Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 116

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1144

USA > Montana > Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III > Part 116

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The Rev. John Hennessy is a native son of Ire- land, born near the City of Limerick, January 6, 1879, a son of Thomas and Mary Ann (Barry) Hennessy, in whose family were ten children. The father, who was a farmer, was a native of the County of Limerick, as were also his ancestors for many generations. Four of the children of Thomas and Mary Ann Hennessy, the Reverend John, the

Reverend Thomas of Roundup, Montana, and Sister Elerius and Sister Peter, are the representatives of the family in the United States.

After attending the public schools of his home community Rev. John Hennessy entered the Jesuit College in Limerick and subsequently St. Patrick's College at Thurles, and at the last named institu- tion was ordained to the priesthood on the 17th of June, 1906. Several years before his educational training was completed he had laid his plans to come to the United States, and was one of many student priests who adopted the suggestion of Cardinal Satolli and made their way to the Diocese of Mon- tana to engage in their high church callings.

Father Hennessy sailed from Queenstown on the steamer "Umbria" for New York, making the jour- ney in company with Rev. M. J. Hannan and Rev. Fr. O'Kennedy, the latter rector of the Cathedral in Helena. Father Hennessy came direct to Great Falls, Montana, and there delivered his first sermon in this state. He continued as the assistant pastor of St. Ann's Cathedral at Great Falls for 21/2 years, although prior to that time, from March, 1907, he was the builder and pastor of the church at Fort Benton. From Great Falls he was transferred to Culbertson, where he spent two years in faithful and efficient church work, and since that time he has given his life's efforts to his church at Plentywood.

Father Hennessy's connection with community work over this district is well known. He is a firm believer in the future of this region and gives freely of his time and means in any righteous direction for its improvement and development, mentally, morally and otherwise. He made the pioneer address in Plentywood for the Red Cross, delivered speeches to the soldiers who were departing for the front, and took the same personal interest in all war work which has ever characterized his activity in his church and parish. Although he espouses the prin- ciples of the democratic party in his political affilia- tions, his mind is ever open and free for honest convictions and subject to change with the demands of time.

LEONARD E. RUE, secretary and treasurer of the . Riba Lumber Company of Plentywood, was born in Glenwood, Minnesota, June 23, 1886. His father, Henry N. Rue, whose birth occurred in Pennsyl- vania, was reared in Minnesota. On September 16, 1861, he entered the service of the North as a cor- poral at Fort Snelling, and saw active service in the West under Capt. J. R. Bennett and Colonels Lester, Griggs, Andrews and Madison. The regiment was assigned to Mitchell's Brigade, Seventh Corps, Army of the Ohio, and Mr. Rue took part in the cam- paign around Vicksburg and re-enlisted as a veteran June 25, 1863, re-entering his former company and regiment.

Mr. Rue participated in the battles of Fitzhugh's Woods, Little Rock, Devall's Bluff and numerous other engagements, and during the last eighteen months of his service he was in the Ordnance De- partment at Devall's Bluff: He was discharged from the service with rank of sergeant. The regi- ment did duty in Tennessee, took part in the battle of Murfreesboro in December, 1862, and was then sent back to Minnesota to take part in the· campaign against the Sioux Indians, fighting at Wood Lake and Yellow Medicine. Mr. Rue received his final discharge from the service August 16, 1865, at Fort Snelling, with the termination of the war.

Following the termination of his military services Henry N. Rue engaged in farming and the nursery business, engaging in the latter at Glenwood, Minne- sota, and later at Bigstone, South Dakota. His death

1065

HISTORY OF MONTANA

occurred at the last named place in March, 1899, when he had reached the age of sixty-one years. In his early life he had married Matilda Movius, whose father was born in Germany, and her death oc- curred the same year as that of her husband, 1899. In their family were the following children: Essie, the wife of G. D. Riesland, of Spokane, Washing- ton; Ressie, wife of C. J. Diebold, of Balfour, North Dakota; Bessie, who married R. E. McCain, of Motts, North Dakota; Mae, wife of A. Riba, of Plentywood; Roy, whose home is in Lidgerwood, North Dakota; and Leonard, the youngest survivor of the family.

Leonard E. Rue, although born in Minnesota, spent his boyhood and youth in both North and South Dakota, spending his early life amid rural surroundings and in the home of a nurseryman. He received his advanced educational training in the Minneapolis Business College, and thus well pre- pared to enter business life he began as a stenogra- pher with Wyman, Patridge & Company, of Minne- apolis, a few months later becoming an employe of George R. Newell & Company of that city in the same capacity. He remained eight years with the Newell Company, the last three years of his con- nection therewith having been as a traveling sales- man with territory in North Dakota.

In 1909 Mr. Rue came into the locality of Plenty- wood, Montana, as a settler, and at once became identified with the lumber business in partnership with A. Riba, who established the Riba Company, Unincorporated, and Mr. Rue has since had active charge of the yard. The Riba Company has been engaged in the retail trade exclusively, and they have contributed greatly toward the substantial and permanent improvement in this locality. Mr. Rue established his home adjacent to the townsite, build- ing one of the best homes of the community, and. eventually he platted a part of his tract for town lots as the Rue Addition. The public school and Court House have been erected on this tract and many good residences have also been built, and it is now looked upon as one of the beauty spots of Plentywood.

Like other patriotic citizens during the recent World war Mr. Rue devoted his energies as a pri- vate in the support of the auxiliary work for raising funds for war purposes. He was reared in the faith of republican principles, which were in har- mony with his own convictions as he approached manhood, and his first presidential vote was given to Mr. Taft, and he has ever since continued to give his allegiance to the republican party. His only fraternal affiliations are with the Masonic Order, and he is secretary of the Plentywood Lodge of Masons.

At Balfour, North Dakota, in March, 1912, Mr. Rue was united in marriage with Miss Ethel Max- well, who was born in Minnesota in May, 1891, the oldest of the four children of Frank Maxwell, who was engaged in the hotel business at Balfour. He was born in Wisconsin, going from there to Apple- ton, Minnesota, and finally to Balfour, North Da- kota. Mrs. Rue was educated in the public schools, and completed a musical training as a pianist at Jamestown, North Dakota. Two sons, Stanley and Roy, have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rue.

CHESTER J. BEISEKER, the cashier of the Sheridan County State Bank, is associated with one of the leading financial institutions of Montana. The Sheri- dan County State Bank was established in July, 1914, with T. L. Beiseker president and C. J. Bei- . seker cashier, and the personnel remains the same at the present time. The bank was incorporated

with a capital of $20,000, and the statement of the institution at the close of business December 31, 1919, showed deposits of $534,000 and surplus and undivided profits of $15,000.

Chester J. Beiseker came to Montana from Minne- sota, where he was born at Austin, March 14, 1888, a son of one of the early day barrel makers of Minne- sota, Charles N. Beiseker, who later sold farm loans or investments and is now living retired. He was born in the City of New York in 1847, of German ancestry, and he grew to mature years in that state and received a limited training in its public schools. When about twenty-two years of age he went to Minnesota and started life at Austin without capi- tal, making his way in the business world with his own unaided efforts. During the Civil war he served with a New York regiment, and his political support has been given to the republican party.

Before leaving New York City Mr. Beiseker mar- ried Miss Catherine Riley, a daughter of Thomas Riley, who brought his family to the United States from Ireland when Mrs. Beiseker was three years old. He was a farmer by occupation, and was acci- dentally killed by a runaway team. Mr. and Mrs. Beiseker became the parents of the following chil- dren: Thomas L., whose home is in' Fessenden, North Dakota; Mrs. John W. Shelby, of Mitchell, South Dakota; Mrs. William Metzger, of Portal, North Dakota; Henry L., who resides in Minneapo- lis; Mrs. J. W. Yelland, also of Minneapolis; Ar- thur N., whose home is in Harvey, North Dakota; Mrs. William N. Roberts, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Chester J., the Plentywood banker.

After completing his high school training at Austin, Minnesota, Chester J. Beiseker secured the position of bookkeeper in the Wells County State Bank at Fessenden, North Dakota. He was subse- quently connected with similar institutions in a cler- ical capacity, finally working his way up to the position of bank cashier, and he was thus engaged at Columbus, North Dakota, when he decided to try his fortunes in Montana. He arrived in Plenty- wood in May, 1914, and in July of the same year, in company with T. L. Beiseker, he organized the Sheridan County State Bank and became its cashier.

Since locating in Montana Mr. Beiseker has also taken an active interest in its agricultural develop- ment, and in 1916, associated with H. T. Martin of Poplar, he engaged in farming some 10,000 acres in Roosevelt County. The proposition is on the Fort Peck Reservation, where they are leasing and buy- ing lands extensively and beginning the work at the grass roots. Their efforts have been directed toward the production of wheat and flax, and since the in- auguration of their efforts they have had two fairly good crops. Scientific methods are employed, and it was through the success of their efforts that the Morgan Syndicate started an extensive proposition on the same reservation. The property has been substantially improved, two sets of improvements having been erected, twenty miles of three-wire fence have been built, and an inventory of the property shows an investment of $180,000.

Mr. Beiseker married at Columbus, North Da- kota, in February, 1912, Miss Hilda Grina, who was born at Rothsay, Minnesota, in 1889, and they have one son, Norman born in March, 1913.

REX M. MovIus. The roster of the public offi- cials of Sheridan County enrolls the name of Rex M. Movius, the county treasurer. He was born at Big Stone, South Dakota, November 28, 1888, but his boyhood days were spent at Lidgerwood, North Dakota, and he completed his educational training in the Northwestern University of Chicago, where he

1066

HISTORY OF MONTANA

had two years of literary work, and in the business college at Mankato, Minnesota. He is a son of' William R. Movius and a grandson of the founder of the family in America, who came from Germany and established his home in South Dakota, finally removing to Glenwood, Minnesota, where he entered public land. He died in that state and lies buried at Lidgerwood, North Dakota, by the side of his wife, who survived him for several years. The children in this old German family were: Albert, who died at Bowbells, South Dakota; William R., of Santa Barbara, California; Ernest, of Lidger- wood; John R., also of Lidgerwood; Emil, who died at that place; and Mary, the only daughter, is cashier of the First National Bank of Lidgerwood.

William R. Movius was born in Prussia, Germany, and was a youth of sixteen when he accompanied his parents to the United States and located with them on the shores of Big Stone Lake in South Dakota. They were among the early pioneers there, and for a time they conducted a small general store and traded with the Sioux tribe of Indians. The son William entered upon his independent business career at Big Stone, South Dakota, building there a water-power mill on the Minnesota River and followed milling for several vears. Going then to Lidgerwood, North Dakota, he built a flour mill there in 1890, which was destroyed by fire a few years later and was replaced by a larger mill. Mr. Movius continued his milling industry there until 1918, when he sold the mill and retired from busi- ness. He came then into Montana and located near his three sons in Billings, but later disposed of his home there and for the protection of his health moved to California.

William R. Movius married a native daughter of Minnesota, Marcella J. Murray, whose father was from Nova Scotia. The children born to this union are: Arthur, of Billings, Montana; Winifred, of Santa Barbara, California; Marcella, the wife of Dr. N. J. Shields, of San Luis Obispo, California ; Pearl, wife of Arthur J. Rosecranz, of Lidgerwood, North Dakota; Rex M., of Plentywood; Walter R., whose home is also at Billings; Harold E., Hysham, Montana; and Margaret, the wife of Herman J. Warren, of Mobile, Alabama.

Rex M. Movius began his independent business career at St. James, Minnesota, as relief man in a bank there, subsequently became savings teller in the Harris Trust & Savings Bank of Chicago, and then after spending another period as relief man at St. James, he came out to Montana in the fall of 1912. Locating first at Medicine Lake, he secured the position of bookkeeper and teller in the Security State Bank there, later spent a brief period in the First State Bank of Froid, Montana, and was then sent to Plentywood by the newly elected county treasurer to act as his deputy in the treasurer's office. Mr. Movius opened the books and performed the initial work of the office, continuing as the deputy treasurer during Mr. Anderson's administration. He then became an independent candidate for the office in the fall, but meeting defeat continued in the office as deputy for the new treasurer. But again resuming his banking interests, Mr. Movius entered the First National Bank at Plentywood as teller, and remained with that banking house until elected the treasurer of Sheridan County in November, 1916, and two years later was re-elected as the successor to R. C. Stanfield.

On the 10th of June, 1914, at St. James, Minne- sota, Mr. Movius was married to Miss Sadie M. Schoffman, who was born in that Minnesota town, a daughter of Frank Schoffman, who gave his in- dustrial life to merchandising and farming. He was

born in Wisconsin, and is now a retired business man of St. James. Mrs. Movius after graduating from the high school of her native town spent some time as a student in the Mankato Normal. She was the fourth born of her parents' five children, the others being William, George, Rollie and Rose.

Although reared under the influence of democratic principles, Mr. Movius espoused the cause of the republicans when he reached the age of maturity, voting for Colonel Roosevelt in 1912 and for Mr. Hughes in 1916, and he made the race for the treasurer's office on the republican ticket. He is a member of both the Odd Fellows and Elks at Wil- liston, North Dakota. During the participation of this country in the World war Mr. Movius was chairman of the Thrift Stamp Committee and was otherwise active in war relief work, and Mrs. Movius was an active and efficient worker in the local Red Cross.

EDWARD S. POWERS. As one of the developers of the Town of Medicine Lake, Edward S. Powers has gained a distinctive place in the history of the locality. He came into this community as a set- tler in May, 1912, and engaged in the banking busi- ness, first as assistant cashier and later became cashier of the First State Bank of Medicine Lake, succeeding P. J. Eie in that office.

The First State Bank of Medicine Lake was founded in 1909 by R. P. Bowman, P. J. Eie and Edward Egan, Mr. Bowman becoming its first presi- dent. This banking house now has a capital of $20,000, with surplus and undivided profits in 1019 of $35,000.00, and deposits in December, 1919 of $177,000. Mr. Powers became the cashier of the bank in January, 1913.

Edward S. Powers was born at Lake Geneva, Walworth County, Wisconsin, June 20, 1885, and was reared in the locality of his birth. He is a son of Richard Powers, also a native of the Lake Geneva locality of Wisconsin and now a retired farmer there. Although he spent his active life as a farmer, Richard Powers was also identified with banking and with the municipal affairs of Lake Geneva.

Richard Powers was married in his early life to Bridget Cassin, and they became the parents of the following children: Mrs. T. O. Cody, of Chicago, Illinois; May, whose home is at Lake Geneva, Wis- consin; William, of Bainville, Montana; Edward S., the banker of Medicine Lake; and John, a resident of Havana, North Dakota.

After graduating from the Lake Geneva High School at the age of twenty Edward S. Powers entered upon his business career as a clerk. From his native town he came to Montana in 1908 and became one of the prominent early business men of Bainville, where he was associated in the or- ganization of the Farmers Bank. He was made the assistant cashier of that banking house and continued it for three years, coming then to Medi- cine Lake and becoming the cashier of the First State Bank.

As one of the early developers of the town Mr. Powers became a stockholder in the telephone com- pany, in the farmers' elevator and in the Medicine Lake Flouring Mill. He has also engaged to some extent in farming since he came to this locality, chiefly as a wheat raiser. He has served Medicine Lake as an alderman since its corporation, and for a time was also clerk of its school board, and is the president of the Commercial Club. During the World war he served as chairman of several of the Liberty Loan drives made in Medicine Lake, was chairman of the "Four Minute Men" and of

1067

HISTORY OF MONTANA

the War Savings drive, and represented his local- ity in county meetings and in the interests of war matters.

At Milwaukee, Wisconsin, November 22, 1915, Mr. Powers was married to Miss Mary Mulcahy, who was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 27, 1886, a daughter of Thomas Mulcahy, of Irish birth and who served many years in the postoffice at Minneapolis, Minnesota. His death occurred later in that city. Mrs. Powers is one of a large family of children. She received her advanced educational training in the St. Cloud Normal School, of which she is a graduate, and from that time until her marriage she was engaged in teaching. Two sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Powers, Richard E., born November 27, 1917, and John Thomas, born August 26, 1919.

WILBERT MOWATT, M. D. The first civilian physi- cian to practice over the locality including Wolf Point was Dr. Wilbert Mowatt. Dr. Mowatt was also the first of the medical profession to make his residence and open an office in the new town, where he began practice in February, 1914.

Dr. Mowatt, who has had nearly a quarter of a century of active professional experience, was born in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, February 16, 1870. His father was a distinguished Presbyterian clergy- man, Rev. Andrew Joseph Mowatt, a native of Woodstock, New Brunswick, and of Scotch par- entage. Rev. Mr. Mowatt married Louisa J. Annand, who was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, came to America with her parents and grew up in Nova Scotia. She was married at Gays River, where Rev. Mowatt had taught school. The latter gradu- ated in both the liberal arts and theological courses from Dalhousie College in Halifax, and later was given the honorary degree D. D. by McGill Uni- versity. He was active in the labors of the ministry for forty-three years, dropping dead in his pulpit

in Erskine Church, Montreal, in 1900, at the age of seventy-three. His widow returned to Scotland for a visit in 1901, and died of heart failure at Fort William on the banks of Lake Loch Lomond. Rev. Mr. Mowatt and wife had the following family : Doctor Wilbert; Oswald, a druggist at Montreal; Helen Louise, wife of Thomas Sidey, Professor of Classical Languages in Washington State Uni- versity; Rev. Edward E., a Presbyterian clergy- man at Chipman, New Brunswick; Joseph A., who left his duties as a Presbyterian missionary in the British army, served through the World war, com- ing out with the rank of major, and has since re- sumed his missionary duties; E. Rae, wife of Rev. George Christie, of Landsdown Station, Nova Scotia; Alice, a trained nurse at Montreal; and Edith, wife of Clarence Christie, a consulting elec- trical engineer and professor of engineering in Mc- Gill University.

Doctor Mowatt spent most of his boyhood and youth at Frederickton, New Brunswick, and in 1891 accompanied the family to Montreal. He was edu- cated in the high school at Frederickton, graduated with the A. B. degree in 1891 from the University of New Brunswick, and took his medical studies in McGill University at Montreal, graduating in 1896. After six months in the Montreal Maternity Hospital he came to the United States and began practice in North Dakota at Grafton, but after a year practiced at Walhalla until he came to Wolf Point in 1914. At Wolf Point his first office was in his residence, but shortly was moved to the upper floors of the old Herald Building, and when that structure was burned in the following July all his office and household effects were destroyed. It was

a loss that might well have discouraged him, but he showed his faith in the new town and community and was rewarded by a profitable practice and was also a helpful factor in the development of the community. At the time of the war he enlisted for the medical service, but a defect in his hand caused his rejection, and he had to be content to serve as a member of the Volunteer Service Corps. He made his first declaration of American citizenship at Graf- ton, taking his final papers at Pembina. His pref- erence in politics is shown by his record of having supported Colonel Roosevelt in 1904, Mr. Taft in 1908, Colonel Roosevelt in 1912, and Mr. Hughes in 1916. He took his first degrees in Masonry .at Rolette, North Dakota, is now affiliated with Loyalty Lodge No. 121 at Wolf Point, and is a member of the Helena Scottish Rite Consistory and Algeria Temple of the Mystic Shrine.

At Walhalla, North Dakota, November 17, 1897, Doctor Mowatt married Miss Claire F. Embury, who was born at Sarnia, Ontario, in September, 1875, being one of the family of two sons and three daughters of her parents. Her remote paternal an- cestor was Philip Embury, the founder of Method- ism in America and the first Methodist Bishop. Her mother's maiden name was Esther Shurtliff, whose forefathers were colonial settlers. Doctor and Mrs. Mowatt have two children, Shirley Embury and Esther Louise. Shirley Embury is a graduate of the Wolf Point High School and now attend- ing the University of Southern California. Esther Louise graduated from Wolf Point eighth grade and is now attending the Los Angeles High School. Doctor Mowatt and family moved to Los Angeles, California, July 22, 1920, and Doctor Mowatt will follow his profession in that city.

JOHN LISTERUD was one of the first business men to give vitality to the new Town of Wolf Point. He has been connected with several phases of com- mercial enterprise there during the past decade, and his achievements and influence are very likely to be regarded as the pioneer foundation stone of the community in future years.

Mr. Listerud was born at the farm of Listerud, about a dozen miles from Christiania, Norway, August II, 1863. His father Hans Listerud, was born April 4, 1838, was a Norwegian farmer, and when his son John was five years of age brought his family to the United States and settled in Ren- ville County, Minnesota. He homesteaded and spent the rest of his active life as a farmer in that state. He developed and improved his claim, and sold it some years before leaving Minnesota. He acquired the English language readily, went through the process of naturalization, and became a man of influ- ence in his locality and in the republican party. He was elected and served as treasurer of Ren- ville County for fourteen years, probably the long- est incumbency in that office up to the time. When he retired from office he came out to Montana the same year as his son John, and spent the rest of his life at Wolf Point. He died in 1917. He was a member of the Lutheran Church. His wife, Martha Hager, now lives with her daughter at Wolf Point at the age of eighty-three. They had a large family of children, namely: Petra, wife of A. C. Nedrud, of Minot, North Dakota; Clara, wife of David Scholl of Sacred Heart, Minnesota; Peter, of Minneapolis Minnesota; John; Martin, who died at Belleview, Minnesota, leaving two children; Bert, of Sacred Heart, Minnesota; Deoline, Mrs. Henry . Urban, of Wolf Point; Oline, wife of Morris Lund, a farmer near Wolf Point; and Henry, of Sawyer, North Dakota.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 116

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society Number of Pages: 1144

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1144