USA > Minnesota > Redwood County > The History of Redwood County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 39
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Mrs. Edward Billiet, widow of Edward Billiet, living on sec- tion 31, Gale township, Redwood county, was born August 3, 1871, in Belgium. Her maiden name was Mary Debout and she is the daughter of John and Theresa L. Debout. Her father, a native of Belgium, settled at Annawan, Henry county, Illinois, when he was twenty-one years of age, and, buying 320 acres of land, engaged in farming. He made many improvements, erected good buildings and resided there until his death, March 25, 1909. There were five children in the family: Peter, who died July 10, 1901; at the age of thirty-six years; John, who is connected with the Rock Island Plow Works, at Rock Island, Ill .; Mary, who married Edward Billiet; Charles, residing on the home farm in Illinois; and Leo, who is with the Rock Island Plow Company, Rock Island, Ill. Mary Debout was married to Edward Billiet, February 23, 1889, and they had the following children: Will- iam, born November 7, 1891, now a farmer in Wisconsin; Ben- jamin, born February 27, 1897; John, born November 30, 1899;
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Emily, born June 10, 1901; Theresa, born November 19, 1902; Andrew, born June 12, 1906; Anna, born March 20, 1909; Rosie, born April 29, 1911; and Paul, born December 30, 1913. Edward Billiet was born in Belgium, October 1, 1864. There were five children in the Billiet family : Peter, a farmer in Henry county, Illinois; Jacob, formerly a farmer of Henry county, Illinois, who died March 1, 1909; Louise, now Mrs. D. Decker, of Henry county, Illinois; Antony, now a farmer of Graceville, Minn .; and Edward, deceased. Edward came to America in 1878 with his father, locating in Annawan, Henry county, Illinois, where he rented a farm of Henry Reuter for fourteen years. In 1902 he came to Redwood county and bought 345 acres in the western half of section 31, Gales township. Here he carried on general farming and raised graded Hereford cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs. He died April 25, 1913.
William Russell, a thrifty farmer of Kintire township, was born March 28, 1872, in Ontario, Canada, son of John and Isa- bella (Alexander) Russell. The father was a farmer, born in 1842 in Ireland, who died in 1890 in Canada. His wife Isabella, born November 3, 1845 in Scotland, came to Canada in 1848, and later to United States, locating in Kintire township, where she still lives. William Russell remained at home until nineteen years of age, and then, in 1891, the year after his father's death, came to Kintire township, Redwood county, Minnesota, where his mother bought the southwest quarter of section 26, the pur- chase being made in the following year, 1892. To this property has since been added the southeast quarter of section 27. In the same year, 1892, Mr. Russell built a house 20 by 24 feet, with a wing 14 by 16 feet, and a barn 24 by 58 feet, also setting out a fine grove. There were seven children in the family: Matilda, William, Isabelle, Carrie, Margaret, John and George. For the first few years they all had to put up with some hardships and discouragements, but conditions gradually improved until a fair measure of comfort and prosperity was attained, and which has never since left them. Mr. Russell was married October 14, 1908, to Alma Wolverton, who was born December 22, 1884, in New Avon township, Redwood county, daughter of John and Alice (McCormack) Wolverton. Her father was born in 1860, in Illinois, and came to Minnesota, where he located a homestead of 160 acres. He retired from farming in 1912, moving to Red- wood Falls, where he still lives. His wife was born in 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Russell have the following children: Verna, born September 10, 1909; Howard, born November 13, 1911; Edna, born September 6, 1914; and Douglass, born September 28, 1915. Mr. Russell is interested in the Farmers' Elevator at Delhi and belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, at Belview.
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WILLIAM RUSSELL AND FAMILY
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Charles G. Nelson, a successful farmer of Gales township, was born April 20, 1865, in Nicollet county, Minnesota, son of C. J. and Emily E. C. (Peterson) Nelson, both natives of Sweden. There were eleven children in the family: Jennie Z., Henry R., Chas. F. (deceased), Julia S., Chas. G., Emily A. (deceased), Phillip A., John L. (deceased), Lydia L., Leonard F. and Laura E. Charles G. Nelson grew up on the home farm and when his parents died took charge of the homestead on which he now lives. He has 160 acres in section 28, also 160 acres in section 10, Gales township, and has done much to improve the farm. He is a breeder of Shorthorn cattle and also raises a large acre- age of corn and small grain. He and his brother Henry have been engaged in the threshing business in Gales township for the past twenty-nine years and he has been closely associated with his brother in all business activities. He has been active in local politics and is a progressive Republican. He is now serving on the school board of district No. 35.
Hakon Nelson was born in Sweden, October 4, 1859, son of Nels Johnson and Kathryn (Matson) Johnson, farming people who lived and died in Sweden. Hakon Nelson came to America in 1883, locating in Boston, Mass., where he staid for a short time. In 1886 he homesteaded 160 acres of land in section 34, Gales town- ship, Redwood county, Minnesota, and engaged in farming. He built a small frame house which was later enlarged and remodeled into the present comfortable home. He also built good barns and outbuildings, and set out a grove which has now become a beau- tiful small wood, and he has also an orchard. During the first years he raised considerable flax and wheat, but now raises grains of all kinds. A great part of the land is set aside for pasture and meadow. Mr. Nelson has a good herd of Duroc Jersey swine and Hereford cattle. In politics he is Republican and has served as road overseer for several years. Mr. Nelson was united in mar- riage September 11, 1886, to Emma Hendrickson, who was born in September, 1860, in Sweden, daughter of Johan and Marie (Peterson) Hendrickson. There are the following children in the family : Ellen (Mrs. Hjalmer Wahlin, of Garvin), George, Minnie, Franz and Hilma. The family are members of the Swedish Lutheran church.
Charles Filkins, a successful farmer of Gales township, was born March 3, 1871, in Waterloo, Iowa, son of Theodore and Eliza- beth (Trowbridge) Filkins, both natives of New York State. Theodore Filkins came to Iowa when eighteen years of age and was there married. His wife died October 2, 1905. There were eight children in the family: John, of Tracy; William, of Tracy; Neil, of Tacoma, Wash .; Charles (near Tracy) ; Addie, now Mrs. Fred Glazier, of Hudson, Iowa; Emma, now Mrs. Henry Brown, of Tracy; Ida, now Mrs. Archie Campbell, of Hudson, Iowa, and
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Ralph, deceased. Charles Filkins came to Redwood county, Minn., March 2, 1898, and bought a farm near his present property. He bought his present farm of 280 acres in section 8, Gales town- ship, in 1903, and now has one of the best improved farms in the township. There is a modern ten-room house, equipped with elec- tric lights, two fine barns, 40 by 52, and other good buildings. He keeps Duroc Jersey swine, Hereford cattle and Percheron horses. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Filkins was married January 3, 1895, to Hattie. Livengood, who was born in Pennsylvania, August 22, 1872, daughter of Peter and Ellen (Kelso) Livengood, whose children were as follows: Hattie, now Mrs. Chas. Filkins; Frank, deceased; Harry, residing in Illinois; Howard, at Los Angeles, Calif .; Ross, at Los Angeles, Calif; Lucy, now Mrs. Chas. Davis, of Elk Lick, Pa., and Esther. Mr. and Mrs. Filkins have the following children : Earl, born October 9, 1895; Lou, Novem- ber 1, 1897; Elizabeth, February 14, 1901; Theodore, August 3, 1904; Charles A., February 3, 1911, and Emma, January 1, 1913. The family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Anton Weidemann, a retired farmer of Belview, was born in Norway, January 4, 1852, son of Andrew and Christena (Jonsrud) Weidemann. Andrew Weidemann was born in Norway, July 30, 1827, and came to Rock county, Wisconsin, in 1869, buying 90 acres of timber land in Newark township. He grubbed out the land and engaged in farming, living there for eighteen years. Then he sold out and went to Morgan county, Tennesee, where he died in 1905. His wife was born in 1834 and died December 10, 1910. Anton grew up on the farm and came to Kintire township, Redwood county, Minnesota, in 1881, buying 80 acres of land in section 3. He improved the farm and subsequently added 120 acres in sections 3 and 4. In 1913 he retired to Belview. Mr. Weidemann served as treasurer of the school board for 20 years, and as township supervisor for three years. He was a director of the State Bank at Belview for ten years, and stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company. Mr. Weidemann was married Oc- tober 23, 1880, to Johanna Schjenken, who was born in Norway, December 4, 1850, and came to America in 1880. Her father, Jacob Schjenken, was born in 1827 and died in Norway in 1900. His wife, whose maiden name was Agnes Hanson, was born in 1825 and died in 1893, also in Norway. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Weidemann are as follows: Adolph, born August 26, 1881, residing at home; Christina, born November 26, 1882, who married Swen Anderson of Kintire township and has one child, Sylvia; Jacob, born May 17, 1884, of Tolna, N. D., unmarried; Axel, born October 30, 1885, now living in Swedes Forest township; Fred- erick, born May 21, 1889, who married Emma Danielson and lives on the old homestead; Isaac, born March 21, 1892, who married Elsie Abraham, resides in Swedes Forest township and has one
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ANTON WEIDEMANN AND FAMILY
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child, Arline; and Aurora, born March 22, 1895, who resides at home.
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John J. Johnson, a progressive farmer of Gales township, was born in Norway, March 24, 1863, son of Jacob Johnessen and Barbara (Peterson) Johnessen. The father, Jacob Johnessen, was born in Bergen, Norway, October 1, 1823. His wife was born in Norway, December 24, 1840. They came to America in July, 1871, and located in Harden county, Iowa. In 1873 they came to Redwood county and homesteaded land in section 32, Gales town- ship. Building a good dugout and sod house, they began farm- ing with two teams of oxen, which were used on the farm for sev- eral years. The father died on the homestead February 16, 1893, and his wife died in Tracy, September 17, 1907. Their children were: John J., subject of this sketch; Johnie, born August 13, 1865, who is a farmer in Springdale township; Peter H., born June 15, 1868, now a farmer in Springdale township; Martin, born March 1, 1870, who is also a farmer in Springdale township; Engvold, who was born July 26, 1872 and died August 9, 1896; Isabelle, born April 17, 1875, who died February 26, 1904; Albert, born April 6, 1877, who died July 6, 1901; James, born March 30, 1879, who died in infancy; Jennie, born April 4, 1880, who died November 18, 1902; Annie, born July 28, 1882, who was drowned June 12, 1892; Caroline, born March 27, 1885, who is now Mrs. Oscar Nordgren of Walnut Grove. By his first marriage Mr. Johnessen had two children: Nels Maxwell, born July 25, 1853, and Jacob, born September 9, 1855, now of Aberdeen, S. D. John J. Johnson, when starting in for himself bought 160 acres in sec- tion 30, Gales township and plunged into work with enthusiasm. He labored hard, and successfully surmounted the various diff- culties that arose. At the present time he has not only a well improved farm in section 30 but also owns 400 acres in Gales township in sections 19, 29, 31 and 32. He is an extensive raiser of grain and also raises Duroc Jersey swine and Shorthorn cattle, having several milch cows and Percheron horses. In politics a Republican, he has taken great interest in the public affairs of the town and has been chairman of the Gales township board for ten years. He is director and treasurer of and a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of Tracy. He was administrator of both his father's and mother's estate, and showed business ability in looking after their affairs. Mr. Johnson was married December 29, 1892, to Caroline Tofting, who was born in 1869 in Norway and came to America in 1880 with her parents. The Toftings settled in Gales township, Redwood county, where her father en- gaged in farming. He died May 7, 1894; his wife died November 19, 1912. Their family of six children was as follows: Caroline, who married Mr. Johnson; Jake, a farmer of Gales township; Ida, who is now deceased; Ole and Andrew, also deceased, and
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Helen, now Mrs. John Mattison, residing in Minneapolis. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had seven children: Millie, born September 11, 1894; Hjelmar, born August 29, 1896; Ernest, born April 17, 1898; Esther, born January 7, 1900, who is now attending school in Tracy; a child born February 23, 1901, who died in June the same year; Irene, born December 2, 1904, and Florence, born November 15, 1909. All the children reside at home.
John Lindquist, a retired farmer until recently residing in Wanda but now in Mankato, was born in Sweden October 2, 1863, son of John Lindquist. His mother died when he was eight days old and his father subsequently contracted a second marriage. John Lindquist was reared by his grandparents, John and Eliza- beth Lundquist, and attended public school in Sweden. When he was fifteen years of age he emigrated to America to join his father, who had come to this country ten years previously and . secured a homestead in section 12, Springdale township, Redwood county, Minn. Here John stayed one year and then went to Lamberton, where he worked on the farms of Mr. Bennet and Mr. Skelton. A year later he began work for Mr. Keller in Lam- berton township, where he remained for a number of years. Next he bought 160 acres of partly improved land and soon added to it 160 acres more. On this farm he made his home for the next twenty-eight years, erecting new buildings and improving the place in every way. In 1911 Mr. Lindquist retired from active work and moved to Wanda, where he resided until his recent re- moval to Mankato. Mr. Lindquist has been prominent in local af- fairs. He served as township assessor for ten years and was also clerk of the school board. He also held office on the village board, serving as president of the board for one year. He was connected with the Bingham Bros. Elevator for two years and is a share- holder in the Lamberton Farmers Elevator Co. Mr. Lindquist was married May 24, 1885, to Anna Nelson, who was born in Denmark, Sept. 19, 1860, daughter of Peter and Sophia (Meyer) Nelson. The family, in which there were eight children, emi- grated to the United States and located in Redwood county. The father died in 1913 at the age of seventy-five and the mother in 1895 at the age of fifty-five. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lindquist : William, Sophia, Hattie, John and Julia. The family are all members of the Scandinavian Lutheran church.
George I. Davis, one of the prominent men of New Avon township, was born in Kirtland, Ohio, April 1, 1848, son of Ben- jamin C. and Abigail (Finkle) Davis. The father, who was a minister of the Church of Latter Day Saints, came to Stillwater in 1853, where he also worked as a mechanic until 1870, and then moved with his son George to Redwood Falls. He died in 1888, and his wife died in 1892. December 24, 1864, George I. Davis enlisted in Company K, Second Minnesota Cavalry and
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MR. AND MRS. GEORGE I. DAVIS
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was discharged April 21, 1867. In 1869 he homesteaded 160 acres in section 8, New Avon township, where he now lives and owns 280 acres. His first house, 14 by 18 feet, was of frame with sod walls on the outside. He had a yoke of oxen and a wagon, but had no tools. At that time there was only one house in the township, and in 1870 there were five. In the winter of 1873 Mr. Davis made a trip to the Redwood River, a distance of fifteen miles, with his ox team, to get some wood, and the trip took four days on account of the snow and storms. He was one of the or- ganizers of New Avon township and served as township super- visor for ten years, and was also township clerk and treasurer for a number of years. He was director and treasurer of school district No. 14, for twenty years. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Co-operative store, elevator and creamery, all of Wa- basso, and also of the Redwood County Rural Telephone Co. Mr. Davis was married December 24, 1872, to Ellen Winslow, who was born August 15, 1852, in Maine, daughter of Elias and Sarah (Folsom) Winslow, the latter of whom died in 1882. Elias Winslow was a farmer of Maine, and later of Wisconsin, who came to Minnesota in 1871 and homesteaded in New Avon town- ship, Redwood county. In 1873 he moved to Beaver City, Neb., where he remained until his death in 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have had twelve children: Benjamin, a farmer of Montana; Bessie, wife of Robert Rathburn, a conductor on the Great North- ern Railroad, of Havre, Mont .; Cora, wife of Manley Simning, a farmer of Redwood Falls township; Nettie, now Mrs. George Lawrence, Vancouver, B. C .; Wesley, a farmer of Paxton town- ship; Mattie, who married Albert Clark, owner of a fruit ranch in Colorado, and died December, 1911; Philip, a farmer on the home place; Nellie, wife of George Parsons, proprietor of a garage in Montana; Orrin, a farmer on the home place; Edward, on a ranch in Montana; Andrew, on a ranch in Montana, and Edith, now Mrs. Samuel Robinson of Wabasso. In a recent com- munication Mr. Davis narrates some interesting reminiscences of his early career, as follows: "In 1871 I had to leave home and go somewhere to earn a little money to keep me and father through the winter, so I left father on the homestead and started for Mankato-I and a young man by the name of Daniel McPhee. We walked all the way to Mankato. It took us nearly three days to make the distance, but we were not long before we had a job. We hired out to a man by the name of Cornell, a retired minister, but his son was working the farm. They lived twenty- two miles south of Mankato in Blue Earth county. I earned some $85 and then I came back home, feeling quite good with that little money in my pocket. We pulled through the winter all right, but when spring came I was up against a hard prob- lem to get my seed for the ground which I had broken the year
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before, for my cash had nearly all disappeared. But I got it just the same and I never saw such a crop as I raised that year. I had 11 acres of wheat and got 335 bushels off of that 11 acres, and my oats went fifty-five bushels to the acre; but I did not get the threshing done until the following spring, on account of a heavy fall of snow. Some thirty-six inches of snow fell about the 21st of October and it stayed until the next spring. There was no market for wheat here, only for some which I sold to two of my neighbors, so the balance I hauled to Mankato to market. I had no horse team, only a yoke of oxen. I don't remember how long it took to make the trip, but I think it was nearly a week before I got back home again. In 1872. we had pretty good crops and I thought I had struck it big, so I got married in the winter, December 24, 1872. In 1873, about the 20th of July, the grasshoppers came and took nearly everything-all of my crop of grain, but left my potatoes, and before they went away they laid their eggs in the ground; so the next spring was a hard spring for me, but I sowed my field. But when the grain came up the hoppers began to hatch, so I had a task on my hands to get rid of them. The State sent out what they called 'Hopper Dosers,' which were sheet iron pans about eight feet long and three feet wide and eight inches deep, and some coal tar to put in the pan. I used to hitch my team to it and haul it through and around my field, and you can just bet I got a whole lot of the hoppers. Everyone that went in was a sure 'goner,' for the tar killed them. Well, I did save some of my grain, prob- ably one-third, but the hoppers stayed about five years with us, and when they left for good I was ready to go too; but I did not have any means to go, so I just stayed, and went to work with a strong desire to fight it out as long as I could. But just when I thought I had made good a hail storm came and took all of my crop-did not leave much of anything; so I had to leave my family and go to hunt work again. I did not have to go so far this time as I did before; but since the time I was hailed out I have been quite successful in all of my business. I am still living on the old homestead which I took in 1869, and am the only man except one now living in this town of New Avon that came here before 1879. I expect soon to leave the farm with my boys and move to Wabasso." The above account, given in Mr. Davis's own words, is a graphic description of what the settlers in this part of the Northwest had to contend with in pioneer days, and it is greatly to their credit that so many of them en- dured their misfortunes with a courageous spirit and "stuck it out" until better times came to reward them for their perse- verance-a reward which they certainly earned.
Robert H. Somerville, a well known real estate man of Red- wood Falls, was born in Virginia, March 28, 1849, son of Robert
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and Esther (Collins) Somerville. The father was born in Vir- ginia and came to Illinois in 1862, locating in Livingston county, where he engaged in farming and died July 5, 1907, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife died January 18, 1909, at the age of eighty years. In 1871 Robert H. Somerville began farm- ing in Illinois, where he rented a farm for ten years. Then he bought land in Livingston county, Illinois, and carried on general farming and also engaged in the real estate business. In 1904 he moved to Fairbury, Ill., and was engaged in the real estate business until 1910. He then sold out and came to Redwood Falls, Minn., where he continued in the same business. He also owns 160 acres of land in section 18, Three Lakes township, which is all fenced and well improved, and is operated by his son-in-law, C. W. Ruhl. He has a nice modern home in Redwood Falls. Mr. Somerville was married August 11, 1872, to Mary Jones, who was born Sept. 26, 1857, daughter of Robert Jones, a farmer in Michigan, who died in 1908 at the age of eighty years, and his wife Eliza (Ash) Jones, who died July 31, 1870, at the age of thirty-seven. Mr. and Mrs. Somerville have three children : Annie, born in 1874, who died at the age of seven; Josephine, born in 1877, now the wife of Clement W. Ruhl, a farmer of Three Lakes township, and who has nine children-Albert, Geneva, Helen, Melton, Agnes, Lorene, Dorothy, May and Clinton; and Louis, who died in 1879 at the age of five months.
Edwin Wells, a well known farmer of Delhi township, was born March 30, 1875, in Orangeville, Ill., son of Fred and Ellen (Kline) Wells. The father was born in Stephenson county, Illi- nois, Sept. 16, 1838, and died April 29, 1910, at Monroe, Wis. He was a progressive farmer and a man of education, well versed in various branches of knowledge. His wife was born in Penn- sylvania, Oct. 5, 1843, and died at Monroe, Wis. There were five children in the family : Sivilla, now Mrs. L. E. Rote, of Redwood county; Jennie, wife of Charles Neuschwander, of Redwood county ; Edwin; Bessie, now Mrs. Frank Bechtold, of Redwood county, and Byron, her twin brother, of Stephenson county, Illi- nois. Edwin Wells completed his education at Orangeville, Ill., and at the age of twenty-one rented his father's farm, where he lived for eleven years. Then he came to Redwood county and bought 120 acres of partially improved land in section 35, Delhi township. He has built silos, fences and outbuildings and has one of the best improved farms in the vicinity. He carries on diversified farming and keeps on an average of 25 cows for dairy purposes. His principal crops are wheat, corn, oats and barley, and he has 6 acres of alfalfa. In politics Mr. Wells is a Repub- lican. Mr. Wells was married Sept. 9, 1896, to Anna Hugelshafer, who was born Jan. 20, 1879, at Orangeville, Ill., where they were married. Her parents, Henry and Elizabeth (Knoble) Hugel-
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shafer, were born in Switzerland, but met and were married in Wisconsin. Her father, who was born in 1849, and who was in the cheese manufacturing business at Orangeville for many years, died in Orangeville, Ill., in 1897; her mother, born in 1845, is also deceased. There were six children in the family: Lizzie, deceased; Mary, now Mrs. Peter Baer, living in North Dakota; Anna, wife of Edwin Wells; Henry, of Stephenson county, Ill .; Maude, wife of John Baer, of Orangeville, Ill .; and Jennie, now Mrs. John Knoble, of Menomonie, Wis. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Well's children are: Lawrence, Grace and Ruth.
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