USA > Minnesota > Todd County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Minnesota > Morrison County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 34
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Mr. and Mrs. Carl Winscher were the parents of five children, Charles, John, Augusta, Anna and Lena. Of these children, John, who was a native of Germany, came to America with his parents. He attended school in Ger- many and in America and has lived on the farm with his parents all his life except during some fourteen winters, which he spent in lumber camps. He now has charge of one hundred and twenty acres of land in section 12, which is a part of his father's old home farm. His wife is also a native of Ger- many. They have one child, John, Jr. Augusta is the wife of Rev. H. A. Seder, of Preston, Minnesota. Anna is the wife of William Thompson, a drayman at Granite Falls, Minnesota. Lena lives with her sister, Anna.
Charles Winscher was only two years old when his parents came to
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America. He was, therefore, educated in this country. He has made his home with his parents all his life except two years, during which he worked for Julius Jetka, a hardware dealer of Little Falls.
In 1909, Charles Winscher was married to Emma Souer, a native of Rice, Minnesota. To this union there was born one child, who died in infancy.
Mr. Winscher now controls one hundred and twenty acres of land in section I, which is also a part of his father's farm.
VALENTINE E. KASPAREK.
Born near Opplen, Germany, February 14, 1871, Valentine E. Kas- parek was scarcely a year old when his parents, John and Susannah (Trewik ) Kasparek, immigrated to America in 1872. After arriving in America they came west and located in the township of Two Rivers, Morrison county, Minnesota, seven years after the organization of the township. Here the father engaged in farming, which was his occupation in the old country. It was on the farm that Valentine E. Kasparek was reared. Going through the same routine of the average hoy reared in the country he attended the district school near his home, taught by Mr. Hermet. From 1885 to 1886, Mr. Kasparek worked for Hon. John George Geissel in his political cam- paign, which was unsuccessful. Four years later, however, Mr. Geissel's ambitions were realized. Mr. Kasparek later taught school for four months in district No. S, and in June, 1886, entered the general store of the Hon. C. W. Bonck at Royalton, where he remained until 1888. The same year he went to St. John's College and took a commercial course for a year. From 1889 to 1890 he kept books for Hill & Putney, who were millers. In 1890 he again worked for Mr. Bonck, remaining with him until 1892, when he returned to St. John's College and finished his commercial course, grad- uating with honors.
Mr. Kasparek immediately came to the city of Little Falls and was the bookkeeper for C. E. Beal & Company, millers. After remaining with them until the fall of 1894 he became the candidate for county auditor and was elected, but, on account of a flaw discovered in his naturalization papers, he was not permitted to serve in the office to which he had been elected. Afterward he went to work for Barney Burton in a dry-goods store, taking charge of the company's branch store at Bemidji. From 1895 until the
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sale of the store to Snyder Brothers, in 1903. Mr. Kasparek was in the employ of this firm.
Upon return to Little Falls, Mr. Kasparek traveled to the western coast for pleasure and also to seek out an opportunity for business. He traveled far and wide, only to find his search realized in the opportunities of this city. Here, in 1904, he engaged in the shoe business, later added clothing and furnishing goods and is still engaged in business of this kind.
In 1906 Valentine E. Kasparek was married to Rose Vasaly, the daughter of Louis and Frances ( Riberi) Vasaly, who were early settlers of Little Falls and the former was among the early business men of this city. To Mr. and Mrs. Kasparek have been born two children, Petronilla F. and Valentine E., Jr.
Mr. Kasparck is one of the progressive young merchants of Little Falls, interested in every public movement for the betterment of his home city and county.
REV. PETER J. KROLL.
Among the popular priests of Morrison county, Minnesota, is Rev. Peter J. Kroll, pastor of Sacred Heart church at Flensburg, where he now resides, and also pastor of St. Johns church at Swanville and St. Isadore church at Moran, Minnesota.
Peter J. Kroll is a native of Two Rivers township, having been born near North Prairie, June 8, 1889. He is the son of Peter, Sr., and Julia Kroll, residents of Bellevue township, Morrison county. Rev. Kroll was baptized by Monsignor E. J. Nagle on June 10, 1889. He attended the elementary district school No. 29, in Bellevue township. Morrison county, and also the school at North Prairie for two years. This latter school was taught by the Catholic Sisters. Afterward he attended school at Royalton. Minnesota, for three months, staying with the Rev. J. Belzowski, and while living there decided to study for the priesthood. Subsequently, he went to St. Francis Seminary at Milwaukee for one term, during 1903 and 1904. and then attended St. Cyrillus and Methodius College at Detroit, Michigan, for four years, being graduated from this institution in June. 1908. After- ward he entered St. Paul Seminary, in September, 1908, studying philosophy and theology for six years and was to graduate in June, 1914, but owing to the need of a priest was ordained a few months earlier.
Peter J. Kroll was ordained to the holy priesthood at Royalton, Minne-
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sota, at Holy Trinity church, on January 27, 1914, by Bishop Thobec. He celebrated his first mass on January 29, 1914, at the same church and which was the third mass celebrated in the new church. Afterward, on February 13, 1914, he took charge of the St. Hedwig parish at Holdingford, Minne- sota, and also had charge of the St. Edward missions at Ehndale until October 1. 1914. On that date, Rev. Peter J. Kroll was appointed rector of the Sacred Heart church at Flensburg and also as pastor of the churches at Swanville and Moran, Minnesota.
JOHN C. PERKINS.
One of the most progressive and up-to-date newspapers in Todd county, Minnesota, is the Bertha Herald, of which John C. Perkins is editor and publisher. Mr. Perkins is a successful newspaper man, who was trained in the office of his father and brother, and not only is he successful as a news- paper owner, editor and publisher, but he is likewise prominent as a citizen and before coming to Todd county served in different positions of trust and responsibility in the state of Dakota, where he was then living.
John C. Perkins is a native of Newchester township, Adams county, Wisconsin, where he was born on March 14. 1870. He is the son of Lewis S. and Martha ( McClyman ) Perkins, who are now living retired in the state of South Dakota. They have seven children, Fannie O., Sarah L., Lewis W., Lucretia R., John C., Charles A. and Roy W.
John C. Perkins was educated in the public schools of Westfield, Wis- consin, and attended the high school at that place for a time, although he was not a graduate. In 1886 he immigrated to the territory of Dakota, now the state of South Dakota, and worked in the newspaper shop of his father and brother. Lewis W., which they owned and were then operating. After remaining with his father and brother in the print shop until the fall of 1896. Mr. Perkins became a candidate for clerk of the court of Roberts county, South Dakota, and was elected to the office. He took charge of the office on January 1. 1897, and two years later was re-elected to a second term, serv- ing until January 1, 1903. AAfterward Mr. Perkins engaged in the abstract business, but six months later was appointed by Gov. S. II. Elrod to the responsible position of commissioner of insurance of South Dakota. Mr. Perkins held this position until October, 1906, when he resigned and engaged in the general real-estate and insurance business at Sisseton, South Dakota.
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Until the winter of 1914, Mr. Perkins was engaged in the real-estate busi- ness at that place, but in 1914 came to Bertha, Minnesota, and purchased the Bertha Herald, from W. H. Hansen. The Bertha Herald is a live, up-to- date weekly newspaper and has a very satisfactory circulation in Bertha and adjoining townships.
John C. Perkins was married on June 18, 1892, to Lillian P. Perkins, who was born in Fillmore county, Minnesota. She moved with her par- ents to Dakota when a small child and was educated in the public schools of South Dakota, making her home with her parents until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins have two children. Clifford R. and J. Basil, both of whom are graduates of the high school. Clifford R. is also a graduate of the Mankato Business College, at Mankato, Minnesota.
John C. Perkins is prominent in the Masonic circles of Todd county. He is a member of the blue lodge No. 131, at Sisseton, South Dakota: the chapter; the commandery; and Yelduz Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Aberdeen, South Dakota. In the blue lodge, Mr. Perkins is a past worshipful master.
WILBER F. HUTCHINSON.
Wilber E. Hutchinson, the editor and publisher of the Eagle Bend News and the proprietor of the Eagle Bend Telephone Company, which . he owns and operates, is a native of Waterloo, Wisconsin, where he was born on May 27, 1867.
Mr. Hutchinson is the son of William H. and Betsy Hutchinson, who were natives of Vermont. The former was a lawyer and school teacher. who, shortly after his marriage, moved to Wisconsin, practicing law at Waterloo. He was also admitted to the bars of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. He died in October, 1913, at the age of eighty-two years, at Ruskin, Florida. His wife died in 1910, at the age of about seventy-five. They were the parents of seven children, Charles I., of Lamoure, North Dakota; William, who died at the age of twenty-two; Mrs. V. K. Van Niman, who died in Minneapolis in 1912: Wilber E., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. G. W. Crallee, of Ruskin, Florida; Earl, of Spokane, Wash- ington; and one who died in infancy.
Educated at Limes Springs, Iowa, and at Alexandria, Minnesota, where he attended the high school for three years, Wilber E. Hutchinson began
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teaching at the age of seventeen years. His first school was at Spruce Hill, Douglas county, Minnesota, and since then he has taught in North Dakota, South Dakota and in various parts of Minnesota. In all Mr. Hutchinson has tanght fifty terms of school. In 1893, while teaching school in Todd county, Minnesota, he purchased a printing outfit at Browerville, Minne- sota, and after moving the outfit to Eagle Bend, established the Todd County News. A few years later the name of this paper was changed to the Eagle Bend Newes. Its circulation originally was about two hundred, but the paper now has a circulation of about eight hundred. In 1905 Mr. Hutchinson established the Browerville Blade at Browerville, Minnesota, but after operating this paper for about one year, sold out to Garfield Fields. Later he established the Bertha Herald at Bertha, Minnesota, but sold this paper after operating it for a short time.
In the summer of 1907 Wilber E. Hutchinson built a teleplione exchange at Eagle Bend. He now owns the exchange and all of the tele- phones in the village and has about ninety phones connected with the exchange. There are about three hundred rural telephones, which are owned by the farmers and which connect with the exchange. This exchange also has a connection with the Bell system.
In September, 1886, Wilber Hutchinson was married to Margaret R. Young, a daughter of Henry T. and Mary A. (Conley) Young, who were natives of Ireland. Henry T. and Mary A. Young were married in America and were pioneers in Leslie township, Todd county, Minnesota. Later they moved to Montana. where he died. Mrs. Young was later married to J. H. Thompson, who died in 1915. His widow now lives in Montana. Mrs. Hutchinson received a common-school education in Todd county and, at one time, was a student under the preceptorship of her husband. She made her home with her parents until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson have been the parents of three children, Earl A., Elmer C. and Clyde. Of these children, Earl A. owns and conducts the telephone exchange at Parker Prairie, Otter Tail county ; Elmer is a professional ball player and is now playing with the league at Havre, Montana. Clyde died at the age of one vear.
Mr. Hutchinson is identified with the Republican party. He served as a member of the council for several terms and as village clerk and village recorder for several terms. Mr. Hutchinson was also postmaster at Eagle Bend from 1894 until 1906. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Yeomen.
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FRANK KALIS.
It is always interesting to present the career of a successful and self- made man. Peculiar honor attaches to the man, who, beginning the great struggle of life alone and unaided, gradually overcomes difficulty, removes one by one the obstacles in the pathway of success and, by master strokes, succeeds in forging his way to the front and winning for himself a com- petency and a position of influence and esteem among his fellows. Such is the record of Frank Kalis, a popular farmer of Bellevue township, Mor- rison county, Minnesota, who has gradually built up a competence in farm- ing property until he now owns one hundred and ninety-five acres of land.
Mr. Kalis is a native of Germany, born on April 27, 1873. He is the son of Frank and Anna Kalis, both natives of Germany, who were mar- ried in their native land. Frank Kalis, Sr., was born in 1837 and when about thirty-five years old came to America. After landing in New York, he came direct to St. Cloud, the terminus of the Northern Pacific railroad at that time. He then drove to Two Rivers township, Morrison county, by wagon and then on to Elmdale township, where he bought eighty acres of land. He farmed this land for a time and later added forty acres and still later forty acres more. His wife, who was born in 1847, was the mother of nine children, several of whom died young. Those who grew to maturity were John, Paul, Frank, Mary, Joseph, Anna, and Susie. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kalis, Sr., were members of the St. Edward Catholic church at Elmdale.
Frank Kalis, Jr., was educated in the district school at Elmdale. He lived at home with his parents and assisted his father on the farm until twenty-one years old, after which he worked in the saw-mill at Little Falls for one year. He then returned to the farm and assisted his father for about six months, when he moved to Bellevue township and purchased eighty acres of land in section 32. This land was purchased of Donalf Trattle and a part of it was under cultivation. He broke the rest and later added forty acres of wild land in section 4, which he also broke and now farms. Still later he bought eighteen acres adjoining the last tract and again forty acres from a Mr. Blackwood, adjoining his land on the north in section 28. In 1910 he bought fifteen acres in section 26, of Buck- man township and now owns one hundred and ninety-five acres.
Mr. Kalis is engaged in general farming and stock raising. He makes a specialty of Hereford cattle and keeps eighteen or twenty head all of the
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time. He also has about ten head of Poland China hogs and seven head of Percheron horses. Mr. and Mrs. Kalis and family live in a splendid brick house, which is in a good state of repair. The farm is equipped with a large barn and substantial outbuildings.
On June II, 1895, Frank Kalis, Jr., was married to Anna Schlichting, a native of North Prairie township, born on December 8, 1875, the daugh- ter of George and Susie Schlichting. Mrs. Kalis was educated in North Prairie township and lived at home with her parents until her marriage. She has borne her husband nine children, one of whom, Ella, the youngest, died shortly after birth. The living children are Margaret, Susie, Martha, George, Allen, Frank, Eleanor and Jolm.
Mr. Kalis votes the Republican ticket. He has held an official position in school district No. 109 for the past thirteen years and has also been superintendent of various road work in this township. Mr. and Mrs. Kalis and family are members of the Holy Trinity church at Royalton. Mr. Kalis is a member of the Foresters.
JOHN RENNIE.
Not very many men living in Morrison county, Minnesota, have had a personal history equal in interest and variety as the personal history of John Rennie, now a well-known appraising engineer, who has lived on a farm of eighty acres in Little Falls township since 1908, when he joined the American appraisal service. As a field engineer he has traveled all over the United States and Mexico, more than one hundred and fifty thousand miles, and has appraised in that time more than one hundred and sixty million dollars' worth of property.
The Rennie family history is most interesting, John Rennie's father having been the publisher of the Oldham (Lancashire County) Express and the correspondent for the London Times during the Franco-Prussian War. John Rennie was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England, March 16, 1872. His parents were Andrew and Anna (Bottomley) Rennie, the former of whom was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, born on May 18, 1851, and there he lived until just before his marriage, which took place at Oldham, England. As a war correspondent for the London Times, he was in Paris when that city was taken by the Germans as the culmination of the Franco- Prussian War. He was a newspaper publisher by profession and was inter-
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ested in a number of English newspapers. His wife is a native of Oldham, England, born on November 6, 1852. She is still living in England, where she has spent all her life. Mrs. Anna (Bottomley) Rennie is the daughter of William Bottomley, an English soldier and a staff surgeon in the Eng- lish army, who fell at the battle of Inkerman in the Crimean War. The Bottomley family is a very old family in England and one of very high social standing. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Rennie had six children, five daugh- ters and one son, namely: Alice is living with her mother at Oldham, Eng- land; Isabelle is the wife of David Hardman, who is a master of science at Coleraine University at Coleraine, Ireland, and has two children; Jennie is the wife of James Giles, an accountant of Oldham, England; Nellie, the wife of Herbert Taylor, a high school instructor, is a resident of Liseard, Cheshire, England, and has one child; Marie, who on April 18, 1915, came from London to the United States to live with her brother, was previously in theatrical work, playing in England, Bavaria and elsewhere.
John Rennie, the eldest child born to his parents, was educated at Old- ham, Lancashire, England, and was graduated from the Oldham School of Science and Art in the mechanical architectural construction department. When sixteen years old Mr. Rennie went to sea as a midshipman in the merchant marine service, where he remained for seven years. During the period he was graduated from the Marine College at Sidney, Australia, and became second officer before he resigned. He also was a member of the Royal Naval Reserve of Australia for three years, the headquarters of which are at Sidney, Australia.
While serving on the "George Thompson," hailing from Sidney, Aus- tralia, to Port Blakeley, Washington, the "George Thompson" came across the "Gervan," a Scotch ship which had been disabled in a storm. John Rennie commanded the crew to man the lifeboats which went to the rescue, saving twenty-eight men and losing only one man who was washed overboard. Mr. Rennie, himself, on two occasions was stranded and on one occasion was in a shipwreck.
From Sidney, Australia, to Rotterdam, Holland, Mr. Rennie made the voyage in the Australian ship "Kosciusko." being second officer. After this voyage he came to the United States, and after landing at Philadelphia moved to Aurora, South Dakota. After being there for some time he went to Minneapolis, where he was employed as a designer for the Diamond Iron Works for fourteen months. From the Diamond Iron Works he went to the Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company as designer of engines, where
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he remained for eighteen months. From this company he went to the Filer & Stowell Company, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a designer of saw- mills. There he remained ten months until he was employed in the patent office of the Allis-Chalmers Company, of Milwaukee, as a designer of improved devices and inventions. After remaining with the Allis-Chalmers Company until 1908, he joined the American appraisal service as a field engineer, and has been in this service ever since.
In 1896 Mr. Rennie was married to Daisie Lillian Parsons, the datigh- ter of Oliver and Hanna ( Pettijolin) Parsons, natives of the state of Minne- sota. Mrs. Rennie was born near Lake Washington, Minnesota, but left her childhood home when five or six years old to accompany her parents to Aurora, South Dakota. She lived there until her marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. John Rennie have had three children, namely: Hazel, who is eighteen years old; Andrew, who is sixteen; and Edward, who is twelve
Mr. and Mrs. Rennie and family are members of the Protestant Meth- odist church. Mr. Rennie is independent in politics.
PETER O. HOYSTROM.
Peter O. Hoystrom, farmer, of Elmdale township, Morrison county, Minnesota, is among the progressive agriculturists of his section, for he employs only twentieth century methods in conducting the work of his farm and is meeting with a pleasing degree of material success, due to the fore- sight and labor he has expended in his attempt to attain the goal of his ambition.
Peter O. Hoystrom is a native of Sweden, born in the northern portion of that county on April 6, 1858, the third child in the family of five of John Mattson (born in 1829) and Maria C. Mattson (born in 1822). After the other members of the family had become citizens of the United States, the parents also emigrated to this country. John, the father, died in 1896 at the age of sixty-seven, at the home of the immediate subject of this sketch, and the mother is still living at the advanced age of ninety-three years, hale and hearty as one of her years could possibly be. Peter O. Hoystrom was mar- ried in his native land at the age of thirty, and one year later he left home and family and emigrated to this country. He first touched American soil at the port of New York and came directly to this county where in Elmdale
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township he invested in eighty acres of wild land. Mr. Hoystrom was edu- cated in the common schools of his native land and after attaining his growth he worked in the timber lands and also in the stone quarries so numerous in his part of the country. Upon becoming a citizen of Elmdale township he immediately set about the task of clearing his land and making a home so that his family could join him. He first erected a small log house, and now has practically all his land under cultivation. In 1910 Mr. Hoystrom purchased an additional tract of eighty acres in Stearns county, which land he is also farming. In addition to raising such crops as are favored in this section he devotes considerable attention to the raising of live stock for the market and also for dairy purposes. The season of 1915 finds him with nineteen head of cattle, twenty-five hogs and he keeps five horses for doing the work about the farms. However, Mr. Hoystrom does not need to use his horses for pleasure purposes, for he has an automobile which quickly covers long distances and permits the faithful beasts of burden to enjoy the leisure of a rest day. Mr. Hoystrom is one of Elmdale's pro- gressive citizens and takes an interest in every movement which tends to advance the interests of the community in any way whatsoever. He is a stockholder in the Farmers' Co-operative Creamery Company of Upsala and is also interested in the Elmdale Stock Shippers Association. His religious membership he holds in the Lutheran church and is one of the faithful members of his local society. For some time he has served his church as deacon and is always interested in any task which the church espouses. In politics Mr. Hoystrom is a Republican and is one of the directors of school district No. 22.
Mr. Hoystrom before her marriage was Margaret Caroline Schrigrim, born in Sweden on December 28, 1867, and to her and her husband has been born a family of eleven children, namely: Robert, Elmer, Linas, August, Esther, William, Ellen and Andrew. Three children died in early infancy. Mr. Hoystrom's sons are enterprising young men and operate a threshing outfit, a saw-mill and a clover huller, in addition to other active work in which they are engaged. Mr. Hoystrom's home is comfortable and in good repair, as are also his outbuildings. In fact, the general appearance of the entire farm is complimentary to the ability and industry of the owner. Such men as the subject of this sketch are among the most valuable citizens of the commonwealth and are the bone and sinew of the well-being of the nation. Their industry, honesty and worthy ambitions are productive of ideal conditions of living, giving the best opportunities for growth and development along all worthy lines.
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