USA > Minnesota > Watonwan County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 5
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Nels Anderson was married in 1891 to Ellen S. Warneck, who was born in the state of New York in 1858, and is a daughter of Carl and Salig (Nicholes) Warneck, who came to South Dakota in 1883, and where they
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both died. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson has been without issue, but they have two adopted children, Earl and Pearl, twins, born in 1903; they are both now attending school in Windom.
Politically, Mr. Anderson is a Republican. He has been a member of the city council of Windom. He belongs to the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
WHALEN DURLAND SEELY.
The late Whalen Durland Seely, former county commissioner and for years one of Cottonwood county's best-known and most substantial citizens, was a pioneer of that county and lived to see it develop from the condition of a practical wilderness to its present well-established state. He was a young man when he came to this part of Minnesota and his energy and enter- prise did much in the way of helping to promote the best interests of the pioneer community with which he had cast his lot back in the seventies. He was born in the state of Pennsylvania on February 2, 1850, and was but a child when his parents, Francis Tuttle and Mary (Durland) Seely, moved West and settled in Iowa, where he grew to manhood. In the early seventies the Seelys came to Minnesota and Francis T. Seely homsteaded a farm in Amo township, Cottonwood county, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, substantial pioneer residents of that section.
Upon locating in Cottonwood county, Whalen D. Seely homesteaded a quarter of a section of land in Rose Hill township and also took a timber claim of a quarter of a section and proceeded to improve and develop the same. He married in 1882 and established his home on his homestead tract and there lived until his retirement from the farm and removal to Windom in 1908. Mr. Seely was one of the active, energetic men of the community and from the beginning of his residence here took an influential part in local civic affairs. He was a Republican and for some time served as a member of the township board and as clerk of his school district. For twelve years he was retained on the board of county commissioners and it was during his tenure in that important office that the present court house of Cotton- wood county was erected. Upon moving to Windom Mr. Seely bought a comfortable residence, which carried with it a fruit orchard of more than five hundred trees, and there he spent his last days, his death occurring on April 17, 1912.
On April 9, 1882, Whalen D. Seely was united in marriage to Carrie
WHALEN DURLAND SEELY.
PUBLIC
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M. Reisdorph, who was born in Mckean county, Pennsylvania, August 12, 1857, daughter of Silas and Betsy (Hoag) Reisdorph, the former a native of the state of New York, born in Cattaragus county on April 3, 1828, and the latter of Pennsylvania. Silas Reisdorph and family moved from Penn- sylvania to Monroe county, Michigan, and there Mrs. Reisdorph died in 1863, leaving two children, Carrie M. and John A., the latter of whom is a well-known farmer of Springfield township, Cottonwood county. Silas Reis- dorph married, secondly, Frances Dutton and later came with his family to Minnesota, settling in LeSueur county, whence, in 1873, they moved to Hennepin county and thence, in 1878, to Cottonwood county, where he home- steaded a quarter of a section of land, which is still owned by the family, and there he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1914. His widow is now living at Mason City, Iowa. They were the parents of seven children, Robert, William T., Mary I., George H., Lloyd, Elvie and Edith, all of whom are living.
To Whalen D. and Carrie M. (Reisdorph) Seely four children were born, as follow: Mary Frances, who married Harold M. Tripp and is now living at Center, North Dakota; Grace G .; Madge M., now the wife of Eden G. Lund, a real-estate dealer at Spokane, Washington, and Elizabeth June, who is still at home. Mrs. Seely is very comfortably situated in her pleas- ant home at Windom.
JESSE O. THOMPSON.
Photography is one of the newer arts of mankind. Since the days of our grandfathers, when the tintype was the only kind of likeness there has been great progress in this field of science. A highly skilled photographer may be found at Windom, Cottonwood county, in the person of Jesse O. Thompson, who keeps well abreast of the times in his chosen vocation.
Mr. Thompson was born in Benton county, Iowa, April 22, 1880. He is a son of John and Elizabeth Thompson, natives of Ohio, and Iowa, respectively. The father, when young, came to Benton county, Iowa, with his parents, William Thompson and wife, and he has since resided there, being a farmer by occupation. His family consists of nine children, namely : Jesse O., Walter, Nettie, Merl, Roy, Harry, Myrtle, Oren and Erma (deceased ).
Jesse O. Thompson grew up on the home farm in Benton county, Iowa, and there received his education in the public schools and, when a
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boy, began studying photography at Sioux City, where he remained four years. He came to Windom, Minnesota, in 1904, where he has since been engaged in business, maintaining a popular studio.
Mr. Thompson was married September 20, 1904, to Clarabell Bortle, of Sioux City, Iowa. To this union two children have been born, Lucile Eliza- beth and Bernice.
Politically, Mr. Thompson is a Republican. He is at present a member of the city council. He was chief of the local fire department for seven years, doing his work most effectively and commendably. Fraternally, he belongs to Prudence Lodge No. 97, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, also the chapter at Windom. He belongs to Lodge No. 108, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Royal Arcanum.
OLAF HEDQUIST.
Olaf Hedquist, a well-known and well-to-do retired farmer of Spring- field township, Cottonwood county, now living at Windom, is a native of the kingdom of Sweden, born on November 12, 1852, son of Olaf and Mary (Johnson) Hedquist, both natives of that country, who spent all their lives there. He received his education in his native country and when twenty years of age, in 1872, came to the United States and proceeded to Chicago. Shortly afterward he became engaged in farm labor in Livingston county, Illinois, and later bought an eighty-acre farm in Champaign county, same state. In 1881 he married and established his home there, where he remained until 1901, in which year he sold that place and his wife sold a forty-acre farm which she owned there, and they moved over into Iowa, settling near Sheldon, in O'Brien county. There Mr. Hedquist bought three hundred and twenty acres, which he proceeded to improve and where he made his home for about ten years, at the end of which time, in 1910, he sold his place to advantage and came to Minnesota, locating in Cotton- wood county. He bought section 35 in Springfield township, that county, and there made his home until 1915, in which year he retired from the active labors of the farm and moved to Windom, buying a fine residence on Ninth street, where he and his wife are now living, very pleasantly and very comfortably situated. Mr. Hedquist still owns his fine farm of six hundred and forty acres in Springfield township and is recognized as a very substantial citizen. He is a Republican, but has never been included
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in the office-seeking class. He was reared a Lutheran, but he and his family attend the Methodist church.
On January 25, 1881, Olaf Hedquist was united in marriage to Lillie Jenkinson, who was born in Marshall county, Illinois, September 23, 1862, daughter of Benjamin and Mary Jenkinson, natives of England, who later moved from Marshall county to Woodford county, Illinois, where they spent the remainder of their lives, he dying on February 14, 1889, and she in June, 1909. Benjamin Jenkinson and wife were the parents of ten chil- dren, of whom Mrs. Hedquist was the fourth in order of birth, the others being Alfred, Jemima, William, Mary Ann, Lydia, Sarah, Benjamin, Kesiah and Anna. Of these children, Alfred, William, Benjamin and Anna now survive. To Mr. and Mrs. Hedquist eight children have been born, Arthur, Mary, Elmer, Clarence, Herbert, Lydia, Leona and John, all of whom are living.
JOHN ZENDER.
While the German Empire has not furnished so many settlers for Watonwan county as have some other countries, those she has sent to this locality are thrifty and have become comfortably fixed by reason of their industry. One of this number is John Zender, now living in retirement in the town of St. James.
Mr. Zender was born in Germany, July 8, 1846, and is a son of Jacob G. and Katherine (Green) Zender, both of whom lived and died in Ger- many, the father dying in 1869 and the mother about 1879. They were the parents of the following children: Susanna, who died in Germany ; Angela, who married and spent her life in Germany, dying there a number of years ago, and had two sons who came to the United States, Jacob and Theodore Olk, of Nebraska; Katherine, who died in Germany; Peter is deceased; John, the subject of this sketch; Veronica, who married Wendal Liver, came to the United States, where she died, and Antone lives in Iowa.
John Zender spent his boyhood in Germany, where he was educated in the public schools. On August 10, 1871, he sailed from the Fatherland to the new world, locating in Chicago, where he remained until April, 1872, then came to Faribault, Minnesota, but in a short time went on to Scott county, locating seven miles south of Jordan, where he lived about seven months, then came to Watonwan county and bought a homestead right of one hundred and sixty acres, to which he added until he now owns seven
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hundred acres of valuable and well-improved land, two hundred acres of which lies in St. James township and five hundred in Butterfield township. He carried on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale until 1913, whe he retired from active life and purchased a fine home in St. James, where he has since resided. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company here.
Mr. Zender was married in 1876, to Katie Goll, who was born in Aus- tria in 1858. She is a daughter of Michael and Mary Goll, who came to Mankato, Minnesota. in 1867, but the following year located in Watonwan county, Mr. Goll taking up a homestead in Rosedale township, on which he spent the rest of his life, dying in 1907 at the advanced age of eighty-four years. Mrs. Goll is still living on the home place, being now eighty-two years of age. To Mr. and Goll the following children were born: Katie, wife of Mr. Zender; Andrew died in 1899; Margaret is the wife of Jolin Barrett; Frank, Mary, Anna.
To Mr. and Mrs. Zender thirteen children have been born, named as follows: Mary, Michael, Margaret, Francis, Theresa, Anton Joseph, Andrew George, Jacob, Anna Clara, Albert Joseph, Julia, Florence, and Eleanor. They are all living at this writing. Mr. Zender and family are members of the Catholic church, and he is affiliated to the German Cath- olic Association.
JOHN J. ZENDER.
One of the representative business men of Watonwan county is John J. Zender, merchant, of St. James, who devoted his earlier years to farming in this locality. He is essentially a man of affairs, sound of judgment and far-seeing in what he undertakes, and with scarcely an exception every enterprise to which he addresses himself results in gratifying financial returns.
Mr. Zender was born in St. James township, Watonwan county, Sep- tember 4, 1876, and is a son of Peter and Magdalena (Miller) Zender, natives of Germany, the father born in 1844 and the mother in 1846. There they spent their early lives and attended school. Peter Zender came to America in 1872 and his wife at a later date, with her parents, Peter and Anna Miller. The latter were both natives of Germany, his birth occurring in 1818 and hers in 1820. The Miller family located in St. James, Minne- sota, the latter part of the year 1872, and here the parents spent the rest
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of their lives, the father dying in 1880, at the age of sixty-two years, and the mother in 1912, at the advanced age of ninety-two years, having out- lived her husband thirty-two years. Peter Zender secured a homestead of eighty acres upon coming here. He was a man of industry and sound judgment and, prospering with the advancing years, he added to his original holdings until he owned five hundred and one acres of good land. He car- ried on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, but spent the last three years of his life in retirement in St. James, where his death occurred in 1905, his widow surviving until 1914. Politically, he was a Democrat and active in party affairs. He was a member of the township board for a period of thirteen years. He was a member of the Catholic church. His family consisted of the following children: John J., Annie, Nicholas L., Peter J. and Mary. They all survive at this writing.
John J. Zender grew to manhood on the home farm, where he worked when a boy, and he received his education in the public schools. He remained on the farm until 1901, when he came to St. James and engaged in the restaurant business, beginning in December of that year, which he continued successfully until July 5, 1905. In the spring of 1906 he went to Butterfield, where he engaged in the implement business for four years, enjoying a good trade, then returned to St. James. He took up farming again, which he continued on an extensive scale until the spring of 1915, when he sold out and was employed by Meyer & Uhlhome in their hardware store until March 4, 1916, when he was admitted to the firm, which was incorporated under the firm name of The City Mercantile Company. They handle all kinds of hardware, implements, harness, automobiles, etc. Mr. Zender is secretary and treasurer of the firm. A very large business is car- ried on and it is rapidly increasing. Mr. Zender owned a well improved and productive farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres in St. James township, but sold eighty acres, now owning ninety-five acres in sections 19 and 20. He is a stockholder in the Security State Bank, and is also interested in the estate of his mother.
Politically, he is an independent voter. He was a member of the town council one year. He is a member of the Catholic church.
Mr. Zendes was married in 1899, to Ludwina Stemper of Russell county, Wisconsin, where she was born. Her parents still live in that state. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Zender has been without issue.
Mr. Zender is a member of the Foresters and the German Fraternal Society.
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Mr. Zender's paternal grandparents were Jacob G. and Katherine (Green) Zender, both of whom spent their lives in Germany, his death occurring in 1869 and hers in 1879. Their children were named as follows: Susanna died in Germany; Angeline, who married and spent her life in Germany, had two sons to come to the United States, Theodore Olk and Jacob; Catherine died in Germany; Peter, father of the subject of this sketch; John, who lives in St. James, Minnesota, is mentioned elsewhere in this work; Veronica, who came to the United States, married Wendal Lever, who lives in Carroll county, Iowa, but she is deceased; Antone lives in Iowa.
MASON N. CADWELL.
Mason N. Cadwell, a well-to-do retired farmer, for years an influential resident of Amo township, Cottonwood county, now living at Windom; former president of the old Mutual Telephone Company, of which he was the original promoter, and a pioneer of this section of Minnesota, is a native of the great Empire state, but has been a resident of Minnesota since 1871, in which year he became a homesteader in Cottonwood county, where he has lived ever since. He was born in Allegany county, New York, Septem- ber 29, 1846, son of George and Melissa (Hatfield) Cadwell, the former a native of Connecticut, born in 1812, and the latter of Cattaraugus county, New York, born in 1813. In 1864 George Cadwell and his family came West and settled in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where they established their home on a farm. There Mrs. Cadwell died in September, 1868. Her husband survived her about eleven years, his death occurring on October 29, 1879. They were the parents of five children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the youngest, the others being Marvin (deceased), Evalyn (deceased), Mason N. and one infant (deceased).
Mason N. Cadwell obtained his schooling in the East and was about eighteen years old when he located with his parents in Wisconsin, where he remained until 1872, a year after his marriage, when he and his wife came to Minnesota and settled in Amo township, Cottonwood county. There Mr. Cadwell entered a homestead claim to a quarter of a section of land and established his home. To that homestead tract he later added by pur- chase an adjoining quarter of a section and still owns his fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres there. In 1901 he went into Morrison county and bought eleven hundred acres of land, and still owns six hun-
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dred and fifty acres. In 1904 he retired from the farm and moved to Windom, where he and his wife have since made their home and where they are very comfortably situated.
Mr. Cadwell formerly was an active worker in the ranks of the Repub- lican party in his home county and was for years clerk of Amo township, as well as a member of the school board, but of recent years has been inclined to be wholly independent in his political views. He ever took an active part in such movements as were designed to advance the interests of his com- munity and was one of the organizers and for five years was president of the Mutual Telephone Company, organized in 1902, with a capital stock of four thousand five hundred dollars, and which a year later was reorganized with a capital of forty-five thousand dollars, thirty-one thousand dollars paid up. This company constructed exchanges at Windom, Westbrook and Jeffers and built intermediate lines and was eventually taken over by the Tri-State Telephone Company, the present owners.
In January, 1872, in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, Mason N. Cadwell was united in marriage to Mary J. Waite, who was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, August 14, 1854, daughter of Martin and Jane (Van- ocker) Waite, who moved to Wisconsin at an early day and later moved to Iowa, where their last days were spent, Martin Waite dying in 1886 and his wife in 1912. To Mr. and Mrs. Cadwell three children have been born, Arthur, born November 7, 1873; Myra, born December 23, 1876, and Guy E., born September 5, 1882, all of whom are living. Mrs. Cadwell is a member of the Methodist church and takes an earnest interest in the various beneficences of the same.
KUMBERT KRUEGER.
Kumbert Krueger was born in Germany, November 18, 1858, a son of Wilhelm and Emelia (Geisler) Krueger, who were also natives of Germany and life-long residents of that country. The father followed the occupation of a farmer. The children of this family were: Wilhelm, Reinhold, Kum- bert, Powell, Max, Meta and Louis.
Kumbert Krueger was educated in the public schools of his native country, and also attended the high school. He made his first trip to America in 1874, at the age of sixteen years, and returned to his home in Germany after remaining here for about a year. Ten years later, in 1884, he came again to America, with a view of locating here permanently.
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He found a location in Sheldon, Iowa, near which place he bought one hun- dred and sixty acres of land and went to farming. He remained there for about six years. In 1890 he sold his Iowa farm and came to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, where he bought three-quarters of a section of land, located in High Water township, and farmed this land for about ten years. In 1900 he came to Westbrook and built one of the first elevators in the town. He operated this elevator until 1906, when he sold the plant and became connected with a mill. This mill burned down in 1908, and then Mr. Krueger, soon after, bought the elevator and returned again to that business. He bought an elevator at Dovray, Minnesota, a few years later, and is still operating this. He still owns his farm in Cottonwood county, and also owns about six hundred acres of land in North Dakota.
Mr. Krueger was married, in 1889, to Agnes Spalding, and to this union twelve children have been born: William, Albert, Kurt, Walter, Paul, Veronka, Theresa, George, Carl, Victoria, Ernest and Dora.
Mr. Krueger is independent in politics. He is a member of the Ger- man Lutheran church.
WILL CURTIS.
Will Curtis, editor and proprietor of the St. James Plaindcaler, and who also is actively engaged in the real-estate business in the city of St. James, is a native of Wisconsin, born on a farm in the vicinity of Patch Grove, Grant county, that state, January 18, 1865, son of J. A. Curtis and wife. He received his elementary education in the district school in the neighborhood of his home and remained on the home farm until he was nineteen years of age, after which he entered the Michigan Agricultural College, from which he was graduated in 1889. Previous to going to col- lege, Mr. Curtis had taught school one year in his home county and was also engaged as a teacher during his vacations from college. After his graduation he was employed as principal of the high school at Beetown, Wisconsin, and after one year of service in that capacity engaged in the newspaper business, which has been his calling ever since.
It was in 1890 that Mr. Curtis bought the Kewanee Star at Kewanee, Illinois, and entered upon his career as editor and publisher. Five years later the Kewanee Printing and Publishing Company was organized, with Mr. Curtis as manager. It took over the Kewanee Star, the Kewanee Courier and a job plant, and consolidated the two papers, under the title of
WILL CURTIS.
九
HT_J.LENGY EOC. HOUNDATION
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the Star-Courier. Mr. Curtis continued as manager of that paper for thirteen years, at the end of which time, in 1908, he disposed of his news- paper interests in Illinois and came to Minnesota, locating at St. James, where he bought the Plaindealer, and has since been editor and sole pro- prietor of that excellent newspaper, which has become an influence for much good hereabout during the period of his able management. Mr. Curtis is an energetic, enterprising and public-spirited citizen and his news- paper is ever found on the right side of all public questions affecting the welfare and progress of this community. In addition to giving close atten- tion to his newspaper interests, Mr. Curtis also is actively engaged in the real-estate business at St. James and is regarded as one of the liveliest "hustlers" in that city. He gives thoughtful attention to local political affairs, but has never been an aspirant for public office.
In 1895, at Kewanee, Illinois, Will Curtis was united in marriage to Lida Jane Giffin, of that city, and to this union five children have been born, as follow: Harold, who is now a student at Hamlin College, St. Paul; Lucile, who was graduated from the St. James high school in 1916; Leslie, also a high-school student; Elizabeth, who is still in the grade school, and Bruce William, all of whom were born at Kewanee save the latter, who was born at St. James. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take a proper interest in the various social and cul- tural movements of their home town. Mr. Curtis is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and in the affairs of these two popular orders takes a warm interest.
WALLACE E. MEAD.
Wallace E. Mead was born in Redwood county, Minnesota, August 6, 1882, a son of George S. Mead, born in Otsego, New York, and Catherine (Stewart) Mead, born in Kincardine, Ontario, Canada.
George S. Mead came to Redwood county, Minnesota, in 1869, and located on a homestead in Underwood township and continued to live on this farm until 1890, when he retired and removed to Marshall, Minnesota. He was the father of two children: Wallace E. and Wesley. He was a soldier in the Civil War, serving in Company B, Twelfth Regiment, Wis- consin Infantry. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
(5a)
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Wallace E. Mead was educated in the public schools of Redwood county, and later attended the high school at Marshall, Minnesota, from which he graduated. He then entered the college of pharmacy, University of Minnesota, and graduated from that institution in 1904. Before taking the pharmacy course he had been a clerk in a drug store at Marshall. After graduation he was employed as salesman and prescription clerk in a drug store, and in 1905 he became proprietor of a drug store in Westbrook, Cot- tonwood county, and has been in this business ever since.
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