USA > Minnesota > Watonwan County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 18
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Mr. Fast was married to Aganetha Becker, who was born in Russia. She is a daughter of John Becker, and came to Watonwan county, Minne- sota, in 1878. To their union seven children have been born, namely : Herman, Aganetha, John, Sarah, Henry, Mary and Olga.
Mr. Fast has long been one of the most influential men in public affairs in his community. He is a director in school district No. 62, treasurer of Mountain Lake township, secretary of the Evangelical committee of the Northern District Conference of the Mennonite church. He is secretary of Bethel church, and is one of a committee of three to look after the wel- fare of the same. He is statistician of the general Mennonite conference. He is superintendent of the Ebenezer Sunday school, which he organized some time ago. From 1886 to 1911 he served continuously, twenty-five years, as township clerk. He has done much for the general upbuilding of his community, especially in a moral and civic way, and has also encour- aged better farming and the raising of a better grade of live stock.
AMEL BOLIN.
An enterprising young business man of Watonwan county is Amel Bolin, who is engaged in the lumber business at the village of LaSalle. He was born in Riverdale township, Watonwan county, August 31, 1889, and is a son of Charles and Carrie (Olson) Bolin, natives of Sweden.
Amel Bolin received his education in the public schools of Mankato, also attended a commercial college there, after which he went to North Dakota and secured a position as bookkeeper at Alexander, where he re- mained six months, then came to Madelia, Minnesota, and entered the employ of the S. Hare Lumber Company, remaining with this firm one and one-half years at Madelia, then came to LaSalle to take charge of their yards here, in December, 1915, and he has been here ever since, discharging his duties in an able faithful and satisfactory manner. He is also inter- ested in farming in this county.
Politically, Mr. Bolin is a Republican. When twenty-one years old he was elected assessor of Riverdale township, which office he held in a commendable manner for three years, or until he left the farm. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Madelia, and belongs to the Lutheran church. He is .unmarried.
Charles S. Bolin, father of the subject of this sketch, was born on
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June 1, 1837, in Sweden. He is a son of Andrew and Ellen Johnson. His parents grew up in Sweden, where they were married and they became owners of a small farm there. They were members of the Lutheran church. The father was in the Swedish army two years. He had three children : Charles S., father of the subject of this sketch; Eliza, who remained in Sweden; and John, who is now living in LaSalle, Minnesota.
Charles S. Bolin grew to manhood in his native land and remained there until 1866, when he immigrated to America, locating in Red Wing, Minnesota, but after a few months went to Wisconsin, residing in Dunn county until 1869, when he came to Watonwan county, Minnesota, buying a homestead right of eighty acres, in section 22, on which he has since resided. He worked on railroad construction work when the road was being built from Mankato to Lake Crystal. He helped lay out many of the wagon roads in his township here. He has added to his original holdings until he now has a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He was one of the citizens who assisted in capturing the Younger brothers and their gang after the attempted bank robbery at Northfield. He is an active member of the Lutheran church.
Charles S. Bolin was married on November 28, 1874, to Karna Nelson, a native of Sweden, born in 1848, and to this union the following children were born: Ellen Louise, Anna, who is the wife of John Swanson, of Watonwan county; Nels, Eva, Matilda, Emma is deceased, and Amel.
Mr. Bolin developed his farm from the wild prairie and made all the improvements. He built his large barn in 1905, built his home in 1889 and remodeled it three years ago.
JOHN ADRIAN.
John Adrian was born in Russia, August 21, 1865 (Russian calendar ). He is a son of Peter and Anna (Fry) Adrian, both natives of Russia, where they spent their earlier lives, immigrating with their family to America in 1875, locating at Dalton, South Dakota, where they spent the rest of their lives on a farm, both dying some years ago. The father took up a homestead near Dalton upon his arrival there and developed a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres. His family consisted of eleven chil- dren. He and his wife were members of the Mennonite church, in which they reared their family.
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John Adrian grew up on the farm where he worked hard when a boy. He was ten years old when his parents brought him to America. He had little opportunity to obtain an education. He remained at home until he was eighteen years of age, then went to his brother, who owned a farm near Halstead, Kansas, and worked on farms in that vicinity for seven years, then returned to Cottonwood county. buying a farm of one hundred and sixty-seven acres north of Windom, on which he spent three years, then purchased his present place of one hundred and sixty acres in Moun- tain Lake township. Prospering here he added another one hundred and sixty acres to his holdings, joining his first tract on the south. He has made 'many valuable improvements and has an excellent farm and carries on general farming and stock raising successfully.
Mr. Adrian was married in 1902, to Sarah Schultz, a daughter of Isaac Schultz, a native of Russia, where her birth also occurred. To Mr. Adrian and wife four children have been born, all living, namely: Isaac, John, Peter and Mary.
Politically, Mr. Adrian is a Republican. He is now a member of the local school board. He belongs to the Mennonite church, in which he is an elder and an active worker.
HENRY VOSHAGE.
Henry Voshage is one of the farmers of Mountain Lake township, Cottonwood county, who believes in improvements, as the general appear- ance of his farm would indicate. He was born in Germany, December 5; 1865, and he is a son of Christian and Stena (Meyers) Voshage, both natives of Germany, where they grew up, married and established their permanent home, the mother still living there, but the father died some years ago. To these parents six children were born, namely: Chris, Stena, Henry, Augusta, August and Ferdinand.
Henry Voshage spent his boyhood in Germany, where he received his education. He came to America about 1885, landing in New York on January 2. He went direct to Holland, Iowa, where he worked five years, then began farming near George, Lyon county, that state, later moving to another farm in the same locality, remaining there until 1900, when he came to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, locating on the farm which he now owns in Mountain Lake township, the place containing two hundred
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and eighty acres, which he has greatly improved, erecting practically all the buidlings. He is successfully engaged in general farming and stock rais- ing, specializing on a good grade of Shorthorn cattle.
Henry Voshage was married in 1891 to Stena Shipper, a native of Holland. She is now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Voshage the following children were born: Minnie, Anna, Christ, Bertha and Tina (twins), Ella, Susie and Henrietta. They are all living.
Politically, Mr. Voshage is a Republican. He is a member of the township board and the local school board. He belongs to the Lutheran church.
EDWARD E. SMESTAD.
Edward E. Smestad was born in Norway, July 16, 1863, son of Enver and Elena (Nestrude) Smestad, both natives of Norway, where they spent their lives, the mother dying in early life, in 1865. The father was a black- smith and farmer, and his death occurred in January, 1915. To these parents three children were born, namely: John Helmer, a farmer and blacksmith, lives on the old homestead in Norway; Hans Peter is a black- smith and lives at Windom, Minnesota; Edward E., the subject of this sketch, who is the youngest of the family, spent his boyhood in Norway, and received a limited education in the public schools. He partly learned his trade under his father. He came to America in 1884 and located in Houston county. Minnesota, where he worked awhile on a farm, then went to Albert Lea, hiring to a blacksmith. In 1887 he came to Windom, Cot- tonwood county, and started in the blacksmith business for himself, remain- ing there until the fall of 1899, having been in partnership with his brother Hans all that period except the first few months after he came to Windom. After leaving Windom he went to Odin and ran a shop one year, then moved to Murray county, this state, opened a shop at Clayton where he remained four years, then returned to Windom and was alone in the busi- ness about a year. In the fall of 1905 he located in Storden, buying the shop of Ray Ager, which he has since conducted with his usual success. He has enlarged the building and does general blacksmithing and wagon making. He put in the local waterworks in 19II. He has all modern equipment in his shop for turning out high-grade work promptly. He still owns and operates the waterworks.
Mr. Smestad was married, in the fall of 1884, to Gusta Mathison, who
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was born in Norway, from which country she came alone to America in . 1883, locating in Houston county, Minnesota. To this union the following children were born: Even, a farmer and butter maker, lives in Miller county, Minnesota; Anna Julia is the wife of Wood Anderson, a banker of Froyd. Montana; Helge is farming and lives at home; Roy Vincent is a barber and lives at home.
Mr. Smestad is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He belongs to the Norwegian Lutheran church.
GEORGE W. GRANT.
The Hon. George W. Grant, representative in the Minnesota state Legislature from the Cottonwood county and a well-known and progressive farmer of Lakeside township, that county, is a native son of Minnesota, hav- ing been born on a farm in Jackson county, this state, January 13, 1877, son of J. F. and Mary (Geddes) Grant, the former of whom was born in Ontario, Canada, September 11, 1845, and the latter, at Albany, New York, in 1854, who later became pioneers of Cottonwood county.
J. F. Grant was one of the organizers of Cottonwood county and served the public for some time in the capacity of county commissioner and also as a member of the school board. He had a fine farm in Lakeside town- ship, where he made his home until 1904. when he retired from the farm and moved to Windom, where he lived until his removal, in 1911, to Eugene, Oregon, where he is now making his home. J. F. Grant was thrice mar- ried. His first wife, Emma Greenfield, died many years ago, leaving one child, Emma, who married E. J. Frost. Mr. Grant then married Mary Geddes and to that union six children were born, of whom George W. was the first-born, the others being Charles F., John G., James A., Fred R. and Mary A. The mother of these children died on November 2, 1902, and Mr. Grant later married Mrs. Hermena Schroeder, which union has been without issue. In a biographical sketch relating to John G. Grant, a well- known farmer of Lakeside township, presented elsewhere in this volume, further details regarding the history of the Grant family in Cottonwood county are set out.
George W. Grant was reared on the paternal farm in Lakeside town- ship. receiving his elementary education in the district schools of that neigh- borhood and afterward attended the Windom high school for three years.
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G. W. GRANT.
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He then entered the Minnesota State Agricultural School, from which he was graduated in 1902, after which he began farming in his home township and has ever since resided there, being the owner of a fine farm. In addi- tion to his general farming, Mr. Grant has given considerable attention to the raising of live stock and has done very well. He has given close atten- tion to local civic affairs ; served as township clerk for two years, as assessor for one year, and in 1914 was elected representative from his district to the lower house of the Minnesota General Assembly.
In 1906 George W. Grant was united in marriage to Tillie V. Swen- son, daughter of John Swenson, and to this union five children have been born, Virgie C., Wilbur E., Mary C., Walter F. and Loren S. Mr. and Mrs. Grant are members of the Baptist church and take a proper interest in the general beneficences of the same, as well as in all neighborhood good works. Mr. Grant is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and takes a warm interest in the affairs of both these organizations.
O. A. OTESA.
A well-known and popular traveling salesman of St. James, Watonwan county, is O. A. Otesa, who was born in Norway, August 17, 1865. He is a son of A. and Hester Otesa, both natives of Norway, where they spent their lives, the mother dying in 1890 and the father in 1903.
O. A. Otesa spent his boyhood in Norway and there received his education in the common schools. In 1882 he came to America, locating in St. James, Minnesota. He secured employment as clerk in the store of G. H. Herrick, who is now deceased, remaining with him about two years, after which he was employed at the Park Hotel for about six years. He finally purchased four hundred and eighty acres of land. He engaged in the real-estate business several years, was also proprietor of the Boston Hotel for a short time, then lived on his farm in Nelson township for about three years. In the spring of 1912 he moved back to St. James and since then has been traveling salesman for the St. James Milling Company, and has been very successful, greatly increasing the company's business. He owns a fine residence in St. James.
Mr. Otesa was married on September 20, 1889, to Mary Nymon, who (13a)
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was born in Norway, May 3, 1871. She was brought to Clear Lake, Wis- consin, about 1878 by her parents, Ole O. and Gunoel Nymon. The father is now deceased, but the mother is still living at Clear Lake at the advanced age of eighty-four years. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Otesa, namely: Grace, born on June 2, 1893, was graduated from the St. James high school; Arthur, July 28, 1898, was graduated from the St. James high school with the class of 1916; Mabel, March 9, 1900, is a stu- dent in the local high school; Eunice. November 7, 1913. The wife and mother passed to her eternal rest on December 4, 1913. She was a woman of many estimable characteristics. Politically, Mr. Otesa is a Republican. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Norwegian Luth- eran church.
JOHN GJERTSON.
John Gjertson, a well-to-do farmer of Madelia township, Watonwan county, proprietor of a farm of two hundred acres situated on the state road three miles due north of the city of Madelia, is a native of Watonwan county, born on the homestead farm which he now owns and where he still lives, March 26. 1875, son of Andrew and Petroneall (England) Gjertson, natives of Norway, who were among the best-known and most influential of the pioneers of that part of the county.
Andrew Gjertson was the son of Jert Royseth, a farmer and fisherman, of Norway, who was lost at sea when his son, Andrew, was thirteen years of age. The latter grew up on a farm and also took to the fishing boats. He married in his native land and in 1866 came to the United States with his wife and three small children to join a brother who had previously come to America and had settled in Madison, Wisconsin. When the tide of emi- gration began to flow to this section of Minnesota, Andrew Gjertson and his family came out here and located. He homesteaded eighty acres in sec- tion 10 of Madelia township and there established his home. He planted trees and otherwise improved his place and became a very substantial farmer, adding gradually to his holdings until he became the owner of a farm of two hundred acres, a quarter of a section in section 10 and a "forty" in section 3, and there he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on November 22, 1891, he then being about sixty-seven years of age. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith. There are ten of these children, all still living, seven having
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been born after the Gjertsons came to this country. Of these the subject of this sketch was the sixth in order of birth, the others being Peter, Marie, Belle, Helen, Elisa, Julia and Georgiana. The widow Gjertson is still liv- ing on the old homestead place. She is a daughter of Elias and Marie (Unstad) England, natives of Norway, whose last days were spent in Minne- sota, they having come here in their old age to join their children. Elias England was eighty-six years of age at the time of his death in 1890.
John Gjertson was reared on the homestead farm, where he has always lived, and has been a farmer all his life. He received his schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home and remained on the farm, a valuable assistant to his father in the development of the same. In 1910 he bought the interests of the other heirs in the place and is now the sole owner of a highly improved and profitably cultivated farm of two hundred acres. The house, which was built in 1904, is lighted with electric lights and is equipped with bath, furnace, telephone and all the conveniences of a modern farm house. The barn, fifty-eight by sixty feet, built in 1893, also is electrically lighted and the other farm buildings, including a silo erected in 1912, bespeak the enterprise and the progressiveness of the owner. Mr. Gjertson, in addition to his general farming, has devoted considerable atten- tion to stock raising and has done well in that line. Mr. Gjertson has given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs and served as a member of the board of supervisors for six years. 1908-14. He is a member of the Luth- eran church and is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America, in the affairs of which organizations he takes a warm interest.
JENS HANSON.
Jens Hanson, of Great Bend township, Cottonwood county, was born in Denmark, January 24, 1864, and is a son of Hans and Anna Christen- son, both natives of Denmark, in which country they spent their lives. The father was a soldier in the regular army of his country and served in the war of 1864 against Germany. His family consisted of eight children.
Jens Hanson spent his youthful days in Denmark, where he was edu- cated. He came to America in 1888, when twenty-four years of age and settled in Illinois, where he remained three years, then removed to Minne- sota, locating in Redwood county, where he spent one and one-half years. In 1890 he came to Cottonwood county, locating on a farm near Windom
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on which he has since resided, owning a well-improved and productive place of one hundred and twenty acres, where he has carried on general farming and stock raising.
Mr. Hanson was married in 1891 to Mary Anderson, who was born in Norway. She is a daughter of Andres Peterson and Helen (Larson) Pet- erson, both natives of Norway, where they grew up, were married and spent their lives. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, namely : Victor, Walter, Myrtle and Orval.
Politically, Mr. Hanson is independent. He is the present chairman of the township board of Great Bend township, which office he has held for a period of about ten years. He and his family belong to the Lutheran church.
MICHAEL P. MILLER.
The record of Michael P. Miller, of St. James, Watonwan county, doubtless could not be equaled by that of many men in Minnesota, for he has been a locomotive engineer continuously for nearly four decades and will in a comparatively short time round out a half century in railway service, and all the while he has been with the same road. His long reten- tion would indicate able and faithful service.
Mr. Miller was born in Germany, October 14, 1849, and is a son of Peter and Anna (Thiel) Miller, both natives of Germany, the father born in 1818 and the mother in 1820. There they grew up and were married. They immigrated to America in 1872, locating at St. James, Minnesota, where they spent the rest of their lives, the father dying in 1890 and the mother in 1912, at the age of ninety-two years. They were the parents of the following children: Nicholas, Magdalena (deceased), Michael P., Peter, Jacob (deceased), Nicholas L. and John.
Michael P. Miller spent his boyhood in Germany, where he attended school. Coming to America in 1868, he spent about six weeks in New York City, then moved to Scott county, Minnesota, where he remained until 1870, then came to St. James, in which town he has since made his home. He at once took a position as fireman with the Omaha railroad, with which he has remained for a period of forty-seven years, continuing as fireman four years, then was promoted to engineer and has thus been in charge of an engine for a period of thirty-nine years. He has been one of the company's most trusted and faithful employees. He took a home-
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stead in Nelson township. Watonwan county, in 1871, which he held about ten years and sold. He has remained in the residence he still occupies for a period of thirty-seven years. He has seen the town grow from almost the beginning and has taken much pride in the same.
Politically, he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He was a member of the school board for a number of years and also has been a member of the city council for many years. He and his family belong to the Catholic church.
Mr. Miller was married on May 3, 1875, to Katherine Sieren, who was born in Ohio, February 14, 1855, and is a daughter of John and Mar- garet (Wagner) Sieren, both natives of Germany, the father's birth occur- ring on February 17, 1833, and the mother's on January 10, of the same year. He was brought to the United States when twelve years old, and she was a child when her parents brought her to this country. The par- ents of each located in Ohio and there these children were reared and married. In 1858 they came to Minnesota and located at Mankato, where they spent one year, then took up a homestead of eighty acres in Blue Earth county, to which forty acres were later added, and they continued to live on this farm until 1901, when they removed to St. James, where they spent the rest of their lives, Mr. Sieren dying in 1909, his wife having preceded him to the grave in 1907. They were parents of ten children, namely: Katherine, Margaret, John (deceased), Peter, Mary L., Ida, Elizabeth, Magdalena, Appelona (deceased) and Anna B.
To Mr. and Mrs. Miller ten children have been born, namely: Jose- phine M., John W., Herman N., Edward P., Ida M., Elizabeth I. died in 1888, when three years old; Rosalia M .; Caroline L. and Clara M. are twins; Frederick M. is the youngest.
FRANK E. JUDD, D. V. S.
One of the most successful and highly skilled veterinarians of Cotton- wood and adjoining counties is Dr. Frank E. Judd, who maintains his office and residence at Windom. He was born in Wabasha county, Minnesota, January 10, 1875. He is a son of Lewis S. and Fannie (Smith) Judd. The father was born in Georgetown, New York, in 1841, and the mother was born in Connecticut. Lewis S. Judd came to Minnesota in 1856, locating in Wabasha county, with his parents, George Washington Judd and
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Amanda (Emmons) Judd. The elder Judd took a pre-emption claim in Goodhue county, this state, and there he and his wife spent the rest of their lives, his death occurring in 1900, at an advanced age, he having been born in New York state in 1816. His wife preceded him to the grave in 1891. To these parents three children were born, namely: Lewis S. was the eldest; Pemelia, who died about 1896, and Rosella, who is still living in Goodhue county, Minnesota.
Lewis S. Judd, father of the subject of this sketch, spent his boyhood in the state of New York, where he was educated. He was fifteen years of age when he came to Minnesota, and here he was married, first, to a Miss Russell, by which union one child was born, Nora E., who is the wife of Louis Schofield, of Goodhue county. His second marriage was to Fannie Smith, and to their union four children were born, namely: George W., who died on January 9, 1916, at the age of forty-seven years; Kittie M., who was the wife of Charles D. Reifsneider, of Oronoco, Omstead county, died in 1906, at the age of thirty-five years; Frank E., the subject of this sketch ; Harry G., born in 1877, lives in Jasper, Minnesota. The mother of the above-named children died in 1882. For his third wife, Lewis S. Judd married Mrs. Ann Allen, in 1887, but this union was without issue. Her death occurred in 1900, and in 1901 he married again, and he and his last wife are living at this writing at Mora, Kanabec county, Minnesota, whither he moved in 1899. He was a blacksmith by trade, as was also his father before him. He moved to a farm in 1899, and in 1912 located in the town of Mora, where he has since lived retired. He was a soldier in the Civil War, serving in Company G, Third Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infan- try. He was injured while in camp at Ft. Snelling and was honorably dis- charged. Politically, he is a Republican. He belongs to the Presbyterian - church. 1
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