USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 55
USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 55
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William and Elizabeth Boerner, the parents of Elmer Boerner, were born in Germany and in Wright county, Minnesota, respectively, he having been born in February, 1849, and she, November 20, 1864. William Boerner received the greater part of his schooling in the public schools of his native land, where he resided until he was fourteen years of age, when he came to America with his parents. On their arrival in the United States they came direct to Minnesota and settled in Wright county, where William grew to manhood on the home farm, and where as a lad he assisted with the farm work. He remained at home until 1876, when he came to Grant county, where by pre-emption and tree claim he secured one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 18 of Roseville township, the tract at that time being all wild prairie. A small frame house was erected and Mr. Boerner began the task of breaking and improving his farm. The buildings that he erected at that time are still standing and in use on the farm. He became successful in general farming and stock raising, and later purchased an additional one hundred and sixty acres of land and there he lived until the time of his death in 1909.
William Boerner was twice married. By his first marriage he was the
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father of one child, a daughter, Huldah, who is now married and lives in the West. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Boerner was united in marriage, in 1881, to Elizabeth Kriedler, and to that union three children were born, Elmer, Effie, who is the wife of John Sulinska and lives in Grant county, and Ellis, who lives with his mother in Herman. Mr. Boerner took much interest in the growth and the development of the township, was active in the civic life of the district and had much to do with the substantial devel- opment of the community. He was a man of ability and his advice was often sought in matters that pertained to the affairs of the community. He was a progressive farmer and believed in intensive farming and in the thorough cultivation of the soil and was recognized as one of the substantial and prom- inent men of the township. After the death of William Boerner, his widow lived for two years on the home farm and then on January 26, 1911, she was united in marriage to William Mengel and since that time has lived in Herman.
Elmer Boerner received his education in the public schools and was reared on the home farm. Being the eldest son, he remained at home and assisted his father with the farm work. As his father's health failed him, Elmer remained on the farm and managed the place for him until his death. Since that time he has continued to operate the place and is the owner of eighty acres. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
HANS HUBRED.
The late Hans Bubred was for many years an honored and useful citizen of Douglas county, and his name is deserving of preservation on the pages of local history. He was born in Norway in 1844, and in that coun- try he grew to manhood and attended the common schools. When about twenty-eight years old he emigrated to the United States, locating in Good- hue county, Minnesota, where he spent about four years; then moved to Douglas county and settled in section 19 of Evansville township. He pros- pered through close application and good management and became owner of over five hundred acres of valuable and well-improved land, all in one body, and there he devoted the rest of his life to general farming.
On November 10, 1877, Hans Hubred was married to Helmina Paul- son, a native of Norway, but who, when five years old, was brought to Minnesota by her parents, Paul and Pernella Paulson, who were early settlers
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in Douglas county, where Mrs. Hubred grew to womanhood and attended school. Four children were born to the subject of this memoir and wife, namely : Oliver, who has remained on the homestead; Mina, who is the widow of Louis Fedje, and lives on her farm in Evansville township; Peter, deceased, and Petra, who lives at home with her mother, who has remained on the home place. The death of Hans Hubred occurred on October 24, 1905, he then being sixty-one years of age.
Oliver Hubred grew up on the home farm and received his education in the public schools of his district. He has had charge of the homestead since the death of his father, and has been very successful as a general farmer, keeping the land in good cultivation and improvement. He built a substantial barn in 1910, also a modern granary. He operates three hundred and twenty acres of the estate. The dwelling has been kept in good repair and is pleasantly situated.
Oliver Hubred is a Republican. He and the family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
MRS. ELNA LARSON.
Mrs. Elna Larson, of Roseville township, Grant county, was born in Skane, Sweden, on January 16, 1851, the daughter of Nils and Hannah (Paulson) Sanders, also natives of that country, who spent all their lives there. The father was a farmer and landowner and was prominent in local politics. The family were active members of the Lutheran church and took much interest in church work. The parents were prominent in the social and religious life of the community and were held in the highest regard and esteem by all who knew them. They were the parents of six children, those besides the subject of this sketch being as follow: Andrew, who engaged in farming and died in his native land while yet a young man; Gerste, who married Jonas Klien and lives in Roseville township, Grant county; Paul, who also came to Minnesota and settled in Grant county, where he engaged in farming until his death some years ago; Johanna, who died as a girl in Sweden, and Olof, who died in Roseville township.
Elna Sanders received her education in the public schools of her native country and there grew to womanhood and married Mons Nelson. They continued to live in the land of their birth until 1880, when they came to the United States, locating at Manistee, Michigan, where they remained for (36a)
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nearly two years, at the end of which time they came to Minnesota and Mr. Nelson homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 22 of Roseville township, Grant county. Soon after establishing his new home, Mr. Nelson died and his widow continued her residence on the homestead, which she later proved up. The tract at that time was wild prairie, unbroken and without improvements. Those were trying times for the mother with her two children to care for, on the plains of a new country, among strangers and amid new conditions, but she demonstrated her bravery and her ability to do things. She broke the tough prairie sod, planted her grain and reaped her harvests. She erected the buildings on the place and planted her grove, and her farm in time became one of the desirable ones of the township. Her life was a hard one, yet she succeeded where many a less brave woman would have failed.
In 1887 Mrs. Elna Nelson was united in marriage to Jonas Larson, a native of Sweden, where he also had received his education in the public schools and there grew to manhood. He remained a resident of his native country until 1880, when he came to Minnesota and located in Grant county. By her first marriage Mrs. Larson is the mother of two children, Alfred, born on July 25, 1876, and Anton, June 18, 1878. By her second marriage she has one son, Albert, born on June 24, 1888. For some years Anton and Albert have been operating the home place, yet each owns one hundred and sixty acres. Alfred is a prosperous farmer in Roseville township.
HON. LOUIS O. FOSS.
Hon. Louis O. Foss, former judge of probate for Grant county, former representative from this district to the Minnesota state Legislature, president of the Farmers' Elevator Company at Wendell, owner of six hundred acres of land in Stony Brook township and for years one of the most active factors in the development of his home community, is a native of the Badger state. but has been a resident of Minnesota since 1878 and has consequently been a witness to and a participant in the development of this part of the state since pioneer days. He was born at Ixonia, Jefferson county, Wisconsin. December 13, 1854, son of Ole O. and Joran (Buserud) Foss, natives of the kingdom of Norway, both born in Numedal, the former in 1816 and the latter in 1814. Ole O. Foss was a farmer and had served for ten years during the days of his young manhood in the Norwegian army.
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In 1852 he and his wife and the four children who had been born to them in the old country came to the United States, the sailing vessel on which they came over being nine weeks in making the passage. Upon arriving in this country they proceeded West and settled in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, and there Ole O. Foss resumed his life of a farmer amid entirely new conditions. About four years later, in 1856, he moved with his family to Portage county, same state, where he bought a small farm and there he and his wife made their home until their retirement from the active labors of the farm in 1903, when they sold the farm and came over into Minnesota, spending their last days in the household of their son, Louis O. Foss, in Grant county. Both died in 1911 and are buried in the Aastad cemetery. They were members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith. There were five of these children, of whom the subject of this bio- graphical sketch was the last-born, the others being as follow: Mary, widow of Halvor H. Bruna, of Portage county, Wisconsin; Jane, widow of Hans Johnson, of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Anna, who married Knut Lien and lives at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Ole, who died at sea during infancy, when the family was coming to this country.
Louis O. Foss was not yet two years old when his parents moved from Jefferson county to Portage county, Wisconsin, and in the latter county he was reared on a farm, receiving his schooling in the schools of his home neighborhood. During his young manhood he clerked in a store for a year and for five years worked in the pineries of his native state. In 1878 Mr. Foss came over to this part of Minnesota and homesteaded a tract of eighty acres in Pomme de Terre township, Grant county, on which he erected a small frame house and began to develop the tract. Four years later, in 1882. he married and about 1885 sold his homestead place and bought a quarter of a section in Stony Brook township, where he ever since has made his home and where he and his family are very pleasantly situated, his present fine residence there having been erected in 1902. As Mr. Foss's farming opera- tions prospered he added to his holdings until now he is the owner of six hundred acres of land in Grant county. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Elevator Company at Wendell and was elected first president of that concern, a position which he still occupies. Mr. Foss is a Republican and from the beginning of his residence in Grant county has ever taken a close personal interest in the civic affairs of this section of the state. For eight years he served as judge of probate for Grant county and for three terms as a member of the Legislature, representing the fifty-seventh legisla- tive district of the state, comprising the counties of Grant, Big Stone, Tra-
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verse and Stevens. During these years Mr. Foss found time for extensive self-cultivation, becoming a wide reader and acquiring a thorough reading knowledge of both German and French. Mr. Foss has one of the best equipped private libraries in this part of the state, containing more than one thousand volumes of well-selected literature.
It was on December 14, 1882, that Louis O. Foss was united in mar- riage to Nicolina Bratlien, who was born in Norway, daughter of Nels N. Bratlien and wife, early settlers in this part of Minnesota, who came here in 1872, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Olaf Nicolai, who lives on a farm in Stony Brook township; Gustave Justinian, a farmer in that same township; Clara Elvira, who married Joseph Harstad and also lives in Stony Brook township, and Roydon Vincent, who is at home. The Fosses are members of the United Lutheran church and Mr. Foss for nine years served as a member of the board of trustees of his local congregation.
ELI WEBSTER BROWN.
Eli Webster Brown, one of Grant county's best-known farmers and dairymen, a director of the Wendell creamery and the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Lawrence township, is a native of the great Empire state, but has been a resident of Minnesota since he was four years old, his parents at that time having come into the Northwest and settled in the neighboring county of Otter Tail. He was born on a farm in St. Lawrence county, New York, May 21, 1867, son of Ira James and Rhoda (Dewey) Brown, both natives of that same county, who later came to Min- nesota and who are now living retired in the city of Fergus Falls.
Ira James Brown was born in 1843, son of Harvey Brown and wife, well-to-do farming people of St. Lawrence county, New York, both mem- bers of old families there, who spent all their lives in their native county. He grew to manhood on the home farm and upon the outbreak of the Civil War enlisted for service in his home regiment and went to the front, two years later being taken captive by the enemy and for some time was kept a prisoner at the infamous Andersonville prison, his health being so under- mined by the dreadful treatment given prisoners there that he was incapaci- tated for further service; but after his exchange did recover sufficiently to be mustered out with his regiment at the close of the war. Shortly after the completion of his military service Mr. Brown married Rhoda Dewey, who
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also was born in St. Lawrence county in 1843, daughter of William H. and Harriet ( Blanchard) Dewey, also natives of that same county, who in 1872 came to Minnesota, following the arrival here of Mr. and Mrs. Brown. William H. Dewey bought a homestead right in Western township, Otter Tail county, established his home there and there he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. It was in 1871 that Ira J. Brown and his family left New York and came out to this part of Minnesota, this then being regarded as the western frontier, the trip being made from Crow Wing, then the nearest point on the railroad, over into Otter Tail county by wagon. Mr. Brown homesteaded a quarter of a section of land in Western township, erected a shanty upon the same and began to develop a farm out of the virgin prairie soil. He later bought a tract of eighty acres over in Lawrence township, in the neighboring county of Grant, but continued to make his home on his homestead farm until his retirement from the active lahors of the farm in 1904, when he and his wife moved to Fergus Falls, where they are now living. For many years Mr. Brown served as justice of the peace in and for his home township and was regarded as one of the most active and influential pioneers of that section. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church and their children were reared in that faith. There were five of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first- born, the others being as follow: Mattie, who married Elmer Johnson and now lives in Tacoma, Washington; May, who married Winfield Toombs and lives at Glenwood, this state; Harvey, who lives on the old Homestead in Otter Tail county, and Jeanette, who married Herman Berry and lives at Glenwood.
As noted above, Eli W. Brown was only about four years old when his parents came to Minnesota from New York and he grew to manhood on the homestead farm in Otter Tail county, receiving his schooling in the primitive local schools of that neighborhood and in the schools at Fergus Falls. He remained at home, a valued assistant to his father in the work of developing the home farm and also worked at the carpenter's trade until he was twenty- one years of age and then he bought the eighty-acre farm his father pre- viously had bought over in Lawrence township,. Grant county, and proceeded to develop the same; after his marriage, in the summer of 1891, establish- ing his home there and has ever since made that his place of residence, he and his family being very pleasantly and comfortably situated. Mr. Brown is a carpenter and upon taking over the farm on which he now resides he built his own buildings. These were destroyed by fire in 1913 and he rebuilt, better than before, now having a fine house, a good barn, a silo and other
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improvements in keeping with the same. In addition to his general farming, Mr. Brown has given much attention to the raising of dairy stock, in which he has been quite successful, and as a director of the Wendell creamery has done much to develop the dairy industry in that part of the county. He is a Republican and has been a member of the school board in his district for a number of years.
It was on June 10, 1891, that Eli \. Brown was united in marriage to 11. Sue Godward, who was born in Ohio, daughter of the Rev. James God- ward and wife, who came to this section of Minnesota in 1888, locating in the village of Evansville, later moving to Elbow Lake, where they spent their last days, Mr. Godward dying there in 1913, and to this union four children have been born, Donald, Ralph, Elizabeth and Ira James. The Browns are members of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Brown is a member of the board of trustees of the same, he and his wife ever helpful in promoting all local good works.
EZRA E. McCREA.
Ezra E. McCrea, one of the well-known and highly respected citizens of Alexandria and editor and proprietor of the Alexandria Post Neies, was born at Merrickville, Ontario, Canada, on January 4, 1864, the son of Alex- ander W. and Cynthia (Whitney) McCrea.
Alexander McCrea was a native of Merrickville, Canada, and his wife was born near Brockville, Canada. They grew up in Canada, were educated in the public schools of their native land and were there married. In 1878 Alexander McCrea left his native country and came to the United States, locating in North Dakota, where he founded the town of Drayton, on the Red river, there becoming a prominent and successful man and one of the leaders in his community. He and his wife were the parents of four chil- dren, George A., Ezra E., Anna and Almeron. The family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and took an active interest in church work, prominent in the social, civic and religious life of their home town.
Ezra E. McCrea received his education in the public schools and in Hamline University, where he received the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and of Master of Arts. He later received the degree of Bachelor of Law at the University of Minnesota and did post-graduate work in the Columbia Uni- versity, New York City. Upon completing his schooling he engaged in newspaper work, to which he has devoted the greater part of his life, having
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been engaged, for the most part, on the metropolitan papers. During the eight years from 1894 to 1902 he was assistant city clerk of St. Paul, Min- nesota. In 1903 he purchased the Alexandria Post Newes and has been the editor and publisher of same ever since.
In 1893 Ezra E. McCrea was married to Winifred E. Hoyt, of Red Wing, Minnesota, and to this union two children have been born, Frederick H. and Alexander W. The family are members of the Congregational church, in the affairs of which they are actively interested, Mr. McCrea being the superintendent of the Sunday school, where he is recognized as an effi- cient leader and teacher. He is also a member of the library. board of the city of Alexandria and has rendered valuable assistance to that organization. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons,
Ezra E. McCrea has led an active and useful life and his various posi- tions with the newspapers of the country have given him a wide field of influence. As editor and publisher of the Alexandria Post Newes his influence for good has long been recognized in the county and state. He is progressive in his methods and because of his training, he takes a broad view of life. He has done much to advance the interests of his community in a social, financial and religious way. He has the confidence of the people and is held in the highest regard by all who know him. Alexandria and Douglas county owe much to Mr. McCrea for the valuable work he is doing along the lines of civic, educational and moral development.
WILLIAM E. LANDEENE.
The subject of this sketch is of Swedish birth and ancestry, a nation- ality that comprises a considerable part of the enterprising, substantial, citi- zenship of Minnesota.
William E. Landeene was born in Sweden on May 20, 1868. His father was Olaf Landeene, born in Sweden, July 30, 1842; his mother was Cecelia Landeene, who was born in Sweden, August 1, 1838. They came to America in the spring of 1869 and came direct to Minnesota. The prime object Mr. Landeene had in coming to America was that he might secure cheap land to engage in farming. He found the object of his search in Douglas county and located on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, near Millerville. He put .up buildings and made improvements on this place and established a home for himself and family, and this was their home for
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the rest of their active lives. The father died on February 4, 1911, and the mother died on June 3, 1916. In coming to this place they drove through from St. Cloud by ox-team and landed here with very little capital and a small assortiment of worldly possessions of any kind. By thrift and economy Mr. Landeene became the owner of quite a large body of land, owning at one time about one-half section of fine farming land in Douglas county. The children in this family were: William E., O. W., F. G., N. E. and Hulda A. The family church was the Swedish Lutheran, and the political faith of Mr. Landeene was Republican.
W. E. Landeene was educated in the public schools of Douglas county and in the high school at Alexandria, from which he was graduated. As a young man he was employed as a bookkeeper in the Douglas County Bank. At the time of the organization of the First National Bank of Elbow Lake, September 1, 1891, Mr. Landeene took a position in that bank and in 1894 was made assistant cashier. A year later he was promoted to the position of cashier, which position he held until 1911, when he was elected president of the bank, the position he now holds. He is also secretary and manager of the Grant County Telephone Company:
In 1896 W. E. Landeene and Pearl Barker were united in marriage. To this union six children have been born, Mae, Sidney, Byron, Lorna, Howard and William. Mr. and Mrs. Landeene are members of the Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Landeene is an elder. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party. His fraternal association is with the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen, and the Yeomen.
HANS SIMONSON.
Hans Simonson, a hard-working general farmer and stock raiser of Solem township, Douglas county, was born in Langa Skane, Harjedalen, Sweden, July 1, 1855, a son of Simon and Karen (Zakres) Ingebrightson, both natives of Sweden, in which country they lived and died, the father devoting his life to farming. Their family consisted of the following chil- dren : Ingebright, Emmerenta, Zakres, Anna, Sten, Simon, Hans, Carrie and Per.
Hans Simonson grew up in Sweden and there attended the public schools. He came to Minnesota in 1879, locating at once in Solem township, Grant county, where he has since made his home. He entered his present farm of
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one hundred and sixty acres as a homestead, and the same was under dispute for years, he living on the place a number of years before establishing his rightful claim to it. He has now three hundred and twenty acres of well- improved and valuable land, all in one farm, on which he is carrying on mixed farming successfully. He has erected a good group of buildings and set out a nice grove.
On July 1, 1880, Hans Simonson was married to Karen Petersdatter, who was born on December 28, 1857, at Valmasen, Harjidalen, Sweden, from which country she came alone to the United States in 1880, and they were married immediately upon their arrival. To that union two sons have been born, Simon, born on October 1, 1881, who married, October 28, 1903, Dagny Danielson and has one child, a son, Roy, and Carl, born on December 5, 1800, who married Ruth Johnson on June 24, 1916. Mr. Simonson is a Republican and served for several years as a member of the local school board. He has been a member of the Vennersburg Lutheran church since 1880 and for many years served the same as a member of the board of trus- tees. The Simonsons have a very pleasant home and take a proper part in the general social activities of the community in which they live.
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