USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 22
USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 22
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of whom grew to maturity, namely: Nels, Jr., Julia, Anna, Mary, Betsy, Nettie, Knut, Halvor, 'Andrea and Martin N.
Martin N. Ulsager was reared on the home farm and there he worked when a boy, and he received his education in the district schools. He helped his father on the farm until his marriage on February 4, 1914, to Elna An- derson. They have one child, Elsie Irene.
Mr. Ulsager has been farming for himself twelve years. His father gave him eighty acres in section 30 of Brandon township, which was but little improved. He also has eighty acres adjoining, owning now one hun- dred and fifty-six acres in all, and has a good group of buildings. In 1905 he built a new barn. One of the county ditches runs through his place. He has laid fourteen hundred and fifty feet of six-inch tile. He carries on general farming. Politically, he is a Republican, and he belongs to St. Peter's Lutheran church.
T. L. TOBIASON.
T. L. Tobiason, a prominent and well-known farmer of Pelican Lake township, Grant county, was born in that township on November 12, 1869, the son of L. L. and Gure ( Hove) Tobiason, who were born in Norway.
L. L. Tobiason was born on October 10, 1836, and lived in the land of his nativity until he was nineteen years of age, when he came to the United States. After landing at the port of New York he came West and located at Decorah, Iowa, where he worked until 1868, when he moved to Pelican Rapids, Ottertail county, this state, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, all of which was heavy timber. He sold that place the next year and moved down to Grant county, where he bought homestead rights to eighty acres in section 29 and eighty acres in section 32, Pelican Lake township. There he built a house and developed the farm and en- gaged in general farming. His wife was the daughter of Ole Hove, a farmer of Norway, where he lived and died. To L. L. and Gure Tobiason were born the following children: T. L., Ole, Jennie, Lewis, Ghea and Gust. Mr. and Mrs. Tobiason were active members of the Norwegian Lutheran church at Ashby and took much interest in religious work. They were prominent in the early social life of the community and Mr. Tobiason took much interest in the civic affairs of the township. His parents, Lars and Jennie Brakken, were natives of Norway, who came to the United
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States in 1865, locating in Iowa, where they lived, for the most part, a re- tired life. They were always active in the work of the Norwegian Lutheran church, of which they were members.
T. L. Tobiason received his education in the public schools of Pelican Lake township, where he grew to manhood and where, as a lad and a young man, he assisted with the work on the farm. On October 29, 1894. he was united in marriage to Minnie Erickson, who was born in Freeborn county, Minnesota, in 1870, the daughter of Jens C. Erickson, a blacksmith, who later moved to Erdahl. Mr. Erickson answered his country's call in 1861 and served throughout the Civil War. He saw much active service and was in many of the important engagements. To Mr. and Mrs. Tobiason have been born four children, Leonard, who died at the age of three years; Melvin, who died as an infant, and Mabel and Matilda.
T. L. Tobiason is engaged in general farming and stock raising and is the owner of one hundred and ninety-two acres of land in sections 30, 31 and 32, Pelican Lake township. He lives in section 29, caring for his aged mother and operating her farm of eighty acres. T. L. Tobiason and wife are active members of the Norwegian Lutheran church at Ashby and are prominent in church work, Mr. Tobiason having been secretary of the local society for the past eleven years. He has always been active in local affairs and has served as a member of the township board and on the school board. He owns stock in the elevator company and, fraternally, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
AUGUST W. ERICKSON.
August W. Erickson, a farmer of Carlos township, Douglas county, was born in that township and has lived there all his life. His parents, Erick and Gustava (Berg) Erickson, came to Minnesota from Sweden in 1882 and settled in Douglas county, where they established their home and where Erick Erickson died in 1902, at the age of forty-nine years. He and his wife were the parents of three children, August W., Anna and Emil, the first-named of whom is now operating the home farm in Carlos township. August W. Erickson served for three years as a member of the township board and also has served as clerk of his local school board. The family are connected with the Swedish Lutheran church.
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CARL G. MILLER.
In a great grain country like Douglas and Grant counties a number of People are engaged in the elevator and milling business. One of this num- ber is Carl G. Miller, who operates an elevator at Miltona, Douglas county. Mr. Miller was born in Leaf Valley township, that county, August 17, 1888, and is a son of Charles and Augusta (Lemke) Miller. Here he grew to manhood and received a common-school education. On January 28, 1914, he married Elsie Wilke and they have two children, Mabel and Melvin. Mr. Miller started out in life for himself as a farmer in Leaf Valley town- ship, later moving to Miltona township where he owns a small place in sec- tion 25, but he gives his principal attention to his elevator at the town of Miltona, which he purchased in 1914. He has since handled all kinds of grain products, and is building up a good trade.
Charles Miller, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Ger- many, September 13, 1849, a son of Frederick and E. (Bransteter) Miller, natives of Germany, where they farmed on a small scale, owning a little land there, until immigrating with their family to America in 1856, coming directly to Minnesota, arriving at Winona, August 13th, where the father worked out awhile, then bought one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, heavily timbered, which he cleared and improved, built the necessary farm buildings and there he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. To them the following children were born: Lewis, a retired farmer at Arcadia, Wisconsin; Charles, father of the subject of this sketch; Julius, deceased; Herman, a retired farmer living at Alexandria; John, who is farming in Carlos township, Douglas county; Albertina, wife of Henry Bittner, of Cinga, Wisconsin, and Fred, who is engaged in farming in Hudson town- ship, Douglas county.
Charles Miller was about seven years old when his parents brought him from Germany. He attended school in Winona county, Minnesota, and remained on the farm with his parents until 1872, when, on May 2 of that year, he took up a homestead of eighty acres, and later another of the same acreage, all in Leaf Valley township, Douglas county. It was timbered land, which he cleared, erected a small log house, began farming with an ox-team and after many hardships and discouragements finally succeeded. He was once compelled to go back to Winona to work out to earn a living. He remained in his log house about five years, at the end of which time he built a better log house. He remained on that farm until about 1881, when
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MR. AND MRS. CARL G. MILLER.
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he sold out and bought one hundred and sixty acres in another section of Leaf Valley township. It was partly improved, seventy acres being under cultivation, but there was no dwelling, so he erected a log house. His present home was built a number of years afterwards. He has continued to reside there, making improvements from time to time. and adding to his land until he owned an additional one hundred and sixty acres, which his son is now operating.
In 1872 Charles Miller was married to Augusta W. Lemke, who was born in Germany, and to that union the following children were born : Matilda, who married Carl Patzwald, who is engaged in farming on land adjoining the farm 'of Mr. Miller; Will, who died when seven years of age; Alvina, who married George Witte, who has a photograph gallery at Center- ville, South Dakota, and has two children, Mary and Carl; Edward, who married Augusta Blank, is farming in Miltona township, Douglas county, and has three children, Edna, Ella and Edward, Jr .; Sophia, who married Tollef Dahl, of Carlos township, Douglas county, and had two children, Alfred (deceased ) and Helen : Mary, who married Segard Dahl, of Carlos township: Carl G .. the immediate subject of this sketch; Albert, who mar- ried Emma Smith, and is farming near the homestead and Gustav and Ernest, both at home.
Charles Miller is an independent voter. He served as supervisor of Carlos township for some time, and was also chairman of the board of super- visors in Leaf Valley township for some time. He is now clerk of school district No. 59, which position he has held for twenty years. Carl G. Miller is independent in politics. His elevator at Milton is gradually securing the business of that vicinity and he is recognized as one of Douglas county's most progressive grain men.
PETER AUGUST PETERSON.
One of the well-known citizens of Lawrence township, Grant county, is Peter August Peterson, who was born in northern Sweden on February 9, 1840. He is a son of Peter Larson and wife. His mother died when he was a child, and his father never remarried. He was one of three children, a brother and a sister both remaining in Sweden.
Peter A. Peterson was reared on the farm and was educated in the (15a)
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public schools. He came to America in 1866 with his wife and daughter. They located in Hastings, Minnesota, where he found work in a lumber yard and in the neighborhood of which place he also worked out as a farm hand, remaining there about six years, at the end of which time he started to farm at Prairie Island, three neighbors buying one-fourth of a section together. After living there several years, he sold out to his partners and rented land until 1900, when he moved to Grant county and bought one hun- dred and sixty acres in Lawrence township, and there he has since resided and has since added another forty acres. The land was wild prairie, but he broke it and put it in cultivation and erected a good group of buildings thereon, set out a grove and made general improvements and now has a valuable and productive farm, which is operated by his sons, he having been retired for some time.
Mr. Peterson was married about 1865, to Louisa Hendrickson, a native of Sweden and a daughter of John Hendrickson and wife. The death of Mrs. Peterson occurred about 1891. Seven children were born to that union, namely: Augusta, who died in girlhood; Carl, who operates the homestead; Emily, who married Carl Oscar Bergerson, of Fergus Falls, and has four children, Dora, Edward, Elmer and Ethel; Charles, who is at home; Augusta, at home; Elias, also at home, assisting with the work on the farm, and Annie, who was drowned when fourteen years of age.
Mr. Peterson is a Republican, but he has never been active in public affairs.
CARL A. HARSTAD.
A promising young tiller of the soil in Grant county is Carl A. Harstad, of Stony Brook township. He was born on the old homestead in Stony Brook township on August 19, 1896, a son of Lauritz K. and Eliza Harstad, both natives of Norway. The father came to Minnesota in the spring of 1880 and worked for his uncle, Martinis Larson, in Grant county, later buy- ing eighty acres in Stony Brook township, to which he added more land until he owned three hundred and sixty acres; also owned about forty acres elsewhere. He became a well-to-do farmer. He set out a large grove and made various improvements, including the erection of good buildings. Politi- cally, he was an independent voter. He belonged to the United Lutheran church. On December 12, 1880, he was married in Grant county to Eliza Johannson, who came to this country from Norway in 1878, locating in
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Grant county. To these parents four children were born, of whom Christian is the eldest. Joseph, the second born, was born on the old homestead on March 23, 1892, and there grew up and was educated in the public schools, and in partnership with the subject of this sketch owns eighty acres in Stony Brook township. He was married on December 8, 1915, to Clara Elvira Foss, a daughter of Louis O. Foss, who is mentioned on another page of this work. Eddy, third child of Lauritz K. Harstad, died in infancy. Carl A., the subject of this sketch, is the last born. The father of these children died in 1911 at the age of fifty-two years, and the mother died in 1912 at the age of fifty-six years.
Carl A. Harstad was reared on the home farm, where he worked when a boy, and he received his education in the district schools. He owns, with his brother, eighty acres of the home place, that portion on which the build- ings stand, and he also owns another eighty acres in Stony Brook township. He is carrying on general farming and stock raising. He was married on December 20, 1915, to Stella Johnson, who was born in Pomme de Terre township, where she grew up and was educated. She is a step-daughter of Martin Johnson, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Harstad, a son, Louis T., whose birth occurred on March 2, 1916.
HAAKEN SKRAMSTAD.
One of the prosperous and progressive farmers of Solem township, Douglas county, is Haaken Skramstad, who was born in Norway, January 27, 1858. He is a son of Dorthness Halvorson and Gertrude (Goodman- son ) Skramstad, both of whom were natives of Norway.
Dorthness Halvorson Skramstad was a farmer in his native land, and came to Minnesota in 1886, five years after his son, Haaken, had come here. He located with his son in Elk Lake township, Grant county, where he spent the remainder of his life. The children of Dorthness H. Skramstad and wife were as follow: Gunder, Dorothy, Haaken, Peter, Enoch and Tolaf.
Haaken Skramstad received his education in the schools of his native land, and there he grew to manhood on his father's farm. In 1881 he came to Minnesota, locating first in Elk Lake township. Grant county. There he owned a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he improved and cultivated. In 1896 he disposed of his holdings in Grant county and moved to Douglas county, where he purchased one hundred and seventy
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acres of land in section 24 of Solem township, and has made that his home since. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising, in which he has met with a very commendable degree of success.
Haaken Skramstad married Annie Olson, daughter of Erick Olson, and to this union six children have been born, Amanda, Edward, Helga, Gus- tava, Arthur and Mabel. The family are earnest members of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church and are actively interested in church work. Mr. Skramstad is a Republican and has served his township as a member of the school board.
OSTEN HALVORSON.
The late Osten Halvorson, for years a well-known farmer of Elbow Lake township, Grant county, was born in Norway on September 29, 1865, the son of Halvor and Ella Estenson, also natives of Norway, who continued to reside in the land of their birth until 1878, when they came to the United States. On their arrival in this country they came direct to Minnesota and located in Fillmore county, where they remained for eight years. In 1878 they moved to Grant county and took a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in section 20, Elbow Lake township. That farm Mr. Estenson devel- oped and improved and there he lived until the time of his death, in 1905. His first wife had died in 1881. They were the parents of two children, Osten and Ole H.
Ole H. Estenson was born in Norway on February 19, 1868, and came with his parents to Minnesota when ten years of age. He received his edu- cation in the public schools of Fillmore and Grant counties. After complet- ing his schooling he engaged in general farming and stock raising and today owns a good farm in the county. He is unmarried.
After the death of his wife, in 1888, Halvor Estenson married Aasa Waugh, who died soon after. He then married Ranhild Olson and to that union two children were born, Gilbert and Elma. After the death of Ran- hild Estenson, Mr. Estenson was united in marriage to Ella Hove, and to that union three children were born, Ambrose, Rudolph and Helmer.
Osten Halverson received his education in Fillmore and Grant counties and grew to manhood on the farm. As a young man he engaged in farming for himself and later purchased two hundred acres of his father, in sections 35 and 36, of Elbow Lake township. There he set out a fine grove and erected good buildings, and there he made his home until the time of his
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death in 1908. His widow is now living on the farm, at the age of fifty-one years. In 1885 Osten Halverson was united in marriage to Tilda Thomp- son, who was born in Fillmore county, this state, on October 25, 1865, daugh- ter of John and Karen Thompson, natives of Norway. The father came to the United States in 1851 and the mother in 1856. They were married in Fillmore county, where they now reside. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are the parents of the following children : Thomas, Henry, Tilda, Augusta, Anna, Ole, Theodore, Henry, Anna, Hilda and Teoline.
To Osten and Tilda Halverson were born the following children: Hen- ry, John, Albert, Clarence, Clara, Oscar, Gena, Thomas, Mabel and Tena. John is a farmer in North Dakota. Clara is the wife of Morris Wallace. Mabel and Tena are now deceased. Mr. Halverson was a devout member of the Synod Lutheran church, of which his widow is a member, and was an active worker in all branches of church work. The family have long been prominent in the social and religious life of the community.
MATHEW STARIHA.
Mathew Stariha, one of the well-known and prominent business men of Millerville, Douglas county, where he is the proprietor of the hotel, was born in Ottertail county, Minnesota, on April 4, 1872, the son of Joe and Mary Stariha, who were born in Austria. As a young man Joe Stariha decided to come to America. After his arrival in this country he came direct to Minnesota and for a time lived in Stearns county, later removing to Ottertail county, where he operated a saloon for some years. He then moved to Douglas county and located at Millerville, where he lived a retired life for some twenty years before his death, which occurred about 1896. A few years before his death he owned a farm, in which he took much interest.
Mary Stariha, the mother of Mathew Stariha, died when the boy was but six years of age, he being one of three children, the other two being Kate and Anna. Kate is now deceased and Anna is the wife of Fred Abel, a car- penter of Millerville. After the death of his first wife, Joe Stariha was united in marriage to Barbara Meverin, who is now living in Douglas county. To that union one son was born, August, who is now engaged in farming one mile east of Millerville.
Mathew Stariha received his education in the public schools of Miller- ville, where he grew to manhood. He remained at home until he was twenty-
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four years of age, when he went to North Dakota, where he worked on a farm for a year, after which he returned to Douglas county and presently rented a farm in Polk county. There he was engaged in the operation of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres and was quite successful. After six years of farm life he returned to Millerville, where he purchased his father's old saloon, which he conducted, in connection with the hotel, until the coun- try went "dry," in December, 1915. He now conducts an establishment for the sale of soft drinks in connection with the hotel, and is doing a nice busi- ness.
In 1899 Mathew Stariha was united in marriage to Lena Dobmeyer and to this union four children have been born, Juletta, Clara, Elmer and Adel- hide. The family are devout members of the Catholic church and have al- ways taken much interest in church work. In addition to his interests in the hotel and soft-drinks business, Mr. Stariha is the owner of some fifteen acres of land near the village of Millerville, to which he devotes a portion of his time. Mr. Stariha is a man of industrious habits, a good neighbor, and a kind and affectionate husband and father. Fraternally, he is a mem- ber of the Foresters, and is cashier of St. Otto Court No. 671 of that order. Mr. Stariha has always taken an active interest in local affairs and is a patriotic citizen and a hustler for his home community.
GUNERINUS L. ISLAND.
Gunerinus L. Island, another enterprising farmer and stock raiser of Pomme de Terre township, Grant county, was born in Norway, April 15, 1860. He is a son of Lars G. and Elizabeth Island, both born in Norway, the father in 1827 and the mother in 1836, both of whom are still living there. The father has devoted his active life to farming. These parents have had the following children: Gurina, Guerinus L., Mads, Patrina (de- ceased ), Anna (deceased), Burgetta (deceased), Ole, who lives in Canada; Sigrid and Lars, both of whom live in Norway, and Elizabeth, who makes her home in Canada.
The subject of this sketch grew up in his native land and there attended the public schools. He came to Minnesota from his native land in 1881. locating at Redwing, working on a farm near there, later renting land. He came to Grant county in 1886 and bought eighty acres in Pomme de Terre township, but did not move here until 1887. He has been very successful
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as a general farmer and stock raiser on an extensive scale, having been in- dustrious and a good manager, and he has added to his original purchase until he became owner of six hundred and forty acres of land; but having given his son one hundred and twenty acres, he now has five hundred and twenty acres, on which may be seen numerous modern buildings and a fine grove of fifteen acres which he set out when he first came here. He is re- garded as one of the leading farmers of his township. He is a Republican and has served as township treasurer and as a member of the local school board.
Mr. Island was married on October 31, 1884, to Getta Bordson, who was born in Goodhue county, Minnesota, October 9, 1867. She is a daugh- ter of Rollof Bordson, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. To Mr. and Mrs. Island six children have been born, all living, namely : Louis, who married Alma Christopherson and has two children, Clifford and Lloyd; Bergitta, who married George Jorgeus and has two children, Arnold and Gladys; Laura; Rose, who married Orin Ginder, of Pomme de Terre township, and Albert and Leonard.
CARL HERMANSON.
Among the well-known and substantial farmers of Brandon township, Douglas county, is Carl Hermanson, who was born in Sweden, in 1865. He is the son of Herman and Mary ( Olson) Larson, both natives of Sweden, who are mentioned elsewhere in this work.
Carl Hermanson received his education in the schools of his native land and came to the United States in 1887. He settled first in Pennsylvania, where he worked for about six months in the coal mines. In the spring of 1888 he came west to Minneapolis, where he worked for a time in a saw-mill, afterward becoming engaged in teaming, and, saving his earnings, finally had a team of his own. He remained in Minneapolis about fifteen years, after which he went to North Dakota, locating near Minot, where he home- steaded one hundred and sixty acres of wild prairie land. There he built a good frame house and lived for about a year and a half. Disposing of that tract at a good profit, he returned to Minnesota and purchased eighty acres of land in section 27 of Brandon township, Douglas county. The place had almost no improvements on it but a small house, and Mr. Hermanson had to clear off part of the land before he had any crops. He has made
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many and various improvements on the farm since acquiring it, remodeling and adding to the house; and his was the first round barn built in the county, being erected in 1913. This barn is large and commodious with a silo in the center, twelve by thirty-four feet. Mr. Hermanson is engaged in general farming and stock raising, devoting most of his attention to the breeding of thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, of which he has a fine herd. In 1916 he built a large granary and machine shed, with garage, having concrete foun- dation and floor, and keeps his automobile and machinery in the basement of this building. He has one of the best-improved and most up-to-date farms in the county, and has met with very commendable success in his farming operations. He is also a stockholder in the Brandon creamery.
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