USA > Minnesota > Watonwan County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 37
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Hilmer J. Olson was born at St. Paul, this state, July 21, 1890, son of John W. and Caroline (Johnson) Olson, both natives of Sweden, the former born in 1860 and the latter in 1859, who came to this country in 1887. locating at St. Paul, where Mr. Olson has ever since been employed as yardmaster for the St. Paul Flour and Feed Company. John W. Olson and wife are the parents of five children, Hilmer J., Frank, Rudolph, Harry and Russell. Hilmer J. Olson obtained his schooling in the public schools of St. Paul and in 191I went to Duluth, where for two years he was engaged as weighmaster for the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad Company. He then went to St. James, where he began working in the restaurant of John C. DeGonda, whose daughter, Anna, he married in June of that year, and was thus engaged until in July. 1914, when he and his brother-in-law, Anthony P. DeGonda bought the restaurant from the elder DeGonda and conducted same under the firm name of Olson & DeGonda. On June 25, 1913, Hil- mer J. Olson was united in marriage to Anna DeGonda, sister of his busi- ness partner, and to this union one child has been born. a son, Donald R., born on August 27, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Olson are members of the Cath- olic church and take a proper interest in parish affairs.
Anthony P. DeGonda is a native son of Minnesota, born in LeSueur county, April 3, 1895, son of John C. and Mary DeGonda, both natives of the republic of Switzerland, the former born in 1860 and the latter of 1869, who are now living at St. James. John C. DeGonda was but six years of age when he came to the United States with his widowed mother, Mrs. Mary (Muckley) DeGonda, in 1866, his father having died in the old country in 1865. Mrs. DeGonda established her home in LeSueur county, this state, and there spent the rest of her life, her death occurring in 1890. John C. DeGonda was reared in that county and grew up to the life of the farm, becoming a farmer by occupation and thus continued until he came to this part of the state in 1900 and settled at Madelia, where he remained until his removal in 1912 to St. James, where he engaged in the restaurant business and was thus engaged until he sold his place to Olson & DeGonda, in July, 1914. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church and their children have been reared in that faith. There are four of these chil- dren, Anna M., who married Hilmer J. Olson; Mamie, who married Fred Miller ; Anthony P. and Louise. Anthony P. DeGonda was about five years old when his parents moved to Madelia and there he received his education and in St. Mary's Seminary at Winona, Minnesota. Upon removing to St. James in 1912 he became actively associated with his father in the
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restaurant business and has been thus engaged ever since, with a pro- prietory interest since July, 1914, when he and Mr. Olson assumed the ownership, which they subsequently passed over to the present owner, J. C. DeGonda.
PERRY M. JENCKS.
Farmers as a class are intelligent, industrious and economical, and many of them are men of good business judgment. Perry M. Jencks, one of the successful farmers of Great Bend township, Cottonwood county, was born at Evansville, Wisconsin, November 5, 1873. He is a son of Monroe and Ella ( Martin) Jencks, natives of New York state and Wisconsin, respectively. The father came to Wisconsin when young, married there and spent the rest of his life on a farin in that state and in Iowa, dying in the latter state. His widow now resides in Windom, Minnesota. Eleven children were born to these parents, named as follow: Eva, Sidney, who died when young; Ida, Perry, Orlo, Warren, Rosa, who died young; Ira, Louis, Cyril and Florence.
Perry M. Jencks grew up on the home farm in Wisconsin and there he received a common-school education. He began farming for himself in Iowa, to which state he moved with his parents. In the fall of 1900 he came to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, and purchased his present farm in Great Bend township, and here he has since made his home. The place consists of eighty acres. He has made many improvements here, putting up all the buildings, except the dwelling. The place is known as "Rose Bud Dairy Farm." In connection with general farming he conducts a dairy, milking on an average, ten cows; also, he raises full-blood Duroc-Jersey hogs and Shorthorn cattle.
Mr. Jencks was married in October, 1894, to Nettie Wheaton, of Iowa, a daughter of George A. Wheaton and wife. To this union four children have been born, namely: Maude, Hazel. an infant. who died, and Opal.
Politically, Mr. Jencks is a Republican. He has served as a member of the district school board for some time, being still a member of the same, and he was formerly road overseer here. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and his wife are both members of the Rebekahs and the Royal Neigh- bors. They belong to the Methodist Episcopal church.
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WILLIAM C. BURTON.
William C. Burton, farmer of Great Bend township, Cottonwood county, is of that large class of citizens who take delight in nature and cares little for the metropolis. He was born on the farm on which he still resides, May, 1873, and is a son of John O. and Mary J. (Rank) Burton. They were both natives of Indiana, the mother born near Rochester and the father in the southern part of the state. He was a soldier in the Civil War, after which he went to Rice county, Minnesota, where he spent about one year, then came to Cottonwood county, about 1869, and homesteaded one hun- dred and sixty acres, a part of the place on which his son William C., still lives on. John O. Burton developed a good farm and lived here until the spring of 1881, when he went to Duluth and engaged in railroad work until 1900. He was a locomotive engineer, but he finally left the road and turned his attention to farming again. Returning to Indiana, he died there in 1909. His wife preceded him to the grave in November, 1895, in Duluth. Their family consisted of four children, namely: William C., Omer E., who is a locomotive engineer; A. Jay, also a locomotive engineer, was killed in a wreck, and Frank A., who is division storekeeper of the Northern Pacific railroad, and lives in Jamestown, North Dakota. John O. Burton, the father, owned one-half section of land in one body. He was a member of the Episcopal church.
William C. Burton was educated in the public schools of Cottonwood county and the city of Duluth. After finishing the grades he attended a business college in Duluth, then went into railroad service and was a clerk in the offices of the Northern Pacific at Duluth for eight years, and for twelve years was foreman of the car shops there, his long retention indi- cating that his services were satisfactory in both capacities. He returned to the old homestead in Cottonwood county in 1914 and has since success- fully operated five hundred and sixty acres, carrying on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale.
Mr. Burton was married on August 9, 1899, to Grace M. Fish of Duluth, a daughter of Francis A. and Elizabeth Fish, and to this union four children have been born, namely: John O., Francis F., William C., Jr., and Grace Anna.
Mr. Burton is a member of the Episcopal church, and he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Royal Arcanum, and the Knights of the Maccabees.
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U. H. PALMER.
U. H. Palmer, for many years a prominent farmer of Watonwan county, now living in retirement in St. James, was born in Broom county, New York, May 2, 1845, son of Urban and Catherine (Boomhour) Pal- mer, both natives of the state of New York, his birth occurring in 1808, and she was born on July 18, 1809. They grew up and were married in their native state, and in 1848 came west, locating in Green Lake county, Wisconsin. The father was a physician in his earlier career, but in later life was a farmer. He removed from Wisconsin to Iowa, thence to South Dakota, and finally to Mankato, Minnesota, where his death occurred on December 28, 1890. He was a soldier in the Civil War for one year, enlisting in February, 1862, in Company G, Fifth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. The mother of the subject of this sketch died in early life, February 4, 1868.
U. H. Palmer was four years old when his parents brought him to Wisconsin. He was educated in the public schools. In February, 1864, he enlisted in Company H. Eighteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, in which he served gallantly until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Altoona Pass, Georgia; Ft. McAllister, near Savannah, and others. His regiment was a part of the Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps. He was with Sherman on his march from Atlanta to the sea. At Altoona Pass, Georgia, his clothing was literally shot off, thirteen bullets having cut through his clothes, also had the rim of his hat shot off.
After the war, when he had been honorably discharged and mustered out, Mr. Palmier returned to Wisconsin, and in 1873 moved to Olmstead county, Minnesota, where he took charge of a farm of one thousand acres, which he managed for three years, then came to Janesville, this state, where he took charge of the DeGraff farm of two thousand and two hundred acres, operating it for five years. In 1882 he accepted a similar position in Watonwan county, managing the St. James stock farm of sixteen hundred acres. Later he bought one hundred and sixty acres in St. James town- ship, which he sold and bought two hundred and forty acres in South Branch township, then bought one hundred and twenty-seven acres adjoin- ing St. James on the east. He has since sold both these farms, also buying and selling other lands, but it is now living retired from active life.
Politically, Mr. Palmer is an independent voter, and he never aspired to public office. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd
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MR. AND MRS. U. H. PALMER.
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Fellows, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Mr. Palmer was married in Berlin, Wisconsin, in 1868, to Anna E. Eastman, of that place, and to this union seven children were born, named as follow : Mary M., Chester A., Margaret, Clarice E., Cassius (deceased), Maud and Clara. Mr. Palmer married in 1893 for his second wife, Ella Lowe, of Boonville, Missouri. This union has been without issue.
Mr. Palmer is one of a family of seven children, namely: Mary E., born on October 3, 1836; Julia E., July 23, 1838; Franklin G., September 19, 1840; Elizabeth J., March 28, 1843; U. H., of this sketch; Emily M., October 10, 1848, died in 1882; Elbert M., February 27, 1853, died on December 7, 1908.
FRED H. KLARAS.
The wanderlust, like a siren, calls to every youth to forsake his ances- tral hills and halls and go out in quest of a better country. Many have heeded the summons to their advantage. In such a state as Minnesota the young man is fortunate who has the sagacity to remain at home. Fred H. Klaras, proprietor of the bottling works at St. James, Watonwan county, has remained within the boundaries of his native state, and is now well established in business.
Mr. Klaras was born in Scott county, Minnesota, June 10, 1874. He is a son of Christopher and Katherine (Schmellen) Klaras, both natives of Germany, in which country they spent their earlier years, but finally immi- grated to the United States and located in Scott county, Minnesota, where they remained until 1876, when they removed to St. James, Watonwan county, and here established the permanent home of the family. The mother died here about 1886, but the father is still living, now retired, but for many years he was employed in the local roundhouse, in fact, most of his life has been spent in railroad service. His family consists of the following children : Matthew, Nicholas, Fred H .. Lena, Gertrude, and Mary.
Fred H. Klaras received his education in the schools of St. James, his parents removing with him here when he was two years old. When start- ing out in life for himself he worked about one and one-half years for Joseph J. Sperl in the bottling works at St. James; then, having learned the various details of this business, he bought out his employer and has
(25a)
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since operated the plant with gratifying results, enlarging the business from time to time, until it has reached large proportions. His plant is well equip- ped with up-to-date appliances and his products find a ready market. He built his present plant, which is located just south of St. James on the east- ern outskirts, in 1901. It was formerly within the city limits. He manu- factures all kinds of temperance beverages and his plant is known as the St. James Bottling Works. As a side line he is agent for Maxwell and Jeffery automobiles.
Mr. Klaras was married in June, 1899, to Margaret Zender, and their union has resulted in the birth of the following children: Leona, Virginia, Francis, Lucenia, Angella, Andrew, Regis, and Frederick, Jr.
Mr. Klaras and family are members of the Catholic church and he is affiliated with the Foresters.
DAVID A. NICKEL.
David A. Nickel is a native of southern Russia, where he was born, March II, 1873. He is a son of Abraham Nickel, who was twice married, first to Helen Bowman, second to Maria Ewert, all natives of southern Russia. Abraham Nickel came to America in 1877 and located on a farm near Mountain Lake, Watonwan county, Minnesota. He rented a farm for about nine years and then bought one hundred and sixty acres in Odi township, Watonwan county, where he made his home for the rest of his life. In addition to farming he worked at the carpenter's trade during his residence here. He died on February 26, 1869. His second wife is still living.
Helen (Bowman) Nickel, first wife of Abraham Nickel, was the mother of two children: Helen and Abraham. After her death Mr. Nickel mar- ried Maria Ewert, a sister of David Ewert, whose personal sketch appears in another place in this volume. Maria (Ewert) Nickel is the mother of six children: David A., subject of this sketch; William, Jacob, Bernard, Mary and Henry.
David A. Nickel was educated in the public schools of Odin township, Watonwan county. At the age of fifteen years he found employment in an elevator in Bingham Lake, operated by Ewert Brothers, and worked at this place for some time at ten dollars a month. In 1896 he took a position with the Hubert & Palmer Elevator Company, at Bingham Lake, at a salary
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of forty-five dollars a month, and continued in that position for about seven years. In July, 1903, he came to Butterfield and took a position as manager of the Farmers' elevator and has been thus engaged since that time.
In 1899 David A. Nickel and Ann Hiebert were united in marriage. Mrs. Nickel is the daughter of D. J. Hiebert, of Bingham Lake. She is the mother of four children: Pearl, Elizabeth, Ruby and Ethel. Mr. and Mrs. Nickel are members of the Mennonite church. Politically, Mr. Nickel is a Republican. He has served as president of the village council of Bingham Lake for four years, and a recorder of the village of Butter- field for two years.
OLE L. CHRISTENSON.
The time has arrived when intensive and diversified farming is a neces- sity. The' farmier must now look more to soil fertility; breed better and more live stock. One of the intelligent farmers of Cottonwood county, who realizes that he must employ different methods in his vocation to those employed by former generations, is Ole L. Christenson, who was born in Denmark, May 14, 1856, and is a son of Godfrey Christenson and wife, natives of Denmark, where they grew up and were married. They brought their family to America about 1881, locating in Iowa.
Ole L. Christenson spent his boyhood in his native land, and there attended the common schools. He accompanied his parents to the United States when about twenty-five years of age. He engaged in farm work in Iowa until 1904 when he came to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, locating in section 28, Great Bend township, on a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, which he still owns. He has added many modern improvements, has enhanced the fertility of the soil and is carrying on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, making a specialty of raising a good grade of Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. He has a pleasant home and numerous convenient outbuildings. Everything about his place denotes thrift and good management.
Mr. Christenson was married in 1886, to Nettie Larson, and to them the following children have been born : Lawrence, Millie, Orvin, Iva, Earl, Fred and Bessie.
Politically, Mr. Christenson is a Republican. He has never been very active in public affairs, and has not sought office ; however, he has served as road overseer. He is a member of the Lutheran church.
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MARTIN HENDERSON.
It was a half century ago that the Henderson family arrived in Waton- wan county, which was then sparsely settled and little improved, and from that pioneer day to the present time the name has been well known and has stood for good citizenship in every respect.
Martin Henderson, a successful farmer of Long Lake township, formerly spelled his name Hendrickson, but when he filed on his homestead here, the clerk entered the name on the records as Henderson, which name he has since adopted. He was born in Sweden, December 3, 1848, and is a son of Hendrick and Martha (Anderson) Hendrickson, natives of Sweden and Norway, respectively. They came to America in 1852 and located first in Muskego, Wisconsin, where they spent one winter, then moved to Dane county, that state, for one year, then moved to Vernon county, the same state, where they bought a farm and lived until 1866, when they came to Watonwan county, Minnesota, arriving on July 19 on the banks of Kansas lake, locating on the farm where their son, Martin, still lives. They were the first settlers here; however, other families came later that year. The father of the subject of this sketch pre-empted one hundred and twenty- five acres, also bought fifty acres of railroad land. Here he worked hard and had a good farm and a comfortable home, dying on the place just thirty years to a day from the time he reached the land which he selected for his future home. His wife died on June 19 of the following year, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Helen Erickson, in Coon Valley, Vernon county, Wisconsin. To these parents the following children were born: Helena, who is deceased; Olea, who is deceased; Martin, of this sketch; Anna, Kate and Henry. The father of these children helped organize the Kansas Lake Lutheran church, which was effected in his log cabin home. He was an advocate of a free church, not connected with a larger organization.
Martin Henderson grew up on the home farm and assisted his father with the work of the same when a boy. He received excellent educational advantages for those early days, having attended the public schools of Wis- consin and Minnesota and the Curtis Business College of Minneapolis. For fifteen years he was a railroad grading contractor, his first work being in Canada in 1875, later working at various places. He then pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres in Mountain Lake township, Cottonwood county, but resided on it only long enough to prove it up. He began the active operation of his father's farm in 1892, and is now owner of two hundred
MR. AND MRS. MARTIN HENDERSON.
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and thirty acres of valuable and productive land, and his wife owns fifty- five acres nearby. He has kept the land well cultivated and well improved and erected good buildings or remodeled the old as his needs require. He carries on general farming and handles a good deal of live stock from year to year. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers elevator at St. James.
Mr. Henderson was married on August 4, 1883, to Christian Erickson, who was born in Sweden, and is a daughter of Andrew and Kisa (Larson) Erickson, both natives of Sweden. He came to America in 1880, and she came in 1883. They lived for some time in Minneapolis, later moved to a farm in Watonwan county, Minnesota, in 1888. They are both deceased. Their family consisted of the following children: Christina, wife of Mr. Henderson ; Matilda, wife of Oscar Pehrson, and Edwin, who died in 1910.
To Mr. and Mrs. Henderson the following children have been born: Henry Walter, Matilda, who is the wife of Louis Boon; Marie and Arthur, the latter deceased; Philip, Ella, Rodger and Thomas.
Politically, Mr. Henderson is Republican. He has never been very active in public affairs, nor cared for office. He and family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
O. C. LANDE.
The elevator at Storden, Cottonwood county, is a paying proposition under the able management of O. C. Lande, who was attracted to this locality on account of its large production of grain, and here he has been contented to remain, fully appreciating the opportunities to be found here.
Mr. Lande was born in Storey county, Iowa, March 4, 1877. He is a son of O. A. and Karen T. (Olson) Lande, both natives of Norway, in which county they spent their earlier years, attended school and were mar- ried. They immigrated to America in 1870, and located in Storey county, Iowa, where the father engaged in farming, later removing to Palo Alto county, Iowa, where he spent the rest of his life, dying some years ago. The mother is still living on the home place in that county. To these parents the following children were born: Olava, Andrew, Charles and subject, all of whom are. still living.
O. C. Lande grew to manhood in Iowa, and there he received his edu- cation in the public schools and when old enough assisted his father with the work on the home farm. He started out in life for himself as a farmer,
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but later became a grain buyer at Graettinger, Iowa, where he remained two years, then, in 1904, came to Storden, Cottonwood county, Minne- sota, and became a grain buyer for the St. John's elevator, continuing in that capacity for about two years, then became associated with the Storden Grain Company, and continued buyer for the same until April 1, 1916, with the exception of about a year, from the spring of 1912 to the spring of 1913, when he engaged in general mercantile pursuits at Storden, being a member of the firm of Lande & Jenson.
Mr. Lande was married in 1901, to Christina Paulson, of Graettinger, Iowa. She is a daughter of K. M. Paulson and wife. To Mr. and Mrs. Lande one child has been born, Orval, now about two years old.
Mr. Lande is a member of the Baptist church, and politically he is a Republican. About April 25, 1916, Mr. Lande acquired the ownership of an elevator, situated at the edge of Storden.
ALBERT F. BIEL.
Albert F. Biel, well-known proprietor of the South Side Dairy at St. James, a well-kept place of one hundred and sixty acres at the very edge of that city, is a native of lowa, born on March 22, 1872, son of Christian and Lena (Crambeer ) Biel, natives of Germany, who were married in Iowa and who lived there until the summer of 1872, when they came to Minne- sota and settled in Fillmore county.
Upon locating in Fillmore county, Christian Biel bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he presently sold and then bought another quarter section in the same county, to which he later added an additional quarter section and became a very successful farmer. His wife died in 1912, at the age of fifty-nine years, and he is now living retired at Cresco, Iowa, in his seventy-fifth year. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, of whom Albert F. was the second in order of birth, the others being Charles (deceased), Louis, Christian (deceased), John, Herman (deceased), Emil and Alvina.
Albert F. Biel was an infant when his parents came to Minnesota and he was reared on the paternal farm in Fillmore county, obtaining his school- ing in the district school in the neighborhood of his home. When fourteen years of age he began working on his own account, on neighboring farms, and after awhile bought a well-drilling rig and for a couple of years was
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engaged in drilling wells throughout his home county. He married in 1896 and bought a quarter of a section of land in Fillmore county, where he lived for a couple of years, at the end of which time he disposed of his interest there and moved to Pipestone county, where he bought a quarter of a sec- tion of land and where he lived for eighteen months, after which he sold out there and moved over into South Dakota. He bought a farm of three hun- dred and twenty acres in the vicinity of Howard, that state, but shortly afterward sold the same and returned to Pipestone county, this state, where he bought another quarter of a section of land, on which he made his home for seven years. During this latter period he also bought another quarter section over the line in South Dakota, which tract he kept for three years. Mr. Biel then disposed of his interests in Pipestone county and moved to Mower county, where he bought a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, on which he made his home for four years, at the end of which time he sold out there and moved to St. James, in March, 1913, and bought his present place of one hundred and sixty acres at the southern edge of the city, where he ever since has made his home and where he and his family are very pleasantly and comfortably situated. Upon entering into possession of that place, Mr. Biel began to give special attention to the dairy department of his farming and the South Side Dairy now supplies a large part of the milk consumed by the people of St. James. In addition to his general farming and dairying operations, Mr. Biel has given considerable attention, at one time and another, to other forms of enterprise and during his residence in South Dakota was a director of the Farmers State Bank and of the Farm- ers' Elevator Company at Ward. He is a Republican and in various places has served as a member of the school board. He is a member of the Ger- man Lutheran church and has served as a member of the board of trustees of the same.
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