twenty years. A native of Norway, he was born in Thingvold, Tron-

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dhjem, the thirtieth of June, 1867. His parents, Ole and Maren (Gjorsvig) Orm- seth, were small farmers in that northern country.

Ole received a common school training and at the age of nineteen commenced the shaping of his own career. He served one year as an enlisted man in the Nor- wegian army. In 1891 he crossed the At- lantic alone and journeyed direct to Rock county. He hired ont as a farm laborer in Beaver Creek township for a number of years and in 1899 set up in farming on his own account. In 1904 he moved to his present farm, which he owns and which is the southwest quarter of section 35, range 47, Springwater township. Mr. Ormseth and family are members of the Synod Nor- wegian Lutheran church.

Ole O. Ormseth was married in Beaver Creek township May 30, 1898, to Emma Larson, who was born March 4, 1878, and who is a daughter of Gunder and Aslang (Benson) Larson, both natives of Norway. To Mr. and Mrs. Ormseth have been born six children: Agnes M., Orlando G., Ear- nest W., Martha A., Effie O. and Robert O.

HERBERT C. TIBBETTS (1910) is a late addition to the ranks of Luverne's business men, being proprietor of the Li- verne steam laundry, which he purchased from John E. Maxedon in January, 1910.

Mr. Tibbetts is the youngest son of Thomas J. and Ilelen L. Tibbetts and was born December 15, 1871, in Concord town- ship, Dodge county, Minnesota. He lived on the farm with his parents until the spring of 1893, when they moved to West Concord village, where his mother still re- sides and where his father died in August, 1909. While living on the farm Mr. Tib- betts attended the high school at Mantor- ville, from which school he was graduated in 1890. After leaving the farm Mr. Tib- betts attended the dairy school at St. An- thony Park, from which school he was granted one of the first diplomas given to the buttermakers of the state. He success- fully operated creameries for more than fifteen years at Mantorville, Claremont and Lakefield, Minnesota, and at Hope and Edgeley, North Dakota. At the last named place he was engaged in the laundry as

well as the creamery business. On com- ing to Luverne he bought and installed the greater part of his machinery in the plant at Luverne.

Since coming to Luverne Mr. Tibbetts has made many improvements in the plant, among some of which are a plant for soft- ening water, a late shirt and collar ironer and a fifteen horsepower steam engine, thus giving Luverne as up-to-date a laun- dry and French dry cleaning plant as can be found in southwestern Minnesota.

Mr. Tibbetts was married February 8, 1898, at Mantorville, Minnesota, to Eliza Andrist, who died May 8, 1903. One son was born at Claremont, Minnesota, Febru- ary 12, 1901. On October 25, 1905, Mr. Tibbetts was married a second time to Thresa Mayes, at Jamestown, North Da- kota.

DRYDEN J. STOAKES (1893) is engaged in the business of buying and shipping stock and also conducts a butcher shop in the village of Ilardwick. He is the second in a family of nine children, the son of George and Alice (Barber) Stoakes, and was born in Tama county, lowa, May 10. 1868. His father and mother, natives of Ohio and Connecticut, respectively, were pioneer settlers of Tama county, home- steading there in the early sixties, when Cedar Rapids was the nearest trading point. They are still respected residents of Tama county, where they live at ad- vanced ages.

Until he was eighteen years old Dryden lived on the old homestead in Tama coun- ty, attended the district schools and assist- ed his father with the work on the farm. Then until 1893 he was a farmer and ex- tensive stock raiser of Humboldt county, Iowa. During the year mentioned Mr. Stoakes moved to Hardwick and erected the business building now occupied by E. C. Heckt as a general store, and in it con- ducted a hardware and farm implement business for three years. On selling out he took up the line of work he has since fol- lowed, the buying and feeding of stock for the large markets. For six years he was in the retail meat business and again in the spring of 1910 he entered the field, and now runs the up-to-date shop of the village.

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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

Mr. Stoakes is a large property holder in Hardwick, owning, besides a number of valuable lots, the two-story building occu- pied by Dr. Whyte and a handsome resi- dence. He has been a member of the vil- lage conncil with the exception of one year during the entire period that has elapsed since Hardwick became a corporation. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges.

· At Goldfield, Iowa, on December 18, 1889, Mr. Stoakes was wedded to Nellie Field, a native of Illinois, born April 4, 1872. They are the parents of the following five chil- dren: Jay W., born October 4, 1891; Ray G., born August 11, 1895; May, born June 10, 1897; Fay, born February 12, 1901; Ralph, born May 7, 1909.

NELS O. EGGE (1907), a farmer of Mar- tin township, is a native of Lyon county, Iowa, and was born in the town of In- wood April 8, 1879. His parents, Ole and Engebor (Moen) Egge, came from their native land of Norway to the United States in 1876. They first located at Decorah, Iowa, going from there to Lyon county.

Nels was educated in the district schools and lived on the home farm until attain- ing his majority. Much of the time he was employed at farm labor on other farms in the vicinity. In 1901 Mr. Egge enlisted in the United States army at Omaha, Nebraska. He was assigned to company I, First infantry, and for thir- teen months was stationed with his com- mand in the Philippines. After serving three years, he received his discharge at Buffalo, New York, on December 18, 1904. Immediately thereafter he returned to Ly- on county, rented land and farmed until the spring of 1907, when he located on his present Martin township farm, the south- east quarter of section 19.

At Inwood, Iowa, on March 14, 1905, Nels O. Egge was married to Gunda Hanson, who was born January 13, 1888, and is the daughter of Ingwald and Gurine Hanson, of Martin township. Three children have blessed this union, named as follows: Inez O., Theresa E. and Evely J. Mr. and Mrs. Egge belong to the Synod Norwegian Lu- theran church.

WILLIAM C. GLENN (1901) owns and farms the northwest quarter of section 35, range 47, Springwater township. His birth occurred in Sioux county, Jowa, on the day of the autumnal equinox, September 21, 1876. He is the son of Mike and Catherine (Boyle) Glenn, natives of Ireland and Can- ada, respectively.

When seven years of age William moved with his parents to a farm near LeMars, Plymouth county, Iowa. In that locality he received a rural school education. On leav- ing home he went to Sioux City, where for twelve years he was employed as a motor- man by the street railway company. His longing for the farm returned, and in the selection of a location no locality offered more attractive inducements than did Rock county, bis home for the past ten years. Mr. Glenn holds membership in the M. W. A. lodge.

At Luverne, on May 16, 1901, Wiliam C. Glenn was joined in wedlock to Betba S. Rademacher, who was born February 6, . 1880. One child, Alice E., was born to these parents, May 19, 1909.

ARNE FRESVIK (1894) has lived and labored in Rock county since 1894, when he came, a youth of sixteen, from his mother- land across the seas. He is the son of Sjur and Guri (Tvedt) Fresvik.

Arne Fresvik of this review began his earthly career in the hamlet of Fresvik, Hardanger, Norway, February 25, 1878. He received the education afforded by the com- mon schools of his native country and in 1894 came to America and direct to Rock county. For some time he worked for an uncle in Beaver Creek township. His father having died in the spring of 1898, Arne journeyed to Norway in the fall of the same year to settle family affairs. He return- ed to the land of his adoption the following spring, accompanied by his mother, who still makes her home with him. Since 1909 our subject has rented and farmed tbc northwest quarter of section 23, range 47, Springwater township.

At Jasper, on November 21, 1901, Arne Fresvik was joined in marriage to Gurtie Larson, the daughter of Ole and Torbjor (Tvedt) Larson, well known residents of Springwater. Both parents are natives of

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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

Norway. Mrs. Fresvik was born January 16, 1879. To this union two children have been born, Ole S., born December 14, 1902, and Selmer G., born May 29, 1906. The family are members of the United Norwe- gian Lutheran church.

SIMON S. STANDISII (1890), deceased, until his death in the spring of 1911, farmed the northeast quarter of section 10, Beaver Creek township, land which he rented from his mother. There is in the possession of the Standish family a history which traces the ancestry in an unbroken line hack to Miles Standish, the man immortalized by the poet Longfellow. Simon S. Standish was of the ninth generation of the family. His parents were Samuel and Mary (Wright) Standish, the former a native of Warren, Maine, and the latter of New York state. Samuel Standish was by occupation a farmer and died September 20, 1890, at the age of seventy-three years. The mother is still living and resides at Dixon, Iowa.

Scott county was the seat of the birth of Simon Standish, an event which occurred December 29, 186S. He was educated in the rural schools and assisted his father in the cultivation of the home farm until coming to Rock county in 1890, at the age of twenty-two. In that year he located on the Beaver Creek township farm, where ho afterwards maintained a continuous resi- denee, with the exception of two years, when he hired out to other farmers in the vicinity. Mr. Standish met an accidental death in the spring of 1911.

In Luverne, on February 20, 1895, Simon S. Standish and Tina Bielfeldt were united in marriage. Mrs. Standish was also born in Scott county, lowa, on May 13, 1874. To this union nine children were born, two of whom, John Ray, the first born, and Cecil, the youngest child, are dead. The names of the other children are: Sadie, born August 9. 1896; Annie, born October 11, 1898: Los- ter, born March 27, 1899; Miles, born De- cember 31, 1901; Albert, born December 4, 1903: Eddie, born November 17, 1905; and Russell, born September 26, 1907.

HANS STOLTENBERG (1894) has, with the exception of one year, been a farmer and resident of Kanaranzi township since casting his fortune in America.

Hans is the son of Peter and Grace (Stelek) Stoltenberg and was born in the province of Holstein, Germany, August 23, 1847. He attended the schools of his native country, assisted on his father's farm, and for many years engaged in agricultural pur- suits for himself. On December 12, 1872, he was united in marriage to Anna Wiese. To them have been born the following four children: William, on November 27, 1875; Henry, on June 24, 1886; Frank, on June 17, 1889; and Herbert, on July 18, 1893.

Heeding the beckon to the new world, in 1893 Mr. Stoltenberg with his family immi- grated to America. The first year was spent near Estherville, Iowa, but the following spring they came to Rock county. The southeast quarter of section 34, Kanaranzi township, was bought, and that has since been the family home. Mr. Stoltenberg be- longs to the German Lutheran church.

DANIEL B. JONES (1890), of Luverne, was for sixteen years engaged in the dray and transfer business in that city. He is a native Canadian and was born in Peterbor- ough county, Ontario, January 4, 1859. At the age of twelve years he moved with his parents to Uncle Sam's territory, the family locating in Lapeer county, Michigan. He resided on the home farm in that county for six years; then a removal was made to San- ilac county, of the same state.

On attaining his majority Daniel severed home ties and went to Hand county, South Dakota, where he homesteaded a quarter ' section and later filed on a tree claim and pre-empted other land, and to this amount added another self section by purchase. Mr. Jones disposed of his real estate interests in Tand county in 1909. That was his home until 1890, the year he made settlement in Luverne, where three years later he com- menced a successful business career. As- sociating himself with Frank Langhorn, the drayage and transfer firm of Langhorn & Jones was launched. Several years later this partnership was dissolved, Joseph Schaeffer succeeding to the interest of Mr. Langhorn, and he later being succeeded by

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H. W. Matthews. Matthews & Jones con- ducted the enterprise until October, 1909, when our subject sold out to his partner and retired from business.

Mr. Jones is the owner and manager of two of the best breeding horses in the coun- ty, "St. Gothardt," a Belgian draft; and "Major," a thoroughbred Hamiltonian. He also owns the jack "Joker." Mr. Jones owns considerable town property and has a farm in Brule county, South Dakota. He holds membership in the Knights of Pyth- ias, Modern . Woodmen, Royal Neighbors, United Workmen and Degree of Honor lodges.

The subject of this biography was mar- ried in Hand county, South Dakota, on De- cember 12, 1889, to Carrie Yada; a native of Wisconsin. The following three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Jones: Susan (Mrs. Howard Young), of North Yak- ima, Washington; Jay R., of North Yak- ima; and Harry,

FRANK MOON (1910) is a Denver town- ship farmer and stock raiser of compara- tively recent settlement. He rents and has farmed the north half of section 27 since the spring of 1910 and makes a specialty of breeding high grade cattle and Poland China hogs. Mr. Moon is a native of Piatt county, Illinois, and was horn July 26, 1871, to George and Ellen (Nelson) Moon. The grandfather of our subject, a blacksmith by trade, came from Germany. George Moon was born in Harding county, Pennsylvania, was a farmer by occupation, and died at Whiting, Iowa, April 3, 1908. Ellen (Nel- son) Moon, a native of West Virginia, came from old American stock, and until her death resided with her son Frank. She died November 8, 1910.

Frank was reared on a farm, and after completing his education in the village school at Atwood, Illinois, he returned to assist his father on the home farm. In the spring of 1894 the family moved to Monona county, Iowa, which was his home until making settlement in Rock county. He commenced farming for himself in Mo- nona county in 1896, and has been success- ful in all his ventures. On October 5, 1910, Mr. Moon purchased the northeast quarter of section 10, Magnolia township, and in the

spring of 1912 he will move to his own farm. Mr. Moon holds membership in three Hardwick lodges, the I. O. O. F., M. W. A. and Royal Neighbors.

At Whiting, Iowa, Frank Moon was mar- ried to May Bowers, a native of the town of her marriage and a daughter of D. W. and Almina Bowers, both of whom are liv- ing. Mrs. Moon was born on August 11, 1875. To these parents have been born the following named children: Sanford David, born in 1896; Raymond Charles, born in 1897; Millard George, born in 1900; Walter Ellsworth, horn in 1902; Ralph Frank, born in 1905, Edna Ruth, born in 1908; and Irene, born in 1911.

CHESTER W. SHERIFF (1907) is the manager of one of Luverne's widely known manufacturing plants, the Luverne Pressed Brick company. He is a man in every way qualified for such a position, both from years of experience as a practical brick maker and as an organizer and developer of such industries. He located in Luverne in 1907 and in company with R. B. Hinkly formed the Luverne Brick & Tile company. He superintended the construction of the extensive plant and as secretary and mana- ger of the company assumed the active supervision of the manufactory until Febru- ary, 1910, when he soid his interest and re- tired from the company. Since that date he has held his present position.

James R. and Sarah (Chapman) Sheriff, the parents of our subject, the former a na- tive of New York and the latter of Pennsyl- vania, were pioneer settlers of Faribault county, Minnesota, where Chester was born June 30, 1870. Five other children, all of whom are living, were born to this union. Their names are Etha, Simeon, John, Net- ta and Ida. Mr. and Mrs. James R. Sheriff are now residents of Livermore, Iowa.

The family moved from Minnesota to Wright county, Iowa, when Chester was a seven year old boy. He assisted with the work of the home farm until nineteen years of age, when he went to the town of Goldfield, Iowa, where he commenced his career as a brick maker. After a short per- iod of service he was promoted to the man- agement of the brick yard at that place, a position he held nine years. He then moved

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ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.

lo Livermore, lowa, and there was instru- mental in the organization of a company for the manufacture of drainage tile. Of this plant he was a principal owner and manager until disposing of his interests in 1906, the year previous to locating in Lu- verne. For five years Mr. Sheriff served the town of Livermore as its mayor. Fra- ternally he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen and Odd Fellows orders.

At Goldfield, lowa, September 17, 1889, our subjeet was married to Lilly H. Haw- kins, a native of Wisconsin. Five children have been born to these parents: Helen H., James, Chester, Gertrude and Richard.

THEODORE C. REMME (1883), a well known farmer of Battle Plain township, is a native son of Rock county. He was born August 8, 1883, on the southeast quarter of section 26, Battle Plain township, land homesteaded by his father, Chris N. Rem- me, thirty-five years ago. Chris N. Remme was born in northern Norway in 1851, and twenty-two years later immigrated to the new world. The first three years in this country were spent in Winneshiek county, lowa, and Goodhue county, Minnesota, whence he came to Roek county in 1876. He was one of the very earliest of Battle l'lain township's settlers and suffered count- less adversities- grasshoppers, blizzards and prairie fires-incident to those trying times, and today he ranks among the foremost of liis community. Chris N. Remme married Anne Holien, and to them have been born twelve children, of whom Theodore C. of this review is the fifth son.

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An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 89

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