USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date, Vol. II > Part 47
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Nels K. (the father) in his first five years in America, worked for farmers near Janesville during the summer months, and spent his time in northern Wisconsin in the pine timbers near Wausau, lumbering in the winter months, being a great man with the ax. At the time he worked in the woods, money was hard to get, he having to take lumber for his wages, lumber there being worth $3 a thousand feet. He had during the five years accumulated 160,000 feet of lumber for wages. Now he wanted to sell his lumber. but how? Well, he was going to make something count, but it required courage to run the rap- ids of the Wisconsin river with a raft of lumber them days. He had the courage. He made a raft of the 160.000 feet, also 30,000 feet belonging to Mr. Goodhue (his employer), of which he was
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to get one-half for taking along. He hired seven men with him and started about twelve miles above Wausau, his destination being Alton, Ill. Through many trying and threatening places did he, after six weeks' labor down the river, come out safe, and the reader of this sketch can imagine how he would feel when, not having seen much money, found himself in possession of $2,500 in gold, after having paid all expenses. But this fin- ished his lumbering. While at Alton, Ill., he was taken sick with the disease called ague, but not worse than he could continue his journey to Rock county, he made his home with Mr. Hen- drick Rime (father of the present owner, O. H. Rime, in Section 19, town of Plymouth). The ague was coming on worse and he was laid up all summer; that was in the year 1853. On the following 4th of March he was married to Guri Halvorsdatter Hersgaard (who was living with her parents at that time in Section 19, town of Plymouth). Shortly after their marriage, Mr. Hesgard purchased 160 acres in Sections 18 and 19, making his future home there, which he improved, erecting a large stone house and many other buildings. His luck was not al- ways forward. After having completed his building, fire was started in the basement by one of the children and all the frame work was destroyed. This happened on Christ Ascension day, 1868, he and family having just returned from church. He carried no insurance at that time. He immediately commenced to rebuild and by Christmas, same year, again moved into the stone dwelling, where he lived many years and reared his fam- ily. Adding to his original purchase from time to time, he fin- ally owned 240 acres in Plymouth township, besides forty acres of timber land in Spring Valley township, where he and his wife now-1907-make their home, he being eighty-three years of age, his wife sixty-nine, both in good health at this writing. He has always carried on general farming and stock raising, and grown tobacco to a limited extent. He has always been a thrifty and progressive man, highly esteemed for his manly character. He is a Republican in politics, and in religious faith is affiliated with the Luther Valley Church.
Charles J. received a good English education in the district schools of his township and lived at home, helping on the farm until he attained his manhood; then bought of his father one- half of the homestead in Section 18, on which He erected a
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spacious frame dwelling house, commodious and substantial barns and other buildings, and supplied with all the facilities needed in carrying on an up-to-date farm. Besides general farming, he engages somewhat extensively as a grower of and dealer in tobacco, and is in every sense a successful man, who ranks among the most respected citizens of his community. In politics he is a Republican, and for two years served as treas- urer of Plymouth township and for nine years served as clerk of the school board. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and a member and one of the trustees, as well as secretary, of the Luther Valley Church.
On November 2, 1893, Mr. Hesgard married Miss Clara, daughter of Louis and Isabella (Rostad) Aamoth, the latter being a sister of Mr. K. C. Rostad, of Orfordville (a sketch of whom appears in this work). Mrs. Hesgard is a native of Minne- sota, she being on a visit to Wisconsin when she became be- trothed to Mr. Hesgard. Her parents now-1907-live at Twin Valley, Minnesota, her father being a retired farmer, a man of influence and the owner of large property interests. Mrs. Hes- gard was educated in her native state and is also a member of the Luther Valley Church. Mr. and Mrs. Hesgard have six children, viz .: Nile, Louis, Geneva, Coyne, Kenneth and Inez, all of whom were born on the homestead place in Plymouth township.
Of the six surviving brothers and sisters of Mr. Hesgard, Randa is married to Mr. Henry Hendrickson and lives in Trail county, North Dakota; Barbara is the wife of Mr. H. C. Eidahl, a farmer of Plymouth township; Halvor N. is a tobacco dealer at Orfordville; Nels is a farmer and lives on the homestead place ; Julia is married to Mr. C. C. Gilbertson and lives in Spring Valley township, and Gustav, not married, lives with his par- ents at present. Those deceased died in infancy or early child- hood, except two, who reached the age of forty-two.
Johan Arndt Bergh, who was born at Kristiania Stift, Nor- way, on January 12, 1847, is the son of Ole A. and Cecil (Johan- son) Bergh, both natives of Norway. where the mother died in 1853. The father. a clergyman, came to the United States in 1860 and settled in Minnesota, and in 1868 took charge of a church at Kasson, that state. After a number of years of faith- ful service he retired from the active ministry, and is now-
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1907-living at Northfield, Minnesota, being eighty-eight years of age.
When our subject was thirteen years old he accompanied his father to this country. In his native land he had good edu- cational privileges in the private high school at Kristiania, and after coming to this country studied successfully at Paxton, Ill., and Marshall, Wis., being graduated from the theological de- partment of the Augsburg Seminary in 1871. The same years he was ordained to the gospel ministry by Rev. C. L. Clausen, and accepted a call from Tordenskjold and other congregations in Ottertail county, Minnesota. Thence he removed to Iowa in 1877, and five years later settled at his present home in Plym- outh township, Rock county, Wisconsin. Here he has had charge of the Luther Valley congregations, one of the oldest and largest Norwegian Lutheran churches in the country. Aside from his arduous pastoral duties, Mr. Bergh has been a prolific contributor to journalism and literature. Beginning as a con- tributor to various papers, he afterwards became editor-in-chief of "Ugeblad" and editor and publisher of the "Monthly Kirke- niog Hjemmet." Some of his noted newspaper articles related to the historical controversies in the Norwegian Lutheran church, and his book, "Den Gamle og Nye Retning," is an exposition of a controversy which had its origin in the conference in 1882. Among his books are "Underfuld Bonhorelse," I "Sidste Oie- blik," "Livsbilleder," and I "Ledige Stunder," all being edu- cational and devotional in character.
In 1873 Mr. Bergh married Miss Birgitta Meland, who died June 1, 1897. Of six children born to them, Edwin O., born at Fergus Falls, Minn., now lives at Craik, Canada, engaged in merchandizing; Sophie, born at Fergus Falls, is married to Rev. J. R. Lavik, of Vermillion, S. D .; August B., born at Quandahl, Iowa, is a minister of the Norwegian church at Los Angeles, Cal .; Johan A., born in Rock county, Wisconsin, is a graduate of the Theological Seminary at St. Paul, Minn., while Sigurd U. and Edith C., both natives of Rock county, are students at St. Olof College, Northfield, Minn. On December 29, 1898, Mr. Bergh married Miss Bergitha, a daughter of Hans and Bergitha Huse- moen, who were among the early settlers of Newark township, in Rock county, where the father was for many years a pros-
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perous and influential farmer. He lived to be ninety-four years of age and died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bergh.
Rev. Mr. Bergh is a man of commanding influence in his community, greatly beloved by his people, and honored and es- teemed by all, and in the fall of 1907 celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his coming to his present pastorate.
Knud N. Grunhuvd, one of Roek county's substantial farm- ers and influential citizens, was born in Winnebago county, Iowa, September 17, 1860. He was the fifth and next to the youngest child of Narve E. and Kari H. (Esphsette) Grunhuvd, the for- mer a native of Eggedahl and the latter of Hallingdahl, Norway. They were married in Norway in 1848, and in 1855 eame to the United States and settled in Plymouth township, Roek county, Wisconsin, on the farm now owned by our subjeet. In 1856, with a colony of twelve families from the same neighborhood, all of whom had come from Norway at the same time, they moved to Winnebago county, Iowa, where they passed the re- mainder of their lives-the father dying in the spring and the mother in the autumn of 1864, and leaving a family of six children.
Soon after the death of his parents, our subject being then four years old, came to live with his unele, Mr. Ole Gullek, an early settler of Plymouth township, who came thither from Nor- way, his native land, in 1842, being then seventeen years of age. Our subjeet was reared by this uncle, who had no children, and received his preliminary education in the distriet schools of Plymouth township. He then attended the Brodhead high school, after which he pursued a course of study at the State Normal school at Whitewater, and on May 16, 1884, was grad- uated from the Northwestern Business College at Madison. Dur- ing the next nine years he devoted his principal attention to teaching school in Rock county. In 1892 Mr. Grunhuvd pur- chased his unele's farm of 193 acres in Section 19, Plymouth township, which he now owns, and where, for fifteen years, he has been engaged in general farming and stock raising. He also grows tobacco on an extensive seale and carries on a cigar .factory on the home place.
Mr. Grunhuvd takes an active and commendable interest in publie affairs and served nine consecutive years as assessor of Plymouth township. He has been three years chairman of the
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town board, and has also served as delegate to the Republican state convention. In religious faith he is affiliated with the Lu- ther Valley Church, which he has served as its treasurer during the fifteen years last past, still holding that office.
On June 10, 1886, Mr. Grunhuvd married Miss Randy Med- gorden, a native of Plymouth township and daughter of H- H. and Engeborg (Hesgard) Medgorden. Her father was a farmer by occupation; he served four years in the Civil War and died when fifty years of age at his home, where his widow still resides. His remains are interred in the Luther Valley cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Grunhuvd have an interesting family of six chil- dren, viz .: Norris, born June 18, 1887; Clara, born September 29. 1889, a graduate of Orfordville high school and now a stu- dent at the St. Olof College, Northfield, Minn .; Henry, born De- cember 25, 1893; Imer, born September 18, 1895; Cornelius, born August 27, 1899, and Russell, born June 26, 1902.
John O. Fossum, a native of Norway, was born September 29. 1846, and is the son of Ole and Mary Johnson, both natives of Norway, where the father was engaged in farming. On April 25, 1866, the parents, with their family of four sons and two daughters, left their native land, and after a long, weary and tedious journey, on July 6, reached Rock county, Wisconsin, whence a little later they went to Richland county, where the father bought a farm of 100 acres, which he improved and where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. He died at the age of eighty-three and she at the age of seventy-five years. They were members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and high- ly respected people in their community.
Of seven children born to them (one after settling in Wis- consin) five are now living.
John O. was educated in his native place and after coming to Wisconsin assumed the name "Fossum" in place of his sur- name-"Johnson." When his parents settled in Richland coun- ty he remained in Rock county, and during the following eigh- teen years worked by the month as a farm hand for various farmers in the county. He was a young man of thrift, indus- trious and economical, and with his savings bought a farm in Section 33, Plymouth township, which now comprises 190 acres of well improved land. Mr. Fossum has erected a fine modern
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dwelling house and spacious barns and out buildings, and car- ries on in the most approved manner general farming and stock raising, also engaging extensively in tobacco growing and dairy- ing, having a creamery on the home farm. Mr. Fossum is a man of public spirit-a Republican in politics and has served several terms as supervisor of Plymouth township. With his family he is connected with the Luther Valley Church.
On September 18, 1883, Mr. Fossum married Miss Jane, a daughter of Nels L. Fossum, who came to the United States from Norway about the year 1844 and settled in Plymouth town- ship, where he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Fossum was born in Plymouth township, educated in the district schools there. Mr. and Mrs. Fossum have an interest- ing family of three sons and one daughter: Minnie A., Norman O., Alfred B. and Jay L., and live surrounded with domestic comforts and in the full enjoyment of a beautiful and happy home.
Thomas Holmes, one of the pioneer settlers of Rock county, Wisconsin, was a native of Londonderry, N. H. He was born March 16, 1813, and was the second of a family of four children born to John and Sarah (Anderson) Holmes, both of whom were of Puritan lineage. Of their other children, the eldest. James, was a Congregational minister and also served as a missionary in Ohio in an early day. His death occurred in 1888. The third child, Caroline, lived in Massachusetts and was married to Rev. William Murdock, deceased; she died about 1890. John A., the fourth child, was one of the early settlers of Rock county and died in Beloit, Wis., in 1898.
In 1819, when our subject was about six years old, and all her children were young, the mother died, and a year later the father married Miss Mary, daughter of Mr. William Adams, of Darien, N. H., who assumed the care of the family of young children, and raised them as tenderly and lovingly as their own mother could have done. Both she and the first Mrs. Holmes were women of noble Christian character and devoted members of the Presbyterian church, of which the father was also a mem- ber and for several years an elder. He died at Londonderry, N. H., about the year 1851.
Thomas had good educational advantages, attending the com- mon schools of his native place and the Andover Academy, and
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on attaining his majority went to Pittsburg, Penn., and engaged in teaching. In 1838 he took employment as a clerk in a whole- sale grocery house of Pittsburg, and a little later engaged in the retail boot and shoe trade on his own account, and so con- tinued till 1842, when he closed his business and going to Water- town, Ohio, there engaged in general merchandizing about seven years. Closing out his stock of goods in 1849 he returned to New Hampshire and remained at home till after the death of his father in 1851 and then resumed his occupation of general merehandizing at Cordaville, Mass. With a view to widening the scope of his activities he, in 1853, closed his business affairs in the East, and coming West, settled in Roek county, Wiscon- sin, where he had previously purchased a traet of unimproved land in Section 8, Turtle township. Here he built a rude log house, where, with his family, he experienced all the privations and hardships incident to pioneer life. He lived here three years, and in 1856 resumed merchandizing, opening a general store in the little town of Shopiere, which he carried on with good suceess till 1877, after which time until his decease in 1889, he devoted his attention to his farming interests.
Throughout his long and varied life, Mr. Holmes prospered in his business affairs, and at the time of his death was the owner of several hundred acres of land besides much personal and other valuable property. He was decidedly a man of affairs, public spirited withal, and took an active interest in all that pertained to the good of his community and his fellow men. He was a Republican in politics and filled many local offices ?" various times. Both he and his wife were honored members of the Congregational Church.
On August 13, 1840, Mr. Holmes married Miss Mary A., daughter of Gabriel and Olive (Fay) Parker, who was born in Worcester, Mass., January 17, 1812. Her parents, also natives of Massachusetts, were devoted members of the Congregational Church, in which the father served as a deacon many years.
Mr. and Mrs. Holmes had two children, both of whom are now deceased. Their son, John A. Holmes, who was born Feb- ruary 22, 1847, died in his twenty-fifth year, in 1872; he married Miss Eleanor A. Farr, who was born in Lancaster, N. H., and who now resides with her daughter at Tiffany, Wis. To John A. and Eleanor (Farr) Holmes was born one child, Nellie, who
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is married to Mr. Daniel M. Spieer, who was born in the state of Kansas on May 2, 1873, to Daniel, native of Canada, and Clara (Burton) Spicer, of Illinois.
Mr. Spicer lives at Tiffany. Roek county, where he is en- gaged in farming and also conducts a creamery, and where he ranks among the younger class of enterprising and wide-awake citizens. Mr. and Mrs. Spieer have two children, Eleanor and Louise.
Charles K. Synstegard, is a progressive, well-to-do farmer of Spring Valley township, Roek county, Wisconsin. He was born there on October 26, 1862, and is the fourth of eleven chil- dren, seven of whom are now-1907-living, born to Knudt and Maggie (Armernd) Synstegard. The parents came to this coun- try from Norway, their native land, about 1853, before their marriage, the ocean voyage taking fourteen weeks. Arriving at Milwaukee they walked to Rock county, where the father bought 220 acres of land in Avon township, which he improved and where he made a home and reared his family and lived un- til about 1897, when he retired and moved to Beloit, where he now resides. The mother, a woman of estimable character, a devoted wife and loving mother, died at Beloit in 1906 at the age of seventy-one years. She was a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church, to which her husband also belongs.
Charles K. attended the distriet schools of his native place and lived at home during his early life. After starting out for himself he worked different farms on shares for some years, and finally, in 1901, bought his present farm of 157 aeres in Section 26, Spring Valley township, where he now lives. Mr. Synstegard is one of the oldest tobacco growers in his section of the county, and besides carrying on that branch of industry on an extensive scale, he is engaged in general farming and stock raising. His place is under a high state of cultivation and well equipped with the necessary appliances of an up-to-date farm. Mr. Synstegard has always devoted himself closely to his own affairs, never seek- ing or caring for public office. In politics he is a Republican, and in religious faith is affiliated with the Norwegian Lutheran church at Orfordville.
In 1892 Mr. Synstegard married Miss Hattie, daughter of Levi and Mary (Morse) Ross, early settlers of Avon township, Mr. Ross owning a fine farm of 165 aeres.
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Both parents died in middle life, the mother when Mrs. Synstegard was four years old and the father six years later. They had nine children, of whom seven are now-1907-living.
Mrs. Synstegard was educated in the schools of her native place and the public schools at Brodhead, and was for a num- ber of years a successful teacher in the schools of Spring Val- ley, Avon and Newark townships. Of four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Synstegard, the oldest, Mabel, was born in Brodhead; Kenneth died when two weeks old; Sophia was born in Newark township, and the youngest died at birth, unnamed.
Herbert C. Risum, who belongs to the youngest class of Rock county's prosperous and progressive farmers, was born in Spring Valley township on March 8, 1881, to Carl and Barbara (Thor- son) Risum, the former a native of Norway, who, when a child of seven years, came to this country with his parents, who set- tled in Spring Valley township, where our subjeet's father grew to manhood. He purchased the farm of 120 acres in Spring Val- ley township on which our subject now lives, and improved it with a fine dwelling house and large stoek and grain barns, and all the equipments of an up-to-date farm, and there made his home with his family until his decease, in 1899, at the age of fifty-two years. His widow, who survived him four years, was a native of Rock county and a daughter of Knudt Thorson, an early settler of the county, who died in 1903. Our subject's parents were both members of the Norwegian Lutheran church, of Plymouth township, and their bodies are interred side by side in the East cemetery. Of seven children born to them five are now-1907-living.
Herbert C. received his education in the distriet schools of his native place and at Stoughton Academy, and during his boyhood assisted in the farm work. After the death of his father he took charge of the home farm and has since carried it on, engaged in general farming, dairying and stock raising. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Plymouth township and a young man of high standing in the community.
On January 4, 1905, Mr. Risum married Miss Mae Castater, who was born and educated in Spring Valley township, also graduated from the Brodhead high school. They have one child, Celia Blanche, born April 3, 1906. Mrs. Risum's father, Mr. Early M. Castater, is a prosperous farmer of Spring Valley.
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He was born in Bureau county, Illinois, on June 13, 1858, and is a son of Daniel E. and Catherine P. (Adams) Castater, who came from Illinois to Rock county at an early day. Mr. Casta- ter has a beautiful farm of forty acres in Section 34, Spring Valley township, and is an extensive grower of tobacco, besides his general farming and stock raising. He is a man of influence in the community, a member of the Unitarian church and in poli- tics an Independent.
On February 20, 1880, he married Miss Clara E. Shotwell, a native of Genesee county, Michigan, who, when four years of age, went with her parents to Iowa and five years later settled in Spring Valley township. Here the father was engaged in farming many years, but about 1887 moved to Nashville, Tenn., and there died on July 5, 1907. His wife's death occurred November 4, 1880.
Of seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Castater, the five surviving are, besides Mrs. Risum, Ray, Kit, Ned and DeWitt, who live at home. Sam died at the age of seventeen years and Addie died in infancy.
Ole P. Gaarder, one of Rock county's substantial and repre- sentative citizens, was born in Spring Valley township, on the farm where he now resides, July 9, 1844. He is a son of Peter and Randine (Gaarder) Gaarder, who, soon after their marriage, immigrated from Norway, their native land, to this country, the ocean voyage being more than thirteen weeks. They settled in Rock county in 1843, making the journey from Milwaukee withį ox teams, and lived the first year with another family. The father then bought a quarter section of land in Spring Valley township, on which he built a log cabin and made a home for himself and family, and there lived until his death at the age of seventy-five years, engaged in farming and stock raising. He was a thrifty, prosperous man and owned, besides the home- stead, eighty acres in Plymouth township. He was a man of manly, upright character, an honored member of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Newark, being one of its organizers and a generous contributor towards its building and support. His widow died some years later and her body was laid by the side of his in the Newark Lutheran cemetery. They had nine chil- dren, of whom two, besides our subject, are now living, viz. :
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Andrew, a resident of Orfordville, and Hans P., who lives in Worth county, Iowa.
Ole P. received his education in the district schools of the neighborhood and passed his early life on his father's farm. Later he purchased a part of the homestead and added to it adjoining land which he bought from his brother in Section 25. and comprising in all 300 acres. The place is finely improved with a good class of buildings erected by Mr. Gaarder, and other equipments and appliances which go to make the modern model farm, Mr. Gaarder being engaged in general farming and in breeding and raising high grade farm stock.
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