USA > Minnesota > Watonwan County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 35
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John G. Grant was reared on the paternal farm in Lakeside township, receiving his elementary education in the district schools in the neighbor- hood of his home, supplementing the same by a course in the schools at Windom, after which he taught school for one term and later attended the Minnesota State Agricultural School, from which he was graduated in 1903.
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MR. AND MRS. JOHN G. GRANT.
RESIDENCE OF JOHN G. GRANT.
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He then returned to the home farm and began farming on his own account. The next year, in 1904, he married and established his home on the old home farm, where he ever since has made his home, and which he bought in 1910. He has there an excellent farm of two hundred and forty acres, well improved and profitably cultivated. In addition to his general farm- ing, Mr. Grant has given considerable attention to the raising of pure-bred Holstein dairy cattle and has a fine herd. He takes an active interest in local civic affairs and for years has occupied the position of school treasurer.
It was on May 25, 1904, that John G. Grant was united in marriage to Stella Lampson, who was born on May 1, 1881, and who was graduated from the State Agricultural School in 1904, and to this union two children have been born, Melburn C., born on July 26, 1906, and Lois Marie, October 24, 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Grant are members of the Baptist church at Win- dom and take a proper interest in the various beneficences of the same, as well as in the general good works of the community. Mr. Grant is a mem- ber of the Ancient Order of United. Workmen and in the affairs of that popular organization takes a warm interest.
Mrs. Grant is a daughter of Jonas T. and Eliza J. (Park) Lampson, both natives of Ohio. Both moved to Kansas in an early day and married there, later came to Minnesota in 1893, lived there until 1901, when they moved to Missouri. Mr. Lampson is a veteran of the Civil War, served four years in the Seventh Ohio Cavalry, in the Western army, and was with General Sherman on the march to the sea. He had three children : Frank L., Emma (deceased), and Stella. He and his son, Frank, are in the mercantile business in Lampson, Wisconsin.
ALBERT GRUNENWALD.
Albert Grunenwald, a well-to-do farmer of Dale township, Cottonwood county, proprietor of a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres on rural route No. 5, out of Windom, and connected with various business enter- prises throughout that part of the county, is a native of Germany, but has been a resident of the United States since he was sixteen years of age. He was born on May 17, 1877, son of William and Wilhelmina Grunenwald, who later came to Minnesota and became settlers in Cottonwood county.
William Grunenwald, a native of Germany, was reared as a farmer and remained thus engaged throughout his life. During the Franco-Prussian
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War he served as a soldier in the German army and later became a farmer on a large estate. In 1893 he came to the United States with his family and settled in Lincoln township, Buena Vista county, Iowa, where he engaged in farming for six years, at the end of which time he came to Minnesota, bought the northeast quarter of section 32, in Dale township, Cottonwood county, established his home there and there spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1907, being sixty-three years of age. His widow is still living. They were the parents of eight children, of whom Albert was the fourth in order of birth, the others being as follow: Ernest, a farmer, of Dale township: William, a farmer of Germantown township; Frank, who died in infancy; Fred, now living in Murray county, this state, farming, who married and has three children; Augusta, who married Chris Richter, a build- ing contractor, of Storm Lake, Iowa, and his six children: Anna, who mar- ried Edward Nitzke, a hardware merchant, also living at Storm Lake, Iowa, and Bertha, who married Maurice Thompson, a farmer of Great Bend town- ship, Cottonwood county.
Albert Grunenwald was about sixteen years old when he came to this country with his parents in 1893. He had received excellent schooling in the government schools of his native land, but after locating in Iowa at- tended the local school in the neighborhood of his new home there awhile. In Iowa he worked on neighboring farms and was thus engaged until 1898, in which year he and his elder brother, Ernest, came to Minnesota, locating in Cottonwood county, where they rented the old Charles Dick farm of three hundred acres. The next year, when his father came out here and bought in Dale township, he rented his father's new place and farmed the same for a year, after which he rented another farm of three hundred and twenty acres and farmed that for a year. In spring. 1901, he bought a quarter of a section in section 29, Dale township, and proceeded to improve the same. For a time he continued to make his home with his parents and then built a house on his place, after which he "bached" there until his marriage, in the spring of 1903, when he begun housekeeping right and has ever since made his home there. Mr. Grunenwald has improved his farm in fine shape and is doing well in his operations. Among the other improvements on his place is a nice grove, which he planted upon taking possession of the same and which adds much to the attractiveness of the place. Mr. Grunenwald has added to his farm holdings until now he is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres and is regarded as one of the substantial farmers of his neigh- borhood. He also is interested in other enterprises and holds stock in the Carson Farmers' Elevator Company, in the Windom Co-operative Elevator
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Company and in the Rural Telephone Company at Dale. He is an "inde- pendent" Republican and has served as constable and as treasurer of his school district.
On March 5, 1903, Albert Grunenwald was united in marriage to Anna Pelz, and to this union six children have been born, Anna, Paul, Herman, Myrtle, Mabel and Gladys, all of whom are living, save Paul, who died when five years old. Mr. and Mrs. Grunenwald are members of the German Luth- eran church and take an active interest in the affairs of the same, as well as in all local good works, Mr. Grunenwald for some time having been a mem- ber of the official board of the church.
OLE OSLAND.
Ole Osland, chairman of the board of county commissioners of Cotton- wood county and one of the best-known residents of that county, a well-to-do farmer of Storden township, proprietor of a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in the vicinity of Jeffers and Storden and for many years identified with the development of this community, is a native of Norway, born in the seaport town of Stavanger, in the stift of Christiansand, capital of the amt, on the Stavanger-Fiord, an inlet from the North Sea, one hun- dred miles south of Bergen, April 23, 1866, son of Ole and Else (Okland) Osland, the former, an official of the municipal court at Stavanger, is still living and the latter has been dead some years. They were the parents of four children, of whom Ole is the eldest, the others being Julius, Bertha and Marie.
In 1884, shortly after his graduation from the high school at Stavanger, Ole Osland came to the United States, proceeding directly to Minnesota to join his maternal grandfather, Jens Okland, a pioneer of Cottonwood county, who had settled in Storden township some years before, and he ever since has been living on the old Okland homestead farm, of which he has been the owner since 1887. At that time the place consisted of but eighty acres, but Mr. Osland has increased the same to one hundred and twenty acres and has long been regarded as one of the most substantial farmers of that neighbor- hood. In addition to his general farming he has given considerable atten- tion to the raising of high-grade live stock and has done very well. His farm is well improved and his operations are carried on in an up-to-date manner that marks him as one of the progressive farmers of the county.
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Mr. Osland is a Republican and ever since his arrival in Minnesota, has given his earnest attention to local political and civic affairs. For eighteen years he was clerk of the township and for many years has served as clerk of the school board, in which capacity he has done much in behalf of the cause of education in his district. In 1908 Mr. Osland was elected a mem- ber of the board of county commissioners from his district and has been continuously re-elected since that time. His services on the board have proved of large value to the county and since 1915 he has been serving as chairman of the board.
In November, 1890, Ole Osland was united in marriage to Carrie Hol- man, daughter of Peter Holman, and to this union ten children have been born, Oscar, Petra, Amanda, Emma, Minnie, Juliet, Frances, Arthur, Carl and Selmer. Mr. and Mrs. Osland are members of the Norwegian Luth- eran church and have long taken an active interest in the various beneficences of the same, as well as in all local good works. and are looked upon as among the leaders in movements designed to advance the common interest.
MATHIAS OLSON.
Mathias Olson, well-known merchant at Madelia, for many years one of the leaders in the commercial life of that thriving city, former member of the city council and in other ways deeply interested in the growth and development of his home town, is a native of Norway, born at Gausdal on May 21, 1846, son of Ole and Anna ( Peterson) Torgerson, farming people, natives of Norway, who spent all their lives in their native land and who were the parents of seven children. Torger, Jacob, Rena, Amund. Peter, Mathias and Mathia. Ole Torgerson and his wife were members of the Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith.
Mathias Olson began his commercial career in his native land. Upon completing the course in the government schools he began clerking in a store and for eight years was thus employed, during which time he obtained a thorough grasp of the mercantile business. In 1868 he came to the United States and proceeded to Minnesota, locating at Mankato, where for about two years he worked on the railroad. He then, in 1870, located at Madelia, where he ever since has made his home. For four years after locating at Madelia Mr. Olson was engaged as a clerk in the store of J. N. Cheney, and then, after his marriage in 1874, he formed a partnership with Mr. Bisbee
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in the store, which partnership continued for seventeen years, or until 1891. when Mr. Olson bought the Bisbee interest in the store and has since con- tinued the same alone, long having been recognized as one of the leading merchants of Madelia, as he is one of the very oldest in point of continuous mercantile service in this part of the state. Mr. Olson is a Republican and has for many years given his close attention to local political affairs. For some time he served the public as a member of the Madelia city council and also for some time as a member of the school board, in all of his public service giving his most careful thought to the needs of the community and has done much during his long residence in Madelia to promote the general interests of that town.
In 1874 Mathias Olson was united in marriage to Mary Stenerson and to this union have been born eight children, Alfred M., Stella O., Minnie, Hazel and Lydia, and three deceased. The Olsons are members of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church and for years have been accounted as among the leaders in good works in and about Madelia. Mr. Olson has long been active in the affairs of the church with which he is connected and has served the congregation of the same in the capacity of trustee, deacon and secretary.
NILS ERICKSON.
Nils Erickson, a well-known and substantial farmer of Germantown township, Cottonwood county, owner of a farm of two hundred and sixty- two acres in that township, is a native of Norway, but has lived in Minnesota since he was nineteen years old. He was born on November 8, 1861, son of Erick and Anna Quam, natives of that same country, both now deceased, who spent all their lives in their native land and who were the parents of six children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth, the others being Christie, Thorsen, Erick, Anna and Anna, second.
Nils Erickson's father was a farmer in Norway and he was reared to the life of the farm. When nineteen years old, in the year 1880, he came to Minnesota and located in Cottonwood county. For the first ten years after coming to this state, Mr. Erickson worked on various farms in Cot- tonwood county and then, in 1891, bought a farm of eighty acres in West- brook township, and presently added to that an adjoining eighty acres. The year after he bought his farm he married and established his home there. In 1901 he sold one-half of his quarter section and in 1902 bought the farm
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of two hundred and sixty-two acres on which he is now living and where he since has made his home. In 1903 he sold the remaining half of his quarter section in Westbrook township and since then has been devoting his time wholly to the cultivation and improvement of his home farm. In 1914 he built his present substantial residence and he and his family are very pleasantly situated. In addition to his general farming, Mr. Erickson has given considerable attention to the raising of live stock and has done very well, for ten years or more having paid particular attention to his fine herd of Holsteins. Mr. Erickson is a Republican, but has not been a seeker after public office.
It was in 1892 that Nils Erickson was united in marriage to Lina Mol- berg and to this union four children have been born, Alfred Ingvald, born on January 21, 1895 ; Ella Louise, November 26. 1896, and Clarence Alvin, January 4, 1903, and an infant, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Erickson are mem- bers of the Norwegian Lutheran church and take an active interest in church work, Mr. Erickson having served twice as a local delegate to the state con- ventions of his church, once at Minneapolis and once at St. Paul.
C. W. DAMMANN.
C. W. Dammann, the subject of this sketch, was born in Chicago, Illi- nois, January 10, 1872. He is a son of Henry and Marie (Waswo) Dam- mann, the father a native of Neuen, Kirschen, Germany, and the mother, of Kellingkussen, Germany. Henry Dammann came to America in 1866, and located in Chicago, Illinois, where he followed his trade as a tanner. Later he engaged in the manufacture of sausage, following that business from 1882 until about 1887, when he moved to Jackson county, Minnesota. He located on a farm of two hundred and forty acres and engaged in farming. His death occurred about two years later. His widow is still living. There were three children in this family: C. W., Amanda and John.
C. W. Dammann was educated in the public schools of Chicago, and was employed part of the time during his school years as a clerk in a store. He came to Minnesota with his parents and lived at the farm homestead, working on the farm, until 1899, when he went to Jackson, Minnesota, to take a position in a retail store. In 1902 he came to Ormsby and opened up a general merchandise store, and has been in this business at this place since that time. In 19II he was appointed postmaster of this village and
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is now attending to the duties of that office in connection with his other business.
In 1896 C. W. Dammann and Meta Struck were united in marriage. She is the daughter of Christ Struck and wife. To this union three chil- dren have been born: Henry. Christian and Willis. Mr. Dammann is a Republican in politics, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen's lodge, also a Mason.
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON.
One cause for emigration is the attraction which another country holds out to the newcomer in various ways. The farmer coming from Denmark to Minnesota expects to become greatly interested in the new methods he will find here in carrying on husbandry, and in learning how to do better work and increase his earning powers. Some such motive induced Christian Anderson, farmer of Great Bend township, Cottonwood county, to make the long sea voyage and extended land journey to this country from Den- mark, where he was born February 22, 1857. He is a son of Andres and Margaret (Matson) Gertson. These parents were both born in Denmark and there grew up, were married and established their home, the father devoting his active life to farming and died there some time ago, and the mother is still living in the old home. To these parents seven children were born, namely: Mathias, Gerhart, Masena, Marie, Christian, Andres and Jens.
Christian Anderson grew to manhood on the home farm in Denmark, and he received his education in the common schools in his native com- munity. When twenty-five years of age he immigrated to the United States, locating first in Shelby county, Iowa, where he bought land and engaged in farming nine years; then moved to Clay county, that state, where he con- tinued farming until 1901, when he moved to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, locating on a farm in Springfield township, which he rented the first year, then purchased two hundred acres in Great Bend township, on which he still resides, and is engaged in general farming and dairying on an extensive scale. He has made valuable improvements on the place and has a com- fortable home and numerous convenient outbuildings.
Mr. Anderson was married in 1886, to Margaret Kroeger, who was born in Germany, and is a daughter of Thomas Kroeger, who immigrated from Germany to Shelby county, Iowa, where he established the future home
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of the family, To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson the following children were born: Katie, Andrew, Anna, Tora, Mary, Harry, and Christine.
Politically, Mr. Anderson is a Democrat. He is now a member of the school board. He belongs to the Lutheran church.
GEORGE W. MATHISEN.
Any man who works on the land, who tills a field and watches the result, gains a real fundamental knowledge of the underlying foundation on which rests all civilization. It makes him a reliable man, a thoughtful man, a reverent man, and, if he experiments wisely, a helpful optimist. One of the well-informed twentieth century agriculturists and horticulturists of Cottonwood county is George W. Mathisen, of Dale township. He was born in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, in 1860, and is a son of Lars M. and Rocina (Hummel) Mathisen, natives of Norway and Germany, respec- tively. Christian Mathisen, the grandfather, spent his life in Norway. George Hummel, the maternal grandfather, who was a native of Germany, came to America and died in Wisconsin. The parents of the subject of this sketch came to Wisconsin in 1849 and located in Manitowoc county, where they were married and there spent the rest of their lives, the father reach- ing the unusual age of ninety-four years. They were among the very early settlers in that part of the Badger state, bought land and owned a good farm. Thirteen children were born to them, namely: Barbara, Louisa, Mathias, Matilda, George W., Augusta, Amelia, Mary, Lewis, William, who died young; Lena, John and an infant son.
George W. Mathisen spent his boyhood on the home farm in Wisconsin and there received his education in the common schools, remaining on the homestead until he was nineteen years of age; then went into the lumber camps for five winters, after which he came to Minnesota, locating in Great Bend township in the spring of 1885, and has farmed in Cottonwood county ever since. He now lives in Dale township, where he owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, moving there from Great Bend township, and this has been his home for the past twenty-four years. He carries on general farming, keeps good Holstein cattle, and is also an extensive fruit and berry grower. Modern methods are employed and his place would indicate that a man of thrift, good taste and intelligence has its management in hand.
Mr. Mathisen was married in 1893 to Lily Brown, who was born in
GEORGE W. MATHISEN AND FAMILY.
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West Salem, LaCrosse county, Wisconsin, and is a daughter of Thomas S. Brown, brother of John A. Brown, editor of this work. Thomas Brown was a homesteader in Springfield township, Cottonwood county, coming here about 1878. To Mr. and Mrs. Mathisen five children have been born, all living, namely: Sidney, Margaret, May, Marjorie and Lewis.
Mr. Mathisen is a Socialist in politics. He has filled the office of town- ship treasurer and also assessor for many years in Dale township. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a Lutheran and his wife is inclined toward the Presbyterians. Of the children, Sidney graduated from the Windom high school, taking the four-year course in three years and is now a student in Ames Agricultural School at Iowa. The children of school age are in the district school. Mr. Mathisen is president of the Farmers Club. Mrs. Mathisen is a member of the Degree of Honor, the auxiliary of the United Workmen.
LEROY C. CHURCHILL.
LeRoy C. Churchill, editor and publisher of the Citizen at Windom, secretary of the Commercial Club of that city and otherwise actively identi- fied with the rapidly developing interests of this part of the state, is a native of Kansas, born in the city of Iola, that state, February 17, 1873, son and only child of E. S. and Harriet E. (Anthony) Churchill. Upon com- pleting the course in the high school Mr. Churchill took a course in a business college. For years he was connected with the postoffice, both as clerk and postmaster. The Cottonwood County Citizen was established at Windom in 1883 and he has been editor and proprietor of the paper since the year 1895. Mr. Churchill is a Republican and his paper ever stands stanchly for the maintenance of the principles of that party and is an ardent advocate of the same throughout the wide field which it weekly covers.
Mr. Churchill ever since locating in Windom has given his earnest and thoughtful attention to local affairs and has been an active factor in the development of the same. He is secretary of the Windom Commercial Club and takes an enthusiastic interest in the affairs of that useful organi- zation. He also is secretary of the Cottonwood County Agricultural Society. He is a substantial business man and is a stockholder in the Union Savings Association of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In the social and fra-
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ternal life of his home town Mr. Churchill also takes an active and influential position and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of the Royal Arcanum, of the Modern Woodmen of America and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, in the affairs of all of which orgainzations he takes a warm interest.
On January 19, 1915, LeRoy C. Churchill was united in marriage, at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Mabel I. Watts, daughter of Robert and Bertha Watts, of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Churchill are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take a proper interest in church affairs, as well as in all local good works, and are regarded as among the leaders in the social and cultural life of their home town.
FERDINAND BONIN.
Ferdinand Bonin, one of Watonwan county's best-known farmers, now living quietly and comfortably retired on a farm in the near vicinity of the city of St. James, a place of four acres, which he bought upon his recent retirement from his farm in Long Lake township, is a native of Germany, born on September 12, 1859, son of Carl and Lena Bonin, the former of whom spent his last days in this country, having come here in 1886, four years after the death of his wife, his death occurring at the home of his son, Ferdinand, in Watonwan county, in 1901, he then being seventy-eight years of age. Carl Bonin and wife were the parents of five children, Fred. John, Herman, Bertha and Ferdinand, of whom Herman and Ferdinand are now the only survivors.
Ferdinand Bonin was reared in Germany, receiving his schooling in the public schools of his native land and was twenty-five years old when he came to this country in 1884. He settled in Illinois, where he married three years later and where he lived, engaged in farming, until he came to Minnesota in 1893 and settled in Watonwan county. Upon his arrival here, Mr. Bonin bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Rosendale township and there he established his home. He prospered in his farming operations and presently bought an additional tract of one hundred and sixty acres and still later an "eighty" adjoining, thus giving him a fine farm of three hundred and sixty acres. This farm he after awhile sold to advantage and then bought a quarter of a section in Long Lake township, where he lived until his retirement from the farm, when he bought his present pleasant home
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