Lyon County, Minnesota - Biographical sketches, 1912 (part 11 of 17)

Our subject was born on the farm in Westerheim December 28, 18 87. He attended school in Marshall, later went to St. Michael's School in New Ulm, and then returned to Marshall and entered St. Joseph's Academy. When he was fifteen his parents took him to Europe, and he attended in turn the Little Seminary in Rouler, Belgium, and the St. Joseph Institute at La Lauviere, French Belgium, learning at these schools to read and write Netherlandish, French and German.

Returning to Marshall, Charles was graduated from the Marshall High School in 1908, and in the fall he entered the State University with twenty-three full high school credits, gained in Europe and the Marshall High School. He was graduated from the Law Department of the State University in 1911 and in April of that year entered into partnership with James Von Williams, a Marshall boy, and under the firm name of Williams & De Reu they have since practised law, having offices on the second floor of the Williams Building on Main Street. Both young men are well educated, young, hustling American citizens, and the firm's success seems assured.

HERMAN A. VAN UDEN (1892) is the proprietor of Riverside Farm, the northeast quarter and the north half of the northwest quarter of section 3 5, Shelburne township. Mr. Van Uden has lived in Lyon county since he was twenty years of age and all his business operations have been here. He started with nothing, but by hard work he has prospered and accumulated a nice little fortune. He is a true lover of Lyon county and its institutions.

By birth Mr. Van Uden is a Hollander, and April 27, 1872, was the date of his nativity. His father, John Van Uden, came to America in 1892, purchased land three miles west of Ghent, and resided there until his death in June, 1909. The mother, Anna (Hermsen) Van Uden, now lives in Ghent.

The boyhood days of our subject were spent attending school in Holland, and in 1892 he came with the family to America and Lyon county. For two years after his arrival he attended an English school near Ghent and then for several years worked on the farm for his father.

himself, renting a farm near Marshall and conducting it three years. He then rented the two-section farm of Mr. Hamilton near Tracy and for a year engaged in stock raising. After that Mr. Van Uden bought a farm near Tracy and operated it five years. In January, 1910, he purchased his present farm and has since lived on it. He has erected new buildings on the place and has a fine little home. Mr. Van Uden makes a specialty of stock, raising graded cattle, Chester White hogs, Percheron and Clyde horses, Barred Plymouth Rock and Red Leghorn chickens and full-blooded Bronze turkeys. He has prospered and is rated among the substantial farmers of the vicinity.

In the county seat of Lyon county, on June 9, 1903, Mr. Van Uden was married to Mary Peters. She was born in Holland February 26, 1878, and came to America two years before her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Van Uden are the parents of the following children: Mary, born June 4, 1905; Minnie, born February 27, 1907; Herman, born March 12, 1911.

JOHN ZVORAK (1886) is one of Russell's young business men who has built up a very satisfactory and well-paying trade during the four years since he purchased the confectionery and restaurant business of John Bengtson. He has been attending strictly to his business and to the wants of his customers - a sure guarantee of success.

John Zvorak's parents, Frank and Jane (Roberts) Zvorak, were early residents of Lyon county. July 24, 1886, was the date that marked John's entry into the world. His boyhood days were passed on the farm in Lyons township, and he attended the Russell school until fifteen years old. The next seven years were spent on his father's farm; then the young farmer lad decided that he would make a venture into business life. Accordingly he bought the store of Andrew Bengtson and made a success of his business from the start.

October 28, 1909, occurred the ceremony which joined John Zvor^ak and Jennie Hollgrenn in the holy bonds of matrimony. The bride was a native of Sweden and was born October 1, 1883. This union

Mr. Zvorak has the following brothers and sisters living: Bertha, Sophia, Rachel, Bessie, Mary, Frank, Roy, George, Robert, Arthur and Wesley.

THOMAS MULVANEY (1898) owns the west half of the southwest quarter of section 18, Amiret township, which he farms and where he makes his home. In addition to this eighty acres he operates his brother's eighty in the same township.

John and Julia (Cary) Mulvaney, the parents of our subject, were born near Dublin, Ireland, and came to America in an early day. They settled in Wisconsin, and in Dodge county of that "state Thomas was born September 5, 18 58. The boy was brought up and educated in his native state; at the age of fifteen years he hired out at farm labor and was employed at that work until 1898.

in the fall of the last named year Mr. Mulvaney came to Lyon county and located on li is present farm, which he had purchased a year previous. He is now operating a quarter section and is raising considerable stock for market.

The marriage of Thomas Mulvaney and .Mary Bolger took place June 24, 1903, in Wisconsin. Two children have been born to this union: Margaret, born April 9, 1904, and John, born July 10, 1905. Mrs. Mulvaney is a native of Wisconsin. Mr. Mulvaney's father died in Wisconsin and in 1905 his widow came to Lyon county and lived two years with her son, the subject of this sketch, afterward moving to Tracy, where she died February 10, 1909.

CHRIST K. MELBY (1890) is a former member of the Minnesota Legislature and a dealer in hardware, farm implements and vehicles of Minneota. He has been a resident of Lyon county twenty-two years and has been prominent in the affairs of his community.

11, 1868. He immigrated to America with his parents in 1881 and the first three years of his life in the New World were spent in Goodhue county, Minnesota. He went with the family to Griggs county, North Dakota, and there grew to manhood on his father's homestead, living in a sod shanty during the first three years. The parents now live in Wells county, North Dakota.

Alter reaching his majority, in the fall of 1889, Mr. Melby left home and started in life for himself. The next year he located in Lyon county, which has ever since been his home. He became the owner of a 240-acre farm on sections 14 and 11, Nordland township, and farmed the place until 1910, adding to his farm by the purchase of a quarter section adjoining. Although he continued to farm until 1910, Mr. Melby moved to Minneota in 1905 and has lived there. He served one year as cashier of the Farmers & Merchants Bank and then engaged in various occupations until he purchased W. A. Crowe's hardware store in May, 1911. He has one of the largest hardware stores in the county.

Mr. Melby has many times been called upon to serve in an otficial capacity. He was assessor of Nordland township nine years and was chairman of the Board of Supervisors two years. He served as a member of the Board of County Commissioners from 1903 to 1906, inclusive, and in the fall of 1906 was elected to the Lower House of the Minnesota Legislature, was re-elected in 1908, and served until 1911.

The marriage of Mr. Melby to Mary Larson occurred in Lyon county October 3, 1891. She was born on her father's homestead in Nordland township. Her father, Arne Larson, settled in Nordland in the summer of 1872 and resided there until his death in 1886. Mrs. Larson, who is now sixty-nine years of age, resides with her daughter, Mrs. Melby. To Mr. and Mrs. Melby have been born twelve children, of whom the following nine are living: Clarence A., George M., Elmer J., Grace R., Orvin L., Clifford M.,. June A., Olga M. and Lillian R. The deceased children were named Julius O., Agnes G. and Kermit O.

Our subject is a son of Knute O. and Guri Melby, who reside on their homestead in North Dakota. They have ten children living, all married. They are Guri Ranum, Ole K., Christ K., Knute K., Nellie Wolding, Gilbert K., Mary Satterberg, Caroline Anderson, Martin K. and Oscar J.

HARRY J. TILLEMANS is cashier and a director of the Farmers & Merchants National Bank of Minneota and a director of the First National Bank of Balaton. He is a son of John and Katherine (Henricks) Tillemans, both deceased. They were the parents of the following named children: John, Diuphina, William, Harry J., Marie, Nellie, Katherine, Sophia and Leon.

Harry was born in Holland and when three years of age accompanied his parents to America. The family located in Lyon county, where our subject's early days were spent in a log cabin on the plains. His father purchased a farm in Nordland township, upon which Harry worked and attended a nearby school. Later he attended the Minneota High School and taught school one term. In 1904 he entered the Farmers & Merchants National Bank as bookkeeper at a salary of twenty dollars per month. The next year he was promoted to the position of assistant cashier and in January, 1906, became cashier, a position which he has since held.

Mr. Tillemans holds membership in the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Order of Foresters and Modern Woodmen lodges. He is chief ranger of the Foresters lodge and venerable consul of the Woodmen lodge. He was formerly clerk of the Board of Education and is treasurer of the district at present.

Mr. Tillemans was married in Boone, Iowa, to Lillian Hall, a native of that city. They were married on August 17, 1910. She is a daughter of Mrs. Kate Hall. Mr. and Mrs. Tillemans are the parents of one child, Katherine Hall Tillemans.

He was born at Cambridge, Dane county, Wisconsin, December 17, 1869. He lived there a few years and then went to Chicago, where he resided until thirteen years of age. Our subject then moved back to Dane county and attended the public schools and Albion Academy. At twenty he returned to Chicago and attended the Metropolitan Business College. After finishing the latter institution he was bookkeeper two years for Murray & Company.

In 18 93 Mr. Thompson came to Lyon county and located on his uncle's farm, known as the T. G. Thompson Ranch. This farm embraces 480 acres of land, and our subject operated the place twelve years. He spent one year traveling, after which he purchased the James McGinn cigar factory in Minneota. He had pool tables installed and moved the cigar factory upstairs. He sold the cigar factory in May, 1911, to McGinn & Moore. Since that time our subject has conducted the pool hall and handles cigars, tobacco, confectionery and soft drinks. Mr. Thompson was assessor of Minneota two terms.

Mr. Thompson was married in Minneapolis March 30, 1904, to Esther E. Wal- Vander, a native of Sweden. She was, at the time of her marriage, a resident of Swanville, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs Thompson are the parents of two children, Torger and Esther.

The parents of our subject are Knute and Belle (Anderson) Thompson, the former a native of Wisconsin and the latter of Norway. The father died in 1905 and the mother in 1871. The father was married a second time. There was only one child by the first marriage, Lewis, of this sketch.

AUGUST PRINCEX (1883) is the proprietor of a jewelry store in Minneota, having bought the jewelry stock of C. J. Wimer, druggist, in 1902. Mr. Princen is a first-class hand engraver and decorator and makes a specialty of furnishing cut flowers for funerals, weddings, etc.

Our subject's parents, Hubert and Philomena (Vigen) Princen, came to Lyon county from Holland in 18 83 and' settled on a farm one mile north of Ghent, where they lived until moving to Ghent in 1901. After a four years' residence in Ghent, and later a residence of two years in Minneota, they returned to Holland, which has since been their home.

August Princen was born in Limberg, Holland, February 6, 1881, and came to the United States and lived with his parents until they moved to Ghent in 1901. He then learned the jewelry business under Charles Johnson at Marshall and D. D. Smith at Pipestone, working as an apprentice. Prior to entering business for himself at Minneota Mr. Princen spent four months traveling, visiting Chicago and other points of interest.

Mr. Princen owns his store building and carries a complete stock of jewelry, silverware and novelties. He is a member of the Catholic church and of the Knights ot Columbus lodge. Five winters ago Mr. Princen spent several months along the Gulf Coast, and in the summer of 1908 he was in Chicago and Indianapolis.

JOHN D. GRIFFITH (1S91), a prosperous farmer of Custer township, is a native oi Wales and came to this country at the age of nineteen years, locating near Utica, New York, where he worked on a farm. Blue Earth county, Minnesota, was Mr. Griffith's next home, and there he lived until 1891, renting land and farming.

It was in 1891 that our subject moved from Blue Earth to Lyon county and bought his present land, the northeast quarter of section 2 5, Custer. Mr. Griffith has greatly improved his farm and has gone into the stock raising business quite extensively. He is a shareholder of the Garvin Creamery Company, the Garvin Independent Elevator Company and the Current Lake Telephone Company. The past ten years he has served as a director of school district No. 7 2.

December 6, 1893, occurred the marriage of John Griffith and Maggie Williams, in Custer township. There are five children, as follows: Mary, born October 12, 1894; Hugh, born August 18, 1896; Milton, born July 6, 1898; Luther, born August 4, 1900; and. Rachael, born July 23, 1907. Mrs. Griffith was born in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, December 25, 1868.

Wales December 17, 1865. His parents, Thomas Griffith and Hannah (Jones) Griffith, are both dead. Thomas Griffith was a farmer in Wales, and he and his wife were the parents of eight children, four of whom are living and only one of whom, the subject of our sketch, is a resident of America.

WILLIAM E. MAXSON (1877), of Marshall, is one of the early day settlers of Lyon county, having first come to the county when eight years of age. He was born in Winnebago City, Faribault county, Minnesota, August 11, 1869, and in 1877 came with his parents to Lyon county.

The family home was on section 20, Grandview township, where they became the owners of 480 acres of land. On that farm William B. Maxson lived until seventeen years of age. Then he began "working out and finished his education with a course in the St. Paul Business College. He then located in FaribauL county, bought a farm, and during the next five years conducted the place. His next place of residence was Winnebago City, where for five years he operated a pool hall and bowling alley.

Mr. Maxson sold out at Winnebago City in 19 04 and since that time has been a resident of Marshall, engaged in a number of different enterprises. He and his brother Ed started the famous "Silver Spring" water well and established a factory on the site of the present Porter factory. Later they bought the Estey pop factory and merged it with theirs, conducting the business until the partnership was dissolved six months later. The brothers also conducted a dray line which our subject's father and brother had operated previously.

After retiring from business Mr. Maxson was employed in the Curtis pool hall one year and then worked for La Veau two years in the same business. Later he was in the same business at Granite Falls a few months. Mr. Maxson was on the Marshall police force one year. He is a

The marriage of .Mr. .Maxson to Carrie E. Rector occurred at Marshall September 20, 1894. Mrs. Maxson is a native of New York State. They have one child, Marjorie.

The father of our subject was W. T. Maxson, who was born in New York and died in Marshall; the mother of our subject is Adelia S. (Woodruff) Maxson, who was born in Vermont and now resides in Marshall. There are four children in the .Maxson family, as follows: Mary (Mrs. R. F. Laythe), of Hanley, Canada; Ed, of Marshall; William E., of this biography; and Maud A., the wife of W. G. Welson, clerk of the district court of Redwood county and a resident of Redwood Falls.

WILLIAM MOAT (1899) is a Rock Lake township farmer and owns 12 0 acres on the northwest quarter of section 27, where he does general farming and raises Hereford cattle, Poland China swine and Percheron horses. Mr. Moat is a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of Balaton.

William Moat, a son of William and Mary (Story) Moat, was born in Kankakee county, Illinois, October 27, 1864. The parents were pioneer residents of Illinois and both are now living. William attended the graded schools in his native state until eighteen years of age and then worked on the farm for his father until he had reached the age of twenty-three, when he rented his father's place and farmed for himself until 1899. The year previous he had purchased the land upon which he now resides, and in 1899 our subject and his family came to Lyon county.

The wedding of Mr. Moat and Mary McMahon, a native of Illinois, occurred at St. George, Illinois, January 17, 1894. Mrs. Moat was born July 30, 1870, and her parents, Patrick and Julia (Cantillon) McMahon, early pioneers in Illinois, are both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Moat are parents of the following children: Gilbert, born December 3, 1894; Leonard, born February 18, 1896; Samuel, born July 14, 1897; Clifford, born April 8, 1899; Elmer,

DR. THEODORE THORDARSON (1897) is a physician and surgeon of Minneota and is president of the Board of Health of that village. He is a member of the Lyon and Lincoln County Medical Society, the Minnesota State Medical Association, and the American Medical Association.

Dr. Thordarson was born in Iceland in January, 1866, and secured a seminary education. When twenty-two years of age he came to the United States, located in Chicago, and for several years worked as an electrician. In 1891-92 he was a student in the Electrical Department of Cornell University, and a year later he took up the study of medicine in Chicago, graduating from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1897. In the latter year he moved to Minneota and has practised there continuously since. He is a member of the Masonic lodge.

At Minneota, on July 12, 1905, occurred the marriage of Dr. Thordarson to Sarah Benson, a native of Canada. They have two children, William and Mary.

LEON M. TAYLOR (1882), proprietor of a Marshall jewelry store, is a native son of Lyon county, having been born on his father's homestead on the northwest quarter of section 22, Sodus township, on April 8, 1882. Until he was eighteen years of age he lived on the farm and attended the district schools and public schools of Marshall.

In March, 1902, Mr. Taylor entered upon the career which he has since followed. At that time he entered the jewelry store of C. H. Johnson and worked at the jeweler's trade under that gentleman for about three years. The next two years were»spent working at the trade in different places. Returning to Marshall, in January, 1907, he bought a half interest in the store of the gentleman under whom he had learned his trade, and two years later Mr. Taylor became the sole owner of the store. He conducts a repair shop in connection and has one of the up-todate jewelry stores of Southwestern Minnesota. His business is housed in the building formerly occupied by the Bank of Marshall. Mrs. Taylor, who is a graduate optometrist, has charge of the optical department which is conducted in connection with the store.

The parents of our subject are John C. and Mary A. (Bornes) Taylor, who reside on the farm in Sodus township. The father, a miller by trade, was born near Waukesha, Wisconsin, and after his marriage moved to River Falls, of the same state. The family came to Lyon county in 1880 and the home has ever since been in Sodus township. There are four sons in the family, as follows: Charley B., of Sodus township; Leon M., of Marshall; Francis G., of Sodus township; and Verner L., of Amiret township.

Leon Taylor was marred at Garvin August 19, 1908, to Mildred M. Coyle, who was born in Lake Sarah township, Murray county, December 11, 1882. Mr. Taylor holds membership in the Masonic, Degree of Honor and M. W. A. lodges.

His parents, Carl and Augusta (Sperber) Tolzman, who now live at Redwood Falls, are natives of Germany and came to America in an early day and settled in Wisconsin, where they made their home two years. They then came to Minnesota and located first at St. Paul and later in Le Sueur county, where the family resided seven years. Moving then to Renville county the Tolzmans made their home on a farm in that county thirty-two years, and in 1904 the father and mother moved to Redwood Falls, where they are living a retired life.

William was born in Le Sueur county February 11, 1869. The family moved to Renville county when the lad was young and his education was obtained in the latter county. In his young boyhood days William herded cattle for his father and neighbors two years and for three years was employed by Dr. Sherige, one of the county's physicians. During that time William accompanied the doctor on trips to Kandiyohi, Swift and Big Stone counties and became well acquainted with the country. Later he worked for his father until thirty years of age, and during that time traveled quite widely throughout the United States.

When our subject was thirty years old he purchased land in Wilkinson county, Minnesota, where he lived but a short time before returning to Renville county and again working for his father. He purchased land in Yellow Medicine county, which he farmed six years, and in February, 1906, sold out and bought his present farm in Lucas township. He is farming with success and is also successful in the raising of Durham cattle and German coach horses.

Mr. Tolzman is fraternally associated with the Masonic, Modern Woodmen and Eastern Star lodges. He is junior warden of the former lodge in Cottonwood. Mr. Tolzman has served the past five years as constable of the township.

JOHN BLOMQUIST (1895) for the last fourteen years has conducted his farm, the northeast quarter of section 34. Rock Lake. Since coming to the county seventeen years ago with no property and practically no money, Mr. Blomquist has prospered until today he owns a fine farm and one of the nice homes in Rock Lake township. Mr. Blomquist raises Shorthorn cattle and Poland China swine in addition to his general farming.

Blomquist is a son of Christopher Anderson and Hannah (Jepson), natives of Sweden and both now deceased. John was born in Holmby, Sweden, September 4, 1856, and ^as reared in the old country, where he attended school until fifteen years of age. He then learned the brick and stone mason's trade and followed the pursuit eleven years. In the spring of 1882 Mr. Blomquist came to America and took a homestead in Spink county, South Dakota, where he engaged in farming until 1895.

in Rock Lake for the next three years. During the second year of his residence he bought his present farm and a year later moved to the place with his family. For the past four years Mr. Blomquist has been on the township board of Rock Lake. He has also become one of the stockholders in the Current Lake Farmers Telephone Company of Balaton. For many years he has been a member of the Swedish Lutheran church and is a deacon in the Balaton church.

John Blomquist married Elna Anderson at Harlosa, Sweden, September 14, 1878. Mrs. Blomquist was born June 2, 1851. Their children are Carl, Martin and Eda, all residing at home, and Garda (Mrs. Albert Shutt), of Rock Lake township.

CARL XORDLI (1904) is a member of the firm of Xordli Brothers, blacksmiths, of Cottonwood, who have one of the finely equipped shops of Lyon county. He is a native of Norway and was born June 28, 1878. He learned his trade in the old country and for several years was employed in a shop in Christiania.

Mr. Nordli came to America in the spring of 1904 and located in northern Lyon county. For a while he worked on a farm in the vicinity of Cottonwood and then began work in Casper Johnson's shop in that village. Two years later he went to Butte, Montana, but returned to Cottonwood at the end of two years. He and his brother Hans then bought the Johnson shop and they still conduct it.

While still a resident of Norway, on December 8, 1901, Mr. Nordli was married to Theoline Meland. To them have been born the following named three children: Colbjorn, Amanda and Georgia. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.

Hans Nordli was also born in Norway, on January 8, 1885. He learned his trade there and came to America in the fall of 1904. He is unmarried and makes his home with his brother. The parents of the Nordli brothers are Christian and Karen Arneson, who reside in Norway. There are eight living children in the family.

ship and has lived in that township since he was eight years of age. He was born in Sweden August 17, 1880. His father, Peter Nelson, lives in Dudley; his mother, Ida (Mortenson) Nelson, died in 1910.

In 1884 the family came to America and for six years lived in Michigan. They came to Lyon county in 1890 and bought the east half of the northeast quarter of section 17, Clifton township. On that farm Andrew grew up and in the nearby district school he was educated. He assisted his father with the farm work until he reached his majority. Then, his father having given him the east half of the southeast quarter of section 8, Clifton, he started farming for himself. In 190.8 he bought the home place from his father and an eighty-acre tract on section 17. He has a fine home and a wellimproved farm. He raises stock and makes a specialty of the single-comb White Leghorn chickens.

Mr. Nelson was married in Marshall June 28, 1907, to Ida Clay, who is also a native of Sweden. She is a daughter of Andrew and Mary (Clay) Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have two children, Florence M. and Iva A.

GEORGE BENSON (1894) is manager of the Western elevator and a dealer in implements at Minneota. He is a native of Iceland and was born July 10, 1872, the son of Bjorn (Hallason) and Sigurbjorg (Sigurdardottir) Benson. The father died in 1874; the mother resides in Minneota. There are five children: Hall, of Lyon county; George, of this sketch; Frank Peterson, of North Dakota; J. S. Peterson, a mining engineer of Guayaquil, Ecuador, South America; S. H. Peterson, a teacher of Corvallis, Oregon.

George came to America when six years of age and settled in Lincoln county, where his step-father homesteaded land. He resided there sixteen years and then moved to Minneota, where he has since lived. The first business our subject engaged in was d raying. He then spent four years in the real estate business with the Globe Land and Loan Company. After that he clerked in the big store of Anderson & Company.

Some time later our subject engaged in managing the grain elevator and machinery business of the Mutual Elevator Company for one year. He then purchased the machinery end of the business and in 1910 sold a half interest to J. H. Jonathan, the firm name now being Benson & Jonathan. They handle a full line of farm machinery and wagons. In 1910 Mr. Benson entered the employ of the Western Elevator Company as buyer at Minneota and has held that position since. The Western elevator was built about twenty years ago by the Western Elevator Company. The main office of the company is at Winona.

Mr. Benson is a member of the Modern Woodmen lodge. He held the office of constable six years and was on the police force one year. He has been a member of the Village Council the past three years.

Mr. Benson was married in Minneota September 30, 1906, to Ella Frost, a native of Minneota. They are the parents of two children. Donald George and Bjorn Frost.

MRS. NELLIE SMEDSRUD (1900) is the widow of the late Hans Smedsrud, of Coon Creek township. Hans Smedsrud was born in Norway in 1862 and when twenty years of age came to America and was engaged in farming all his life. He was the owner of 240 acres on section 7, Coon Creek township, and the northwest quarter of section 30, Lyons township. Mr. and Mrs. Smedsrud were the parents of five children, as follows: Henry, born February 8, 1891, who has had charge of the home place since the father's death; Emelia, born October 15, 1892; Melvin, born December 11, 1894; Joseph, born February 27, 1901; Hilda, born March 6, 1903. All reside at home.

Mrs. Smedsrud's maiden name was Nellie Paulson and she is a daughter of Peter and Maren Paulson, of Christiania, Norway, both of whom are deceased. Nellie received her schooling in Norway and in Clayton county, Iowa. She then worked out until twentyfour years of age, and in 1890 she was married to Hans Smedsrud. After their marriage they lived in Winnebago county, Iowa, ten years, where they operated a farm which Mr. Smedsrud owned. In 1900 they moved to Lyon county and purchased 267 acres of land in Monroe township. They conducted that farm two years, when they sold out and purchased the present farm in Coon Creek township. Mr. Smedsrud died August 23, 1910, of cancer, after an illness extending

Since Mr. Smedsrud's death, their oldest son, Henry, has taken charge of the farm. Jn addition to general farming they raise some stock, including Chester White hogs, Polled Angus and Shorthorn cattle and Plymouth Rock and White Leghorn chickens. Mrs. Smedsrud is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church. She is a stockholder of the Farmers Elevator Company of Russell and the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company. Mrs. Smedsrud has two sisters, Anna (Mrs. Parry Juel), of Canton, South Dakota, and Martha (Mrs. Louis Saug), of Mitchell county, Iowa.

MARGARET E. CLENDENNING (1883) is the proprietor of a grocery and crockery store in Marshall and has been a resident of Lyon county since girlhood. She is the daughter of Isaac and Eleanor (Forbes) Clendenning, natives of Canada. They came to Lyon county in 1883 and moved to Marshall several years later. Mr. Clendenning was one of the first rural mail carriers out of Marshall. He and his wife still reside in Marshall. They have six children living.

Miss Clendenning was born in Ontario, Canada, and came to Lyon county with her parents in 1883. She was educated in the public schools of Marshall, in the Mankato Commercial College, and in the Albert Lea Presbyterian College for girls. After school days she engaged in teaching several years and then took up stenography. For eight years she was stenographer and bookkeeper for D. D. Forbes & Company and later served in the same capacity for Odell & McNiven and the Marshall State Bank. She then went to St. Paul to take the position of bookkeeper for the St. Paul Ditcher & Carrier Company.

In the fall of 1910 Miss Clendenning returned to Marshall and purchased the G. J. Hardy & Company grocery store, which is located in the Marshall State Bank Building. She deals exclusively in groceries and crockery. In the conduct of the store she has the help of her brothers, Forbes, Walter, Joe and Harry.

and Fairview townships and is one of the prosperous farmers of the county. His home farm is in Westerheim and he rents out 240 acres in that township.

Our subject was born in Belgium June 1, 1866, and is a son of Bruno and Sophia (Cattoir) Buysse. They died in the old country, and Frank is one of four children, the others being Bruno, of Ventura county, California; Emma (Mrs. Emil Christian), of Belgium; and Mary (Mrs. Bruno De Clerk), of Belgium. One son, Peter, died in April, 1907.

Frank was educated in the schools of his native land and helped his father until 1885. Then the boy of nineteen years came to this country, located in Minneota, and worked three years at farm labor. In 1888 he bought a homestead right from John Wissiers to land on section 22, Westerheim township, and after farming it five years sold out and purchased a half of section 15, Westerheim. He lived on that seven years and then bought his present place. He has improved the place wonderfully and has prospered.

In Ghent our subject was married to Leonora Wambeke, the date of the wedding being February 21, 1889. His wife was born in Belgium and came to America in 1888. Her parents were Ferdinand Wambeke and Rosilie (De Fouw) Wambeke, both deceased. The family settled in Fairview township upon their arrival in this country and later moved to Westerheim. Mrs. Buysse is one of eight living children, the others being Charlie, Henry, Peter, John, Matilda, Marie and Christina.

Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Buysse. The oldest child, Camil, died when he was four years old. The living children are Leo, John, Peter, Henry, Lizzie, Emma and Mary.

RUSSELL G. DONALDSON (1890) is the junior member of the firm of Donaldson & Son, of Tracy, dealers in wood, coal, machinery, hay and grain. He is a native of Mower county, Minnesota, and was born May 15, 1870, a son of George W. and Mary E. (Hoag) Donaldson, natives of New York State.

The father was born in 1847 and served in the Civil War. He was in Company H, Sixty-six Ohio regiment, and later was in the Fifteenth Ohio and took part in Sherman's march to the sea. After the war he came to Minnesota and located in Mower county, where he lived until 1890, with the exception of a few years spent in Lyon county, when he came here and homesteaded land. He was driven out by the grasshoppers, remained away a year and a half, came again for a short period and in 1890 he took up his permanent residence en the land he had homesteaded.

Russell Donaldson broke up the place for his father and remained on the farm until 1901, when he moved to Tracy and with his father opened a coal and wood yard under the firm name of Donaldson & Son. Our subject owns a farm adjoining his father's old homestead in Amiret township and a home in Tracy.

In the family of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Donaldson are the following children: Russell G., of this sketch; Mamie, deceased; Mabel (Mrs. S. Selix), of Woodlake, Minnesota, who was one of the first teachers of the consolidated schools in the county, having taught four years in Lynd; Caroline (Mrs. Bert Blakesley), of Marshall; Mazie (Mrs. F. Whitmore), of Spokane, Washington; Dasie (Mrs. Ernest Hunter), of Ames, Iowa; Rev. Charles Donaldson, of Fort Benton, Montana; and Alice (Mrs. George Adams), of Spokane, Washington.

The subject of this review spent the first eighteen years of his life at his home in Mower county and then came to Lyon county to take charge of his father's homestead in Amiret township, and he has been a resident of the county since that time He is a member of the A. O. U. W. lodge and was treasurer of school district No. 32 for some time.

In Redwood county, Minnesota, on September 7, 1897, Jessie Moses became the wife of our subject. She is a native of Tracy and was the first girl born in that city. Her father, W. W. Moses, was one of the early settlers of Redwood county, just over the line from Lyon county, and one of the large landholders in that county. To Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson have been born the following named seven children: Dale, Doris, Ruby, Lawrence, Myrl. Rosemond and Callie.

JOSEPH E. REGXIER (1883) is the proprietor of a fine half section of land in Grandview township and has lived in the county since he was two years of age.

January 30, 1881, was the date of Joseph E. Regnier's birth in Kankakee county, Illinois. Two years later he accompanied his parents, Joseph I. and Zepharine (Mongeau) Regnier, to Lyon county and the father bought the northeast quarter of section 20, Grandview township. The boy was educated in the country school, brought up on the farm, and has been living on the old home place since the rest of the family moved to Marshall. In addition to the original quarter section, Mr. Regnier farms the northwest quarter of section 21.

The marriage of Joseph E. Regnier and Margaret Lynch took place August 30, 1905. To this union have been born five children: Philip, Margaret, Joseih, Maurice and Marie. Mrs. Regnier is a native of New York City.

Mr. Regnier was on the school board of district No. 12 three years. He is associated with the Modern Woodmen lodge and is a member of the Catholic church.

Joseph I. Regnier, the father of our subject, was born in Kankakee county, Illinois. He was brought up there, married there, and lived in the house of his birth when his own son, Joseph E., was born. His wife was a native of Canada. She died in 1901 and Mr. Regnier now lives in Marshall. They were the parents of twelve children, two of whom, Lucy and Isaac, are dead. The other children are George, Marie, Thomas, Philip, Florence, Agnes, Alex, Blanche, Atwood and Lea

JOHN J. STURGEON (1878), stock buyer and shipper of Marshall, has resided in that city since he was thirteen years of age, a continuous residence of thirty-four years. He has been engaged in business many years and has been a prominent "booster" for Marshall. He is also a thirty-second degree base ball fan and was manager of the successful Marshall team of 1911.

John Sturgeon was born at Lampton, Ontario, Canada, twenty-two miles west of the city of Montreal, on June 8, 1865. At the age of six years he accompanied his parents to Austin, Minnesota, resided there seven or eight years, and then in August, 187S, came with his parents to Marshall, where he has ever since resided. He learned the butcher trade early in life, working three years in the shop of Johnson & Woodruff. Then he opened a shop of his own in the building now occupied by the Serlet saloon and was engaged in the business until January 1, 1900, occupying later the building in which is now the Shardlow music store and later still the John Schutz building.

In June, 1900, Mr. Sturgeon left Marshall with two loads of stock for Cape Nome, Alaska, and was absent until September 1, of the same year. Upon his return he engaged in the stock business and has since been buying and shipping cattle, sheep and hogs. For the past four years he has also engaged in the breeding of thoroughbred horses. The head of his stud is Allie Dale, with a trotting record of 2:15^4. He built the hitch barn and the four residences adjoining and still owns the barn and one of the residences. In the summer of 1911 he erected for his home one of the prettiest little residences in the city. It is of the California bungalow style, has six rooms, and is modern in every particular. He also owns a 120-acre farm southeast of Tracy.

Our subject is of Canadian-French origin. His parents, John and Zoie (Morin) Sturgeon, were natives of Canada, located at Austin, Minnesota, in 1871, at Marshall in 1878, an,d at DeSmet, Kingsbury county, South Dakota, in 1882. In that city the father died in 1903, and there the mother still has her home. There were sixteen children in the family, of whom the following named nine are living: Nellie, Henry, John J., Millie, Emma, George, Hattie, Wilford and Hattie.

FREDERICK W. VANSTROM (1910), cashier of the Lynd State Bank, is a product of Minnesota. He was born in Lac qui Parle county March 19, 1879, a son of Jacob Vanstrom, a native of Sweden who came to the United States when thirty-five years of age and settled in Carver county, Minnesota. Later he went to Lac qui Parle county, where he homesteaded land. The elder Mr. Vanstrom was married in Carver county to

Malena Johnson. They are the parents of eight children, as follows: Josephine M., Julius E., Frederick VY.. George I., Edna ML, Ella L., Eunice M. and Florence L. The parents still reside on the old home place in Lac qui Parle county.

The subject of this sketch received his early education in the public and high schools, later attending the University of Minnesota, from which he was graduated in 1905. He then accepted the position of superintendent of the Welcome High School, which he held five years. In the spring of 1910 he assisted in the organization of the Lynd State Bank, of which he "is cashier and manager. Mr. Vanstrom is a member of the M. W. A. lodge.

Mr. Vanstrom was married at Truman, Minnesota, June 23, 1908, to A. Mabel Henton, a native of Martin county and a daughter of W. B. and Mary Henton. Mr. and Mrs. Vanstrom are the parents of two children: Malena Josephine and Mary Gladys.

N. W. HANSON (1897), farmer of Rock Lake township, was born May 4, 1870, and is a son of Hans and Tillie (Nelson) Johnson, the former of whom is deceased and the latter being now a resident of Sweden. Our subject was born and brought up in Sweden and attended the common schools until fourteen years of age. He then worked at farm labor until the age of twenty-three years.

In the fall of 1894 N. W. Hanson came to America and located at Dundee, Minnesota, where he was engaged as a section hand on the railroad for some months, and later as a farm laborer. It was in December, 1897, that he came to Lyon county, and he rented and farmed for himself in Rock Lake and Custer townships for seven years. With the idea of trying town life, Mr. Hanson went to Illinois and after investigating conditions there accepted employment in a hardware store in Moline, where he worked several months. He had become very well satisfied with Lyon county, however, and he resigned his position, returned to Lyon county, and again engaged in farm labor for six months. Later he returned to Moline and accepted his old position for one year.

old home in Sweden. Returning to Lyon county, lie has since conducted the farm which he rents, the northwest quarter of section 1, Rock Lake. He has been successful and his farm is one of the township's fine farms.

Our subject was married July 2, 1910, at Marshall to Tillie Johnson. She is a native of Sweden and was born May 17, 1880. To this union has been born one child, Harry William. Mrs. Hanson's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Swan Johnson, former residents of Hinckley, Minnesota, are both deceased.

ALEXANDER KOLHEI (1904) is assistant cashier of the State Bank of Cottonwood. He is also interested with his father in the Eickschen-Kolhei Company, the largest general merchandise store in Cottonwood, and with his father has considerable real estate holdings in the vicinity of Haworden, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Alexander was born in Yellow Medicine county, in Roumania township, on the father's homestead, January 2, 1882, and lived on the home farm until coming to Cottonwood in 1904. That year the young man was given the position of assistant cashier of the state bank and has filled it ever since, being now a stockholder. Our subject is unmarried and resides with his parents in Cottonwood. Alexander has six brothers and sisters living, their names being Hagbort L., Caroline (Mrs. Olai Aamodt), of Lyon county; Carl J., of Cottonwood; Hilda, Ida and Alfred.

Alexander Kolhei is the son of Ingebret L. Kolhei and Korina (Haraldson) Kolhei, both natives of Norway. They came to the United States and first settled in Wisconsin, moving later to Towa, and in 1867 going to Yellow Medicine county, Minnesota, among the first settlers. The elder Kolhei took a homestead in Roumania township. There were then but three other settlers between Redwood Falls and Yellow Medicine, and they were Ingebrit Johnson, Gerhart Gooman, and an Englishman. The first home on the farm was a log hut, for several years all the trading had to be done at New Ulm, and the nearest railroad station was at Janesville, in Waseca county. In 1869 the Great Northern railroad was built to

In 1905 Ingebret Kolhei sold his Yellow Medicine farm to his son H. L. Kolhei, now on the place, and moved to Cottonwood. In 1897 he had helped organize the Cottonwood State Bank, of which he is now vice president. Since moving to Cottonwood he has been active in other business enterprises. He is interested with his son, Alexander, in the Eickschen-Kolhei Mercantile Company, is treasurer and one of the founders of the Norwegian Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which was organized about thirty years ago and which is one of the largest mutual companies in this part of the state, doing business in Lincoln, Lyon, \ellow Medicine and Redwood counties. The amount of insurance in force in 1911 was over $5,000,000.

ERNEST A. MICHEL (1906) is the junior member of the law firm of Davis & Michel, of Marshall. He was born at Appleton, Minnesota, October 15, 1887, and spent his boyhood days in that town. He was graduated from the Appleton High School and then took a year's course in a business college.

In 1906 Mr. Michel located in Marshall. He entered the employ of Thomas E. Davis as a stenographer and at the same time read law. He was admitted to the bar February 8, 1909, and in July, 1910, entered into partnership with his employer. Mr. Michel is a member of the Elks and Modern Woodmen lodges.

Ernest Michel is the son of the late Ernest Michel and Caroline (Schmidt) Michel. They came from Germany when children, were married, and located in Michigan. They became residents of Willmar, Minnesota, in the early days and for a time conducted a hotel in that city. Then they moved to Appleton, where Mr. Michel died and where Mrs. Michel now resides. Ernest is the youngest in a family of fourteen children, of whom ten are living.

ROBERT ALTON STRUTHERS (1881) is a son of one of the early settlers of the county, and he was born in and has always been a resident of Amiret township. James and Jane (Mitchell) Struthers, parents of

Robert Alton was born February 9, 1881, on the home farm near Amiret and was brought up amid the environments of farm life. He attended the country school and finished his education at the age of nineteen years. The next seven years of his life were spent on the farm helping his father, and he and his father then purchased section 9, Amiret township, and one year later the land was divided, Robert taking as his interest the south half, which he has since owned and operated. The 320 acres make a splendid farm, upon which Mr. Struthers has put many modern improvements.

The subject of this sketch is a stockholder of the Amiret State Bank. He is always awake to the interests of his community and was one of the organizers of the Marshall-Amiret Telephone Company, of which he is now secretary. The company was organized in the winter of 1909 by nine of the farmers of the township. The other officers are James Mitchell, president; Joseph Shake, vice president; and Edmond Van Moer, treasurer.

The marriage of Robert Struthers to Beatrice Coyle took place November 27, 1907, at Marshall. To this union one child, Lucile Beatrice, was born, September 20, 1908. Mrs. Struthers' parents, Joshua and Elizabeth Coyle, were pioneer residents of Sodus township, and she was born in that precinct May 5, 1885. Her father is dead; her mother still resides in the township.

WALLACE A. GOODRICH (1S76) is manager of the poultry and fur business of Max Becker, of Marshall. He was born at Lake City, Wabasha county, Minnesota, December 14, 1863, and is the son of William R. and Margaret Goodrich. The former is a native of Connecticut and the latter of New York State, and they were the parents of the following children: Charles W., who resides on the old homestead in Grandview township; Franklin H. and Louis W., who are deceased; and Wallace A., of this sketch. The mother died in 1S93, and the father resides at St. Charles, Louisiana. The latter enlisted in Wisconsin, in Company I, First Cavalry, and served a little over a year in the Civil War.

Our subject accompanied his parents to Lyon county in 187G. The father homesteaded the southeast quarter of section 12, Grandview township, and there Wallace resided until 1888. He moved to Marshall that year and has made his home there since, with the exception of two winters spent in Nebraska and one year in California. In the early nineties Mr. Goodrich started a feedmill in Marshall in the building on Main Street now occupied by Finnell & Son. He conducted the mill seven years, after which he was employed by the McCormick Harvester Company as an expert and later by the International people, which occupied his time until February, 1908. He then entered the employ of Max Becker, in the produce and fur business, as manager. That firm handles the majority of the poultry business of Marshall, about fifteen cars a year besides the local shipments, and about $50,000 worth of furs was handled by the firm in 1911. Mr. Goodrich is a member of the Blue Lodge and Chapter of the Masonic order and the Modern Woodmen lodge. He holds the office of noble grand in the Odd Fellows lodge.

PETER PETERSON (1895) is the owner of the northwest quarter of section 10, Shelburne township. He was born in Torenby, Denmark, December 14, 1845. His parents were Peter and Karen Christenson, both of whom are deceased.

Our subject attended school in the land of his nativity until fourteen years of age and thereafter worked at farm labor. In 1881 Mr. Peterson located at Racine, Wisconsin, and for the next nine years was employed by the Mitchell Lewis Wagon Company. During the next five years he farmed rented land at Berryville, five miles south of Racine. He came to Lyon county in 1895 and purchased the farm he now operates in Shelburne township.

On June 16, 1871, Mr. Peterson was married to Christine Nelson, a daughter of Nels and Annie Nelson, of Denmark. Mrs. Peterson was born July 17, 1843. The following four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Peterson: Hans Christian, born June 24, 1872; Anton, born April 22, 1882; Anna

ALFRED AMUXDSOX (1888), who farms the southeast quarter of section 29. Xordland township, has spent the twenty-four years of his life in Lyon county. He was born in Grandview township June 6, 1888, received a district school education, and grew to manhood on his father's farm in the town of Xordland.

His parents, Ambros and Gunhild (Shelrud) Amundson, were born in Tellemarken, Norway. They came to Lyon county in an early day and took a homestead in Grandview township, where they resided many years, and then moved to a farm in Xordland, ten miles southwest of Minneota. They now live in Minneota.

Alfred was married in the fall of 1910 and the following spring he and his bride took up their residence in Xordland township, having rented the farm from his father. They have a good farm, improved with new buildings. Mr. Amundson and his wife are members of the Xorwegian Lutheran church and he is a member of the Modern Woodmen lodge.

The marriage of Alfred Amundson and Sophia Furgeson took place in .Minneota November 2, 1910. Mrs. Amundson was born in the county June 20, 1889, and is a daughter of Henry and Ellen (Johnson) Furgeson, of Island Lake township. To Mr. and Mrs. Amundson has been born one child, Winfred Raymond, born October 19, 1911.

DR. AXDREW D. HOIDALE (1904) is a physician and surgeon of Tracy. He was born in Norway February 3, 1877, the son of Andrew and Dorothy (Lund) Hoidale. When three years of age, in 1880, he was brought with the family to America and spent his boyhood days on a farm on the present site of Dawson, in Lac qui Parle county, Minnesota.

In the schools of Lac qui Parle county young Hoidale secured his primary education. His first employment was newspaper work, being employed by his brother, Einar, as manager of the Dodge County Herald, at Hayfield, Minnesota. He completed his high

Immediately after his graduation Dr. Hoidale opened an office at Tracy and has since been engaged in the practice of his profession, now having offices in the Heine Block. Dr. Hoidale holds membership in the American, Minnesota, and the Lyon-Lincoln Medical Associations.- For three years he held the position of city health officer. Fraternally he is associated with the Odd Fellows, Elks, Woodmen, Workmen and Degree of Honor.

Dr. Hoidale was married at Kansas City, Missouri, December 27, 1905. to Pauline Madeira, the ceremony being performed by the bride's grandfather, Rev. Addison D. Madeira, who was born in Kentucky and is now eighty-three years of age. Mrs. Hoidale was born in Kansas City, a daughter of Frederick R. and Oak (Porter) Madeira. The Madeira family are of old Kentucky stock, of Spanish descent. Dr. and Mrs. Hoidale have two children, Porter Madeira and Dorothy Ellouise.

In his father's family are eight children, as follows: Aage, a druggist of Seattle; Inga (Mrs. K. O. Rice), of St. Paul; Einar, an attorney of Minneapolis; Gudrun (Mrs. Edward Jackson), of Dawson. Minnesota; Andrew D., of this sketch; Anna (Mrs. E. H. Murray), of Chicago; Hjalmar, an attorney of Minneapolis; and Margaret, of Daw son, Minnesota.

GUSTAVE VERGOTE (1883), proprietor of a blacksmith shop in Marshall, has spent his entire life at his trade and has operated a shop in Lyon county nearly thirty years. He has a wide reputation as a workman and makes a specialty of shoeing fast horses.

Mr. Vergote was bora in Belgium April 21. 18.35. There he was educated and grew to manhood. He learned the blacksmith and horseshoeing trades in a government school and for fourteen years worked in his father's shop in the old country. In 1883 he came to America with the colony and located in the little village of Ghent. For two years he conducted a shop there and in partnership with Charles Fou Ion operated a farm under the firm name of Foulon & Vergote.

In the old country Mr. Vergote had learned music and the members of the Marshall band induced him to sell his shop at Ghent and move to the county seat. He played with the Marshall band fifteen years and taught band music. He was also the leader of the Catholic choir five years. When he moved to .Marshall Mr. Vergote purchased the Gibson shop and he has ever since conducted the same. He has other city property and owns one of the fine homes of Marshall. He has 160 acres of land on section 29, Island Lake township, land in the St. Louis Valley of Colorado, and twenty acres in Florida.

Mr. Vergote was married in Ghent in June, 1885, to Prudence Gits, a daughter of Francis Gits, of Ghent. Mrs. Vergote died November 15, 1900, aged thirty-two years. To them were born seven children, named as follows: Julian, Albert, Emma and Julia (twins). Henry, Florence and Prudence. The family are members of the Catholic church.

Gustave Vergote is one of a family of nine children born to John and Urisule (DuPrey) Vergote. The five living children of the family are Jule, Mary, Palmyre, Charles and Gustave. The deceased children were Florence, Alfonse. Peter and Odile.

CHARLES AAMODT, grain buyer at Cottonwood for the Anderson Elevator Company, is a native of Lyon county. He was born on his father's homestead, the southeast quarter of section 2, Vallers township, and continued to reside on that place until 1907. Thai, year he spent on a homestead claim in Dunn county, North Dakota.

Mr. Aamodt was educated in the public schools of Cottonwood and in Toland's Business College of Mankato. After having returned from his claim, on August 6, 1909, Mr. Aamodt entered the employ of the Anderson Elevator Company at Cottonwood and has since been its local manager.

On October 23, 1910, in Lyon county, Mr. -Aamodt was married to Clara D. L. Nelson, who was born in Pipestone county. Mr. Aamodt and wife are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.

The parents of our subject are G. O. and Liv (Gullickson) Aamodt. They were bora in Norway, came to America in the late seventies, and took a homestead claim in Vallers township, upon which they still reside. They have seven children, as follows: Hilda, Mary, Olie, Fred, Charles, John and George.

Levi was bora in Kankakee county, Illinois, February 14, 1876, and is a son of Clovis and Mary (Lord) Prairie, now deceased. The parents were of French descent and were born in Canada. They moved to Illinois, being among the early settlers, and for a number of years were residents of that state; later they lived in Missouri and Wisconsin. In the spring of 1886 they came to Lyon county and purchased the farm where Levi now resides. The elder Prairies moved to Ghent to live in 1902 and there resided until their deaths. The mother died in 1905 and the father in 1910.

Our subject accompanied his parents to Lyon county when ten years of age and resided with them until 1902, being brought up on the farm and educated in the district school. In the latter year Levi married and engaged in farming for himself on rented land in the township, and after his father's death in 1910 he became the owner of the home place. He has a fine place and is engaging profitably in general farming and in stock raising.

The marriage of Levi Prairie and Georgiana Pilotte occurred at Ghent January 7, 1902. She was born in Kankakee county, Illinois, July 25, 1882, and is a daughr ter of Lucian and Louise (Savoy) Pilotte, both of whom are living in the township. They came to Lyon county in 1900 and engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Prairie are the parents of one child, Howard Rudolph, born March 3, 1904. The boy is now attending the Sisters School at Ghent. The Prairies are members of the Catholic church.

Our subject has the following brothers and sisters living: Mary (Mrs. Raphael Supernaut}, of Murray county; Clovis, of Momence, Illinois; Madrid (Mrs. Cyril Paradis) and Ambrose, of Fairview township; Lizzie (Mrs. John Hollo), of Marshall; Joseph, of Oregon; Matilda (Mrs.

Charles Blodgett), of Ghent; Julia (Mrs. Ambrose Regnier) and Celia (Mrs. Felix Rivard), both of Lake Marshall township. Fraternally Mr. Prairie is allied with the Modern Woodmen lodge of Ghent.

A. GORDON FORBES (1886), although a young man, is one of the prominent citizens of Marshall. He is a native of that city, having been born July 28, 1886. His education was obtained in the public schools and he was a member of the graduating class of 1905.

Our subject's family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, soon after the boy's graduation from high school, and U. D. Forbes, the father, became associated with the Burchard-Hulburt Investment Company. He was also the president of a manufacturing establishment in the city, and Gordon and his older brother, Malcolm, assisted in the management. D. D. Forbes died in May, 1908, and after the settling of the estate Gordon and his younger brother, Harold, engaged in the real estate business in Vancouver, Washington.

Mr. Forbes was a resident of Vancouver until 1911, when he and his brother sold their real estate business, and he has since been located in Marshall. He is engaged in real estate transactions and owns considerable farm land and town property, the overseeing of which takes much of his time. Mr. Forbes makes his office in the Marshall State Bank, of which institution his uncle, S. J. Forbes, is the cashier. He is popular among the young people of the town and is fraternally associated with the Elks lodge.

D. D. Forbes, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Canada January 9, 1856. At the age of twenty-four he came to Lyon county, locating in Fairview township. There he farmed until his marriage to Elizabeth A. McNiven November 2, 1883. His wife died September 14, 1895. One year after his marriage Mr. Forbes moved to Marshall and for five years worked for a machinery house; then he went into the real estate business.

For several years he was associated with his brother, and after the latter's death D. D. Forbes formed a partnership with J. A. McNiven, and for many years the firm of Forbes & McNiven conducted a large real estate, loan and insurance business in Marshall. The senior partner retired from the firm in 1905 and moved to St. Paul, where he resided until his death. There were four sons born to Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Forbes. Bruce V., the youngest boy, died in St. Paul in 1907. The other boys are Malcolm C, a farmer residing near Marshall; A. Gordon, of this sketch; and Harold H., of Vancouver, Washington.

EMIL O. GREEN (1896) is one of the big farmers and fancy stock raisers of Shelburne township. He resides on the northeast quarter of section 32, which he rents from his father, and farms about 300 acres of land.

Emil O. Green is the son of C. F. and Mary (Carlson) Green, who now live a retired life in the village of Florence. The family we're early settlers of Murray county, having located there in the early seventies. They took up their residence in Florence in 18 9 6, where the elder Mr. Green erected the first hotel and where he later engaged in the lumber and fuel business.

To these parents Emil was born in Murray county November 11, 1884. He secured his primary education in the common schools of Murray county and of Florence, which he attended until eighteen years of age. After his school days Mr. Green was in the hardware business with his father at Florence two years. In the fall of 1904 he attended the Superior (Wisconsin) Business College three months, after which he entered Sioux Falls Business College, from which he was graduated May 11, 1905.

Mr. Green then rented his father's farm and has since conducted it. He engages extensively in stock raising, making a specialty of sheep, which he raises, feeds and ships. He has a number of imported Shropshires. He al30 raises fancy poultry, having White Holland turkeys and Buff Wyandotte chickens.

Hannah E. Sanden became the wife of Emil Green at St. Paul on July 5, 1911. She was born in Lyon county June 21, 1888, and is the daughter of Hans P. and Mary Sanden, pioneer settlers of Shelburne

SHERMAN HILL (1907), Lake Marshall township farmer, is a native of Iroquois county, Illinois, and was born November 21, 1866. His parents are Joseph and Laura (Moffit) Hill, natives of Vermont who came to Illinois in an early day. Sherman received his education in the district schools near his home in Kankakee, Illinois, and in 1886 rented his father's farm. He operated that several years and later purchased the same.

Mr. Hill's wife died July 25, 1907, and that year he and the family came to Lyon county and rented the land in Lake Marshall township upon which he still lives. He raises a great deal of stock, including thoroughbred Jersey cattle, Berkshire hogs and Percheron horses.

On March 30, 1886, at Kankakee, Illinois, occurred the marriage of Mr. Hill to Elizabeth Collins, a native of Hillsboro, Ohio. She was a daughter of Theodore and Leah (Leatherwood) Collins, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio. Mrs. Hill was born March 5, 1867. To Mr. and Mrs. Hill were born the following named twelve children: Bessie E. (Mrs. Arthur Manning), born January 2 6, 1887; Mattie E. (Mrs. Henry Dusharme), born April 10, 1888; Joseph T., born October 9, 189 0; Ray M., born August 4, 18 91; Harry H., born October 8, 1893; Neva^M., born March 16, 1895; Merrill V., born February 29, 1896; Bertha L., born December 26, 1899; George T. C, born October 29, 1900; Sherman S., born July 14, 1904; Shirley S., born July 14, 1904; Dortha N. S., born July 9, 1906.

A. C. PORTER (1904) is a resident of Marshall and the proprietor of the Marshall Bottling Works. He is a native of North Troy, Vermont, and was born June 15, 1852, the son of Eleazer and Mary Ann (Culver) Porter, also natives of Vermont.

There he completed his education and later learned the drug business and jeweler's trade. There he also worked in the machine shops of C. C. & E. G. Smith, railroad contractors. Mr. Porter later had charge of the pile-driver that drove the piles in the bridge at Lake St. Croix for the West Wisconsin railroad in 1872.

In 1879 Mr. Porter located at Volga, South Dakota, where he conducted a drug and jewelry store and where he later engaged in the general merchandise business. When the St. Louis, Fort Scott & Wichita railroad was built in 1882 Mr. Porter was the purchasing agent and had headquarters at Fort Scott, Kansas. He was also paymaster and bookkeeper for the C. D. & M. railroad at Dubuque when that road was built.

From Volga Mr. Porter went to Watertown in 1902 to take a position as traveling representative for an eastern firm. Later he established the Watertown Carbonating Company, Incorporated, but sold out in 1904 and located in Marshall. Upon his arrival to the capital city of Lyon county Mr. Porter purchased two small bottling works and established the Marshall Bottling Works, of which he has ever since been the head. He manufactures many kinds of carbonated beverages. Mr. Porter is also the proprietor of the famous Silver springs, which are located at the bottling works. There is a thousand barrel reservoir and there is ready sale for all the water. Samples of the water were taken to Washington by Oscar E. Meinzer, of the United States Geological Survey, and analyzed by government officials. It was pronounced pure and soft and the very best spring water found in this section of the state.

Mr. Porter is a man of family, having been married at Ottumwa, Iowa, to Nellie A. Schriver, a native of Lincoln, Illinois, and the daughter of Henry Schriver. Mr. and Mrs. Porter have two children: Burt F., who conducts the Lyric Picture House, and Ethel C.

In several worthy fraternal orders Mr. Porter is identified. He has been a Mason since he was twenty-one years of age, having joined lodge No. 18 at Troy, Vermont, in 1873. He is a charter member of the Blue Lodge at Volga, South Da- kota, and a charter member of the Royal Arch Masons at Arlington, South Dakota. Mr. Porter also holds membership in the Elks, M. W. A. and United Commercial Travelers.

CHARLES FOULON (1883) is cashier of the First State Bank of Ghent and is president of the Village Council of that village. He has been a resident of Lyon county nearly thirty years and has taken a prominent part in the affairs of his community.

Mr. Foulon was born in Belgium December 7, 1856. His parents, E. Foulon and J. (Deleplanque) Foulon, died in the old country and our subject is the only one of the family residing in America. Charles made his home on a farm in the old country and received a college education. He came to the United States in 1883 and settled near the village of Ghent when there were only a few little buildings in the town.

Upon his arrival Mr. Foulon purchased the southwest quarter of section 4, Grandview township, and farmed the place two years. During the next two years he was at Currie, woiking in the flour mill of Currie & Crowl. Returning to Lyon county, Mr. Foulon engaged in farming on section 1, Stanley township, until 1899. That year he moved to Ghent and for four years conducted the C. M. Youmans lumber yard. Then with several others he organized the Bank of Ghent and was made its cashier, a position he has since held. A reorganization was effected in 1908 and the institution became the First State Bank of Ghent.

Besides his banking interests Mr. Foulon devotes some of his time to the management of his Lyon county farms. He has prospered since coming to the county and is rated among the successful men of Lyon. Mr. Foulon has served as president of the Village Council a number of terms and has held other offices of trust, having been clerk and treasurer of the Board of Education and president of the Ghent Fire Department. He is a member of the Catholic church and of the Catholic Order of Foresters.

The marriage of Mr. Foulon to Clemence Gits was solemnized at Ghent May 31, 1892. She is also a native of Belgium. To them have been born the following named three children: Helen, a graduate of St. Catherine's College of St. Paul; Mary, a graduate of the same school; and Emma, who attends school in Belgium. All the children have studied French in Belgium.

EDWARD SCHREIBER (1884). proprietor of a hardware and implement store at Ghent, has resided in Lyon county all his life. He is a Lyon county product that has certainly "made good." Although a young man, he has built up an enormous business and is rated as one of the most successful business men of the county, accomplished through a strict application to business, an indomitable purpose and honest dealing. He has great faith in the future prosperity of his town and has done his share toward its present standing of one of the best little towns in Southwestern Minnesota.

Our subject was born on his father's farm, the east half of section 2 5, Westerheim township, on May 11, 1884, and grew to manhood on that farm. After completing the course provided by the district school, he attended St. Michael's Convent at New Ulm three terms, the Marshall High School two years, the Marshall Business College one year, and completed his education in St. Thomas College at St. Paul.

Mr. Schreiber located in Ghent in 1904 and the first year worked for Lerschen Brothers in the hardware and implement business. Then he bought the firm's business, including the buildings and grounds, and has since conducted the store. He has more than doubled the stock and busmess and has made the business a paying one. He deals in hardware, farm implements, wagons, buggies, gasoline engines, pumps, automobiles and furniture and buys and ships live stock.

For several terms Mr. Schreiber has served as a member of the Ghent Village Council. He belongs to the Catholic, church, the C. O. F. lodge, of which he is an officer, and the M. W. A. lodge, having been the first venerable counsel of the local lodge of the last named order. Mr. Schreiber is a stockholder of the Ghent Farmers Elevator Company and a charter member of the Ghent Fire Department. He is president of the Ghent Rural Telephone Company, owned by the business men of Ghent.

The parents of our subject were Joseph and Johanna (Brewers) Schreiber. They came from Germany to Lyon county in 1883, bought the east half of section 25, Westerheim township, improved the farm, and resided thereon until their deaths. Mr. Schreiber died in 1891 at the age of forty-six years and his wife in 1903, aged fifty-six years. To them were born the following named children, all born on the Westerheim township farm: Garhard, who resides on the old home farm; Edward, of this review; Louise (Mrs. Ed Gits), of Ghent; and Mary (Mrs. Philip Paradies), of Marshall.

ABEL D. SCHAEFER (1901) is a dealer in harness goods in the village of Ghent. He was born in Beveren Via Audenaerde, Belgium, January 21, 1874, and is a son of Alfonso Schaefer, who resides in France. The mother died in 1883. Abel has two brothers and one sister in this country: Rev. Fr. Schaefer, of Lucan; Camille, of Ghent; and Mary Philomena, of Lucan.

Our subject learned the trade of harness making and carriage upholstering from his father. When fifteen years of age he went to France, where he worked at his trade for some time. He then returned to Belgium and remained two years.

In November, 1901, Mr. Schaefer came to the United States and to Lyon county. He located at Ghent, where his brother. Rev. Fr. Schaefer, then resided. The following January our subject lost all his belongings in a fire which destroyed the Catholic church and the priest's home. In February, 19 02, Mr. Schaefer engaged in the harness business at Ghent. Since that time he has built up a fine business and has prospered. He carries a full line of harness, trunks, bags, saddles and harness hardware. He purchased the building which he occupies in December, 1902. and in the summer of 1911 built an addition, which he uses for a residence.

Mr. Schaefer is a member of the Catholic church and the Catholic Order of Foresters lodge, of which he is secretary. He is collector for the National Casualty Company and secretary and treasurer of the Rural Telephone Company of Ghent. He is vice president of the Ghent Fire Department.

DR. E. F. ST. DENIS (1906), deceased, was a physician and surgeon of Ghent. He was born at St. Anne de Bellevene, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a son of Anthony and Angeline (La Marche) St. Denis, the former a resident of Canada, the latter deceased. They were the parents of ten children, all of whom are deceased.

Dr. St. Denis received his education in the land of his nativity and was graduated from the Medical Department of Laval University in 1896. The next year he came to the United States and located at Bradley, Illinois, where he practised his profession until 1906. Then he came to Lyon county and located at Ghent, in April, 1906, where he practised until his death in May, 1912. Dr. St. Denis was a member of the Minnesota State Medical Association and the County Physicians Association. He was medical examiner for the M. W. A. and C. O. F. lodges and held membership in both orders. He was also health officer of Ghent.

Dr. St. Denis was married at Rockford, Illinois, May 15, 1906, to Mary DuBois, a native of Chicago. They had two children, Edward and Clara.

JOHN H. BOT (188 6) is the owner of a fine farm in Grandview township, one mile from Ghent. His place is part of the original farm owned by his father. It is well improved, and besides conduct-

William H. and Debora (Schrueder) Bot, parents of our subject, were Hollanders and came to Lyon county in 1886, locating in Grandview township, on the farm now occupied by their son John. The father prospered and at the time of his death in April, 1906, was the owner of 1200 acres of Lyon county farm land. Mrs. William H. Bot lives in Ghent.

John Bot was born in Holland September 13, 1879, and came to America with his parents at the age of seven years. He grew up on the farm in Grandview township and was educated in the country school. After his father's death John and his brother, William H. Bot, rented the home farm two years, and then John took full charge and later bought the place, which he has since conducted. He is one of the progressive young farmers of the township and is well known throughout the neighboring country. Mr. Bot has served the past seven years as clerk of the township board and for several years has been clerk of school district No. 31.

Our subject has five brothers and one sister living. They are Hero W., Henry J. and William H., all of Ghent; Bernard H. and Regnier J., of Grandview township; and Kate (Mrs. Joseph Senden), of Grandview township. John Bot is a member of the Catholic church and holds membership in the Catholic Order of Foresters lodge.

J. X. WIESNER (1891) has for the past eight years been the proprietor of a confectionery, cigar and tobacco store in Tracy. From the time Mr. Wiesner moved to Tracy in 1891 until 1904 he was local agent for the John Gund Brewing Company of Milwaukee. Our subject was born in Bohemia July 2 5, 1854, and when twelve years old started out in life for himself. He first went to Vienna and two years later came to the United States with his uncle, John Wiesner, in the spring of 18 69. The two men located in New Ulm, where J. N. Wiesner worked for eight years. Thence he went to Owatonna and later to Alden, in Freeborn county, where he engaged in

The John Gund Brewing Company engaged Mr. Wiesner's services at that time, and for the next few years he was in that company's employ, part of the time in Alden and part of the time in Owatonna. In 1885 J. N. Wiesner and his brother, J. J. Wiesner, started in the butcher business in the town of Wells, this state. This was continued for two years, the brothers then moving to Owatonna, where they conducted a meat market four years. In 18 91 J. N. Wiesner again entered the John Gund Brewing Company's employ and located in Tracy as their local agent, which position he held for fourteen years prior to opening his confectionery and tobacco store, which he bought from George Town.

The subject of our sketch was married at Owatonna on June 8, 1881, to Barbara Huffman. The young lady who became his wife came to this country with her parents when she was one year old. The Wiesners have two children. The son, Fred, is a civil engineer in the employ of the Great Northern Railroad Company and is located at Great Falls, Montana. Gladys, the daughter, lives at home.

Mr. Wiesner served en the City Council of Tracy four years. During three years of that time he was president of the council. Fraternally he is associated with the A. O. U. W. and the K. of P. lodges.

RASMUS B. SAMPSON (1902), farmer and land owner of Island Lake township, was born in Sonhorland, Norway, February 13, 1873, and his parents still live in the old country. They are Sampson R. Bjelleboe and Britha (Aarthum) Bjelleboe.

Rasmus received a common school education, in his native land and at the age of sixteen years set out alone for America to seek his fortune. He located at Story City, Iowa, where he had relatives, and for a number of years worked out as a farm hand, during the first year receiv-

In 190 1 Mr. Sampson bought the northeast quarter of section 16, Island Lake township, and the next year he and his family moved to their new home. He feeds and ships stock, making a specialty of Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. Mr. Sampson has stock in the Farmers Elevator Company of Lynd and is justice of the peace of his precinct. He and his family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.

The marriage of Mr. Sampson to Gurena Sunnoe occurred in Hamilton county, Iowa, June 16, 1896. His wife was born in Stavanger, Norway, November 14, 18 68, and her parents were Narve and Gunhild (Sunnoe) Olson, both of whom died in the old country. Mr. and Mrs. Sampson are the parents of the following named children: Selmer B., Gerhart N., Alwin S., Gladys R., Richard O.. Martha G., Bertha S. and Chris.

DR. WARD AKESTER (1909) is one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Marshall, and he has attained a prominent place in the city's professional and social affairs. The doctor was born at Washington, Indiana, May 17, 1880. He was graduated from the Farina, Illinois, High School and took a two years' academic course at Austin College, Effingham, Illinois. Then he entered the Medical College of Indiana, from which he was graduated in 1902.

Soon after his graduation Dr. Akester began the practice of his profession at Clay City, Illinois, and later was for some time the surgeon in charge of the State Hospital at Chester, Illinois. He located in Marshall in 1909 to make his permanent home. He has built up a splendid practice and enjoys the esteem and confidence of the public. His office is in nicely appointed rooms over the Marshall State Bank. Dr. Akester is a member of many of the leading medical and surgical societies of the country. He is a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Eastern Star, Odd Fellows and Woodmen lodges.

in Washington, Indiana; Martha (Ward) Akester died in March, 1900. Dr. Akester has one brother and one sister. Dr. J. Akester, of Farina, Illinois, and Cora Akester, of the Indiana State University.

Dr. Akester was married at Clay City, Illinois, June 30, 1906, to Bess Pauline Kempshall. She is a native of New Britain, Connecticut, and a daughter of William F. and Nell (Drausfield) Kempshall. Mrs. Akester is a member of the Christian church and of the Eastern Star and Rebekah lodges.

ANDREW P. LINDEN (1893) is a farmer and land owner of Coon Creek township. He is a native of Sweden and was born near Granna March 25, 1868, the son of Swan Anderson Linden. The father died in February, 1910; the mother is still living and resides at Belgrade, Minnesota.

The subject of this sketch received his education in the land of his nativity, where he attended school until fifteen years of age. In 1884 he came to Minnesota and located at Belgrade, Steams county, where he worked at farm labor eight years. He also worked in Minneapolis for a short time. In 1892 he purchased a quarter section of land in Coon Creek township, which he still owns and operates. He raises Poland China hogs, Hereford cattle and Barred Plymouth chickens. Mr. Linden is a member of the Swedish Free Mission church. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company.

On July 10, 1897, Mr. Linden was united in marriage to Amanda Johnson, a daughter of John and Mary (Peterson) Johnson, who reside at the home of our subject. Mrs. Linden is a native of Sweden and was bora November 8, 1873.

Mr. Linden is a successful farmer and stockraiser. He has four brothers and one sister: August and Frank, of Stearns county; Edward and John, of Chicago, Illinois; Mrs. August Anderson, of Stearns county.

Mrs. Linden has two brothers and two sisters: Nels and Solomon Johnson, of Shelburne township, and Mrs. Hattie Enell, of California, and Mrs. Mary Elison.

nishing goods departments of the L. Abrahamson store at Cottonwood. He was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, October 14, 1866. He is a son of Nels B. Olson, who homesteaded land in Monona county, Iowa, in 1861. The latter served in a Wisconsin company during the Civil War. After the war he returned home and later moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where he resided ten years and died in 1906. The mother died in 1903.

Oluf accompanied his parents to the West when he was but one year old and resided with them on the farm until eighteen years of age. Then he went to Beloit, Iowa, and attended Augustana College, after which he went to Sioux City, Iowa, and took a course in the Sioux City Business College. For the next seven years Mr. Olson was connected with the United States Clothing Company and then spent eight years as salesman for the Browning-King Clothing Company.

In the spring of 1901 our subject came to Lyon county and located at Cottonwood. In company with William B. Olson and A. O. Anderson, he opened a mercantile business under the firm name of the Anderson-Olson Company. They conducted the business three years and then reorganized and established the Cottonwood Mercantile Company, A. O. Anderson selling his interest and the new firm being composed of A. B. Anderson, O. G. and W. B. Olson. Mr. Olson was a member of that firm two years, when he sold his interest to Anderson Brothers. He then went to Normania, Yellow Medicine county, where, in company with M. S. Runsold, he opened a mercantile store and conducted it until 1908. They sold the business and our subject returned to Cottonwood and has since been associated with L. Abrahamson as buyer and manager.

Mr. Olson was president of the Cottonwood Commercial Club two and one-half years. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church and the Norden Mandskor, a vocal organization, of which he was secretary.

At Sloan, Iowa, June 4, 1887, occurred the marriage of Mr. Olson to Matilda S. Strand, a native of La Crosse county, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Olson are the parents of the following children: Ella M., Harry N., Ruth and Herbert. Their oldest child, Mabel, died at the age of four years.

TELES PARADIS, JR. (1884) is a farmer of Lake Marshall township. He was born in St. John, Canada, May 30, 1881, a son of Teles and Selina (Demery) Paradis, natives of Canada.

When three years of age our subject accompanied his parents to America and located in Lyon county, the father purchasing 160 ceres of land in Fairview township. There the family lived sixteen years, when the father sold and purchased 240 acres on section 27, Lake Marshall township. Teles, Jr., resided with his parents until 1907, when he rented the southwest quarter of section 34, Lake Marshall township, and has lived there since. He is a member of the Catholic church.

The subject of this review was married in Marshall on May 7, 1907, to Alma Boudreau, a native of Chicago. She is a daughter of Henry and Hermine (Morin) Boudreau, who now live in Fairview township, Lyon county. Mr. and Mrs. Paradis are the parents of the following children: Louis, born April 1, 1908; Jennevive, horn March 12, 1909; Bernice, born May 7, 1910; Luella Agnes, born December 25, 1911.

GEORGE G. LOWE (1884), junior member of the Marshall clothing firm of Olson & Lowe, is a native of Lyon county, having been born in Stanley township February 28, 1884. He is the son of George and Maggie (Glashen) Lowe, who now reside in Cottonwood. His mother is a native of Wisconsin and his father of Scotland. The latter came to the United States at the age of seventeen years and settled in Lake City, Minnesota, where he was married. The family came to Lyon county in 1874 and took as a homestead the northwest quarter of section 6, Stanley township. They resided on the farm until 1902, when the father moved to Cottonwood to engage in the grain business. There are four children in the family, namely: Alex, cashier in a bank at Wood Lake, Minnesota; Mrs. Theodore M. Thomas, of Marshall; Mrs. Hugo H. Gieseke, of Marshall; and the subject of this review.

School. At the age of nineteen years he took employment with Olson Brothers and he has been connected with that store ever since. He was employed as a clerk until the death of John Olson in 1904, when he became the manager of the store. In January, 1909, he became a member of the firm.

The firm of Olson Brothers was established in October, 1900, by John G., Martin G. and Ed. C. Olson, and that was the title until Mr. Lowe became a member of the firm. The store is the oldest exclusive clothing store in the city. The company deals in clothing, men's furnishings, trunks, shoes, etc.

Mr. Lowe was married at Le Roy, Minnesota, January 20, 1912, to Lura B. Wells, a native of the city in which she was married and a daughter of George Wells. Mr'. Lowe is a member of the Masonic and Woodmen orders.

WILLIAM H. EDWARDS (1S94) owns and operates 240 acres of land on section 2 9, Sodus township. He was born in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, December 6, 1867. His parents are William and Margaret (Davis) Edwards, both natives of Wales. They came to the United States in an early day and settled in Blue Earth county, where our subject was born and grew to manhood. He assisted his father on the farm until 1894.

In the year last named our subject came to Lyon county and purchased eighty acres on section 29, Sodus township. Later he purchased the northeast quarter of the same section. He operates the entire 240 acres. Mr. Edwards is a member of the Township Board of Supervisors.

On June 27, 1897, Mr. Edwards was married to Jane Scott, a native of Lyon county. She is a daughter of John and Mary Ann (Lewis) Scott, of Sodus township. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards have three children: Edwin, Mary and Irene.

DR. DON CASSELMAN (1886) is a member of the firm of James & Casselman, dentists, of Tracy. He is the son of John J. Casselman, of Tracy, who was born in Ontario, Canada, and who for the

Don Casselman was born in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, September 8, 1884. Soon after his birth the family moved to Huron, South Dakota, and two years later to Tracy. After a residence there of seven years, the family again moved to Huron, but in 1900 returned to Tracy for permanent residence. Don attended the Tracy High School, for one year was a student in the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, and then took a course in the .Minnesota University, from the Dental Department of which he was graduated in 1905. After his graduation Dr. Casselman formed a partnership with his uncle, Dr. W. D. James, and has since been engaged in practice.

The marriage of Dr. Casselman to Vera Edwards occurred at Tracy October 16, 1907. She is the daughter of W. R. Edwards, who for so many years published the Tracy Republican-Trumpet. Dr. and Mrs. Casselman have one child, Genevieve.

GEORGE H. JOHNSON (1893) owns and farms the southeast quarter of section 19, Rock Lake township. He raises considerable stock and during the fall seasons he operates a threshing rig in his part of the county. He is a shareholder and one of the directors of the Farmers Elevator Company of Balaton.

George Johnson's parents came from Iroquois county, Illinois. His father, Henry H. Johnson, moved to this county in 1891 and settled in Shelburne township, on the south half of section 25. The mother and the rest of the family came in 1893.

Our subject was born in Iroquois county, Illinois, January 14, 1875. He received his early education in his native state and worked on his father's farm. He was eighteen years old when the mother and her children came to Lyon county in 18 93 to join the father, who had preceded them two years. George helped his father on the farm and worked out for others until 1901, when he purchased the farm which he now owns and started farming for himself.

Mr. Johnson was married February 2 6, 1908, to Myrtle Blanchard, a native of Clear Lake, Iowa. The wedding occurred at Marshall. Mrs. Johnson was born March 31, 1888, and is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Blanchard, now residents of Balaton. Her father is a native of Wisconsin and her mother was brought up in Iowa. Our subject's father, Henry Johnson, died in 1901, and his mother, Annie (Gerdes) Johnson, died in 1895.

WESLEY W. SIMMONS (1892), real estate and insurance agent of Marshall, has passed his entire life in Southern Minnesota and first came to Lyon county twenty years ago. He was born in Hector, Renville county, August 11, 1874, the son of pioneer residents of Southern Minnesota.

The father, William H. Simmons, was born in England and came to the United States when nine years of age. He settled in Renville county forty years ago and homesteaded land. He was living there during the terrible grasshopper scourge of the early seventies and was named by a committee of citizens of his neighborhood to go to St. Paul to solicit aid from the governor. He walked practically the entire distance - some sixty-five or seventy miles - and through his efforts aid was granted to the sufferers of his county. He was married to Mrs. Fannie French, also a native of England. They located in Lyon county in 1892 and bought land in Lynd township. Mr. and Mrs. Simmons now reside in Marshall. There are four children in the family, as follows: Edward and Lizzie (Mrs. William F. Markus), of Duluth, who are children of Mrs. Simmons by her former marriage; Laura (Mrs. C. K. Gillett), of Weyerhauser, Wisconsin; and Wesley W. There were two other children in the Simmons family. Arthur died in 1892 at the age of twenty-eight years; Frank died January 22, 1910, aged thirtyeight years.

At the age of seven years Wesley W. Simmons accompanied the family from Renville county to Minneapolis, but three years later a return to his native county was made. In 1892 he came with his parents to Lyon county. The first home was on section 35, Lynd township, where Wesley engaged in farming with his father until 1898.