USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 40
USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 40
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
ERICK G. JOHNSON.
Erick G. Johnson, a native of Sweden and a well-known and successful farmer of Holmes City township, Douglas county, was born on May 18, 1867, the son of John and Christina ( Peterson) Johnson, also natives of Sweden, where they grew to manhood and womanhood and were married. There Mrs. Johnson died in 1875. John Johnson continued to live in the land of his nativity until 1904, when he came to America. Upon his arrival in the United States he came direct to Minnesota and for a year lived in Douglas county, after which he removed to North Dakota, where he home- steaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he has developed and improved, and there makes his home.
To John and Christina Johnson were born six children, Peter, Mary, Erick G., Lena, Christina and Matilda, all of whom are living save Mary. Some years after the death of his first wife, John Johnson was united in marriage to Margaret Peterson and to this union five children were born, Oscar, Clara, Victor, Hilma and Segma, of whom Clara and Hilma are deceased. John Johnson has had an active and useful life and has long been prominent in the social life of the communities in which he has lived.
Erick G. Johnson received his education in the public schools of his native land, where he lived until he was twenty years of age. He then decided to leave the land of his birth and came to America. On his arrival in the United States he came direct to Minnesota and located in LaGrand township, Douglas county, where, for the next eight years he worked for Nels E. Nelson on the farm. In 1897 he returned to Sweden, where he purchased a small farm and engaged in farming on his own account. In 1900 he was united in marriage to Amelia Erickson and soon thereafter he and his wife came to the United States. This time Mr. Johnson located in North Dakota and there purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Nelson county. After four years he sold the farm and moved to what was then William county, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, and purchased three hundred and twenty acres. Some years later he sold one hundred and sixty acres of his land, but is still the owner of three hundred and twenty acres in that state. In 1913 he returned to Douglas county, where he now lives on his farm in Holmes City township, and where he is engaged in general farming and stock raising, in which he has been quite successful. Mr. Johnson has always taken much interest in local affairs and is one of the substantial and successful farmers of this
RESIDENCE OF ERICK G. JOHNSON.
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section. He has ever been held in the highest regard by his neighbors and friends, and is recognized as a man of much force of character.
Erick G. Johnson has been twice married. By the first wife, who died some years ago, one child was born, Albert. He later married Ella Nelson, the widow of Edward Nelson, who had two children by her first marriage, Carrie and Elsie.
DAVID J. DAVIDSON.
An advocate of twentieth-century methods of tilling the soil is David J. Davidson, a general farmer of Evansville township, Douglas county. He was born on the old Davidson homestead in section 30, in the above named township, April 26, 1873, a son of John and Andrina (Fagre) Davidson, natives of Norway, where they spent their earlier years and where the father operated a store, also owned land there. He came to America in 1866, locating first in Quebec, Wisconsin, where he remained until the fall of 1867, when he came to Douglas county, Minnesota, and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Evansville township. In the spring of 1868 he brought his family to his farm here. Most of the land was heavily tim- bered. He farmed for some time with oxen, cleared and improved his land and lived in a log house for some time. He continued to live on this place until the fall of 1898. when he retired from active life, spending the rest of his days in the village of Evansville, where he died in 1908, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. His widow is still living there. John Davidson was twice married, his first wife having died in Norway. By her five chil- dren were born, namely: Dan, deceased; Christopher, who has not been heard of for a number of years; Amelia, Mary and one who died when ycung. To John and Andrina Davidson nine children were born, namely : Lottie, deceased: Oscar, next in order of birth; Minnie, deceased; Julius, deceased : David J., the subject of this sketch : Lora, Adolph, Hilda and one who died young.
David J. Davidson grew up on the farm and received his early schooling in the public schools in Evansville township. He also attended high school at Herman three years, during vacations working on the home farm. In 1800, together with his brothers Oscar and Julius, he purchased the home- stead and the three farmed together for some time, Oscar finally selling his interest to the other two: then Julius sold to the subject of this sketch, who
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has since operated the place alone, successfully carrying on general farming and stock raising and keeping the land well improved. In 1910 he built an excellent barn. He also purchased one hundred and sixty acres adjoining, in Grant county.
Mr. Davidson was married in 1898 to Dagma Christenson, a member of one of the well-known families of Douglas county, and to this union six children have been born, Edith, Agnes, Charlotte, Rhuben, Waldemar and Norman.
Mr. Davidson is a Republican. He was county chairman of the first district for five and one-half years and was township supervisor about five years, during part of which period he was chairman of the board. He is now township treasurer, also treasurer of school district No. 26, which office he has held for the past fifteen years. He takes an abiding interest in local affairs and is an excellent public official. He attends the Norwegian Luth- eran church.
ANTON HANSEN.
Anton Hansen, farmer and stock raiser of Holmes City township, Douglas county, has made a success of his chosen life work because he has been preserving and energetic. He was born at Faaberg, Norway, Febru- ary 21, 1858, and is a son of Hans Arnesen Rotrud and Seneve Olsdatter Bergsven, both natives of Faaberg, Norway, where they were married and spent their lives, dying there a number of years ago. They were parents of eight children, Agnes, Anton, Olaf, Rudolph, Martinus, Agnes ( the second ). Randina and Martinus (second), all of whom are deceased save the sub- ject of this sketch and Randina and the second Martinus.
Anton Hansen grew up in Norway where he was educated and there he learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed until coming to America in 1883. He located in Douglas county, Minnesota, where he continued his trade, his services being in great demand from the very start, especially as a barn builder. He has built one hundred barns in his locality and still works at his trade at intervals, though he has always lived on a farm, owning different places. His present farm in Holmes City township consists of one hundred acres, on which he has lived for about seven years. He formerly had two hundred acres. He has improved his land, including a splendid group of buildings. His place is known as "Church Hill Farm."
In 1893 Anton Hansen was married to Olina Peterson, a daughter of
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
Ole Peterson (Bergsven). Mr. and Mrs. Hansen have no children of their own, but have an adopted daughter, Zelma Amanda. Mr. Hansen is a member of the Tryssal Lutheran church, and politically, he is a Republican.
Ole Peterson ( Bergsven) and his wife Martha Evenson, parents of Mrs. Hansen, were both born in Norway, the father on July 15, 1829, and they grew up and married in their native land. He came to Minnesota in 1866, locating in Douglas county, living about a year near Oscar Lake; then located on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, which he had selected the previous autumn, and there he has since made his home, being one of the earliest pioneers in that part of the county. He cleared and improved the place and has prospered as a general farmer and stock raiser. He added to his original holdings until he owned about six hundred acres in Lake Mary and Holmes City township, but he has sold off a large portion of his land. He is one of the most substantial and most highly respected of our venerable early settlers. He is now eighty-seven years old, but is fairly active and well preserved. Only two years ago he walked five miles to visit his daughter. His wife died in 1910. He assisted in organizing the Tryssal Lutheran church, of which he is a member. His family consisted of ten children, two of whom died in infancy, the others being named, Olina, Peter (deceased), Andrew, Martha, Agnes, Edward. Othelda and Maria Augusta.
MARTIN CHRISTENSEN.
One of the enterprising farniers of Evansville township, Douglas county, is Martin Christensen, who was born in the little kingdom of Denmark, on October 4, 1855, the son of Nels and Katherina Christensen, both of whom were natives of Denmark. Nels Christensen and wife came to the United States about five years after their son, Martin, had come to this country, and lived with him the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of five children, two of whom, Katie and Christ, died in Denmark; Peter died in Dakota, and the others are Nels and Martin.
Martin Christensen received his education in the schools of Denmark and in August, 1880, came to the United States. He worked for two years for his brother, Nels, who had previously come to America. He then pur- chased eighty acres of land in section 18, Evansville township, and began farming for himself. His land was wholly unimproved when he acquired it, and he has since improved and cultivated it until he now owns one of the
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best farms in the township. He has added forty acres more to his tract, making one hundred and twenty acres which he owns, all of which he farms himself, besides renting other land. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising, having a nice herd of Shorthorn cattle and markets annually a large number of hogs. He has been very successful in his farming opera- tions and ranks among the substantial farmers of the township.
In 1887 Martin Christensen was married to Christina Elveriun, a native of Norway, and to this union six children have been born: Annetta, who married E. M. Sederberg, a motion picture manager of Evansville, and has three children, Stanton, Milan and Doris; Elmer, a buttermaker at Stewarts- ville, Minnesota, who married Maude Brooks; Emil, who is working in the hardware trade at Austin, Minnesota, and Nora, Conrad and Onward, who are still living at home with their parents.
Mr. Christensen is a Republican and takes an active interest in all public matters which have for their object the betterment of his township and com- munity. He has served as treasurer of school district No. 2 and is much interested in school matters. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and Mr. Christensen is trustee of the local congregation of that denomination at Evansville.
VICTOR N. JOHNSON.
Ida township, Douglas county, has no more enthusiastic tiller of the soil than Victor N. Johnson, who was born in the locality where he still resides, on December 18, 1889. He is a son of Claus V. and Lucinda (Osborne) Johnson, the father a native of Sweden and the mother of Ida township, Douglas county, born on the old Osborne homestead, which is now owned by the subject of this review. Claus V. Johnson came to America when sixteen years old. After living awhile in St. Paul, Minnesota, when that place consisted of only twelve houses, he moved to Keota, where he made railroad ties for about a year and later worked on the construc- tion of the railroad between there and St. Cloud. He came to Douglas county after that and took up one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, timbered, on which he built a log house and barn and cleared it, farming there for some time with oxen. He lived there about six years, during which period he married. He then bought one hundred and sixty acres, the farm on which his son Victor N. Johnson now lives, which was then
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only partly improved. On this he built a good farm in 1904. He sold his original homestead and now owns one hundred and sixty acres of well- improved land, all cleared but about thirty acres. He is now living on a homestead in Montana where he owns an entire section, having been there about four years. His son Victor N. has had charge of his home place here since he went to Montana. Claus V. Johnson, has four children, all in Montana but the subject of this sketch, namely: Maynard R., Edwin, Ernest, and Victor N.
Mrs. Lucinda ( Osborne) Johnson, mother of the subject of this sketch, is a daughter of O. and Fredrica ( Landeen) Osborne. O. Osborne was a native of Kentucky and an early playmate of Abraham Lincoln. He served as a lieutenant in an Illinois regiment during the Civil War and was wounded in battle four different times. After the war he came to Minne- sota and settled on a homestead in Ida township, Douglas county, and while improving it was married to Fredrica Landeen, who owned the homestead which is now the farm operated by the subject of this sketch. Mr. Osborne later went to Los Angeles, California, where he spent the rest of his life in the Soldiers' Home.
Victor N. Johnson grew up on the homestead in his native locality and received a public-school education. He also attended the Brandon high school and the Gustavus Adolphus College at St. Peter. He was gradu- ated from the academy there in 1908, then entered the commercial depart- ment. from which he was graduated in 1909, meanwhile working on the home farm during vacations. After leaving college he went to Foreman, North Dakota, where he taught school for two terms. He then worked at the Farmers National Bank at Alexandria later working a short time in the Nelson State Bank at Nelson. In the spring of 1911 he went to Montana, where he remained about two years, and there took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, also one hundred and sixty acres of a desert claim. He proved up on it and returned in 1914. His brother now rents that land. Victor N. Johnson came back to Ida township and has since operated the old home place, operating one hundred and sixty acres, on which he carries on general farming. On March 18, 1916, he married Anna Simon, of Jordan, Minnesota. He is a stockholder in the Garfield Creamery Company and belongs to the Norwegian Lutheran church. Mrs. Johnson is the daughter of Charles and Marie ( Leifer ) Simon, who still lives in Jordan, Minnesota, where Mr. Simon is occupied as a cigar maker. Charles Simons and wife have four children, those besides Mrs. Johnson being Mrs. Hildegard Ellis, Charles and Leara.
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
CHARLES JOHNSON.
Charles Johnson, one of the prominent and well-known farmers of Ida township, Douglas county, was born in Sweden in 1870, the son of John and Christina ( Erickson) Johnson, who also were born in Sweden, where they were educated in the public schools and grew to manhood and womanhood and were married. John Johnson was reared on the farm, and as a lad and after his marriage engaged in that work in his native land. In 1879 John Johnson decided to seek a home in America and after landing in the country he came direct to Minnesota and homesteaded forty acres of land in Ida township, Douglas county. He later bought forty acres of railroad land in section 18, all of which was covered with timber and brush. There he built a small log house, in which the family lived for some years. After having completed the house, Mr. Johnson began the task of clearing and developing the farm. In time he had the farm under cultivation and improved with substantial buildings, and he engaged in general farming and stock raising until the time of his death, which occurred in 1908, at the age of seventy-five years.
To John and Christina Johnson were born four sons, Erick, John ( deceased ), Charles and Axel. Erick Johnson is one of the successful and prominent farmers of Ida township, his farm being near that of his brother Charles, and Axel Johnson is a successful saw-mill man in Itasca county, 'Minnesota. After the death of Christina ( Erickson ) Johnson, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Louisa Anderson. John Johnson and his family were prominent in the social and religious life of the township, and were highly respected by all who knew them. Mr. Johnson, took a keen interest in the civic life of the community and did much toward the development and improvement of the township in which he lived.
Charles Johnson received his earliest educational training in the schools of Sweden and attended some school after coming to Douglas county. He grew to manhood on the home farm and as a lad assisted his father with the work on the farm, and did some work for the neighbors as a farm hand.
In 1894 Charles Johnson was united in marriage to Maria Larson, after which he rented a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, of Claus Peterson, near Garfield. He remained there three years and then bought forty acres in section 18. There was a small house on the place and about fifteen acres of the place cleared. He later remodeled and enlarged the house, making of it a substantial and modern structure. He succeeded in clearing the land
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and today has a model tract. In 1913 he purchased forty-eight acres in section 7, of which thirty acres was cleared, the balance being in pasture and brush. Since 1890, in addition to his farm work, Mr. Johnson has been engaged in threshing and now has a complete threshing outfit.
To Charles and Maria Johnson, have been born the following children : Emma, Gustav, Edith, Theodore, Anna, Mildred, Lucile, Axel and Albin. The last two are deceased, the others are at home. Mr. and Mrs. John- son are active members of the Mission church and take much interest in church work. Politically. Mr. Johnson is a Republican and has always taken much interest in the civic life of the township, and has served for four years as a member of the board of supervisors. He is a stockholder in the Garfield Creamery Company, in the Farmers Elevator Company and in the Farmers Potato Warehouse Association, in the affairs of all of which concerns he takes an active interest.
OLE E. SLETTO.
Ole E. Sletto, one of the well-known and successful farmers of Moe township. Douglas county, was born in his home township on July 8, 1876, the son of Erick T. and Martha (Olson) Sletto, who were born in Norway, where they received their education in the public schools, grew to manhood and womanhood and were married. They continued to live in their native land for some time and then decided to locate in America. After their arrival in the United States, they came direct to Minnesota, locating in Goodhue county, where Erick T. Sletto was engaged as a farm hand for some years, after which he came to Douglas county and purchased land in Moe township, where he engaged in general farming and stock raising quite successfully, at the time of his retirement from the active duties of farm life, being the owner of three hundred and ten acres of excellent land, under cultivation and well improved. He and his wife are active members of Norwegian Lutheran church and Mr. Sletto was one of the organizers of the local society. They were the parents of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters.
Ole E. Sletto received his education in the public schools of Douglas county and grew to manhood on the home farm, where he has always resided. As a lad he decided that he would be a farmer and since completing his education has been successfully engaged in that work. He is now the
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owner of two hundred and thirty acres of well-improved land and is engaged in general farming and stock raising.
In 1910, Ole E. Sletto was united in marriage to Sophia Arnesen, who was born in Douglas county, the daughter of Helge Arnesen, a pioneer of Urness township, and to this union two children have been born, Mar- garet and Olander. Mr. and Mrs. Sletto are active members of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church and take much interest in religious work. They are held in the highest regard by all who know them and are prominent in the social life of the community. Mr. Sletto has always taken much interest in the civic life of the township and for the past two years has been a member of the township board, and is at present the chairman of that body. He is progressive in his views and is a strong advocate of good roads and the best schools possible. He is a man of broad views and excellent judgment and has much influence in his community.
ANDREW ZIMMEL.
Among the large number of Europeans who have settled in Douglas and Grant counties there have been but few Austrians, but those of that nationality who have come here have been good citizens. One of this num- ber is Andrew Zimmel, who is engaged in general farming in Belle River township, Douglas county. He was born in Austria, a son of Wenzel and Mary Zimmel, natives of Austria, where they grew up and married, and from which country they immigrated with their family direct to Minnesota in 1883, the vessel they crossed the Atlantic in landing at Baltimore, Maryland. They came to Minnesota to join relatives who had preceded them here and the father soon purchased forty acres in section 20, Belle River township, Douglas county, later buying one hundred and sixty acres in section 5 and forty acres in section 22 of the same township. He worked hard and soon had a very good farm and a comfortable liome here. His family con- sisted of the following children: Mary, Andrew, Albert, Francis, Katherine, Anna, Sally and Nicholas. The father is still living in Belle River town- ship, but the mother passed away in September, 1910, at the age of sixty years.
Andrew Zimmel was young when he came with the family to America. He grew up on the farm and helped his father with the general work of the same, receiving his education in the public schools. He has devoted his
MR. AND MRS. ANDREW ZIMMEL.
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DOUGLAS AND GRANT COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
life to farming and owns in all two hundred and forty acres, one hundred and twenty in section 5, eighty in section 8, and forty in section 22 of Belle River township. He lives in section 5, where he has a substantial set of buildings, having built a good barn in 1912, and has made many other important improvements. He also owns stock in the creamery at Belle River.
Mr. Zimmel was married to Susie Crousen, a native of England, and to this union six children have been born, Mary, Clara, Anna, Susie, Jose- phine and Rosina S. Politically, Mr. Zimmel is a Democrat. He and his family are members of the Catholic church.
Albert Zimmel, brother of the subject of this sketch, owns one hundred and twenty acres in section 5, Belle River township, where he began making his home in 1904. He has good improvements. He built his present barn in 1913. He also is a member of the Catholic church.
HENDRICK ERICKSON.
After a long, useful and successful life the late Hendrick Erickson passed away, leaving behind him a record of which his family and des- cendants may well be proud. He was born in Norway, April 8, 1838, and was a son of Erick and Martha Erickson, both natives of Grue, Norway, where their son Hendrick was also born, and there the parents grew up and the father became a large landowner in that locality, finally removing to America, his wife having died previously in Norway. Erick Erickson returned to Norway after a short time and passed away in Norway. His family consisted of eight children.
Hendrick Erickson grew up in his native land and there attended the public schools. He served three years in the Norwegian army and came to America about 1865, traveling extensively over the United States, espe- cially in the South, working at various occupations. His sister, Mrs. Chris- tine Gunderson, followed him to this country in a short time, locating first in Renville county, Minnesota, but later moved to Alexandria, where she made her home about thirty years, and died there.
In 1871 Hendrick Erickson homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres in LaGrand township, Douglas county, having to blaze a trail to and from his land in order to find it, it being in the midst of a veritable wilder- (27a)
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ness. He came by stage from St. Cloud, that town being the nearest railroad station. He endured the usual privations and hardships incident to pioneer life, cleared and developed his land into a good farm, erected buildings thereon and in due course of time became very comfortably situ- ated. His first dwelling was a rude dug-out, and a few months later he built a log house. He resided on the place until his death. He also owned one hundred and sixty acres near Lake Mary in Lake Mary township, also forty acres elsewhere in that township, which adjoined the homestead. He became one of the substantial farmers and stock raisers of his locality and was well thought of by all who knew him.
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