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Allamakee County >> 1913 Index Past and Present of Allamakee County Iowa S Unless otherwise specified, these biographies are submitted by Dick Barton. I.
I. Satrang, engaged in general farming and stock-raising on a fine
property of two hundred acres on section 11, Paint Creek township, was
born upon this farm on the 15th of December, 1877.
He is a son of
Gulbrand Satrang, a native of Norway, who came to the United States when
he was still a young man and worked at various places, including
Milwaukee, Chicago and Beloit, Wisconsin, and spending most of his time
in the last named city.
He there married, in 1855, Miss Birgit
Grimsgaard, a native of Norway, and four years afterward they came to
Allamakee county, the father buying two hundred acres of land in Paint
Creek township.
This was very slightly improved, having upon it a small
log house, but with characteristic energy Mr. Satrang turned his
attention to its further development, making it finally a productive and
valuable property.
Upon it he lived for many years and there died in
1907 at the age of seventy-six.
His wife, who was also seventy-six
years of age at the time of her death, passed away in 1912.
The father
had been for a number of years prominent in local public affairs,
serving in various positions of trust and responsibility, including that
of township supervisor and tax collector.
In his family were seven
children:
Thorine, the deceased wife of John Falde;
C. O., of
Milwaukee;
Mrs. M. T. Jacobson, of Paint Creek township;
I. I., of
this review;
Carl, who passed away when he was three years of age;
Albert, who died at the age of nine;
and C. A., who passed away in St.
Paul, Minnesota, in 1908.
I. I. Satrang acquired his education in the district schools of Paint Creek township and in Luther College at Decorah. He spent one year in a military academy in Georgia at about the time of the outbreak of the Spanish-American war and was very desirous of enlisting for service in that conflict but was urged by his friends to return home. He did so and here purchased the family homestead, whereon he has since carried on general farming, his property reflecting in its neat and attractive appearance his careful supervision and practical methods. Mr. Satrang is one of Allamakee county's most enterprising and progressive native sons and his record reflects credit upon his ability and public spirit. His worth is widely acknowledged, his enterprising spirit having gained distinction in business and agricultural circles, and his probity is an unquestioned fact in his career. Osten Johnson Sorum submitted by Mary Beth Eldridge Osten Johnson Sorum was an honored pioneer and prominent agriculturist of Allamakee County and owned 500 acres for 57 years. He lived to be 85 years old. He was born in Norway in 1824, and died April 25, 1910 . In 1850 he crossed the Atlantic to the U.S. and spent two years working on a log raft on the Mississippi River and at Monona. In 1852 he came to Allamakee County and bought 80 acres of unimproved land. He built a log house 14 x 16 ft. which was the family home for many years. Coming here in pioneer times, he endured all the hardships and privations incident to life in a sparsely settled and undeveloped district. The nearest trading post was McGregor and in making the trip which took 2 or 3 days he usually went to Harpers Ferry and then down the river, on the ice. When he was absent on one of these trips the family was driven from their log house by a fire which totally destroyed the log house. As the years passed he purchased an additional tract of land in Section 31 in Center Twp. and built a frame house and barn and outbuildings. Here he spent the rest of his life farming. He owned nearly 500 acres of land which was divided among his sons before his demise. He was a man of powerful physique and able to do a great deal of work, but he was handicapped by a broken hip which was allowed to grow crooked. In his death the community lost one of the most respected pioneers and most esteemed citizens and one whose labors had been a potent element in the work of upbuilding and development here. In Allamakee County Mr. Sorum married Miss Gunhild Bakkum, a native of Norway who passed away on the old farm in October 1909. They were parents of three sons, Andrew the oldest inherited the original homestead in Makee Twp., and married Bertha Marie Johnson. John and Christ Sorum were born in the log house in Makee Twp. and latter resided on a farm in Center Twp. Property was well improved in every way, and he carried on general farming with gratifying success, having gained an enviable repu tation as substantial and enterprising citizens of their native country. Religious faith—Lutheran. Carl
A. Spinner needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, for
he has long been one of Waterville's prominent and representative
citizens, having been for twenty years connected with important
mercantile interests as a member of the firm of Spinner Brothers.
Moreover, the high and upright principles of his life have gained him an
enviable position in the public regard, commending him to the confidence
and good-will of all with whom he comes in contact.
He is a native son
of Allamakee county, born in Village Creek, July 28, 1859, his parents
being Peter and Katherine Spinner, natives of Germany and early settlers
in this part of Iowa.
A more extended mention of Mr. and Mrs. Peter
Spinner is found on another page in this work.
They became the parents
of the following children:
Carl A., of this review; Frank; Fred; Peter;
William;
Constantine, and Mary, who lives in Lansing.
Carl
A. Spinner was reared in Village Creek and in his childhood learned
the blacksmith's trade with his father.
He worked at this until he had
reached maturity ad then came to Waterville, where he established a
blacksmith and wagon shop of his own, conducting it successfully for
thirteen years and at the end of that time selling out to form a
partnership with his brother Frank in general merchandising under the
firm name of Spinner Brothers.
This is his present business connection
and it has brought him prosperity and prominence, for he is today one of
the best known business men in the city.
The firm carries a complete
line of general merchandise and has enjoyed a prosperous career.
In
1912 the brothers built a fine business house, twenty-six by ninety feet
in dimensions, with two stories and a basement.
It is constructed of
cement block and heated with a furnace and steam, being thoroughly
equipped with all modern conveniences.
Besides a complete line of
general merchandise Spinner Brothers carry also a stock of harness,
robes and horse blankets, and control a representative and growing trade
along these lines.
Carl A. Spinner was one of the promoters of the
Waterville Savings Bank and is a stockholder in that institution.
He
owns also a fine residence in Waterville and a three hundred acre farm
near the city, now operated by his son.
As the years have passed he has
steadily prospered and is today a successful and prominent man,
connected through his trade relations with important business interests.
Mr.
Spinner was married in April, 1880, in Lansing, to Miss Rosa Kluge,
who was born and reared in Allamakee county.
She died in Village Creek,
while on a visit there, and left three children:
Victor, who is now in
the west; Theodore, who is engaged in farming; and Carl, bookkeeper for
Armour & Company at Sioux City, Iowa.
After the death of his first wife
Mr. Spinner was again married near Waterville in 1895.
In that year he
wedded Miss Annie Conley, and they have one daughter, Esther.
Mr.
Spinner gives his political allegiance to the democratic party but
has never been desirous of holding office.
He is connected fraternally
with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Royal Neighbors and the Yeomen,
and he and his family are members of the Roman Catholic church.
As a
business man he has always kept in touch with the trend of modern
progress and through the able management of his own concern has
contributed in no small degree to the commercial development of the
city.
In his business career he has made steady and honorable progress
but he is no less highly esteemed for the traits he displays in
relations of social life and of citizenship.
Frank
J. Spinner, senior member of the firm of Spinner Brothers, dealers
in farm implements, gasoline engines, automobiles, wagons, buggies,
etc., is one of the progressive, straightforward and enterprising
business men of Lansing, his own initiative, determination and
dominating ability having brought him a success which places him in a
position of influence in commercial circles.
He is a native of
Allamakee county, born in Village Creek, July 17, 1861, a son of Peter
Spinner, a native of Germany.
The father left that country when he was
fifteen years of age and came to America, settling first in Davenport,
Iowa, where he worked at the blacksmith's trade which he had learned in
Germany.
After a few years he moved to Allamakee county and located at
Village Creek in 1855.
He there built a shop and did general
blacksmithing and repairing for several years, building up a large and
profitable business.
Eventually, however, he turned his attention to
farming, purchasing raw land which he cleared, fenced and improved, his
sons assisting him upon the homestead and also with the work of the shop
during the busy seasons.
Peter Spinner married in Ohio, Miss Katherine
Markt, a native of Germany, and they became the parents of a number of
children.
The family was reared in Village Creek and the father spent
the last years of his life on the farm there, dying in 1890.
His wife
survives him and makes her home in Lansing with one of her daughters.
Frank
J. Spinner was reared in Village Creek and learned the
blacksmith's trade from his father.
He moved with the family to the
farm and assisted with its operation until he was twenty-four years of
age when he formed a partnership with his brother and they opened a shop
in Waterville where for four years they carried on a blacksmith, wagon
and repair business.
At the end of that time Mr. Spinner of this review
sold out his interests to his brother and went to Helena, Montana, where
for a year and a half he worked at his trade, finding business
conditions much better there and wages higher.
Upon his return to Iowa
he took charge of his father's shop at Village Creek and there carried
on a profitable business until 1895, when he came to Lansing and formed
a partnership with his brother Fred - as association which has continued
to the present time.
At first their enterprise was a blacksmith, wagon
and repair shop but they soon added a full line of farm implements and
they now carry a complete and well selected stock of these articles,
such as gasoline engines, cream separators, automobiles, wagons and
buggies.
The brothers own their own shop and control a large and
representative trade for their goods are the best that can be found on
the market, their business standards are progressive and honest and
their methods practical and modern.
Their large and well managed
enterprise is the more creditable to them in that they began on a small
scale and by industry, frugality and good business judgment have become
successful, being now ranked among the city's able and substantial
business factors.
Frank L. Spinner was one of the organizers of the
Peoples State Bank of Lansing and is now one of the large stockholders
in the institution.
He
was formerly for many years identified with
mercantile interests of Waterville as a partner with his brother C. A.
Spinner in the conduct of a general store.
The association was formed
about 1894 and Mr. Spinner of this review continued as a silent partner
until February, 1913, when he sold his interests.
In
Waukon, on the 27th of March, 1894, Mr. Spinner married Miss Kate
McGeough, a daughter of E. McGeough, one of the early settlers in
Allamakee county.
Mr. and Mrs. Spinner became the parents of nine
children, Francis Earl, Raymond J., Katherine Leonette, William D.,
Marie J., Edward P., Frank, Kenneth and James.
The family are members
of the Catholic church of Lansing.
Mr. Spinner gives his political
allegiance to the democratic party and he served eight years as a member
of the city council, discharging his duties in an earnest,
straightforward and capable manner.
An able and discriminating business
man he carries forward to completion whatever he undertakes and his name
on the list of promoters of any enterprise is a guaranty of its weight
and importance as well as of its ultimate success.
Albert G. Stewart was born at Broadhead, Wisconsin, March 1, 1854, of Virginia parents. His father, Thomas, was an early steamboat captain on the Ohio, and a graduate of William and Mary College, Virginia. He settled in Wisconsin in 1841, and A. G. was the fifth of a large family. The subject of this sketch came to Waukon March 1, 1875, studied law in the office of Granger & Stilwell, and was admitted to the bar in October, 1876. In 1877 he entered into partnership with C. S. Stilwell, and ten years later with H. H. Stilwell. Mr. Stewart was chairman of the republican county central committee for twelve years, and mayor of Waukon for three years. He made an excellent record in the Iowa National Guard, attaining the rank of colonel, and later commanding the Waukon company during the Spanish war. Of recent years he has resided in the East. Among the younger generation who are making their mark in agricultural circles of Allamakee county is numbered Fred H. Stopperan, who was born in Grand Meadow township, Clayton county, Iowa, January 23, 1879, and who is now conducting an excellent farm near Postville. He is a son of Carl and Elizabeth (Schroeder) Stopperan, natives of Mecklenburg, Germany, the former born in 1835 and the latter in 1845. The father crossed the Atlantic about the year 1860 and located in Pennsylvania, where for some time he worked as a deck hand on a boat. He later came to Iowa, settling in Grand Meadow township, Clayton county, where he rented land, which he developed and improved for four years, later purchasing a farm. He bought at that time one hundred and twenty acres and upon it he continued to reside until 1903, when he retired from active life and removed into Postville, where he died about three months afterward. His wife survives him and makes her home in that city. They were the parents of ten children, of whom eight are yet living, the subject of this review being the seventh in the order of birth. Fred H. Stopperan acquired his education in district school No. 7, Grand Meadow township, and in his childhood divided his time between his books and work upon his father's farm. He remained in Clayton county until he was twenty two years of age and then went to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he spent one summer in the employ of others. Returning to Postville, he secured a position as driver of an ice wagon for Mr. Buecher, for whom he continued to work for three years, resigning his position in order to learn the cement and mason's trade. At this he became very proficient and he continued to give his entire time to it for five years, after which he turned his attention to farming, purchasing ninety-seven acres of land, which he now owns. His farm is highly improved, being provided with a fine barn and the necessary outbuildings, together with adequate labor-saving machinery. In addition to tilling the fields he also pays considerable attention to stock-raising and keeps on hand a number of fine cattle and hogs, which he feeds for the market. His fields are very productive and the excellent condition and attractive appearance of the entire farm is an evidence of the careful supervision and practical labor he has expended upon it. He is a shareholder in the Farmers Mercantile Association at Postville and is well known in the city as a reliable and straightforward business man. Mr. Stopperan was married on the 17th of March, 1910, to Miss Lena Brockmeyer, who was born in Westphalia, Germany, April 8, 1888, a daughter of Carl and Henrietta (Lampa) Brockmeyer, also natives of that part of Germany, the former born January 28, 1843, and the latter February 13, 1849. The father was a butcher, a farmer and a weaver in his native country but after he came to America in 1896 he gave his entire attention to agricultural pursuits, purchasing a farm in Fayette county, Iowa, and later moving to Post township, Allamakee county, where he and his wife now reside. They are the parents of five children, of whom the wife of the subject of this review is the youngest. Mr. Stopperan is a member of the German Lutheran church
and politically gives his allegiance to the republican party, serving
at present as school director. He is connected with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America and is well known
in local fraternal circles. He inherited the industry and integrity
of his German ancestry and aside from being numbered among the substantial
farmers of the community he is also acknowledged to be one of the representative
citizens of his township. Ole
O. Storla is carrying on general farming upon two hundred and
twenty-eight acres of land on section 11, Paint Creek township,
constituting the farm upon which he was born on the 25th of September,
1866.
He is a son of one of Allamakee county's most honored and
successful pioneers, his father, Ole Storla, having come to America from
Norway and settled in this part of Iowa in 1850.
With practically his
entire capital he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Paint
Creek township, developing this from a raw tract into a modern and
productive farm and making his home thereon until his death, the years
bringing him substantial prosperity as a reward for his unremitting
industry and practical labor.
He was married in Wisconsin, to Miss
Thora Lee, who was born in Norway and came to America when she was a
young woman.
Five children were born to them:
Louis, who died at
Moorhead, Minnesota, where he served as county auditor;
Severt, who
passed away at Hot Springs, Arkansas;
Christe, the widow of Rev. Moses;
Thore, who died in 1912 at Decorah; and Ole O., of this review.
The
last named was reared under the parental roof and has never left the
homestead, assisting with its cultivation in his childhood and
thereafter assuming entire control.
He owns two hundred and twenty- eight acres lying on section 11, Paint
Creek township, and upon it
carries on general farming and stock-raising, being numbered today among
the most successful and prominent agriculturists of his locality.
Mr.
Storla married Miss Julia Paulson, a daughter of Peter Paulson, of
whom further mention is made elsewhere in this work.
To their union
have been born seven children,
Olvin,
Sophia,
Thora,
Paulina,
Olga,
Helen and Clarence.
Mr. Storla is a member of the Lutheran church and
his political allegiance is given to the republican party.
A man whose
life has always been in keeping with high standards, he justly deserves
the full measure of confidence and respect now entertained for him by
all who know him.
The
term progress has ever been the keynote in the life of Andrew
Swenson, a farmer of Paint Creek township, whose valuable farm, one of
the most attractive in the district, indicates the up-to-date and modern
methods of its owner.
He is one of Allamakee county's native sons, his
birth having occurred in Paint Creek township on the old family
homestead of which his present farm is a part, June 29, 1866.
His
parents, Bennett and Augusta (Thorsen) Swenson, natives of Norway, are
mentioned at length on another page of this volume in connection with
the sketch of L. B. Swenson.
In
the district schools Andrew Swenson acquired a good education, while
his father's farm was the training ground upon which he received his
knowledge of agriculture.
For several years he was in partnership with
his brother, L. B. Swenson, in the operation of the homestead, but about
ten years ago this relationship was dissolved, the brothers dividing the
farm, Andrew Swenson receiving one hundred and forty acres as his share.
This place, well improved by his father, has since been greatly enhanced
both in value and appearance by the erection of a beautiful residence
and good barns and outbuildings, and today the farm is one of the
neatest and most attractive properties in Paint Creek township. Mr.
Swenson engages in general farming and the progressive methods which he
has followed have made him one of the most prosperous and substantial
agriculturists of his section.
Mr.
Swenson married Miss Torena Kolsrud, a native of Allamakee county
and a daughter of Solve Kolsrud.
Mrs. Swenson presides over the
beautiful home erected by her husband in a very capable manner and is
conceded to be an exceptionally good housekeeper.
Both are members of
the Lutheran church and occupy a prominent place in the community in
which they reside.
Mr. Swenson owns an automobile and finds pleasant
recreation from his farm labor in motoring.
He is one of the most
modern and up-to-date farmers in the county and the success which he has
attained ranks him among the men of affluence in this district.
L.
B. Swenson is cultivating and developing a part of the farm upon
which he was born on section 11, Paint Creek township, Allamakee county,
and is ranked among the progressive, substantial and representative
agriculturists of his district.
He was born August 14, 1859, and, as
the name indicates, comes of Norwegian parentage.
He is the son of
Bennett Swenson, who was born in Hemsendal, Norway, on the 25th of
December, 1824, and in 1845 emigrated to the United States, settling on
Rock Prairie, Rock County, Wisconsin.
Several years later, in 1850, he
went to California by way of the New York and Cape Horn route, going
from San Francisco up the river to Sacramento, where he engaged in
mining for a time.
In 1853 he returned to Wisconsin by way of the
isthmus of Panama and by rail from New York.
In the following year he
came to Allamakee county, Iowa, settling on one hundred and sixty acres
on sections 10 and 11, Paint Creek township.
When it came into his
possession the land was but slightly improved, he having been the third
owner since it had been taken up from the government.
In October, 1854,
he was married to Miss Augusta Thorsen, who was born in Norway and
passed away on the homestead farm on the 29th of September, 1875. There
Mr. Swenson also spent his remaining days.
They were faithful members
of the Lutheran church and were the parents of six children, as follows:
Swen Bennettson, deceased; Thorsten Swenson, a resident of Polk county,
Minnesota;
L. B., of this review; Julia, the wife of Eric Hemrie, of
Crookston, Minnesota; Andrew, of Paint Creek township; and Isabel, who
married William Ralsdon, of Waterville, Iowa.
Amid
the wholesome environment of farm life L. B. Swenson was reared to
manhood and in early life attended the district school in the
acquirement of an education.
His practical training, too, was broad and
thorough, received under the direction of his father, after whose death
he and his brother Andrew operated the old homestead in partnership for
several years.
Subsequently, however, they divided the farm, L. B.
Swenson now being the owner of one hundred and thirty-five acres on
section 11, Paint creek township, equipped with substantial buildings
erected by his father.
He carries on general farming, in which he has
been most successful, and everything about his place is indicative of
the supervision of a practical and progressive owner.
To his place he
has given the name of the Maple Spring Trout Farm.
Mr.
Swenson married Bertha Seando, who was born in Allamakee county, a
daughter of Forkel Seando, and unto them have been born six children,
Irene, Bernice, Stella, Myrtle, Isabelle and Bernard, but the last named
died at the age of two years.
Agricultural
pursuits have fully occupied the time and attention of Mr.
Swenson, who has never sought nor desired to enter public life in any
way, although he is deeply interested in the welfare of the section in
which he resides and supports all those projects which affect the
general growth and development of the county.
A residence of the same
farm of more than half a century has gained him a wide acquaintance
throughout the township, and he is held in high esteem by all with whom
he has been brought in contact.
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