USA > Minnesota > Otter Tail County > History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota : its people, industries, and institutions, Volume II > Part 104
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In the public schools of Clitherall township, John Murdock received his education. John Murdock received his greatest discipline on the farm where he learned the real lessons of thrift and honesty which he applied to his experience later in life. He was reared on the farm, and after reaching the age of manhood took up the occupation of the farmers as his life work. In 1892 his mother went to Oregon with her children and settled in the Willamette valley in Washington county. For several years after their arrival in Oregon John Murdock worked at brick setting. Later he began to be interested in fruit growing, which was a popular branch of agriculture in that state, and was occupied in that line of work for a number of years. In 1900, the subject of this sketch returned to Otter Tail county where he remained for two years. In 1902, hearing of the possibilties for successful farming in North Dakota, he went to Towner county, in that state, where he took a homestead claim on one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he later sold. He returned to Otter Tail county in 1903 and bought the shares from the heirs to the homestead and in this residence he continues to live. Since his purchase of the farm he has taken a great interest in improv- ing the land and remodeling the house and devotes most of his attention to the duties of general farming.
Mr. Murdock during his residence in Otter Tail county has been a pop- ular member of the Republican party, for whose cause he has served in many offices of public trust. As justice of the peace and clerk of the school dis- trict he has proved his ability to solve problems of community interest and on account of the manner in which he has served the public he has become a popular member of society. His personality has won a large circle of
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friends and his high traits of character are recognized throughout the county in which he lives. Mr. Murdock has never married, but makes his home with his brother, Frank.
ABNER S. TUCKER.
Abner S. Tucker was born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, on Septem- ber 20, 1850, and is the son of John Joseph and Abigail ( Mott) Tucker. His father was born on January 28, 1812, and his mother on February 14, 1826. Their ancestors were of English descent and were residents of New Jersey before the Revolutionary War. Great-grandfather Mott was a soldier in the Revolution, a heritage of patriotism of which his descendants have always been proud. The parents of Abner S. Tucker spent their childhood days in New Jersey, in which state they were also married. Six children were born to them in the state of New Jersey. In 1860 the family came west and settled in St. Croix county, Wisconsin, fifteen miles east of Hud- son. In that locality the father followed the occupation of a carpenter for two years and at the end of that time he went to Winona county, Minnesota, where he continued to work at the same trade until 1875. After retiring from active work in Winona county, Mr. Tucker moved to Otter Tail county, Minnesota, where he lived a retired life until 1881, when he was called to eternal rest. His wife lived to the advanced age of eighty-five years and passed away in 1911. She was a woman of charming personality who found pleasure in living a quiet and retired life. The children who survived her are the following: Elizabeth, the wife of E. E. Corliss, who lives at Fergus Falls, Minnesota: Euphenia, who married John Chapman, who resides in Battle Lake, Minnesota: Abner, the subject of this sketch; Frank, who lives on the old home place in New Jersey. By a former marriage, John Tucker became the father of the following children; Katherine, the wife of Chauncey Walker, who died in New Jersey, and William, a carpenter in Chatfield, Minnesota.
In the public schools of New Jersey, Abner S. Tucker received his early educational advantages. He was still a small boy when his parents moved West in 1860, and his schooling was consequently scattered, and as was the custom in those days extremely meager and inefficient. After a short stay in the West, Abner Tucker returned to New Jersey, where he learned the mason's trade. In 1869, he moved to Winona county, this state, and fol- lowed the trade he had learned and was skilled in until 1875. when he moved to Otter Tail county. Upon his arrival in Otter Tail county, he worked as a farmer on the Corliss farm and later bought eighty acres of land in Clither- all township. In 1893 he gave the tract of eighty acres of land to a son, (62b)
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and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land from the Murdock heirs for his own residence. Since his purchase of the Murdock land, Mr. Tucker has made many improvements, including the erection of a farm residence, where he now lives. The surrounding land is kept in the best state of culti- vation and is used for the sole purpose of general farming.
Mr. Tucker has always given his support to the cause of the Repub- lican party, the members of which organization have honored him from time to time with public offices. During his term as road overseer, Mr. Tucker gained a large popularity in the community in which he lives, and from his interest in school affairs added to his acquaintanceship among the best citizens.
In 1881, Abner S. Tucker was married to Emily Murdock, the daughter of Hiram Murdock, one of the early settlers of Otter Tail county. Mr. Murdock is now deceased. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Tucker, the fol- lowing children have been born: Ellis, who died at the age of seven years ; Frank, who is station agent at Deer Creek; Orson E., who is a farmer living on the land adjoining his father's place, and Nettie who is living at home with her parents. The associations of his home constitute the main solace and interest of Mr. Tucker, and concerning the ideal relations dis- played in his domestic life there can be no finer example of his simplicity and sincerity.
MONS O. LANGREN.
Mons Langren was born near Malmo, Sweden, October 11, 1861, the son of Ole and Ellen Hokanson, both natives of Sweden. His father lived all his life in his native land where he was a farmer and a landowner. He died in 1905 and his wife passed away in 1897. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hokan- son were devout members of the Lutheran church and were the parents of ten children, six of whom grew to maturity. The living sons are: Hokan Olson, who resides on a farm in North Dakota; Ole Olson who lives in Sweden: Nels Olson, a farmer in Clitherall township; Par Olson, who is still living in Sweden, and Andrew Olson, who lives in North Dakota.
The early education advantages received by Mons Langren were received in the schools of his native land. At the age of fourteen he began to make his way in the world and went to Denmark where for two years he was employed as a gardener. After leaving Denmark. he returned to Sweden and remained there for two years when he set sail for America. He landed in this country in the year 1879 and went directly to Evansville. Minnesota, where he worked in a brick yard for six months. Before taking 1tp the occupation of farming, Mr. Langren followed several lines of work. For four months he worked in a railroad station and spent the two months
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following on a farmi. He returned to Evansville where the opportunity was afforded him to work as a clerk in a general store. The line of work he continued until 1881.
Mons Langren came to Otter Tail county, where he now resides, in 1881. He bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Clitherall town- ship, section 28. At that time there was nothing but a log house and a log barn on the place and just twenty-eight acres of cleared land. Mr. Langren started at once to apply himself to the task of removing the growth of tim- ber and underbrush from the land. He gave his entire attention to this occupation and was rewarded by seeing the wild appearance of the land gradually disappear. The farm on a whole underwent complete transforma- tion under his management. After clearing a large part of the land, he built a large barn which was completed in 1893. The farm residence, which was built in 1910, is one of the newest designs in rural architecture. It has eight rooms and is modern in every way.
Mr. Langren has followed many lines of agriculture and has given special attention to the rearing of a high grade of cattle. He is a breeder of Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. One of the most profitable occupations in which Mr. Langren has been engaged has been the one of buy- ing and selling stock, in which he began to take an interest in 1913. In this line of work he covers a large field and handles over twenty-seven carloads of stock a year. Mr. Langren increased his possessions by purchasing a farm of ninety-six acres, three miles east of the place on which he resides and has farmed on that land since 1902. In civic and industrial affairs, Mr. Langren is extremely popular in the community where he makes his home. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Co-operative Elevator Com- pany and in the Axel Co-operative Store and in the Midway Telephone Com- pany he is a director.
In 1881. Mons Langren was married to Mary Nelson, the daughter of Andrew Nelson, one of the old pioneer settlers of Swedish descent who came to Otter Tail county in the early stage of its development and who died here some years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Langren are members of the Swedish Lutheran church which they attend regularly. They have reared a family of ten children, namely: Andrew, the eldest child, lives on the farm of ninety-six acres owned by Mr. Langren in Clitherall township; Ellen. the wife of Oscar Olson, lives in Clitherall township; Alma, resides in Fargo, North Dakota: Oscar is a farmer in Clitherall township; Amanda, Willie, Helen, Augusta, Martin and Elmer are still living at home with their parents.
Mr. Langren adopted his name from the town in Sweden from which he came. His original name was Olson, which is still used by the other members of the family in Sweden and in this country. In political affairs,
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Mr. Langren has given his support to the cause of the Republican party and has served in a number of offices where his ability has been recognized. He was constable for one year and for many years has been road overseer in district No. 5. As treasurer and trustee he has served the Swedish church for five years and was also treasurer of the building committee which erected the present parsonage.
NELS MORRAN.
One of the most successful farmers and stockmen of Clitherall town- ship. Otter Tail county, Minnesota, is the venerable Nels Morran, who has been an extensive dealer in cattle and horses. For many years he was one of the leading stock shippers from the Battle Lake station and has often traveled from Otter Tail county to Winnipeg, Canada, selling oxen and other cattle on the way.
Mr. Morran is a pioneer of this section and was born in the southern part of Sweden, December 3, 1844. He is the son of Andrew and Bertina Anderson. Mr. Anderson's parents spent their entire lives in their native land and have long been deceased. His father was a stock dealer and farmer and controlled a considerable amount of government land. He died about 1854. His widow survived him eight years, passing away in 1862. They were members of the Lutheran church and had a large family of children, of whom only two, however, ever came to America. Nels, the subject of this sketch, and'Christina, who is the widow of Ole Hendrickson. They came to America about 1879 and she now lives at Los Angeles, California.
Nels Morran received a good education in the schools of Sweden. He began the compulsory military service required in his native land, but in 1860. tiring of the life there, he came by steamship to America. For some time he worked at St. Paul and then went to Meeker county, Minnesota, where he worked on various farms. In 1871 Mr. Morran came to Otter Tail county and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in sections 3 and 4, in Eagle Lake township. The land was covered with wild timber and Indians were still numerous in the vicinity. Here Mr. Morran built a small log house with the help of some Norwegian families, the Culbertsons, Olsons and Martinsons, who settled in the same community. He began clearing the land and making his home habitable. After living on the farm until 1876, the grasshopper year, he had a sale and moved to a farm in Clitherall town- ship, of one hundred and sixty acres, which he had purchased. This second farm had only a shanty at the time and Mr. Morran found it necessary to begin building and improving the place. He has lived on this farm ever since. Recently. Mr. Morran built a new house, in which he resides today. Ile has sold the Eagle Lake farm and is now engaged in general farming
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and stock raising. Mr. Morran is a director in the Farmers Co-operative Elevator Company. He has been prominent in the business and commercial life of the township where he lives.
In 1879 Nels Morran was married to Mary Gammelson, a native of Sweden and the daughter of John and Johanna Gammelson, who were early settlers in Eagle Lake township. Thirteen children have been born to this union: Anton, who lives in North Dakota, where he is a grain buyer, mar- ried Amanda Nelson and has one daughter, Ellen; Hilma, who married Otto Moody, lives at Battle View, North Dakota; Alma, who married Franz Anderson, lives at Evansville, Minnesota; Julius, who is a butcher, resides at Battle Lake; Augusta, who married Nordal Halmrast, lives at Battle View, North Dakota; Emma, who died at the age of eighteen; Esther, who died at the age of sixteen, both being burned to death when the Morran house was destroyed by fire in 1914: Oscar, who lives in Milnor, North Dakota, is engaged in the butcher business; Hjelmar, who lives in Milnor, North Dakota, is employed on the Northern Pacific railroad; Clifford, Sel- den and Ruby live at home, and Julius died in infancy.
Although nominally a Republican, Mr. Morran has been more or less independent in local politics. He and his wife are members of the Eagle Lake Swedish church and are active in religious affairs. They are highly respected citizens in the township, where they have lived for so many years and where they are so well known.
H. J. MURDOCK.
On the old Murdock homestead in Clitherall township. Otter Tail county. Hiram J. Murdock was born on the 8th of May, 1869. He is the son of Lyman and Rebecca (Taylor) Murdock, the former of whom was promin- ently identified with the early development and resources of the county in which he lived. Lyman Murdock was born in Jackson county, Missouri, in 1829, and was the son of Daniel and Eliza Murdock, who originally came from Ohio. Rebecca ( Taylor) Murdock was born on the 15th of September. 1839, the daughter of Nicholas and Rachel (Twilliger ) Taylor. The parents of Hiram Murdock came to Otter Tail county as early as 1865, and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres in that section.
He whose name initiates this sketch was reared under the conditions and influence of pioneer days, and as was the custom for the average youth of that locality and period received but few educational advantages. Not- withstanding his meager training in the old town district school, Mr. Mur- dock is a man of broad information and mature mind. As a boy he gained practical experience through the assistance given his father, and after com- pleting the course in the Fergus Falls high school, he spent three years on
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the home place where he was occupied with farming. In 1898 he went to Tower county, North Dakota, and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land. In this capacity, Mr. Murdock received his most valuable experi- ence as a farmer, and remained in Towner county eight years. He bought eighty acres adjoining the original farm and still owns a tract of land in that section covering two hundred and forty acres.
In 1907, Mr. Murdock returned to Clitherall township and bought a farm of eighty acres in section 11. On this farm he continues to live and enjoys a wide acquaintanceship in the community. Mr. Murdock believes firmly in modern improvements and has used every effort to make his farm stand for that principle. His farm residence, the barn and the smaller buildings on the place have been remodeled.
Hiram J. Murdock was married in 1910 to Mollie Christianson, a native of Madelia. Minnesota, and the daughter of N. Christianson, one of the oldest living settlers of Madelia. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Mur- dock are: Rachel, Paul, Max and Daniel. In his political relations MIr. Murdock is a Republican.
CARL L. DANIELSON.
Carl L. Danielson was born in Orebro, Sweden, on June 18, 1871. the son of Carl W. and Christine Danielson, who were born at that same place, and there grew to maturity and married. Carl W. Danielson was a farmer of his native land, who, following a visit to America, returned to his country and made preparation to come to America for permanent residence, and in the year 1882 Carl W. Danielson and his family came to America and went to Folden township, Otter Tail county, Minnesota, where for one year the elder Danielson worked on a farm and then he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 14, of Folden township, which he cleared and a place where he established a home, on which he lived until his death in the year 1913, he being seventy years of age at that time. Christine Danielson preceded her husband in death, she dying about the year 1898. To the marriage of Carl W. and Christine Danielson were born seven chil- dren, namely : Annie, who married Albert Thomas, and who died in 1897; Carl L., the subject of this sketch; Fritz, who died as a boy; John, a farmer of the state of Montana; Jennie, who is a missionary in China; Gertie, who lives at Seattle, Washington, and Huldah, who died in infancy.
Carl L. Danielson was educated in the public schools of Otter Tail county, afterward going to the state of Montana where, for four years, he lived and then during the year 1899, he returned to Folden township and invested in one hundred and twenty acres of land in section 22, land which was poorly improved and a place which had been given little care and culti-
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vation. Carl L. Danielson, on gaining possession of this place, proceeded to clear his land completely and to improve it to the point where it is now one of the best farms of the locality. Mr. Danielson has erected a modern house, has a splendid barn and is thoroughly equipped for the general farm- ing which he does on his land.
On December 20, 1899, Carl L. Danielson was married to Mary Storbo, who was born in Sweden, the daughter of Theodore Storbo and wife, who emigrated to America at an early date. To Carl L. and Mary Danielson were born the following children: Thomas, Clarence, Harry, Lynn, Pearl, Beatrice and Annie.
Carl L. Danielson has served his township not only as a good citizen in the common duties of citizenship, but he has served efficiently as school treasurer, an office in which he displayed himself to be a man of business ability and a man of judgment and tact. Carl L. Danielson and his wife are both active members of the Lutheran church at Vining.
EDWARD GULLESON.
Edward Gulleson, a native of Norway, was born in the northern part of Trondhjem. April 29, 1859, the son of Gulle Erickson and Cecelia Iver- son. The father of Edward Gulleson was a native of Norway and was a shipbuilder by trade. After his death in 1865, his widow never re-married. Twenty years later, her son Edward having become successful in America, she crossed the ocean to join him and is still in his home, being eighty-three years of age. Besides Edward, her eldest son, Mrs. Erickson gave birth to two other sons, namely, Sigvurd, a farmer of northern Minnesota, and Jacob, a farmer of Henning township. Edward's education was limited to such schooling as was afforded during his boyhood days by the public schools of his native land. Until 1884 he worked at his father s trade in which he had become proficient and a year later bought a farm of one hundred and forty acres, in section 5, of Henning township. This was a barren country at that time, having no buildings, no cleared land and no roads. The first necessity was shelter and the young man speedily set to work with a resolute heart to effect a clearing on which he built a log house. This was improved from time to time until finally in 1910 it was replaced by a substantial modern dwelling. Two years later he built a new barn having concrete foundation, sixty-eight by thirty-eight feet in dimen- sions, on one hundred and twenty acres in this township, besides what he previously owned. Mr. Gulleson has become a general farmer.
Mr. Gulleson's marriage occurred in Norway in the year 1882, when he married a daughter of Anna Peterson. The six children born of this union are Gudrun, Thorolf, Anasgarl, Sophia. Jeffrey and Nelma.
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Mr. Gulleson, who is a Republican in politics, votes an independent ticket locally. He is a stockholder of the creamery, the farmers warehouse and the telephone company. He has been for several terms and is at present a school director, having served also as school clerk. Both he and his wife are members of the Vining Lutheran church.
LOUIS SHANSTROM.
Louis Shanstrom is a native of Sweden, having been born in Skara- borg, December 20, 1844, his parents being Johannes and Mary Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were born and grew up in Sweden, where the former engaged in agriculture, and both died within a short time of each other, leaving four children to look after themselves. These were Stine, who is now married to John Lundgren and lives in Sweden; Ulriche, who mar- ried John Larson, of Sweden; Elizabeth, also a resident of that same coun- try, is the wife of a Mr. Solberg, and Louis, the subject of this sketch. The father died in 1847 and the mother three years later.
Louis Shanstrom was only three years old when he was deprived of the. care and protection of a father, and six when he lost his mother. There were no relatives to whose home the little lad could go and he was cared for by the county until his fifteenth year, meantime attending school. At the age of fifteen he began working for various farmers and continued this until his twenty-second or twenty-third year, when he went to sea for the fol- lowing three years. His travels bringing him to the shores of America in 1873. he decided to become an American citizen and with this in view, worked at Duluth, Minnesota, for a year. He then went to Meeker county, Minnesota, where he engaged in farm laor until 1884. Going to Grand county, South Dakota, he took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land, which he cleared and improved and on which he lived until about 1897. After living on a rented farm for a short period of time, he again bought a farm which he later sold. For two years he lived in Nassau, Las qui Parle county, Minnesota. It was August, 1909, when his footsteps turned eastward again, and arriving at Woodside township, this county, he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in section 16. He set about building the necessary farm houses and in 1914 erected a fine new barn thirty-two by forty-two feet, having hip-roof and concrete foundation. Mr. Shanstrom has been engaged in general farming.
Before coming to America, Louis Shanstrom was united in marriage in his native country to Clara Carlson, also born in Sweden. This was about the year 1870. Four children blessed their home, these being Eric, a station- ary engineer who lives in Watertown. South Dakota: John. a farmer, South Dakota; Lizzie, the deceased wife of Paul Schulke: Albert F., a native of
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Meeker county, Minnesota, born on September 25, 1879, is at present operat- ing his father's farm.
Albert F. Shanstrom, during his early childhood, lived in South Dakota, where he attended the public schools and assisted his father with farm work. He has been such an apt pupil in this line of activity that he has come to assume more and more responsibility until the present time when his experience and ability are such that he is able to relieve his father to a large extent of farm work. He was married in Grant county, South Dakota, in 1906, to Minnie Clausen, a native of that county and daughter of Peter Clausen. Their children are Harold, born on January 29, 1909, and Har- vey, July 12, 1910. Albert Shanstrom is a member of the Modern Wood- men of America.
The subject of this sketch has been a resident of this county for only six years, but his interests have become thoroughly identified with the life of the community. He is a member of the Republican party. Mr. Shan- strom is a well-balanced, all-round man.
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