USA > Minnesota > Illustrated album of biography of Southwestern Minnesota : containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers...:History of Minnesota, embracing an account of early exploration...and a concise history of the Indian outbreak of 1862 > Part 97
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The subject of this sketch received his early education in his native land and worked in
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his father's store for some two years. He came with his mother to America and settled in Watonwan county, Minnesota, purchasing lands in Butterfield township, where our sub- ject has large farming interests. He re- mained at home some five years after coming to this country, and then, in 1881, located in the village of St. James. Heengaged in the grain business, renting a building for the first year. The second year the firm purchased a small storehouse for which they paid three hundred dollars. They operated their busi- ness in that place for two years, when their transactions became of such an extensive character that it was necessary to rent two other buildings. In 1884 the firm built their present elevator, it being the only one in the village and having a capacity of twenty-five thousand bushels of grain. Their other store- houses have the same capacity. They oper_ ate their elevator and warehouse with a ten horse-power engine, and are so popular and reliable that they handle most of the grain in this section of the country. The Rempel Brothers also have a lumber yard at Butter- field, where also they have an elevator of twenty-five thousand bushels capacity. They also own a warehouse at Bingham Lake, where they purchase grain, having there a capacity for storing ten thousand bushels. They have also warehouses at Slayton and Hadley, Murray county, the former of which has ten thousand bushels capacity and the latter six thousand. This firm keeps six men constantly employed and is doing an exten- sive and profitable business. Mr. Rempel is one of the most public-spirited citizens of St. James and vicinity, and has held various offi- cial positions with rare fidelity to the inter- ests of his constituents. He has been town- ship supervisor and assessor in Butterfield township, and has been a member of the vil- lage board in St. James for a year. He is a member of the Mennonite church and affili- ates with the republican party. He is one of
the most reliable and most highly esteemed citizens of St. James.
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ILLIAM F. HAGEDORN, a lead- ing farmer of Marshfield town- ship, Lincoln county, Minnesota, located on the northwest quarter of section 33 in 1879. He has since been a prominent resident and has taken an active part in all matters of local importance. He is the son of William and Wilhelmina (Lutz) Hagedorn, both of whom were natives of Germany. The par- ents were farmers by occupation and resided in the old country until about 1869, when they came to America.
The subject of our sketch was born in Waxfeld, Prussia, May 23, 1849. IIe re- mained with his parents on the farm, being given a good education, until he was nine- teen years of age. He then came to Amer- ica, first stopping for a short time in Roch- ester, Minnesota, where he worked at the mason's trade, which business he had learned in the old country. He continued at Roch- ester, Olmsted county, some four years, and then removed to Potsdam, same county. He made the latter place his home for seven years, engaged during this time in work at his trade. He then came to Lincoln county and purchased eighty acres of railroad land since which time he has bought forty acres more adjoining; his father also gave him forty acres, and he now owns an excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres, all well improved. His farm is well supplied with a good dwelling-house, two barns and a granary, and to the passer-by all things betoken thrift and industry. Mr. Hagedorn is a man of genial qualities and is enterpris- ing and public-spirited. He is well known and highly respected in the locality in which he lives. He is a careful manager, and this, connected with hard and systematic labor,
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has brought to him merited success, and he is now in good circumstances.
Mr. Hagedorn was married in Rochester, September 21, 1872, to Miss Catharina Chlausen, who died in 1879, leaving two children-Charles and Mary. Our subject's second marriage was to Wilhelmina Fink. This union has been blessed with one child, Emma. Mr. Hagedorn has a pleasant, agreeable family, and the members thereof belong to the Lutheran church.
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OHN A. OLSON, a thrifty and indus- trious farmer of Ellsborough township, Murray county, Minnesota, was born in Helsingland, Sweden, June 23, 1837. His parents were Ole and Karen Arneson, of Swedish birth. His parents were farmers by occupation and were well-to-do people in their native land.
The subject of our sketch remained with his parents, attending school and assisting on the home farm, until he was sixteen years of age. He then commenced working by the montli on adjoining farms, and fol- lowed that kind of employment until the spring of 1869, when he came to the United States. His first eight months were em- ployed in work in a coal mine in McHenry county, Illinois. Sixteen months thereafter were spent by him in agricultural pursuits. Removing thence he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, and engaged in work on the rail- road until the fall of 1871, when he came to Murray county and took a homestead of 160 acres on section 2, of Ellsborough township. After he had filed on his claim he commenced work on the railroad and employed his time in that business for two years. Then three years were spent on the farm. His crops, however, did not yield him very much income. The first four crops were entirely destroyed and he had hard work to make both ends meet. The
fifth crop was fair and he harvested fifteen bushels to the acre. Two seasons his crops were so entirely destroyed by hail that he got only six bushels per acre. During the succeeding years he has met with consider- able success in his farming operations and has become quite well-to-do. The spring of 1889, however, again saw misfortune in that about thirty-five acres of wheat were de- stroyed by the heavy winds, the wind blow- ing off the soil and uncovering the grain. This land he afterward sowed to barley. The subject of our sketch has surrounded himself with the evidences of prosperity, has good outbuildings and a comfortable frame house. He has taken an active interest in public matters and is highly respected by his neighbors and fellow-citizens.
Mr. Olson was married April 12, 1878, in Ellsborough township, to Agnetta Holtlian, a native of Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, where she was born April 19, 1845. She was the daughter of A. and Kristina Amunson, both natives of Norway. Mr. and Mrs. Olson have no children of their own, but have adopted Andrew Albian, a son of H. and Kate Olson.
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ORENTZ V. ACKERMANN is a resi- dent of section 18, Grange town- ship, Pipestone county, Minnesota. This gentleman is a farmer by occupation, and is one of the representative and respected citi- zens of the township in which he resides. He was born in Germany August 10, 1854. Tie is a son of Bartholomew and Magdaline (Schmidt) Ackermann, natives of Germany, where they remained until 1857. In that year they came to America and settled in New York State, where they engaged in farming for a period of eight years. In 1863 they came westward, settling in Min- neapolis, where they now live.
The parents of our subject were in humble
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circumstances, and could furnish but slight advantages for the intellectual improvement of their children. The son whose name ap- pears at the head of this sketch left the parental home at the age of nine years, and worked out for his board and attended school. The desire for an education sprung up within him, and he followed this course of life until he was eighteen years of age. He had come to this country with his par- ents in 1857, and when eighteen years old removed to the vicinity of Faribault, where he engaged in work on a farm for about one year. He was then married, and moved into the city of Faribault, where he worked at whatever could find to do. For two years he found employment in a commission house, and later worked for a short time on a farm, re- turning again to the commission business. Ceasing the latter employment he again found work on a farm and continued in this line until 1878, when, in company with John Meyer, he drove through by team to Pipe- stone county, located his farm and broke some twenty acres of land. Then, in August, he returned to his family, returning by the way of Windom, where he worked for a few weeks, and from thence went on to Fari- bault. In the fall of that year he brought his family to his new location, where he has since remained. During the first years of his location in the county he laid the foun- dations for future prosperity and usefulness, and has by careful industry grown in pros- perity, and has made himself a comfortable home. During the first year of his residence here he had the misfortune to lose one of his thumbs by the accidental discharge of a gun.
In Marclı, 1873, Mr. Ackermann was mar- ried to Maria Meyer, and this union has been blessed with eight children, all of whom are living -- John W., Catharine, Tracy, Magda- line, Frances, Elizabeth, Ludwig B. and Charles L.
By dint of perseverance our subject ac- quired a good common-school education during his early years, and life finds him well prepared for its duties and responsibilities. He is a man of excellent character, is genial and sociable, and is respected by his fellow- citizens. In public matters he takes a lead- ing interest, and has served his township in various official positions, having been one of the members of the first board of supervis- ors, and being at the present time chairman of that body. For one term he was town- ship assessor, and for several terms he has been pathmaster. He is the present incum- bent of the office of treasurer of the school district, to which position he was elected in 1882. In politics he is a republican.
OHN W. WERNER is a well-to-do farmer of Germantown township, Cot- tonwood county, Minnesota. He was born in Radeidz, now Harmsdorf, Germany, . April 20, 1853. His parents, Paul and Louisa (Stearns) Werner, were also natives of Ger- many, and were farmers by occupation.
·Until he was sixteen years of age our sub- ject resided in his native land, and obtained a common-school education. He then came to the United States, landing in New York city, from whence he went to Princeton, Wisconsin, near which place his parents lo- cated. Our subject worked at various em- ployments in Wisconsin for seven years, and at the end of that time went to Rochester, Minnesota, where lie engaged with a farmer for three years. In 1879 he came to Ger- mantown township, purchased a squatter's right to eighty acres on section 8, which he then took as a homestead. He also purchased eiglity acres on the same section, and has made this home ever since. When he left Germany he had to borrow sixty dollars with which to pay his passage to the United States. After he had been in this country
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one year, himself and brother Fred paid the passage of the parents and a sister, Charlotte. For the past two years the parents have been living with their son, the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Werner was married July 22, 1884, to Miss Minnie Griese, daughter of August and Louisa (Lentz) Griese, natives of Germany. This lady was born in Germany, March 25, 1859, and came with her parents to this country in early life.
The subject of our sketch is a hard-work- ing, energetic farmer, and understands thor- oughly the details of the business in which he is engaged. He has been highly successful, and carefully attends to all his interests. He has finally surrounded himself with the evi- dences of prosperity and success, and is now ackowledged to be one of the leading men of the township. He has a good frame house on his farm, a small stable, and has 112 acres . under cultivation, and also operates a tract of railroad land adjoining his farm. He has served his fellow-citizens in various official positions, and is at present chairman of the board of township supervisors.
BRAHAM JAYCOX is one of the thrifty and reliable farmers of La- verne township, Rock county, Minnesota, be- ing located on a fine farm on section 13. Hle came to the county and made his location in June, 1876, settling where he now lives on eighty acres of railroad land. He at once commenced improvements by building a small shanty and breaking considerable land. He has since purchased 120 acres on section 14 and now owns an excellent farm of two hundred acres. In 1886 he turned his at- tention to raising Jersey cattle and has at present some fine animals of that breed. He finds that the Jersey blood does remarkably well in the dairy business, which he has car-
ried on for a number of years. Besides his cattle he also owns a large number of very fine blooded horses.
The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch is a native of Putnam county, New York, where he was born Sep- tember 18, 1829. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Carson) Jaycox, both natives of the same county. The father was a farmer by occupation and continued in that line of business throughout the most of his life. He had a family of thirteen children, eight of which are now living-David P., Abra- ham, Isaiah, John, William H., Mary, Martha and Servia.
The subject of our sketch came to the State of Minnesota April 5, 1856, first set- tling in Fillmore county, where he was en- gaged in farming for some twenty years, with the exception of three years which were spent in the Union service. He enlisted August 15, 1862, in answer to the call for 300,000 men, in Company E, Seventh Minne- sota Volunteer Infantry, and served for three years and three days. His military ex- perience was full of exciting adventures and many narrow escapes. During the first year of his service he was in the Indian war in Minnesota, and was one of the soldiers that stood guard at the hanging of the thirty- eight Indians at Mankato, December 26, 1862. From Minnesota his regiment went south to St. Louis, where they remained the following winter, thence going to Paducah, Kentucky, and from thence to Memphis, Tennessee. From thence they marched to Tupelo, Mississippi, and here had a severe en- gagement of two full days with the Rebel General Forrest. The division then turned into Tennessee and moved toward Nashville and about December 14 and 15, 1864, had a hard-fought battle with General Hood. Thence the company marched to east Missis- sippi, thence to New Orleans and thence to Spanish Fort, where they were engaged in
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severe fighting for ten days. The division then went to Blakeley, Alabama, and after considerable skirmishing went to Montgom- ery. Our subject returned home on the 10th of August, 1865, and eight days later was mustered out of the service. In 1876 he sold out his farming interests in Fillmore county, and moved to Rock county, where he has since been engaged in operating his extensive farm.
The subject of our sketch was married in the year 1852, to Miss Nancy Le Forge, daughter of William and Susan (Fretenburg) Le Forge. The parents were natives of New York, and the father was engaged in work on steamers on the Hudson river from Albany to New York. He held the position of first mate on one of the principal steamers until he was fifty years of age, entering that ser- vice when he was a young man. The par- ents lived and died in New York State. Mr. and Mrs. Joycox have ten living children- Catharine J., now Mrs. W. D. Allen; Car- son, who married Hattie Wood ; Flavia, now Mrs. William Wheeler; Mary S., now Mrs. M. Gillard ; Abram L., Minnie, Saram, Ada A., Nancy P. and James.
Mr. Joycox is one of the early settlers of Rock county and throughout his entire resi- dence has taken an active interest in all matters pertaining to its growth and de- velopment. He has been interested in its political growth and in its good government, and has held numerous positions of trust and responsibility. He is the present chairman of the board of township supervisors, which position he has held for the past six years ; during the past eleven years he has been a member of the board. In his farming opera- tions our subject has met with deserved suc- cess and has surrounded himself with the evidences of prosperity. He is a man of good character, excellent natural endow- ments, and is respected by all who know him.
LBERT E. SPRINGER is a dealer in lumber, doors, sash, blinds, build- ing materials, etc., in Delavan, Minnesota, and is agent for C. L. Coleman.
Mr. Springer is a native of Lee county, Illinois, where he was born December 28. 1856. His parents were Michael and Caro- line Springer, natives of Germany. Shortly after their marriage the parents came to America and located in Lee county, Illinois, where the father engaged in farming. He was in the lumber business before he left his native land. In 1862 the family came to Faribault county and settled on 130 acres of land about one-half mile northwest from the village of Delavan. They were among the earliest pioneers of this locality, and their nearest neighbors to the east were twenty- two miles distant. The father first put up a shanty 12x14 feet, with seven-foot posts, and a small gable roof, and made this his home for some years. Later he built a fine house and barn, and kept continually adding new and valuable improvements. The father has been quite prominent in matters of a public nature, and has been a member of the school board and supervisor for a number of years. He is a republican in politics and yields a strong influence in party counsels. In the family there were four children : Herman L., Albert E., Charles and Millie.
Reared on a farm, our subject was given the advantages for an education furnished by the district schools. He attended one term of school in the village of Delavan, and made his home principally with his parents until twenty-eight years of age. During' several years prior to this age he had been engaged in different kinds of business. For some time he had operated a threshing-ma- chine. He had also bought and sold horses. At twenty-three years of age he purchased a farm one mile west of the village, this farm comprising two hundred acres. He improved this property and now has it in the
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hands of a renter. In 1885 he moved his family to the village and took charge of Mr. Coleman's lumber interests. He is one of the most successful and energetic business men in the village, and has made an honor- able record, both in public and private life. In politics he affiliates with the democratic party; he is an Odd Fellow, and is also a member of the village council and school board. He is one of the well-to-do and sub- stantial citizens of this part of Faribault county. Mr. Springer was married in the year 1885 to Miss Nellie Dobie, a daughter of Joseph Dobie, of Sterling, Blue Earth county, this State. One child has blessed this union-Ethel.
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OHN C. JONAS is one of the leading re- publicans of the southern part of Pipe- stone county, Minnesota, having his residence in the village of Trosky. He is one of the substantial and solid business men and has large financial interests in the township in which he lives. He settled in the village of Trosky in 1886, coming from Traer, Iowa, where he had been engaged in dealing in horses, and in loaning money.
Mr. Jones is a native of Stephenson county, Illinois, where he was born June 22, 1859. His parents were Thomas and Saloam (Rench) Jo- nas, the former a native of France, and the lat- ter born in Holland. The father remained in his native country until he reached young manhood, when he came to the United States, settling in Buffalo, New York, where he married and lived for a number of years. His business was that of loaning money, and he lived a prosperous life until his death in 1881, when, on the 15th of April, he died at. McConnell's Grove, Stephenson county, Illi- nois, to which village he had come in 1839. He was a man of wealth and wide influence and left many friends to mourn his death. The mother is still living at McConnell's
Grove, and is seventy-seven years of age. In the father's family there were ten children, all of whom are living-Fred, Margaret, Eliz- abeth, Jacob, Sophia, Mary, Henry, Addie, John C. and Magdaline.
The subject of our sketch remained with his parents on the farm until he was about twenty-four years old, up to which time he had received a good common-school education and had assisted on the farm. On reaching that age he removed to Black Hawk county, Iowa, where he purchased 240 acres of land, and where he engaged in agricultural pur- suits for about three years. He then sold out and purchased a breeding establishment at Traer, in Tama county, Iowa. After one year's operation of that business he sold out most of his stock and removed the remain- der to Trosky, where he has since lived. He is now engaged in breeding fine Percheron and Norman horses, and owns some of the finest stock and best bred animals in the State. He is also engaged largely in loaning money, and in these lines he transacts a large and increasing business.
December 24, 1883, was the date of the marriage of Mr. Jonas to Sarah Jane Hake, who was a native of Stephenson county, Illi- nois, being born October 27, 1858. She was the daughter of William and Lovina (Ready) Hake, both natives of Ohio. Her father died in 1865, having spent the most of his life in the occupation of farming. The mother is still living. Mrs. Jonas was reared in Ste- phenson county, where she received excellent educational advantages. This union has been blessed with two children-Pearl, born De- cember 10, 1886, and a babe, born February 18, 1889.
It may be of interest to the progeny of the subject of our sketch to give a brief history of each member of his father's family. Frederick, the oldest son in the family, is a resident of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where he is engaged in pattern-making for a wheel
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and scraper company. Margaret Jonas was married to Richard Ditmire, a farmer and in- fluential citizen of Stephenson county,Illinois. Elizabeth Jonas married C. Coleman, a farmer, living in Illinois. Magdaline is now Mrs. D. Cross, and resides in Stephenson county, Illinois. In the same county resides Sophia, who was married to William Hop- per. Henry Jonas married Miss Friedley, and is at present living in West Point town- ship, Stephenson county, Illinois. Jacob is residing on the home farm. Addie married John Reybolt and is located in Stephenson county. Mary was married to John France, who is a resident of Freeport, Illinois, and a prominent carpenter and builder of that place.
John C. Jonas is a man of excellent busi- ness capacities, having met with eminent suc- cess in all the business enterprises in which he has embarked. He is a man of strict in- tegrity, careful and methodical in his busi- ness habits, and carries these characteristics into all the details of his life. At whatever lines of business he has been engaged he has made many friends by his push and energy. In politics he affiliates with the republican party, and has held various local offices.
ANS P. PAULSON is a leading farm- er and stock raiser of Lincoln county, Minnesota, located on section 8 of Ash Lake township, where he settled in the spring of 1878. He was one of the very first settlers of the township, and broke some sixteen acres of land on his homestead the first year. This first year was spent by him in setting out trees of various kinds, and during that time he lived in what is known as a " dug- out." He occupied this as a dwelling for one year, and then built a frame shanty twelve by sixteen feet, and con- tinued residing in that until 1884, when his house and everything it contained was de-
stroyed by fire. Kind friends, however, came to his aid, and he was assisted in va- rious ways, so that he was able to proceed with his farming operations. He soon re- covered from his temporary loss and has been steadily growing in prosperity ever since. Although very poor when he came to the township, he is now one of its most pros- perous and substantial men. He has a comfortable house and other farm buildings, owns 142 acres of land, a great portion of which is under cultivation. In the official matters of his township he has been an active participant. He assisted in the organization of Ash Lake township in 1879, and was a member of the board of supervisors for six years, being chairman of that body for one year. At present he holds the office of treas- urer of school district No. 12. Coming to the township when everything was new, our subject has had plenty of opportunity to watch its development and advancement. He was the second man to make a location, the first being Mr. Nelson, who settled on section 6.
Mr. Paulson was born in Falster, Den- mark, April 28, 1852. His parents were Chris and Maria (Knutson) Paulson, natives of the same place in which our subject was born. The father was a common laborer, and is still a resident of the old country. The mother died in 1882. In the father's family there were the following-named chil- dren-our subject, Dorothea, Paul, Dorothea, Helen and Maria. Both Dorotheas are dead.
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