USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 26
USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 26
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stead farm. The family have long been prominent in the social and church life of the community, as well as in the civic life of the township and the county. They are a most hospitable people and are held in the highest re- gard and esteem by all who know them.
GILBERT J. PLETAN.
The biographer is glad to note that a number of native-born men of Grant county have remained here, for it shows that they have found condi- tions good enough right at home, it not being necessary for them to seek their fortunes elsewhere. One of this number is Gilbert J. Pletan, of Stony Brook township. He was born in that township on September 15, 1874, and is a son of Jens Pletan, mentioned elsewhere in this work. He grew up on the home farm, where he worked when a boy, and he received his edu- cation in the district schools. He has always followed agricultural pursuits and in now the owner of one hundred and twenty-seven acres in section 9 of Stony Brook township, which farm he purchased in 1907. He has made many important improvements on the same and is successfully carrying on general farming and stock raising. Mr. Pletan is a Republican and has served as supervisor of his township.
In 1903 Gilbert J. Pletan married Ida C. Stave, who was born in Otter- tail county, Minnesota, July 31, 1881, a daughter of Christian P. and Carrie Stave, who came to Minnesota from Norway in an early day. Mr. Stave is now engaged in mercantile pursuits in Aastad, this state.
Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pletan, namely: Signe, Cora Violet. James Kenneth and Margaret Alvhilde.
JENS J. ANGEN.
Well known as a farmer and citizen, Jens J. Angen, of Brandon town- ship, Douglas county, is to be classed with the successful Scandinavians who have cast their lot in this locality. He was born in Norway, May 10, 1848, and is a son of John and Mary Johnson. His father and mother were natives of Norway also, the former coming to the United States in 1869 and the latter in 1872. They located near Garfield, in LaGrand town- ship, Douglas county, where the father homesteaded one hundred and sixty
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acres, which he developed and on which he spent the rest of his life. He was a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church. His family consisted of five children ,Jens J., Carrie, Olaus, Carl and Ole.
Jens J. Angen, who dropped the family name upon coming to America, grew up in Norway, where he was educated in the common schools. He iminigrated to America in 1870 when twenty-two years old, joining his father, who had preceded him to Douglas county, Minnesota. The son pur- chased one hundred and twenty acres of school land in section 36 of Bran- don township, which he improved and on which he still lives, successfully carrying on general farming and stock raising.
Mr. Angen married Caroline Severson, a daughter of Sever Olson and Martha Johnson, natives of Norway, where they spent their earlier years, coming to America in 1859, locating in Wisconsin, where they spent four years on a farm; then came to Minnesota, and after farming in Olmsted county four years moved to Douglas county and established their permanent home. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Angen, namely: Joel, who married Emma Peterson; Martin, deceased; Carl, who married Mary Arnston; Minnie, who married Peter Peterson; Nettie, who married Nels Tarson, and Sophia, deceased.
SYLVESTER TRISKO.
One of the younger farmers of Belle River township, Douglas county, who has made an auspicious start in his chosen life work is Sylvester Trisko, who has found his home community a good place in which to spend his life. He was born in the above-named township and county, December 31, 1888, and is a son of Ignatz and Kate (Dattler) Trisko, both natives of Germany. The father was a small boy when he came to America with his parents, John and Anna (Loretz) Trisko, both natives of Austria. They married in the old country and lived on a farm there until coming to America in 1882, coming direct to Minnesota, where Mr. Trisko took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Belle River township, Douglas county, on which he spent the rest of his life. He received military training in the old country. He and his wife belonged to the Catholic church in Belle River township. They had the following children: Joseph, Ignatz and Carl.
Ignatz Trisko, mentioned above, spent his boyhood in Germany and there attended the public schools. He and his wife are living on the old
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home place, which they own, and which his father entered upon coming to Douglas county. The place consists of one hundred and sixty acres. Mr. Trisko also is a stockholder in the local creamery. His family consists of the following children : Sylvester, the subject of this sketch: John, who married a Miss Stewart in Croy, North Dakota, and Richard, Anna, Willie, Leo, Frank and Arthur.
Sylvester Trisko grew up on the home farm and he received a common- school education in district No. 92. He continued to assist his father on the farm until his marriage, on January 10, 1911, to Bernice Craig, a daughter of Frank and Clara Craig, who came to Douglas county in an early day and took up a homestead on which they established the future home of the family. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Trisko, namely: Clifford, who was killed by a kick from a horse when two years of age, and Mabel.
Mr. Trisko owns one hundred and sixty acres in Belle River township, which he purchased in the fall of 1916. He is also renting a farm of two hundred and eighty acres on which he now lives. He carries on mixed farm- ing, raising hogs and cattle, and paying considerable attention to dairying. Politically, he is a Democrat. He belongs to the Catholic church.
NELS J. FAHLIN.
Nels J. Fahlin, one of the best-known and most substantial farmers of Solem township, Douglas county, is a native-born son of Minnesota, his birth having occurred in Solem township, January 14, 1870. He is a son of Jens and Anna Fahlin, hoth of whom were natives of Sweden.
Jens Fahlin and his family came to the United States in 1869, and in the fall of the same year he homesteaded the farm where he is still living in Solem township. He improved and cultivated the place, planted a grove and put up many of the older buildings on the place, most of which, however, have been replaced by newer and more modern ones. For over twenty years he has been retired from the active management of the farm. His wife died when Nels J. was but an infant of sixteen months. They were the parents of four children, John J., referred to later in this sketch; Mary, deceased; Ole, living in North Dakota, and Nels J., the immediate subject of this review.
Nels J. Fahlin received a limited education in the schools of his home community, receiving only two weeks of training in the English school. He
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was reared to the life of a farmer, has always lived on the home place, and during the last few years has bought one hundred and forty acres of it. There he is engaged in general farming and stock raising and has met with a very commendable degree of success in his chosen vocation.
In 1900 Nels J. Fahlin was married to Emma Westberg, a native of Sweden, who is a daughter of J. P. Westberg, of Solem township, and to this union have been born eight children, Mabel, Anna, Hattie, Edna, Emilie, Ruth, Lloyd and Florence Esther, all of whom are living at home with their parents. The family are all earnest and devout members of the Swedish Lutheran church, in the general work of which they take an active interest.
John J. Fahlin, the eldest brother of Nels J. Fahlin, was born in Swe- den, September 19, 1861, and came to America with his parents in 1869, and was reared on the homestead farm in Solem township, which he helped to improve and develop. He bought one hundred and twenty acres of railroad land just across the road from the home farm, which was all raw prairie at the time he acquired it, but he set to work with a will to improve and de- velop it, and he now has good buildings, a nice grove, and in various ways has added to its value and attractiveness. In 1889 he married Mary Peter- son, also a native of Sweden, who died about a year after her marriage, leaving one son, Arthur.
HANS L. OLBEKSON.
Miltona township, Douglas county has no more painstaking farmer than Hans L. Olbekson, who was born in Norway, August 1I, 1864. He is a son of Andrew and Louise (Olson) Olbekson, both natives of Norway, from which country they came to America in 1869, landing in New York City where they spent a short time and where they buried an infant son. Then they came on to Minnesota and after two years spent in Freeborn county, came to Douglas county, the father taking up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Miltona township, which he developed into a good farm by patient, hard work; and where he and his wife spent the rest of their lives, his death occurring on June 3, 1900, at the age of sev- enty, his birth having occurred on May 28, 1830. His widow survived until May 20, 1913, dying at the age of eighty-four years. To them the following children were born: Anton, who lives in Alexandria; Michael, who is a mason and lives in Gaston, Oregon; Carrie, deceased; Hans I .. , the subject of this sketch, and Anna and Louise. The father of these chil-
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dren was active in local affairs, in both township and church matters, being a member of the board of the Lutheran church and active in church work.
Hans L. Olbekson was reared on the farm and was educated in the common schools. On December 20, 1889, he married Jennie Peck, whose death occurred on June 13. 1914, at the age of forty-eight years. She was the mother of four children, Josephine, Edith, Edwin and Cleveland. Jos- ephine married James Sterrker and they live on a farm in Miltona town- ship. The rest of the children are at home with their father.
Mr. Olbekson has been very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser. He has a productive place of one hundred and twenty acres, a part of the old homestead, in section 10, Miltona township, and has kept it well improved. He built a new barn in 1912 and a modern home in 1916. He is one of the stockholders of the Farmers Society of Equity, of Parkers Prairie, and is also a stockholder in the creamery at that place. Politically, he is a Republican. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church at Park- ers Prairie. He was a member of the local school board eight years and a member of the township board four years.
KNUTE GROVEN.
Norway has give many of her sons and daughters to the United States, many of those have engaged in farming and others in business pur- suits and in the professions. Among those who engaged in agricultural pursuits with success, was numbered the late Knute Groven, who was a well-known resident of Pelican Lake township, Grant county. He was born on July 6, 1849, and received his education in Norway, where he grew to manhood and was married in 1873 to Signe Jore, who was born on March 10, 1851. They lived in the land of their nativity for a number of years after their marriage, and then decided, in 1883, to come to America. They landed at the port of New York and came directly to Minnesota, locating at Ashby, where they joined E. K. Teisberg, a cousin of Knute Groven, who lived near that place.
Upon arriving at his destination, Knute Groven purchased one hun- dred and sixty acres of land in section 35 of Pelican Lake township, Grant county, where he lived until the time of his death, which occurred on April 15, 19II. At the time Mr. Groven made the purchase, the place needed much in the way of development and improvements, there being only wild
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prairie at the time he built a house. In 1897 he built a large barn and made other valuable and substantial improvements, the farm soon being trans- formed into one of the finest in the township. There he engaged in gen- eral farming and stock raising, in which he was quite successful. His life was an active one and he accomplished much that was worthy of his great efforts. He was a man of much ability and force of character and was possessed of a business acumen that made his life a financial success. Con- ing to the country, amid new conditions and amid strange people, he soon adapted himself to the new order of things and demonstrated the fact that he could and would meet the difficulties with success. He took much in- terest in local affairs and was ever ready to assist in any worthy cause that had to with the betterment of the township, or the county.
Knute and Signe Groven were the parents of three children: Isabel, Mary and Osmond. Isabel became the wife of Jepps Kronberg and Mary married Christ Clauson. Osmond is unmarried, his mother living with him on the old home place. He was born in Norway on August 8, 1881, and was but two years old when he came with his parents to the United States. Soon after the death of his father, he purchased the home farm, which he has since operated. Osmond Groven received his early training in farming under the master hand of his father, and has thus been able successfully to carry on the work that his father began.
JOHN F. TITUS.
Among the prominent farmers and substantial citizens of Hudson township, Douglas county, is John F. Titus, who was born on December 4, 1864, in Johnson county, Iowa. He is the youngest child of Joseph and Mary Jane (Rogers ) Titus, both of whom were natives of Ohio.
In the early fifties Josph Titus and his family came West and settled in Jones county, Iowa, later moving into Johnson county, that state, from which place, in 1867, the family moved to Butler county, Iowa, where they lived until the death of Joseph Titus, which occurred in 1894. His widow is still living. To this worthy couple eight children were born, W. N., Lida A., Susanna, Sarah A., R. H., H. M., C. R., and John F., the immediate subject of this brief review,
John F. Titus received his education in the public schools of Butler county, Iowa. He grew up on the farm, assisting his father with the farm
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work, and in the fall of 1902 moved to Douglas county, Minnesota, where he is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He is en- gaged in general farming and stock raising, and has met with a very com- mendable degree of success in his chosen work. Besides his farming in- terests, Mr. Titus is a director and stockholder in the warehouse at Forada.
.In 1902 John F. Titus was married to Jane McNellis, the daughter of Moses and Hannah (Osborne ) McNellis, and to this union four children have been born, Durward H., Fielden G., Leander B. and Clara E. The family are earnest members of the Presbyterian church and take an active interest in the affairs of the local congregation, Mr. Titus being a trustee in the church.
Politically, Mr. Titus is an independent voter, preferring to cast his ballot for men and principles rather than for party. He has served his town- ship as school director since 1914, and for several years served as school clerk of the school district.
ROY G. SMITH.
Roy G. Smith one of the succesful young farmers of Gorton township, Grant county, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 2, 1889. His father died when he was but a small child and he and his mother were left alone, for he was the only child in the family. Some years after the death of her husband, Mrs. Smith became the wife of Mathias Schnell, who, with the mother, now lives in Chicago.
Roy G. Smith received his education in the public schools of Chicago and at Davenport. Iowa, having spent a part of his early life with his grandfather, William Smith, who still lives in Davenport. As a young man Mr. Smith worked in a machine shop, while living with his grandparents, William and Clara Smith, at Davenport. In 1911 he came to Minnesota and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 16, Gorton township, Grant county, where he has done much in the way of develop- ment and improvement. He is engaged in general farming and stock rais- ing and is meeting with success. He is particularly interested in the breed- ing of Shorthorn cattle and has many of these fine animals. He is inde- pendent in politics, yet he takes an active interest in all local affairs. He and his wife are active members of the Evangelical church of Gorton township and are prominent in thy social and religious life of the com- munity.
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On June 15, 1912, Roy G Smith was united in marriage to Josephine Augusta Reckner, who was born in Howard county, Iowa, November 28, 1890, the daughter of Christian and Caroline (Tienken) Reckner, who lo- cated in Traverse county, Minnesota, in 1901, where they now reside. To this union three children have been born, Mathias, Beulah and William Martin.
Mathias Schnell, the stepfather of Roy G. Smith, was born in Ger- many and came to the United States when twenty-one years of age, arriving at Hoboken, New Jersey, without a dollar. He later went to Rock Island, Illinois, and later to Chicago. He became a contractor and builder and erected many public buildings, his field of operations covering all parts of the United States, among his contracts having been the construction of the foundation for the capital building of Texas. For the past fifteen years he has been living a retired life.
Christian Reckner, Mrs. Smith's father, was born in Howard county, Iowa, on January 6, 1858; and his wife, Caroline Reckner, was born in _ New York City on March 31, 1869. They were married in Howard county, Iowa, and came to Minnesota in 1901. settling in Grant county, and later removed to Traverse county. They were the parents of the following children; Hulda, Josephine Augusta, Earl, Annie, George, Henry, Clara and Ruth, all of whom are living. Mr. and Mrs. Reckner are highly re- spected people and have long been prominent in the social and civic life of the community in which they live. Mr. Reckner is engaged in general farming and stock raising, in which he has been successful.
CHRISTIAN L. HARSTAD.
Among the young farmers of Stony Brook township, Grant county, who are making a good start, is Christian L. Harstad, who has been fortu- nate enough to remain in his native locality, which he has been contented to do. He was born on the old homestead in Stony Brook township on July 9, 1889, and there he grew to manhood, working in the summer months, when he was a boy. He received his early education in the district schools, later attending Park Region Lutheran College and was graduated from the commercial department of that institution. After leaving school he returned to the farm and has made general farming his life work. When starting out for himself he purchased one hundred and twenty acres in Stony Brook
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township, which he has improved considerably, including the erection of a new residence in 1915. In connection with general farming he raises vari- ous kinds of live stock. He is a careful worker, having had excellent train- ing under his father, Lowritz K. Harstad, a sketch of whom appears else- where in this volume.
Mr. Harstad was married in 1911, to Gunhild Nelson, who was born in Norway in 1888. She is a daughter of Nels and Sonove Aasberg, natives of Norway, where they grew up, married and established their home. They came to America in 1905, but later went back to their native land where they now reside. To Mr. and Mrs. Harstad three children have been born, Thora Lovine, Signe Evelyn and Gerda Corrine.
Politically, Mr. Hardstad is an independent voter. He belongs to the United Lutheran church.
THEODORE JOHNSON.
Among the many worthy farmers of Swedish parentage in Solem township, Douglas county, is Theodore Johnson, who was born in Kandi- yohi county, Minnesota, on February 27, 1870. He is a son of Lewis and Anna Breta ( Nelson) Johnson, both of whom were natives of Sweden.
Lewis Johnson and his family came to the United States in 1866, locating first in Wisconsin, but later homesteaded one hundred and twenty acres of land in Kandiyohi county, Minnesota, to which eighty acres more were added later, making a total of two hundred acres. After coming to Minnesota. he served as assistant pastor of the Lutheran church preparing for the ministry himself, and in 1879 he was ordained. His first call was to the Oscar Lake church, after which he served the churches in Norongo and Venersborg, in Holmes City township, until 1887. In that year he moved to Solem township and served as pastor of the Venersborg church until 1891, when he accepted a call to the church at Parkers Prairie, where he remained four years. From there he went to Fergus Falls, where he was pastor for twelve years, at the expiration of which time he retired from the active ministry and moved to Kensington, where he lived the remainder of his life, his death occurring on March 12, 1916. While living in Solem township, he accumulated a section of land. To him and his wife were born eleven children, of whom six grew to maturity,- Matilda, Lydia, Esther. Theodore, Mary and Mathias, only three of whom are now living, Mary, Mathias and Theodore.
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Theodore Johnson received his education in the public schools of his home county, and also attended the Lutheran Seminary at Willmar. Early in life he decided to make farming his life work, and has made a very com- mendable success of his chosen calling. He has a good farm of two hun- dred and forty acres in Solem township, where he is engaged in general farming and stock raising.
In 1894 Theodore Johnson was married to Caroline J. Holm, who was born in Goodhue county, Minnesota, a daughter of Peter and Carrie (Stefferson ) Holm, the father a native of Sweden who came to Iowa, where he met and married his wife, also a native of Sweden. Later the family moved from Iowa to Goodhue county, Minnesota, and in 1883 came to Douglas county, and in 1893, went to Roberts county, South Dakota, where Mr. Holm homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, and where he is still living. His wife died in 1902. To Peter Holm and wife were born fourteen children, seven of whom are living, Ole, Caroline, Hans, John, Karlin, Anna and Mabel. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are the parents of the following children: Mabel Cordelia, Clarence T., Clifford Emanuel, Anna Caroline, Elmer Lewis, Ernest Edwin, Alvin Richard, Hildig Got- frey, Reuben Ferdinand and Esther Viola, all of whom are living. The family are all earnest members of the Lutheran church, which the father served so well as pastor for so many years, and all are much interested in church work. The grandfather, Lewis Johnson, built the church at Veners- borg.
Politically, Mr. Johnson is a Republican, and ever since the organ- ization of school district No. 25 he has served as clerk of the district, a period of about twenty-five years, which, in itself, speaks well for his able discharge of the duties pertaining to that office.
JAMES A. KINNEY.
James A. Kinncy, editor of the Alexandria Citisen, was born in West Union, Iowa, June 9, 1869. He is a son of Andrew D. Kinney, who was born in Pennsylvania, February 12, 1843, and died on September 21, 1905. His mother's maiden name was Sarah E. Washburn, born in Waukeegan, Illinois.
Andrew D. Kinney was educated in the public schools of New Jersey. He removed to West Union, Iowa, when a young man, and there learned
JAMES A. KINNEY.
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the blacksmith trade. He worked at his trade at that place for several years, at the end of which time he removed to Eldorado, Iowa, and there engaged in the hotel business, at the same time opening a blacksmith shop, which he conducted at that place for about fifteen years. He then moved to Dakota, which was a territory at the time, and took up a homestead of government land in what is now South Dakota, near Highmore. He only remained there for about one year, returning presently to Iowa and locating at Elgin, that state, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on the date above stated. Andrew Kinney and wife were the parents of eight children: James A., the subject of this sketch; Ella, who married J. A. Jones ; C. K., of Minneapolis; G. W., of Beach, North Dakota; Rev. R. D. Kinney, of Fredericksburg, Iowa; Grace, who married E. E. Walden, of Minneapolis; Earl, of Vanada, Montana, and Arthur, of Minneapolis. Andrew D. Kinney was a member of the Masonic order and of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically, he affiliated with the Repub- lican party.
James A. Kinney was educated in the schools of Elgin, Iowa, complet- ing the course and graduating from the high school at that place. After- ward he attended the business college at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was gradu- ated from that institution in 1889. He then entered a printing office at West Union, Iowa, and worked at the printing business for about three years. In 1892 he went south and spent the winter in Fort Worth, and in Temple, Texas, working on daily papers. Returning to West Union, Iowa, the fol- lowing year he took the position of manager of the Fayette County Union, of which Congressman Walt H. Butler was at that time the owner, and con- tinued in that position for about eighteen months, at the end of which time he went to Aurora. Iowa, and engaged in the newspaper business on his own account. He bought material for a newspaper plant and founded the Aurora Observer, which he continued to publish for eleven years. While residing in Aurora he served for two years as postmaster of the town. In 1905 he disposed of his interest in the Observer, resigned the postmastership and came to Minnesota, buying a half-interest in the Alexandria Citizen from Hennings Brothers and entering into partnership with O. W. Hennings, in the publication of that paper. That partnership continued until 1910, when Mr. Kinney bought his partner's interest and has since been conducting the Citizen as the sole proprietor.
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