History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 65

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343

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with a summer kitchen; also a frame barn, 40 by 56 feet; granary, machine shed and other buildings. His equipment was also good, and as a general farmer he was successful. His stock consisted chiefly of Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs. In 1910 Mr. Lageson retired, selling a part of his farm to Ole Tollefsrud, a neighbor. The balance of 120 acres he sold to his son, Gustave, in 1914. He still, however, owns a 40-acre tract in Spring Grove township, and is a stockholder in the Farmers Co-operative Cream- ery, of Mabel, and the Spring Grove Stock & Grain Company. In politics he has always been a Republican, while religiously he and his family are members of the Mabel congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church. To Mr. and Mrs. Lageson fourteen children have been born, thirteen of whom are now living: Albert, born May 31, 1877, is engaged in business at Mabel; Elizabeth Marie, born Sept. 20, 1878, resides with her parents; Bena Henrietta, born March 7, 1880, is housekeeper for her brother, Gustave; Gustave, born Jan. 15, 1884, owns a part of the old home- stead, which he rents to his brother Herbert, he himself operating a farm in Fillmore county; Sophia Matilda, born Feb. 10, 1885, resides at home with her parents ; Leonard, born Sept. 16, 1887, is a business man of Mabel; Anna Louise, born June 20, 1889, is living at home; Gertrude Aletta, born Feb. 4, 1891, is assisting her sister Bena keep house for their brother Gus- tave; Herbert, born Feb. 13, 1893, is a farmer in Spring Grove town- ship; Bendik Algenus, born Oct. 3, 1894, has been a musician in the United States army but is now residing at home; Frances Idella, born Sept. 23, 1896, is a student in the Mabel High School; Elmer James, born July 8, 1898, and Franklin Mauritz, born May 25, 1901, are also students in the Mabel High School; Gustave (first), born Feb. 19, 1883, died Feb. 25, 1884.

Oscar R. Tollefsrud, a representative of a well known and respected family of Spring Grove township, where he is operating a farm of 120 acres in section 32, was born in this section and township, March 29, 1889, son of Ole O. and Gurine Tollefsrud. He acquired his education in the dis- trict school and resided at home, except for one summer, when he worked for his brother Clarence. In 1908 he rented from his father a farm of 120 acres in sections 28 and 29, Spring Grove township, which he operated subsequently for five years. Then, being ready to establish a home of his own, he was united in marriage, June 25, 1913, to Emma Larson, daughter of Nels and Georgina (Kjome) Larson, of Spring Grove township. In the same year he bought his present farm in section 32, containing 120 acres, of which he has 100 acres under cultivation. The land is productive and his buildings include a good five-room frame house, consisting of an upright and wing; a frame barn, 32 by 56 by 16 feet in size, with a full stone base- ment of eight feet and concrete floors; a granary, 16 by 24 by 12 feet; a hog house with cement feeding floor, 12 by 24, and a machine shed, 16 by 30 feet. The farm is only three and a half miles from Mabel village and five and a half miles southwest of Spring Grove village. Mr. Tollefsrud is en- gaged in breeding Hereford cattle from Shorthorns, having now about 25 to 30 head; and also raises Poland-China hogs, having full-blooded sires for both his herds. He has a good operating equipment and is making steady

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progress, his wealth increasing from year to year. He and his wife are members of the Spring Grove congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church. In politics he is a Republican.

Albert M. Lien, a prosperous representative of the agricultural in- terests of Spring Grove township, residing in section 19, was born in sec- tion 21, this township, Aug. 27, 1882, son of Lars and Mattie Lien, the par- ents being natives of Norway and farmers by occupation. Albert M. was educated in the district school and remained on the home farm until arriv- ing at the age of 20 years. In December, 1902, he married, his bride being Julia, daughter of Knute K. and Anna Storlie, of Spring Grove township. At the same time he began his career as an independent farmer on the Martin Hoiland farm in section 27, Spring Grove township. There he remained but one year, however, as in the spring of 1904 he moved to the Ed Quinrud farm in section 21, where he remained until 1907. On Jan. 2 that year he bought his present farm of 103 acres in section 19, an improved farm with good buildings, the latter including a comfortable two-story, ten- room frame house; a frame barn, 31 by 48 by 16 feet, with a full eight-foot basement; a granary, 18 by 18, together with a hog house, corn crib, wood- shed, poultry house and buggy shed. Mr. Lien, besides making improve- ments in the house, has built a tool shed, 16 by 32 feet in size, and now has 90 acres of his land under the plow. During the summer of 1918 Mr. Lien built a new modern barn, 31 by 84 by 14 feet, and eight-foot basement. The barn has cement floor and full modern equipment. The old barn has been torn down. The farm soil is fertile and in a good state of cultivation, and the place has a good equipment, including three work teams, an automobile and all necessary tools and machinery. In March, 1919, Mr. Lien pur- chased the 77 acres adjoining his original farm, with house, barns and other buildings standing thereon, so that he now owns 180 acres of as good land as is to be found in the township. Mr. Lien gives considerable attention to stock raising, having at present a herd of about 25 grade Black Poll cattle with a registered sire, and a herd of 50 Poland-China hogs with a full-blooded sire. Physically equipped for hard work, he is pushing his business and making good progress on the road to fortune. His farm is situated three and a half miles northeast of Mabel and six miles southwest of Spring Grove village, which latter place he makes use of as his market. Up to 1916 Mr. Lien was a Republican, but since then has been a non- partisan. He and his wife are the parents of five children, born as follows: Elvina Marinda, June 8, 1903; Luther Clifford, July 25, 1905; Norton Milford, Nov. 29, 1908; Harris Carlton, Jan. 4, 1913; and Frances Luella, Jan. 22, 1916. Mr. Lien and his family are members of the Spring Grove congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church.

Ole G. Gilbertson, a well known and respected resident of Spring Grove township, who is operating two adjoining farms in section 5, was born in section 27, this township, Nov. 9, 1885, son of Gilbert and Mary (Lee) Gilbertson. Acquiring the elements of knowledge in the district school, which he attended up to the age of 14, he subsequently spent a winter in a school at Decorah, Iowa, another winter in one at Mabel, Iowa, and in

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MR. AND MRS. OLE LEE

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1906 went to St. Paul, where he was a pupil for some time in the engineer- ing school and agricultural college. In 1908, having returned to Houston county, he leased the Ole Lee farm in section 5, Spring Grove township, formerly belonging to his maternal grandfather, who had settled on it in 1854. In the following year Mr. Gilbertson married Alina Haagen, daughter of Ole and Inga Haagen, of Black Hammer township, and he and his wife began domestic life on the Ole Lee farm. In 1914 he leased the C. P. Onsgard farm in the same section, and in the year following removed to it, but is operating both farms. The northeast corner of the Onsgard farm almost touches the southwest corner of the Lee farm, the two farms being separated from direct connection only by a road. They are provided with adequate buildings and a good equipment, and Mr. Gilbertson is meet- ing with good success in the breeding of Brown Levis cattle and Duroc- Jersey swine, having full-blooded sires for his herds. Since 1910 he has also operated a J. I. Case threshing outfit, for which he finds plenty of profitable work each season. In all he operates 350 acres of land. He and his wife are the parents of three children: Gennat, born Oct. 17, 1910; Ernest, born Aug. 12, 1913; and Irene, born Nov. 20, 1915. Mr. Gilbertson and his family are members of the Riceford congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church. In politics he is a Republican. His maternal grandmother, Mrs. Sigrid Lee, widow of Ole Lee and one of the oldest pioneers of Houston county now living, resides with him and his wife on the farm.

Ole Lee, one of the earliest settlers in Spring Grove township, now passed away, was in his day a man widely known throughout the south- western part of Houston county and was highly esteemed as a citizen of sterling character. He was born in Norway, Aug. 20, 1825, and came to America in 1846, landing at New York on Aug. 10. Making his way quickly to Milwaukee, he there procured an ox team, with which he journeyed to Rock county, Wisconsin, arriving Sept. 4. In that locality he spent eight years, engaged in farming. Then in 1854 he came to Houston county, Min- nesota, buying 80 acres of land in section 5, Spring Grove township. The township lines not having then been clearly established, however, Mr. Lee supposed himself to be a resident of Black Hammer township, and his neighbors being under the same misapprehension, he was twice elected chairman of the Black Hammer town board. After the township lines had been properly surveyed he was elected as a member of the Spring Grove town board, on which he served for several years. In the meanwhile he purchased additional land and continued the development of his farm, in time erecting a comfortable frame house and other buildings. The same farm now has an area of 270 acres, 120 acres being in Spring Grove town- ship and the remainder in Black Hammer. For a number of years Mr. Lee used oxen for his farm work, as did all the other early settlers, horses being hard to procure and also requiring more care than oxen, and there- fore being less fitted to pioneer conditions. The oxen, though slow, were hardy and patient animals and answered the needs of the pioneer farmer. During the Civil War period Mr. Lee was drafted for military service, but procured a substitute, which cost him $300, a sum of money then hard to

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procure. Had he been a single man he might have gone as a soldier, but he already had a wife and several children, having been united in marriage, March 4, 1854, to Sigrid Christianson, who was born in Norway, April 7, 1836, and who had accompanied her parents to Dane county, Wisconsin, in 1848, as a girl of twelve years, and later, in 1850, to Winneshiek county, Iowa, adjoining Houston county, Minnesota, on the southwest. Her par- ents later removed to Becker county, Minnesota, where they died. For a number of years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Lee with their growing family resided in the log cabin which was their first residence on the farm, but later removed to the frame house already mentioned. Although not physically strong and suffering for years from rheumatism, Mr. Lee made steady progress and at the time of his death in 1895, was the owner of a good farm. He served faithfully and efficiently in public office when called upon, and politically was aligned with the Republican party. A member of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church, he was one of the founders of the Riceford congregation, which he helped to support according to his means, and was prominently active in its work along religious and social lines. He was recognized by all as an honorable man, faithful to his obliga- tions in all the relations of life, and a kind husband and father. His wife is one of the few original settlers of Houston county still living and is now over 80 years old. They had eight children, three of whom died very young. The others are as follows: Leve, now Mrs. Olaus Daaken, of Red River Valley, Minn .; Ole, a merchant at Newhouse, Spring Grove town- ship, this county ; Mary, now Mrs. Gilbert Gilbertson, residing at home with her mother; Isabelle, wife of Nels Viker, of Fillmore county, Minnesota; Helena, wife of H. Olsgard, of Spring Grove township; Sarah, wife of Hans Jacobson, of Caledonia; and Christine, of Bagley, Minn.

Clarence O. Tollefsrud, proprietor of a good farm of 150 acres in sec- tion 32, Spring Grove township, which is the old homestead of his parents, was born on this farm, Jan. 11, 1878, son of Ole O. and Gurine Tollefsrud. This place has always been his home except for one year, which he spent on the farm of an uncle. His education was acquired in the district school and in the school at Mabel, which he attended for one winter. Having re- ceived a good practical training in agriculture in its various branches, in 1909 he rented the farm from his parents and, after operating it three years under rental, bought it in 1912. He has now 110 acres under the plow, the rest of his land being in pasture and timber. The farm is pro- ductive, well fenced and well cultivated, and the improvements include the buildings enumerated as follows: A good two-story, eight-room frame house; a frame barn, 32 by 50 by 18 feet, with a full eight-foot basement; a machine shed, 16 by 30 by 8 feet; granary, 16 by 24; poultry house, 12 by 14; workshop, 12 by 14; an old log corn crib built many years ago; and a sheep shed, 14 by 24 feet. Mr. Tollefsrud raises Hereford cattle and Poland-China swine, having full-blooded sires for his herds, and also keeps Belgian horses, besides having a small flock of Shropshire sheep. Indus- trious and thrifty, he is doing a profitable business and ranks among the successful farmers of his township. He and his wife, Amanda, whom he married May 4, 1911, have had five children, one of whom died in infancy.

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ANDREW JOHNSON AND FAMILY

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Those living are: Gladys Leona, born April 23, 1912; Amy Clarisa, born July 24, 1914; Verna Eldora, born May 14, 1916; and Eloen Arland, born April 21, 1918. Mr. Tollefsrud and his family are members of the Mabel congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church. Politically he is a Republican.

Andrew Johnson, a well known and respected citizen of Spring Grove township, residing in section 33, where he has a good 80-acre farm, was born in Valdres, Norway, March 4, 1864, son of John and Ingeborg Skaaren. He was but a few months old when his parents emigrated to the United States, accompanied by three children, Endre, Lars and Andrew, and set- tled immediately in Decorah, Iowa, where they remained for a year. Of these children Endre is now deceased, while Lars is still a resident of Iowa. Two other children were later born in the same state, Martin and Mary. From Decorah the family moved to Highland township, Winneshiek county, Iowa, the place on which they settled being only six and one-half miles southwest of Spring Grove village, Houston county, Minn. There the father, John Skaaren, died a few years ago, but the mother is still residing on the old farm. Andrew Johnson in his boyhood attended the school of that district as he found opportunity, for as his parents were poor he had to contribute his share of the general effort made by the family to improve their fortunes, and so to his lot fell more work than study. He remained at home until attaining his majority and then, feeling himself competent to support a family, he married, March 16, 1885, Louisa, daughter of Sivert and Martha (Larson) Gullickson, of Spring Grove township. That same spring he rented a farm near Mabel, in Fillmore county, where he and his wife began housekeeping. Their residence there, however, lasted but a year, as in the spring of 1886 Mr. Johnson bought his present farm of 80 acres in section 33, Spring Grove township, Houston county, on which stood a log house, while 25 or 30 acres of the land had been broken. With this beginning he started in industriously to develop his farm and improve his fortunes, and his career has since been one of steady progress. Though his farm is not a large one, the soil is fertile, and he now has a good set of buildings and a modern operating equipment. The original log dwelling has given place to a comfortable, one and a half story frame house, while in 1916 he built a frame barn, 30 by 50 by 14 feet, with a stone basement and cement floors, and a modern equipment for hitching cattle and calves. There is also a cream separator room and two box stalls. In 1917 he put up a triple-wall silo, 12 by 22 feet, and among the other structures he has erected are a tool shed, 22 by 28 feet, with a granary in one end; a corn crib, steel windmill and hog house. His stock consists chiefly of grade Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey swine, which he is raising on a profita- ble basis. He is a member of the American Society of Equity. Formerly a Republican, he recently became a non-partisan. He and his wife have been the parents of eight children : Sivert, born March 5, 1886, who is now a farmer living near Pinewood, in the northern part of Minnesota; Eddie, born Dec. 9, 1888, also residing near Pinewood; Isabella, born Oct. 22, 1889, who is keeping house for her father, Mrs. Louisa Johnson having died Sept. 27, 1901; Annie, born Jan. 7, 1892, residing at home; Olof, born May 24,

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1893, also at home; Henry, born July 18, 1895, who resided at Pinewood, Minn .; and Mabel and Cora, twins, born Sept. 23, 1897, of whom Cora died at the age of two years, and Mabel is now residing on the home farm. Mr. Johnson and his family are members of the Highland (Iowa) congrega- tion of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church. This family gave two sons to the United States service during the great war, both being with the army in France. Henry took part in some of the heaviest fighting and was with the Army of Occupation in Germany.

Oscar L. Holum, who for the past fifteen years has owned and operated a farm of 160 acres in section 24, Spring Grove township, three and a half miles southeast of the village, was born in Norway, March 30, 1868, son of Andreas and Caroline (Olson) Holum. The father was born in 1847 and the mother in 1844. They came to the United States in 1871, when the subject of this sketch was three and a half years old, and in addition to himself, a sister, Oliva, came also from Norway. The first settlement of the family was made at Lansing, Iowa, where they remained for a year. Then they removed to Brownsville, Houston county, Minn., where they spent two years, at the end of that time removing to Spring Grove township, living a mile and a half northeast of Spring Grove Village, and the father working out as a day laborer. In 1878 the parents bought a farm at Sheldon, Minn., and to that place the family moved. There the mother is now living, a widow, Andreas Holum having died Aug. 3, 1909. They had in all eight children: Oscar L., the subject of this sketch; Axel, who died in Norway; Oliva, now Mrs. Iver Sylling of Wilmington township; Matilda, wife of Ingvald Doley, of Wilmington township; Nettie, wife of Andrew Johnson of Alban, Minn .; Mari, who resides with her mother at Sheldon, Minn .; Caroline and Constance, who are now deceased. Oscar L. Holum acquired his education in the common schools of Sheldon, Minn. He re- mained at home until 1890, and then coming to Wilmington township, Hous- ton county, worked for three years, from 1890 to 1893, for Jacob Johnson as a farm hand. On Jan. 8, 1893, he was married to Oline, daughter of Ole and Randi Roppe of Spring Grove township, and he and his wife began domestic life on a farm of 200 acres at Sheldon, of which farm 100 acres were already under cultivation. After operating that place for a year, Mr. Holum sold it and rented a farm in Spring Grove township, which place he operated for eight years. He then bought his present farm of 160 acres in section 24, of which he now has 110 acres under the plow, and where he is carrying on diversified farming, keeping grade Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China swine. He has an adequate equipment, which includes a Ford auto, and is a stockholder in the Spring Grove Hospital. In politics he is a Republican, while his religious affiliations are with the Spring Grove congregation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church. Mr. and Mrs. Holum have two children: Caroline, born Nov. 28, 1893; and Olaf, born Sept. 22, 1895, both of whom are residing at home, Olaf being engaged in assisting his father on the farm.

Ole Amundson Bergh, a pioneer of Spring Grove township, was born in Ness Hallingdal, Norway, and was married in the spring of 1843 to Marie Anderson Langaar. In 1850 they set out for America, and after a

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OSCAR L. HOLUM AND FAMILY

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tedious voyage of ten and a half weeks aboard a sailing vessel, landed in New York. From there they found their way to Rock county, Wisconsin, near Oxfordville, where they secured eighty acres of land. But hearing of better land to the westward, Mr. Bergh in the fall of 1851 set out for this region. On Looking Glass Prairie, Winnishiek county, Iowa, he found a piece of land which suited him, and returned to Wisconsin for his wife. But fearful of the Indians who were then numerous, Mrs. Bergh refused to come until the following spring, when news came to them of the signing of the Indian treaties, relinquishing all Indian rights to this region. Ac- cordingly, in the spring of 1852, with his brother, Tolef A., and their wives, he set out with an ox team, his household supplies and several cows. Jour- neying by way of Prairie du Chien and Decorah, they reached Big Canoe, Iowa, where they left their families. Finding the land in Looking Glass Prairie taken, the two men continued to Houston county, and each selected a claim in Spring Grove township. Then they went and brought their families here. Ole A. Bergh squatted on eighty acres in what is now section 16, two miles southwest of the village. He built a pole house, broke some land, and started to put up hay for the winter. In the fall he built a log cabin. Thus the pioneer life of the family in Minnesota was started. In 1859 the small cabin was replaced with a substantial two story, hewn log house, with a good cellar. Later the inside of this cabin was sheeted and the outside clapboarded, and a frame addition built, giving a comfortable family home. On March 1, 1860, by the advice of a friend, he preempted the eighty acres on which he had squatted, and also the adjoining eight acres. The patent, signed by President James Buchannan, is still in the family. Mr. and Mrs. Bergh lived and labored together on this place the remainder of their lives, he dying Dec. 16, 1885, and she Nov. 7, 1894.

Andrew O. Bergh, who was one of the prominent and influential citizens of Spring Grove township, spent the whole span of his years on the farm where he was born. He was born in a log cabin thereon Aug. 1, 1854, son of Ole Amundson and Marie Anderson (Langaar) Bergh, the pioneers. He was educated in the district schools, and also had the advantages of two winters in the Elwell Business College at La Crosse. At his father's death he bought one half of the home farm, which then consisted of 360 acres, of which some 175 acres had been improved. To the development of this farm he continued to devote his attention, building a two-story frame house of nine rooms, upright and wing, with several modern improvements in- cluding a furnace. His farm buildings are in the best of condition, and include a frame barn 30 by 60 by 18 feet, a swine house, 16 by 26 feet, and a double corn crib, 20 by 24 feet, with an eight-foot drive between. One hundred and twenty acres are under the plow, and the balance in pasture and timber. The farm is well equipped with tools and machinery. Aside from the usual diversified crops, Mr. Bergh made a specialty of graded Shorthorns of which he had a herd of about thirty and of Duroc-Jersey swine, of which he had a herd of some sixty. Mr. Bergh was a stockholder in the Spring Grove Stock & Grain Co. and the Farmers' Co-operative Creamery, both of Spring Grove. A thorough believer in education, he

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served several years on the school board. The family faith is that of the Norwegian Lutheran church. Mr. Bergh was married July 8, 1876, to Mar- garet Odegard, daughter of Erick and Karine Odegard, early settlers. She died March 21, 1897, leaving ten children, Edward, Olaf, Adolph, Clara, Albert, Amanda, Henry, Hilda, Nina and Margaret. Edward was born Dec. 25, 1876, and now lives in Minneapolis. Olaf was born July 16, 1878; Adolph was born April 3, 1880, and died Nov. 3, 1894; Clara was born Feb. 3, 1882, and died May 17, 1909; Albert was born June 20, 1884; Amanda was born Nov. 15, 1886; Henry was born Sept. 15, 1888; Hilda was born Jan. 12, 1891, and married Albert Halsath of Alberta, Canada; Nina was born Sept. 15, 1895; Margaret was born March 18,1887, and died Sept. 15, 1909. Mr. Bergh was married June 5, 1905, to Marie Odegard, sister of his first wife, who now makes her home in the village of Spring Grove. Mr. Bergh died March 6, 1919. The farm is now being carried on by Henry and Albert, their sister Nina keeping house for them.

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History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 65

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1343

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343