USA > Minnesota > Todd County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 19
USA > Minnesota > Morrison County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 19
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Mr. Bottemiller is an independent voter. He has served on the school board and as township treasurer and in other positions of trust and responsi- bility. The Bottemiller family are all members of the German Methodist church. Mr. Bottemiller is not identified with any secret order.
RUDOLPH LEE.
Rudolph Lee, the eldest son of William E. and Eva (Gibson) Lee, was born in Pillsbury, Todd county, Minnesota, January 1, 1877. He was edu- cated in the schools of Long Prairie, at the normal school at St. Cloud and at the University of Minnesota, from which latter institution he was gradu- ated in 1899. Upon leaving the university he became cashier of the Bank of Long Prairie, a position he held for five years. He assisted in the organization of the company which bought the Long Prairie Leader, and in 1904 resigned his position with the bank to become the editor of the Leader. He has continued as the editor of the paper since that time.
Rudolph Lee was married on May 23, 1900, to Melvene Clark of Minneapolis, the daughter of Charles and Elva (Covell) Clark. Mrs. Lee's
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father died in midle life. Her mother then moved from Michigan, where the family had resided, to Indiana and from there to Minneapolis. Mrs. Clark died at Long Prairie, in 1908.
Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Lee have two daughters, Helen Melvene and Wilma Janet.
JOHN VERTIN.
Morrison county, Minnesota, has been especially favored in the char- acter and career of her commercial leaders. In every section of the county may be found men who have won a large measure of success partially because of the natural resources of this great section and partially because of their personal strength of character. Many of the successful business men of Morrison county have come to America from other lands and among these is John Vertin, a successful real estate dealer of Little Falls.
John Vertin was born in the southern part of Austria, November 16. 1866, and is the son of Mathias and Katherine ( Maurin) Vertin, the former of whom was born in 1837 and the latter in 1846. Both were born and reared and married in southern Austria. Mathias Vertin is a merchant and inn keeper and is still living at the age of seventy-eight years. His wife died at the age of thirty years in 1876, leaving six children, of whom John Vertin was the second child.
Mr. Vertin was educated in the common schools of Austria and, when sixteen years old, made the voyage to America. After landing in New York city, he went to Chicago, Illinois, and finally to Elizabeth, Otter Tail county. Minnesota. There he attended the public schools for two years. He then became a student at St. John's University, at Collegeville, Minnesota. He was graduated from the commercial course. After finishing his education he returned to Elizabeth, Minnesota, and engaged himself as a clerk in a general mercantile store, owned by his uncle, Peter Maurin. Later he became a bookkeeper and remained with his uncle for seven years. Mr. Vertin came to Little Falls in January, 1893, and took charge of a general store for Marcus Maurin, with whom he remained for six years. In 1898 Mr. Vertin engaged in the real estate business for himself. In 1902, how- ever, he sokl out the real estate business and was appointed cashier of the Merchant's State Bank of Little Falls. He held this position for two years and then resigned to take up the land business again.
In November, 1894, Mr. Vertin was married to Agnes Krszeszewski,
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a native of Duluth, Minnesota, and the daughter of Andrew and Agnas Krszeszewski. Mrs. Vertin's parents were both born in German Poland. After the family had immigrated to America, they settled in Duluth. They subsequently moved to North Prairie, in Morrison county. Upon the death of Mrs. Vertin's father, the family removed to Little Falls. Mr. and Mrs. Vertin have had seven children, as follow: Marcus, Mathias, Bernerdine, Rose, John, Margaret and Agnes.
A Democrat in politics, John Vertin served as alderman of Little Falls for several years. He also served as treasurer of the civil corporation and still holds this office. Mr. and Mrs. Vertin and family are members of Sacred Heart Catholic church. Mr. Vertin is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters.
DONALD M. CAMERON.
Donald M. Cameron, one of the leading lawyers of Morrison county, Minnesota, and the Morrison county member of the Democratic State Cen- tral Committee of Minnesota, is a native of the Hawkeye state and was educated for the profession of law at the University of Minnesota. Since 1901, when he located at Little Falls, he has been prominent in the political and civic life of the county. Mr. Cameron owns farm lands in Morrison and adjoining counties, a part of which is under cultivation. He also owns various city properties.
Donald M. Cameron was born on a farm near Mason City, Iowa, on August 6, 1875, and is the son of Francis B. and Jane Elizabeth (Cameron) Cameron, the former of whom was born near Lake Simcoe, province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, on July 17, 1837, and the latter was born near Foxlake, Wisconsin, on July 4, 1845. Francis B. Cameron was edu- cated in the public schools of the Dominion of Canada, but when a young man removed to Foxlake, Wisconsin, where he met and married Jane Eliza- beth Cameron. After their marriage they removed to Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, and purchased a farm of two hundred and eighty acres, where they farmed until 1884. when they moved to Clear Lake, Iowa. He retired in 1894 and after selling the farm they removed to Minneapolis, where he died on August 12, 1912, at the age of seventy-five years.
Mrs. Jane Elizabeth (Cameron) Cameron was educated at Foxlake, Wisconsin, and by her marriage to Francis B. Cameron there were born
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three children, of whom Rachel A. is deceased; Donald M. is the subject of this sketch; and Francis A. is a farmer in Canada.
Donald M. Cameron received his education in the common schools of Clear Lake and his secondary education in the high school of Clear Lake. He also attended the high school at Minneapolis and afterwards the law department of the University of Minnesota. While a student at the Uni- versity, he also took academic work.
Upon finishing his education Mr. Cameron performed various work in the state of Washington and in North Dakota. He managed a farm near Lisbon, North Dakota, for a time and also ran a well-drilling outfit. On June 1, 1901, he located at Little Falls and began the practice of law. His practice has grown from year to year until he now ranks as one of the lead- ing lawyers of the county.
On November 11, 1906, Donald M. Cameron was married to Maude M. Duncan, a native of Little Falls, Minnesota, born on February 4, 1884. the (laughter of Peter and Beatrice M. (Green) Duncan. Mrs. Cameron's father was a native of Ireland and her mother a native of England. It was in Little Falls where they met and were married. Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Cameron have three children, Elizabeth Jane, Frances Allister and Robert B.
An ardent Democrat, Donald M. Cameron was attorney for Morrison county for a period of eight years. He also served fourteen years as United States commissioner. During the past year he has been serving as city attorney. From 1903 to 1906 he was the city justice. Mr. Cameron is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Knights of the Maccabees, the Improved Order of Red Men, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Yeomen and the United Order of Foresters.
JOHN W. STEPHENSON.
It is the progressive wide-awake man of affairs who determines the real history of a community. His influence as a potential factor in the life of a community is difficult to estimate. The case of John W. Stephenson. a well-known and successful business man of Little Falls, Minnesota, is extremely interesting. In 1909 he came to Little Falls, after having had practical experience in life as a civil engineer and as a cashier of a bank. to take charge of the Northwestern Milling Company, which had gone into the hands of a receiver. Despite the protests of his friends and the repeated
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prediction that he would lose everything in six months, he has made a large success of the milling business and his firm is well known as the manufac- turer of a popular brand of flour in this section of the state. Such a man belongs to the empire builders, who have brought fame and fortune, indus- trial and commercial prestige to this great country.
John W. Stephenson is a native of Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, the son of James and Elizabeth (Bell) Stephenson. Mr. Stephenson's father was a lumber dealer, who also dealt in coal and farm lands. He died in the Keystone state about 1897 at the age of sixty-seven years, leaving six chil- dren, William B., Jennie, John W., the subject of this sketch, Emma, Kath- ryne and Mary. Of these children, William lives on the old Stephenson homestead in Pennsylvania. He is married and has seven children. Jennie is unmarried and lives in California. Emma is the wife of William H. Thomson. They live in the Keystone state and have three children. Kathryne is the wife of Rev. Charles Stalker, a Friends minister, of Columbus, Ohio. They have one child. Mary is the wife of Harry Weimer, who is connected with the Northwestern Milling Company, of Little Falls.
Mr. Stephenson received his elementary education in the public schools of Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, and was later graduated from Pennsyl- vania State College, where he pursued a course in Civil Engineering. After his graduation he went west and was engaged in engineering work for about one year. He then returned to Pennsylvania and followed engineering work in that state for six or seven years, when he was elected cashier of the Mahaffey National Bank. Although he was not familiar with banking, he made a success of the business and remained there until 1909, when he came to Little Falls, purchasing the plant of the Northwestern Milling Company at a receiver's sale. Mr. Stephenson immediately put the mill in operation and has been doing a very satisfactory business ever since. The North- western Milling Company manufactures "Gold Dust" flour, a brand which is well known in this state.
Mr. Stephenson has extensive holdings in real-estate in Iowa, Pennsyl- vania and West Virginia. He owns coal lands in Pennsylvania, timber and coal lands in West Virginia and farm lands in Iowa.
Some time ago John W. Stephenson was married to Sarah McQuesten, of Muscatine, Iowa. They have no children.
Mr. Stephenson is a Republican in politics and a member of the Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks.
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CHRIS HERRMANN.
Born in Wuertemberg, Germany, November 22, 1865, Chris Herrmann, a well-known citizen of Todd county, Minnesota, and one of the present commissioners of Todd county, is the son of Chris, Sr., and Caroline (Scholle) Herrmann, who came to America in 1866 and settled at Marietta, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.
After remaining in Lancaster county until the spring of 1879, Mr. Herrmann's parents moved to Todd county, Minnesota, and settled on a farm in section 33, of Round Prairie township. Mr. Herrmann's father had worked in the iron mills of Pennsylvania, but, after coming to Todd county, engaged in farming. He died on November 22. 1911, and his wife died on March 17, 1898. They were the parents of five children, of whom Chris, the subject of this sketch, is the eldest; Minnie is the wife of Mathew Mulholland. a farmer of Hurdsfield, North Dakota; Carrie is the wife of Albert Monnie, of Sisseton, South Dakota ; Charles lives in Veblen, Marshall county, South Dakota; and Catherine is the wife of Bertram Dwelle, of Chaseley, North Dakota. Mr. Herrmann's parents were mem- bers of the German Evangelical church.
Chris Herrmann received his education in the public schools of Penn- sylvania principally and, on March 25, 1888, when he was twenty-three years old, was married to Minnie Kniep, the daughter of Henry Kniep, who was born in Germany and who came to America in 1882, and settled in Round Prairie township. Todd county, Minnesota, where he was a farmer. Mrs. Herrmann's mother died in 1884, but her father is still living in Round Prairie township. Mr. and Mrs. Chris Herrmann have been the parents of four children, all of whom are living, Lena, the wife of Nicholas Huff. who lives in Cuba and has one son, Clarence; Emma, who is the wife of Fred Rosenow, of Round Prairie township, and has one daughter. Laura; Elsie, who is the wife of Leonard Markuson, of Round Prairie township; and Rudolph, who lives at home with his parents.
Upon coming to Todd county, Mr. Herrmann purchased forty acres of wild land. He improved this original tract of land and later added forty acres to it. Subsequently, he sold out and purchased one hundred and twenty acres in section 14, of Round Prairie township, which at the time was well improved. Mr. Herrmann is a general farmer and stockman.
Chris Herrmann is a member of Long Prairie Lodge No. 94. Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a Democrat until the free silver
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campaign of 1896, when he became a Republican. He is now serving his second term as commissioner of Todd county. His re-election to this important office is the best testimony which may be offered of his efficiency and ability in office and as a public servant. Many years ago, in 1892, he was elected assessor of his township and served three years. He was appointed township clerk in the fall of 1894 and served until March, 1915, when he resigned. Mr. Herrmann also served as school clerk for nine years and is now serving his eighteenth year as treasurer of the congregation of the German Evangelical church. He is now serving his third year as secre- tary of the Hartford Mutual Farmers Insurance Company, of Todd county, which has a membership of one thousand eight hundred and forty members. Finally, Mr. Herrmann is vice-president of the Round Prairie Creamery.
AXEL ECKBLAD.
A career of consecutive industry has been that of Axel Eckblad, who by his worthy life and admirable services has added new dignity to a name that is well known throughout Morrison county, Minnesota. He is a native son of Sweden, a country noted for the fine traits of character exhibited by its people. For many years he has been one of the representative figures in the agricultural circles of his community and is one of the county's influen- tial and honored citizens. He has served in various local offices of public trust and has well upheld the honor of the name he bears.
Axel Eckblad was born in Sweden, on the 23rd of July, 1870, and is the son of Olaf and Anna ( Malm) Eckblad. He is the eldest of five chil- dren and of the other members of the family the following data is given : Charles, died in Iowa; Oscar is living in Markus, Iowa ; Susie died when she was three years old; John is living in Kiron, Iowa. Olaf Eckblad was born in November, 1864. in Sweden. For a number of years he was a laborer in his native land until he decided to cross the Atlantic and seek new oppor- tunities for employment in America. He came to the United States in 1870, and went directly to Princeton, Illinois, where he worked for a while. He then sent for his wife to come to America, which she did, bringing her infant son, Axel. In the fall of 1880, the father went to Iowa where he rented a farm in Crawford county and worked there until 1889. Later, after buying land in Iowa he retired, and in 1909 moved to Anoka, Minne- sota, where he is now living. The mother of Axel Eckblad died in 1906,
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at the age of fifty-eight years in Odebolt, Sac county, Iowa. Three years' later his father married Mrs. Anna Peterson, a widow, who like his first wife, was also a native of Sweden. Mr. and Mrs. Eckblad at the present time are living at Anoka, Minnesota.
In the district schools of Crawford county, Iowa, Axel Eckblad received his elementary education. The schools were in no advanced stage of development and the little learning acquired by the pupils was obtained only through the most difficult endeavors. The entire term of school extended only over a period of three months and the other months were spent on the farm. Axel Eckblad attended school until he was eighteen years of age. When he was twenty-one years old he began to work out as a farm hand. During this time he learned the real discipline of farm life and had many varied experiences. He worked at many kinds of work, among them being corn shelling and threshing.
In 1896, Axel Eckblad came to Morrison county, Minnesota, where he worked in Little Falls, for a pine lumber manufacturing company. During the time he was engaged in this employment, he gave some attention to the carpenter's trade, an occupation he had learned during his residence in Iowa. With the carpenter's trade Mr. Eckblad also received numerous offers for contracting and was contractor for house and barn building in his com- munity. In 1899 he came to Cushing township and bought eighty acres of land. On the farm there were no improvements, the dwelling was a rude shack and the barn was built of logs. Mr. Eckblad has broken up over fifteen acres of the unimproved land. He has always been an advocate of everything that is modern in farm improvements and has given evidence of this in the building of a barn thirty-two by sixty-two feet which represents up-to-date construction. The farm residence is twenty-four by twenty- eight feet and is situated in a picturesque location. Among the other build- ings on the farm is a silo. Mr. Eckblad has a graded stock of Guernsey and Shorthorn cattle. He is a shareholder in the Cushing Creamery Com- pany and now holds the office of secretary in the same concern. His pro- gressive policies and fine initiative energy have been brought to bear in the upbuilding of the community in which he labors.
In 1894, Axel Eckblad was married to Helen Bergman, who was born on the 19th of January, 1878, in Sweden. She left her native land in 1886. with her parents, who settled in Iowa upon their arrival in this country. Mr. and Mrs. Bergman are living at the present time with their son, Lewis Berg- man, in Cushing township, on a farm adjoining the land owned by Mr. Eck- bład.
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To Mr. and Mrs. Eckblad the following children have been born : Edna, born on August 14, 1895; Edith, October 26, 1897; Rudolph, July 16, 1904; Ralph, January 26, 1909: Arthur, March 9, 1911; and Alvin, July 12, 1913.
In religious affairs Mr. Eckblad has always been a firm believer in the doctrines of the Baptist church. His political affiliations have been with the Republican party. In offices of public trust Mr. Eckblad has always served with distinction. For nine years he was township clerk, and left an enviable record at the time of his retirement.
WARREN W. BROOKS.
Warren W. Brooks, a progressive farmer and stockman of Reynolds township, Todd county, Minnesota, was born in Onargah, Iroquois county, Illinois, October 17, 1867, and is the son of Edward M. and Mary E. (Waters) Brooks.
Mr. Brooks' father is a native of Vermont and his mother a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They were married in the Keystone state and, after their marriage, moved to Illinois, where they lived until about 1870, when the returned to Pennsylvania. After living in Pennsylvania for a short time they moved, in 1873, to Kansas, from which place they moved to Chattanooga, Tennesseee. There they lived about five years, when they moved to Alabama. From Alabama, the family returned to Illinois and lived for about one year at Egypt. In the fall of 1887 the family moved to Redwood, Minnesota. Both parents are still living and make their home with their children. Mr. Brooks' father was a soldier in the Civil War, having served in an Illinois regiment. At the time of his discharge he held the rank of captain.
Warren W. Brooks had preceded the family to Redwood, arriving in 1886. He remained there until 1894. In 1896 he came to Todd county and settled in Reynolds township. At that time the township was comparatively new country and the lands were heavily timbered. Mr. Brooks' farm was of this description. After twenty years of hard, but intelligent work, he has the one hundred and sixty acres nicely improved, more than one hundred acres being cleared and under cultivation. He is now engaged not only in general farming but in dairying, and has one of the good dairy herds of the county. In seeking to advance the dairy industry of the county, he helped
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to organize the Reynolds Farmers Co-operative Creamery Company, and during the twelve years of this institution's useful service, he has been its president. He is also vice-president of the Todd County Guernsey Breeders' Association and one of the directors of the Todd County Agricultural Society.
Mr. Brooks has been identified with the public affairs of his township and has had a leading part in its development. He has at different times been a supervisor of the town and at the present time is chairman of the town board. In politics, Mr. Brooks is identified with the Republican party.
On January 5, 1894, Warren W. Brooks was married to Hannah Lins- cott, a daughter of Benjamin and Anna ( Crapo) Linscott, natives of Maine and New York, respectively. Mrs. Brooks's parents came to Minnesota in pioneer times and settled in Wells, Faribault county. There they lived a number of years and then moved to Blue Earth, where they lived until 1900, when they emigrated to Missouri. After living in that state a few years they moved to Kansas, and it was there that Mrs. Brooks' father died. Her mother is still living and is a resident of Pawnee, that state.
Mr. and Mrs. Brooks have seven children, Edward M., Ellen Elizabeth, Sylvia Etta, Carson Gordon, Mary Alice, William Bradford and Dorothy Helen, all of whom live at home. They and their family are members of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally, Mr. Brooks is a member of the Long Prairie lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a type of the good citizen that a community is fortunate to possess-a self-made man and suc- cessful farmer.
PAUL GENDREAU.
Paul Gendreau, a prosperous farmer of Agram township, Morrison county, Minnesota, who is of French descent, and of Canadian birth, is a man who has not been favored by inherited wealth or the assistance of influential friends. In spite of this, however, by persevering industry and wise economy he has obtained an affluent station in life, and is well and favorably known throughout Morrison county, as the result of more than thirty years continuous living in this section. Here he is regarded as a man of the best type of American citizen. He is straightforward, unas- smming, genial and obliging, and while laboring for his own personal wel- fare, he has not neglected his general duties as a citizen. Altogether he owns seven hundred and sixty acres of land in one body in Agram township.
PAUL GENDREAU
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Paul Gendreau was born at St. Luke, twenty-five miles south of Mon- treal, Canada, July 5, 1846. He is a son of Julius and Mary Ann (Veant) Gendreau, the former of whom was born at St. Luke, near Montreal, in 1817, and who lived at the latter place until about thirty-five years of age, when he moved to a farm near St. Luke. After farming near this place for many years, the family came to Little Falls township, Morrison county, Minnesota, where Julius Gendreau lived with his son until a short time before his death, when he went to live with another child, and there he died in 1884. He was a most excellent man and a good citizen.
After coming to Little Falls in 1881, Paul Gendreau was employed by the Northern Pacific Railway Company for two years, then purchased forty acres of land in Little Falls township for six hundred dollars. Later he bought forty acres in section 16, and then one hundred and sixty acres in section 13. Afterwards he bought eighty acres in section 14, one hundred and twenty acres in section 16, two hundred and forty acres in section 17, two hundred and forty acres in section 9, and one hundred and sixty acres in section 9. He has since sold some of this land, but Mr. Gendreau still owns seven hundred and sixty acres. He has a magnificent farm, and always has good crops. He is engaged in the dairy business in connection with general farming and stock raising. Mr. Gendreau has just completed the erection of a new home, and is now building a large and commodious barn with the latest improvements for convenience in feeding. This barn is to be equipped with a device whereby all of the stock can be locked in their stalls at one time. He has a great many cattle of the Red Polled breed, and one hundred and twenty-five head of Duroc-Jersey hogs. Mr. Gendreau has been experimenting in raising various kinds of farm produce not common to this locality. He has introduced both clover and timothy, and now makes these crops a specialty on his farm.
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