USA > Minnesota > Watonwan County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 21
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In 1882, when nineteen years of age, Jacob J. Linscheid was united in marriage to Susanna Hubin, sister of the Rev. Daniel Hubin, of Butterfield, and to this union ten children have been born, Jacob, Lizzie, Rudolph, Marie (deceased), Marie, Herbert, Bertha, Robert, Elma and Ernest. Mr. and Mrs. Linscheid are active members of the Mennonite church and take a warm interest in all movements having to do with the general social uplift of the community in which they live, being among the leaders in all such movements thereabout.
C. O. BRAATHUN.
C. O. Braathun, a well-known and well-to-do farmer of Storden town- ship, Cottonwood county, proprietor of a well-kept farm of one hundred and twenty acres in the vicinity of Storden, and actively identified with the best interests of that community, is a native of Norway, born on September 24, 1876, son of Ole and Bol ( Aarvig) Braathun, natives of that same country and the parents of seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth, the others being Ole, Margaret, Lars, Anna, Peter and John. After the death of the mother of these children, Ole Braathun married, secondly, Kari Oyre, and to that union two children were born, Jens and Bol. Ole Braathun was a farmer and all his life was spent in his native land.
C. O. Braathun was reared on a farm and received his education in the public schools of his native land. When fifteen years of age, in 1892, he came to the United States and made his way to Iowa. He had no one he knew in this country, and for some time after his arrival here had a hard struggle to get along, but he presently obtained employment in the railroad service in Iowa and was there thus engaged for nine years, at the end of
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which time, in 1902, he came to Minnesota and located in Cottonwood county, where he has made his home ever since and where he has done very well. Upon Mr. Braathun's arrival in Cottonwood county he began work- ing on farms in Storden township and was thus engaged for some time. After his marriage, in 1904, he began to farm as a renter on his own ac- count, and in 1909 bought a farm of eighty acres, where he now lives and where for the last two years has made his home. He improved the place in good shape, erecting good buildings and presently was very comfortably established. He prospered in his farming operations and in 1911 bought a tract of forty acres adjoining his home place and is now the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and twenty acres and is accounted one of the substantial citizens of that community. In addition to his general farm- ing, Mr. Braathun has given considerable attention to the raising of live stock and has done very well.
In 1904 C. O. Braathun was united in marriage to Anna Pederson, daughter of Eli Pederson, of Benton county, Iowa, which union has been without issue. Mr. and Mrs. Braathun are earnest members of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church, in the affairs of which they take a warm interest, and Mr. Braathun has served as a member of the choir in the church. He is a Republican and gives a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has not been included in the office-seeking class.
REV. ALGOT THEO. LUNDHOLM.
The Rev. Algot Theo. Lundholm, pastor of the East Sveadahl Swedish Lutheran church in Nelson township, Watonwan county, and of the church of the same denomination at St. James, with residence at East Svendahl, is a native of Sweden, but has been a resident of this country since he was eight years of age, most all of which time he has spent in Minnesota. He was born on March 21, 1875, son of Jonas Peter and Greta Lisa Lundholm, natives of Sweden, who left their farm there in 1883 and with their family came to the United States, proceeding directly to Minnesota and locating in Sibley county. Upon arriving there Jonas P. Lundholm bought a farm in the near vicinity of Winthrop and there established his home, becoming a substantial and influential farmer. In 1898 he retired from the farm and moved to Winthrop, where he spent his last days, his death occurring in 1913. His widow is still living at Winthrop. They were the parents of
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twelve children, nine of whom are still living, but Algot Theo. is the only one residing in this section of the state.
Upon completing the course in the public schools of Winthrop, A. T. Lundholm entered Gustavus Adolphus College at St. Peter and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from that institution in 1899. Having devoted his life to the gospel ministry, he then entered Augustana Seminary at Rock Island, Illinois, from which institution he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Divinity in 1902. In June of that year, at Ishpeming, Michi- gan, he was ordained to the ministry of the Swedish Lutheran church and in the same year accepted a call from the church of his faith at Aledo, Illinois, where he served as pastor until accepting his present pastorate in August, 1905. Since coming to this parish the Rev. A. T. Lundholm has done much to advance the various interests of the same, both in a spiritual and in a material way, and has done a good work both at East Sveadahl and at St. James, his parish comprising the churches of his faith at both points. His residence is at the former point and since locating there he has caused to be erected a fine new, modern parsonage, situated near the church, the latter of which is one of the finest country churches in Watonwan county, the church and the parsonage being surrounded by a beautiful lawn and the general appointments of both being in full keeping with modern demands. The Rev. Mr. Lundholm has a flourishing parish and is constantly adding to it. He is a progressive, public-spirited citizen and takes a warm interest in general public affairs, being a potent factor in the general development of the community in which he labors so effectively. In the counsels of his church, Mr. Lundholm occupies a high place, and there are few ministers of his communion who have a wider acquaintance than he. For some time he has been president of the board of directors of Gustavus Adolphus College, his alma mater, and in that connection has done much for the promotion of the interests of the college and the general cause of education hereabout. In political views, Mr. Lundholm is inclined to be "independent," reserving his right to vote only for such men as he regards best fitted for public office, and in this way wields an influence for good in the local political field.
On October 29, 1902, a few months after his ordination to the gospel ministry, the Rev. Algot Theo. Lundholm was united in marriage to Lydia Marie Olson, daughter of John Olson and wife, of Minneapolis, and to this union four children have been born, Einar Mauritz, Harald Theophilus, Brynolf Emanuel and Frydolp Nathanael. Mrs. Lundholm is a competent helpmeet to her husband in the exacting labors of his difficult field and both are held in the very highest esteem throughout the entire community.
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FRANK GALL.
Frank Gall, a well-known, well-to-do and progressive farmer of Rose- dale township, Watonwan county, proprietor of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in that township and actively identified with the general af- fairs of his home community, is a native son of Minnesota, born at Man- kato, April 17, 1868, son of Michael and Mary (Hermann) Gall, the former a native of Germany, born on June 22, 1822, and the latter, of Austria, born on April 26, 1834, who is still living on the old homestead farm in Rosen- dale township, where she and her husband settled in the early days of the settlement of this part of the state.
Michael Gall and Mary Hermann were married in Germany and lived there until they came to this country in the spring of 1867, locating in Man- kato, this state, in June of that year. There they remained eleven months and during the time of their residence there the subject of this sketch was born. The next spring they came over into Watonwan county, arriving there on May 12, 1868, and settled on a tract of eighty acres which Michael Gall had homesteaded in section 22 of Rosendale township, being thus among the earlier settlers of that part of the county. Michael Gall built a shanty on his homestead tract and began to develop his farm, but what with hard times, crop failures and the grasshopper scourges he faced a hard struggle for the first few years and it was twelve years before he was able to supplant the shanty with a suitable dwelling place for his family. After a time, however, his affairs began to prosper and he presently bought an adjoining "eighty" in section 21. He set out a grove, made substantial improvements to his place and finally became very well circumstanced, one of the well-to-do farmers of that neighborhood. He was a Democrat and took an active part in local political affairs, having served as township treasurer for ten years and for some time as highway overseer in his district. His death occurred on December 25, 1906. For some years thereafter his widow made her home in St. James, but is now living with her son, Frank, on the old home farm. Michael Gall was a member of the Catholic church, as is his widow, and their children were reared in that faith. There were ten of these chil- dren, of whom Frank was the seventh in order of birth, the others being Mary, Katie, George, Andrew, Annie, Margaret, Mary Catherine, Anna Cleora and Magdaline, all of whom are living save Mary, who died before the family came to this country; Andrew, who died in St. Paul at the age of thirty-eight, and Annie, who died in Germany when eighteen months old.
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Frank Gall was reared on the homestead farm in Rosendale township, receiving his schooling in the local schools and has lived on the old home place, which he now owns, all his life. In addition to his general farming he has given considerable attention to the raising of live stock and has done very well. He is carrying on his farming operations according to modern methods of agriclture and has made many excellent improvements to the old home place, being regarded as one of the most progressive farmers in that neighborhood. Mr. Gall is independent in his political views and has never sought public office. He is a member of the Catholic church and takes a proper interest in parish affairs.
OTTO SENST.
Otto Senst, a well-known and substantial farmer of Amboy township, Cottonwood county, who is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres surrounding his home in that township and three hundred and twenty acres in Storden township, is a native son of Minnesota and has lived in this state all his life. He was born on a farm in the near vicinity of Red Wing, in Goodhue county, April 11, 1868, son of Gottfried and Henrietta (Pultz) Senst, both now deceased, natives of Germany, the former of whom was a weaver in his native land, who came to the United States in the early sixties, proceeding directly to Minnesota and settling in Goodhue county, where Gottfried Senst farmed for about five years, at the end of which time he moved with his family to Wabasha county, where he spent the rest of his active life, upon his retirement making his home with his son, Otto, in Cot- tonwood county, where he died. He and his wife were members of the German Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, of whom Otto was the fifth in order of birth, the others being Henrietta, Fredericka, Maria, Anna, Herman and Sieg- mund.
Otto Senst was but four years old when his parents moved from Good- hue county to Wabasha county and on the paternal farm in the latter county he grew to manhood, receiving his schooling in the neighborhood school and becoming a very proficient farmer, remaining there until 1891, in which year he moved to Cottonwood county, locating on his present place in Amboy township, where he has lived ever since. Mr. Senst has been quite successful in his farming operations and in addition to the quarter section
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surrounding his home, where he and his family are very pleasantly situated, he is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres in Storden township. His farm is well improved and he is looked upon as one of the progressive farmers of his neighborhood. Mr. Senst is a Republican and has served on the local school board.
Mr. Senst married Wilhelmine Uebe and to this union five children have been born, Walter, Carl, Paul, Alfred and Clarence. Mr. and Mrs. Senst are members of the German Lutheran church and take a proper inter- est in parish affairs as well as in all movements having to do with the advancement of the common interests of their home neighborhood.
JOHAN ROLF, D. D. S.
The science of dentistry has an able exponent in Watonwan county in the person of Dr. Johan Rolf, who left no stone unturned whereby he might attain the skill of the greatest followers of this science in the country, believing in keeping up with modern twentieth century methods, and he is therefore meeting with pronounced success in his chosen profession.
Johan Rolf was born in St. Ansgar, Mitchell county, Iowa, October 26. 1875, a son of Rev. J. and Rakel Olsen, both natives of Norway, the father born about 1835 and the mother about 1837. They grew up in their native land and there were married. They emigrated to America about 1860 and settled at Paxton, Illinois, where the father taught for some time in the Swedish College, and there was ordained a minister in the Lutheran church-ordained by Reverend Haselquist. His first charge as minister was at Green Bay, Wisconsin. From there he went to St. Ansgar, Mitchell county, Iowa, in 1863, succeeding the Rev. C. M. Clausen. This was the first Norwegian conference church in Iowa. He was pastor there for some time, also at other churches, including Deer Creek, Rockford, Osage, Adams and Six Mile Grove. He was foreman of the conference for a period of ten years and was the leader in the formation of the United Lutheran church. He became widely known and was one of the leading divines of his church in his day in the West. He retired after forty years of faithful and able service, and spent his last days in Minneapolis with his son, O. O. Erling, his death occurring in 1911. His wife died in 1909. They were the parents of the following children: Sigurd is a minister at Cooperstown, North Dakota; Helga is a pianist in Minneapolis; Mollie is
JOHAN ROLF, D. D. S.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, V_N.3X MEDEN FOUNDATIONS
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the wife of Prof. J. E. Granrud, of the University of Minnesota; O. O. Erling is cashier of the South Side State Bank of Minneapolis; Johan Rolf, the subject of this sketch; Olga is the wife of Peter Field, professor of mathematics in the University of Michigan.
Johan Rolf received a good education in the public schools and the St. Ansgar Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1894, later spending one year in the University of Minnesota. He was graduated from the dental department of that institution in 1898, having made an excellent record. He came to St. James the same year and has remained here continuously to the present time. He has enjoyed a large and growing practice all the while, and has met with much success from the first. He has a neatly kept and well equipped dental parlor, and he has kept well abreast of the times in all that pertains to his profession.
Dr. Johan Rolf was married, in 1899, to Jennie M. Olson, of Minneapolis. She was born in Norway in 1877, and in 1880 her parents brought her to Minneapolis, where she grew up and was educated. She is a daughter of C. F. and Lena Olson. The father died in 1914. The mother is making her home with Doctor Rolf and wife in St. James. The union of the Doctor and his wife has resulted in the birth of three children, namely: Nora, born on October 24, 1900; Karl, July 14, 1902, and Lloyd, May II, 1904.
Politically, Doctor Rolf is a Democrat. He is a member of the city council, and he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Norwegian Lutheran church.
THEO ENGLIN.
Theo Englin was born in the province of Scania, Sweden, on March I, 1867, a son of Andrew and Elna (Person) Englin, both natives of Sweden, the former of whom was born on February 24, 1840, and the latter on May 24, 1843.
Andrew Englin, the father of the subject of this review, was a farm laborer in his native country. He came to America in 1881, coming first to Chicago, where he remained for a short time, then went to Wesley, Iowa. In 1882 he came to Watonwan county, Minnesota, and a year later located on a farm in section I, Adrian township. He had a farm of two hundred acres in that township, which he cultivated and where he made his home (15a)
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until the spring of 1907, when he leased his farm and removed to St. James. He purchased a tract of land within the city limits and has since made this his home. He is the father of two children: Theo, and Elma C., who be- came the life of Axel R. Johnson, and lives at St. James. The Englin fam- ily are members of the Swedish Lutheran church.
Theo Englin received his early education in the common schools of his native land, and after coming with his parents to this country attended the public schools of Adrian township, Watonwan county, also taking a business course in the Mankato commercial college. As a young man he worked on his father's farm during the summer months, and during the winter found employment as a clerk in a store at Butterfield, where he worked for five years. He then returned to the old homestead and engaged in farming until the spring of 1907. He is the owner of a farm of two hundred acres adjoining his father's farm, in Adrian township. In the fall of 1909, on November 15, he was elected cashier of the State Bank of Darfur, and he gave up his farming business and took this position in the bank, a position which he has since continued to hold. He is also at the present time the treasurer of the Farmers Elevator Company at Darfur. During the time he was living on his farm in Adrian township he was a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Elevator Company, of St. James, and served . for several years as secretary of this company.
Politically, Mr. Englin affiliates with the Democratic party. For a period of fourteen years he served as a member of the board of supervisors of Adrian township, during his residence there. After removing to the village of Darfur he was elected as village recorder and served in this capacity for a term of four years. In 1915 he was elected president of the Darfur village council, a position he now holds.
ANDREW P. VOUGHT.
Andrew P. Vought, chairman of the board of supervisors of Spring- field township, Cottonwood county, and one of the best known and most substantial farmers of that township, proprietor of a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres in the Heron Lake neighborhood, is a native son of Minnesota and has lived in this state all his life. He was born on a farm in Fillmore county, June 12, 1866, son of James C. and Mary A. (Goudy) Vought, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Ohio, who later became well-known residents of Cottonwood county.
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James C. Vought was nine years of age when he came to Minnesota with his parents back in pioneer days and he grew to manhood on a home- stead farm in Fillmore county. After he left school he worked for some time as a farm hand in his home county and then for the better part of three years was engaged in rafting on the Mississippi river. He returned to Fillmore county, married there and settled on a farm, where he remained until 1870, in which year he moved to Jackson county and there entered a homestead tract of eighty acres, on which he made his home until he moved to Cottonwood county in 1883. Upon locating in the latter county he rented a farm and there lived until about five years before his death, which occurred in 1909. He had served the public in the capacity of constable and also had been road overseer for a number of years. James C. Vought and wife were the parents of thirteen children, of whom Andrew P. was the third in order of birth and of whom eleven are still living, two of these being residents of Cottonwood county, Andrew P. Vought having a sister, Mrs. Inez Reisdorph, living here.
Andrew P. Vought received his schooling in the schools of Jackson county, he having been but six years old when his parents moved to that county. He grew up on the paternal farm, assisting his father in the devel- opment of the same, and remained there until his marriage in 1886, after which he rented the farm on which he is now living and was a tenant on the same for twelve years, at the end of which time he bought it and has ever since continued to live there, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Mr. Vought has a well-kept place of three hundred and twenty acres and has done well in his farming operations. He has made several thousands of dollars worth of improvements on the farm and is regarded as one of the substantial farmers of the Heron Lake neighborhood. In addition to his general farming he also has gone in somewhat extensively for the raising of high-grade cattle and also maintains a dairy herd of twenty head or more. Mr. Vought has given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs and is now a member of the school board and chairman of the board of supervisors of his home township. He is a Prohibitionist and has for years been active in the work of promoting the anti-saloon movement in his neighborhood.
It was on May 6, 1885, that Andrew P. Vought was united in marriage to Kate Seimond, daughter of Henry Seimond, and to this union eight chil- dren have been born : Walter, Verne, Chester, Charles, Fannie, Pearl, Robert and Harold. Walter Vought married Lillian Lanham and has one child, a
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son, Donald. Fannie Vought married John Neumandal and has one child, and Pearl Vought married Joseph Knutson. Mr. and Mrs. Vought are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church at Windom and take an earnest interest in the general good works of the community.
PAUL FLOGSTAD.
Paul Flogstad, a well-known and well-to-do retired farmer of Nelson township, Watonwan county, proprietor of a fine farm of two hundred acres on Rural Route No. 3, out of St. James; one of the pioneers of that part of the county and for many years actively identified with the work of developing the same, is a native of Norway, but has been a resident of this country since he was fifteen years old. He was born on a farm in Norway, October 3, 1841, and received his schooling in his native land. When he was twenty-eight years old, in 1869, his younger brother, Carl, having emi- grated one year before, came to the United States and both settled at Oconto, Wisconsin, where they began working in a saw-mill. Nine years before their father, Halvor Nelson, died at his home in Norway, 1860. In 1870 their mother, Martha Olson Nelson, and the other members of the family, there having been eight children in all, came to this country and joined her sons at Oconto. Three years later the family came out here and located in Nelson township, Watonwan county. The widow homesteaded a tract of eighty acres in that township and there established her home with her younger children, remaining there the rest of her life, her death occurring in 1890. Of her eight children, five are still living and doing well their respective parts in life.
Paul Flogstad was about thirty years old when he came to Minnesota in 1872 and settled in Watonwan county, and upon locating in Nelson town- ship homesteaded a tract of eighty acres of land, upon which he threw up a sod shanty and settled down there to "prove up" his claim and improve his tract. He broke the sod with a team of oxen and had a crop out the first year. From the very first he prospered in his farming operations and as he prospered in his labors added to his holdings until he became the owner of a fine farm of two hundred acres, well improved and profitably cultivated. When Mr. Flogstad came to America he had less than twenty dollars; now he is a well-to-do retired farmer, possessing a very comfortable competence from the proceeds of the farm. In addition to his general farming, Mr.
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Flogstad was also engaged quite extensively in stock raising for some time and did very well. Some time ago he gave up the active labors of the farm and is now renting his rich fields to responsible tenants.
In January, 1873, a little more than two years after coming to Minne- sota, Paul Flogstad was united in marriage to Ingeborge Hanson, who was born in Norway, a daughter of Sygert and Mary Hanson, also natives of that country, farming people, who came to the United States in 1870 and located in Wisconsin, where they remained a little more than a year, at the end of which time they came to Minnesota and settled in Brown county. Sygert Hanson and wife were the parents of seven children, five of whom are still living, those besides Mrs. Flogstad being Hans, Isaac, Nellie and Mary, the latter of whom married Martin H. Flogstad, former chairman of the board of supervisors of Nelson township and a brother of the subject of this sketch. To Paul Flogstad and wife eight children have been born, namely: Halvor, deceased; Mary, who married Ole Halvorson and has three children, Inez, Amy and Oleta; Sophia, who married George Selber; Thorvall, who married Caren Weaken and has five children, Cora, Paul, Hazel, Carl and Alice; Olga, who married Peter Tintinger and has two children, Marie and Carl, and Axel, Mabel and Pearl. Mr. and Mrs. Flog- stad are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church, of which Mr. Flog- stad for years was a trustee, and their children have been reared in that faith, the family taking an earnest interest in the various beneficences of the church, as well as in all local good works. Mr. Flogstad is an independent voter and takes a good citizen's interest in general civic affairs, but has never been included in the office-seeking class.
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