Lyon County Biographies
"An Illustrated History of Lyon County"
Below are biographies from the 1912 "An Illustrated History of Lyon County".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*The date in parentheses following the name of each subject is the year of arrival to Lyon county.
DR. C. E. PERSONS (1877) is the oldest doctor in Marshall in point of service. He was born in Spencerville, Allen county, Indiana, on February 27, 1847. He is the son of Salmon M. and Mary M. (Cutts) Persons, natives of Orwell, Vermont. They moved to Spencerville in the fall of 1846. At the close of the war they came to Minnesota, locating at Northfield, where the mother died in 1875. The father died in Lyon county in 1880. When sixteen years of age, our subject accompanied his parents to Northfield, where he remained until 1877 and where he received his early education, graduating from Carleton College, Northfield. He was also graduated from Ann Arbor College in the spring of 1877.
In the latter year Dr. Persons came to Lyon county and engaged in the practise of his profession, and he has continued here since that date. He went through the struggles of a young doctor in pioneer days in Lyon county, he being the oldest doctor, in point of service, of the county. He was county coroner several years, has been
United States pension examiner since 1880, and is local physician for the Northwestern Railroad Company. He has been county physician and has been treasurer of the school board a number of, years, having been on the board at the time of the erection of the new school building.
The first office of Dr. Persons was upstairs in a little frame building on the south side of Main Street, where the City Meat Market is now, the lower floor being occupied as the postoffice. Later he had his office in a frame building where the Olson & Lowe store is now, and later he and James Lawrence built the two brick buildings on the same site, where our subject was located a number of years. Dr. Persons built the residence now owned by F. J. Parker in 1891. He now has his office in his residence, which he built in 1906.
Dr. Persons was married in Marshall November 27, 1878, to Addie E. Gary, a native of Winona county, Minnesota. She was born June 12, 1858, the year Minnesota was admitted to the Union, and came to Lyon county with her parents, H. B. and Nancy (Woodard) Gary. The former died in 1911, the latter in 1905. Mrs. Persons was a school teacher and taught in the Marshall schools several years. She is a graduate of the Winona Normal School, class of 1877. Dr. and Mrs. Persons are the parents of two children: Harris Edward and Robert Wayne.
Our subject's parents had six children, four of whom are living. They are as follows: Dr. C. E., of this sketch; Emma A. (Mrs. C. C. Wagner), of Larimore, North Dakota; Orville E., of Clarkston, Idaho; Mary E. (Mrs. Albert Dresser), of New Salem, North Dakota.
Dr. Persons holds membership in the American, State, County and local physicians associations and is secretary of the last named.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MRS. CATHERINE MIELKE (1874) is the widow of Herman Mielke, one of the pioneer settlers of Lucas township. She lives on the farm, directs its management, and employs help to attend to the farm labor.
Herman Mielke was a native of Germany and was born May 23, 1834. He received Ms bringing up in his home country and came to America in 1872, and it was two years later that he took a homestead in Lucas township, Lyon county. That was his home until his death December 26, 1910, and his widow is now living on the old homestead.
The subject of this sketch is a native of Canada and was born August 22, 1858, a daughter of William and Annie (Bell) Rose, both now deceased. Our subject accompanied her grandparents to the States when eleven years old, and the family were among the first settlers in Lucas township, the year 1870 being the year of their arrival. Mrs. Mielke received her education in the country school and resided with her grandparents until 1875.
That was the year of her marriage, the date being November 11, and the ceremony being performed at Marshall. Mr. and Mrs. Mielke were the parents of thirteen children, twelve of whom are living, as follows: Hermenne, of Minneapolis; William, of Big Horn, Wyoming; Matilda (Mrs. William Thiel), of Stanley township; Augusta (Mrs. Edward Broberg), of Dassell; August, of Canada; Elizabeth (Mrs. Sebert Lien), of Dassel; Elvine (Mrs. Edward Schultz), of Franklin; Bertha (Mrs. William Kahl), of Yellow Medicine county; Julius, of Fairfax; Hattie, of Franklin; and Mamie and Mabel, at home. Mrs. Mielke has long been a member of the Presbyterian church.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANTON A. HELLICKSON (1876), of Westerheim township, has lived on one farm in that precinct since he was one year of age. He is a son of Andrew and Enger (Cliffgard) Hellickson and was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, May 8, 1875.
Anton accompanied his parents to Lyon county when one year old, in 1876, and has ever since made his home with his parents. He received a good education, taking a two-year course in the Minneota High School and attending the Madison Normal School after completing his primary education. For a number of years he has been engaged in farming, operating 240 acres of Ms father's land in addition to his own land, the southeast quarter of
section 9, Westerheim, which he bought in 1904. Mr. Hellickson has made a success of his farming operations and is classed as one of the successful men of his township. He raises Durham cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs.
Mr. Hellickson was married in Yellow Medicine county February 22, 1897, to Anneta Brusven. She was born in that county November 29, 1877. Her parents, Olaus and Annie (Roeberg) Brusven, were born in Norway and are now residents of Yellow Medicine county. Mr. and Mrs. Hellickson have three children, Alice, Alvin and Amelia. They are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRED C. MARKS (1876) is a farmer and land owner of Clifton township who has lived in that precinct since he was five years of age. He was born in Plainview, Wabasha county, Minnesota, January 18, 1871. His parents are Charles and Margaret (Mengild) Marks, natives of Germany and now residents of Granite Falls.
When he was a little past five years old, in 1876, Fred Marks accompanied his parents to Lyon county. His father took as a homestead claim the northeast quarter of section 2, Clifton township, and on that place our subject spent his boyhood days. At fourteen years of age he began working out as a farm hand and was so employed several years, spending one year working on a railroad in North Dakota. In the spring of 1891 Mr. Marks bought the northwest quarter of section 3, Clifton township, and on that place he has ever since made Ms home, excepting the year 1910, when his place was operated by a tenant.
Mr. Marks has stock in the Lyon County Fair Association. He served one year on the Board of Supervisors of Clifton township and was treasurer of school district No. 42 three years. He is a Woodman by lodge affiliation.
The marriage of Mr. Marks to Jennie Nelson occurred in Marshall October 30, 1896. She was born in Denmark May 7, 1874, and died March 19, 1911. To this union the following named five children were born: Charles F., Helen, Alice, Raymond and Louis (deceased).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANDREW J. SWENSON (1872) owns the southwest quarter of section 23, Mon-roe township, and is one of the prominent farmers of the community. He is a warm advocate of the co-operative principle in business and was largely responsible for the formation of the Farmers Co-operative Elevator Company of Garvin and for the advancement of the co-operative idea in that village and vicinity.
Mr. Swenson was born in Norway October 18, 1852, and at the age of nine years came with his parents, John and Mary (Syverson) Swenson, to America, the family locating in La Crosse county, Wisconsin, where the father died in 1861. Andrew resided with his family in his youth and received his education in the common schools. In 1872 he and a brother-in-law drove with an ox-team from La Crosse county to Lyon county, Minnesota. They camped on the way, and the journey was necessarily slow. The boys spent the spring and summer on the trip and looked the country over, returning that fall to Wisconsin, where Andrew remained until 1876.
In 1876 our subject moved to Lyon county and was employed the next four years in farming and railroading. In the fall of 1880 he married, and then in company with John J. Holden he rented the Cutts farm in Custer township and farmed the place four years. Andrew's mother had remarried after the death of her first husband, and in 1872 she came to Lyon county and took a homestead and resided here until 1894, then going to Washington, where she died in 1901. After four years on the Cutts farm, Andrew moved to the homestead which his mother had taken and there made his home four years. He then purchased 160 acres in Murray county and farmed the place ten years, later adding to his possessions and making his total holdings 280 acres.
In the spring of 1901 Mr. Swenson returned to Lyon county and located on his farm, the southwest quarter of section 23. For four years he conducted the Sleepy Eye elevator at Tracy, and for about one year and a half he had charge of the farmers' elevator at Garvin, but for the most part Mr. Swenson has made his home on the farm on section 23 since 1901. Our subject has held various offices during his
residence in Murray and Lyon counties. He was chairman of the Town Board in both Murray and Lyon counties several years. During his entire residence in Murray county he was treasurer of his school district, and he has held the office of assessor.
Andrew Swenson was married November 15, 1880, in Murray county, to Carrie Olson, a native of Wisconsin. She was born January 3, 1858. Mr. and Mrs. Swenson are the parents of the following children: Hattie Matilda (Mrs. Peter O. Nasvik), of St. Paul; Julia Mabel, Clara Amanda, Emma Sophia, Nina Louisa and Anna Ovida. Mr. Swenson is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church, and his fraternal affiliations are with the Modern Woodmen lodge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DR. H. M. WORKMAN (1884), physician and surgeon of Tracy, has resided in that city, engaged in the practice of his profession, for twenty-eight years. He is one of two children (the other being Morris Workman, of Tracy) born to Daniel M. and Virginia (Gephardt) Workman, natives of Ohio.
Dr. Workman was born in Circleville, Ohio, May 14, 1855. After receiving a high school education he matriculated in Northwestern University of Chicago and was granted a diploma in medicine with the class of 1878. He practised in Chicago until 1880, when he located in Huron, South Dakota. A short time later he located in Sleepy Eye, and in 1884 he became a resident of Tracy, where he has ever since been engaged in practice.
The doctor is a member of the American Medical Association, the state association, the Lyon-Lincoln Medical Association, and the American Railway Surgeons Association. He is a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery of the Masonic order, the Eastern Star, Modern Woodmen and A. O. U. W. lodges.
Dr. Workman was married at Mankato, Minnesota, January 27, 1887, to Nell M. Gleason, a native of Winona county, Minnesota. They have one child, Warner Gleason Workman, who is a student in the Medical Department of the University of Minnesota.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ALVIN L. BLANCHARD (1879) has continuously had his home in Lyon county thirty-three years. He owns a 235-acre farm on section 4, Rock Lake township, and is rated as a successful farmer. He raises Norman and Percheron borses, Hereford cattle and Poland China hogs.
Mr. Blanchard is one of a family of four children, the others being Clarence A., of Blanchardville, Wisconsin; Kate (Mrs. Samuel Corbin), of Lily, South Dakota; and William, of Blanchardville. The father of these children was Alvin Blanchard, after whom the city of Blanchardville was named. He was born in New York, settled in Wisconsin in an early day, and died in 1911. The mother of the children is Mary (Skiner) Blanchard, of Balaton.
Alvin L. Blanchard of this review was born in the city named after his father on August 6, 1858. When he was seven years of age be accompanied the family to Freeborn county, Minnesota, and resided with them there until 1879; then the family came to Lyon county. Alvin farmed in Lyons township five years and has since been engaged in the same business in Rock Lake, for many years on his present farm.
Mr. Blanchard bas stock in the Current Lake Telephone Company and the Lyon County Co-operative Company of Balaton. He has membership in the Masonic and Woodmen lodges of Russell, having been a charter member of the last named.
The marriage of Mr. Blanchard to Hattie A. Van Fleet occurred in Rock Lake township in December, 1884. His wife was born in Chatfield, Minnesota, June 14, 1859. Her parents, John A. and Nancy G. (Gere) Van Fleet, were pioneers of Lyon county, homesteaded a part of the land now owned by Mr. Blanchard, and are both dead. Mr. and Mrs. Blanchard have four children: Gertrude L., a school teacher of Berlin, North Dakota; Terresa H. (Mrs. Henry Erickson), of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Gladys S. (Mrs. Milton S. Clark), of Rock Lake township; and Llewellis Van, who lives with his parents.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAVID R. ROBERTS (1878), Lyons township farmer, has lived in the county and on the farm he now occupies since be was a child nine years of age. His parents,
Richard R. and Mary (Prichard) Roberts, were born in Wales and he was born in Rutland county, Vermont, July 2, 1869.
When David was two or three years of age the family moved to Michigan, where the father worked at the slate maker's trade and in the copper mines several years. They came to Lyon county in 1878 and took as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 20, Lyons township, which place has ever since been the home of our subject.
Until 1901 David worked on the home farm and then be rented the place from his father and bas since bad the management. In his stock raising be makes a specialty of Aberdeen Angus cattle. Mr. Roberts owns stock in the Farmers Elevator Company of Russell. He has served ten years as treasurer of his township and is a member of the Workmen lodge.
Mr. Roberts was married in Russell on September 4, 1901, to Sadie Jones, a native of Illinois and a daughter of John N. and Jemima (Jenkins) Jones. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are named Joe, Ethel and Mildred.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MRS. MARIE G. OLSON (1872) is the owner of the south half of section 30, Monroe township, a well-improved farm. She resides on the farm and is assisted in its management by three of her sons, Emil, Edward and John, who own land adjoining and are successfully conducting the home place. They have large herds of Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey swine and a number of fine Percheron horses.
Mrs. Olson was born in Holand, Norway, November 27, 1844. She was married to John Matteson in 1866 and came to America in 1869 and located in Fillmore county, Minnesota, where a few weeks after their arrival her husband died. Two sons were born to this union, Emil, who was born in 1867, and Martin J., who was born in 1869.
In 1871 our subject was married to Gunerius Olson, and the next year they moved from Fillmore county to Lyon county. They took as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 30, Monroe township. and later they bought the southeast quarter of the same section. Mr. Olson, who was born in Norway in 1840, died in 1903. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Olson, as follows: Hilda A., born 1872; Ragna S., born 1875; Olaf C., born 1878; Edward G., born 1881; John A., born 1884; Elma M., born 1889.
Mrs. Olson is a member of Holand Lutheran Church, which is situated on her farm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OLE RIALSON (1872). There are few people living in Lyon county today who were here when Ole Rialson came more than forty years ago. He is a veteran of the Civil War, a homesteader of Lyon county, and a man who has been prominent in the affairs of his community. He now lives a retired life in the city of Tracy.
Mr. Rialson was born in Norway September 24, 1841. He accompanied the family to America in 1849 and the first winter in the New World was spent in Rock county, Wisconsin. The next year the Rialsons moved to Green county of the same state, where Rile Rialson, the father, pre-empted a quarter section of government land. The father died on that place and his wife, Lucy (Syverson) Rialson, died at the home of her son in Tracy.
Our subject was brought up on the farm and after growing up engaged in that pursuit on his own account. On August 11, 1862, at Monroe, Wisconsin, he enlisted in Company G, Twenty-second Wisconsin Infantry, and served in the army until the close of the war. From the time of the battle of Chattanooga until the war was over Mr. RJalson was in General Sherman's army and was one of those who made the memorable march to the sea. He was taken prisoner in Tennessee and for a time was confined in Libby Prison.
After the war Mr. Rialson returned to Green county and farmed until his removal to Lyon county in the spring of 1872. Upon his arrival he took as a homestead claim the southeast quarter of section 22, Monroe township, close to which the village of Tracy was founded three years later. He built a sod shanty on the claim and in the fall was joined by his family. Upon his arrival the only people living in Monroe township were E. W. Healy, David Stafford, Ole Anderson, Ole Helgeson, Asle Olson and Charles Christopherson.
In the spring of 1873 Mr. Rialson hauled
lumber from Walnut Grove and erected a small frame building. Later that was replaced by a more pretentious structure, and Mr. Rialson and his family resided therein until 1892, when he moved to Tracy and retired from active life. While he was hauling the lumber for his first frame house, Mr. Rialson had his first view of-the dreaded grasshoppers, which wrought such damage. He did not desert the country, as did so many of the homesteaders, but has continuously made his home here since his first arrival.
The name of the township in which he has lived for so many years was bestowed by Mr. Rialson, after Monroe, the county seat of Green county, Wisconsin. At the election, which was held in his house, the name Monroe was suggested by Mr. Rialson and the name Chelsea by Mr. Wells. The voters adopted the name suggested by our subject. Mr. Rialson was also one who took an active part in the organization of the township and he was the first township treasurer, as well as the first treasurer of his school district.
The marriage of Mr. Rialson to Gunild Olson occurred in Green county, Wisconsin, on New Year's Day, 1866. She was born in Norway and died in Tracy February 12, 1902. Mr. Rialson has one child, Robert, who resides on the old homestead. Four sons born to the union. have died. The second marriage of Mr. Rialson occurred March 26, 1903, when he wedded Mrs. Ingeborg Erlandson.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOHN JOHNSON.(1876) has spent the entire thirty-six years of his life in Lyon county. He owns the southeast quarter of section 5, Westerheim township, has made all the improvements on that place, and has a fine home. He was born in Nordland township August 21, 1876, and after growing to manhood bought his farm and engaged in business for himself.
Jens B. and Annie (Kittleson) Johnson, his parents, live on the old homestead on section 2, Nordland. They came from Norway early in life and were married in Wisconsin. Later they lived in Goodhue county, Minnesota, a short time, a few years in Yellow Medicine county, and in 1876 they bought a homestead right in Nordland township and have resided there ever since. There are six children in the family, as follows: Bessie (Mrs. H. B. Nelson), of South Dakota; Mary, Sina (Mrs. John Wahl), of South Dakota; Annie, John, of this review; and Gilbert, of Eidsvold township.
John Johnson was married at Canby May 1, 1901, to Bessie Julia Severson. She was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, and is a daughter of Anton Severson, who has lived in Yellow Medicine county the past twenty years. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have two children, Alice S. and Gladys J. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Minneota and Mr. Johnson has been a member of the school board of district No. 80 for the past four years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRANCIS GITS (1883), of Ghent, having retired from active business life after a long and active career and having reached the good age of sixty-six years, departed with his wife in 1904 for Belgium with the intention of making the land of their birth the home of their declining years. The following year found the elderly couple safely back in Ghent, Minnesota, in the land of their adoption, fully decided that Ghent was home. Such was the love for this country that had been instilled into the minds of Francis Gits and his wife after they had. made America their residence since immigrating to this country in 1883. It does not seem strange that here Mr. Gits should find contentment. It has been the field of his earnest endeavors, his business activity, his progress, his prosperity. His children are in business there and the community contains many friends.
Born October 6, 1838, a son of Louis and Natalie Gits, Francis was reared in Cortemork, Belgium, his birthplace. At the age of sixteen, his schooling being completed, he learned the blacksmith's trade under his father and became proficient. He followed that calling in the old country and continued to do so after coming to America and locating in Ghent in the summer of 1883. That year Mr. Gits also started a general store and opened a hotel in Ghent and continued to operate all three places during the following thirteen years. He added a hardware stock to his general
store. In 1901 Mr. Gits retired from active business. He has been very successful, both in business and in the field of investment, making frequent purchases of real estate and selling at good advances. He is the owner of two residence properties in Marshall and three in Ghent, and is a stockholder of the First State Bank of Ghent.
The subject of our sketch is a loyal member of the Catholic church and has been a trustee of the Ghent church for twenty years. For several years he was a trustee of the village board and was for several years president of the council. For several terms he was on the school board.
January 15, 1863, Francis Gits wedded Louise Cornette, a native of Belgium. She was born June 22, 1836. The following children were born to this union: Paul, Julius, Joseph, Victor, Edmund, Arthur, Prudence (Mrs. Gustav Vergote), deceased, and Clemence (Mrs. Charles Foulon), of Ghent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CASSIUS M. WILLFORD (1878) is an old resident of the county and has lived in Custer township thirty-two years. He was born in Winona county, Minnesota, August 14, 1861, and is a son of Daniel and Malinda (Joy) Willford, the former of whom is deceased and the latter being a resident of Balaton. His parents were early settlers in Lyon county, the father having taken as a homestead the northeast quarter of section 22, Custer township, where the family resided until the fall of 1891, when the parents moved to Balaton.
Cassius received his education in Winona county, where he resided until sixteen years of age. In the spring of 1878 he and his brother, Clinton, came to Lyon county and engaged in preparing the land which their father had taken the previous year as a tree claim. The lad continued to make his home with his parents until thirty years of age, at which time he married and took up his residence on the southeast quarter of section 15, Custer township, land which he had purchased in 1885 and where he has since resided, with the exception of five years spent in Tracy. Mr. Willford has increased his real estate holdings and now farms 240 acres and engages quite extensively in stock raising.
The marriage of Cassius M. Willford and Laura Cutler occurred in Tracy January 14, 1891. To this union one child, John Cutler, was born March 21, 1892. Mrs. Willford is a native of Vermont, and her parents, John H. and Martha (Fisher) Cutler, are both dead. They were early settlers of the county, coming to Custer township in 1881 and making that their home until their deaths.
Cassius Willford served several years on the Custer township board and is a stockholder of the Farmers Independent Elevator Company of Garvin. Fraternally he is allied with the A. O. U. W. lodge of Balaton, the Masons of Tracy, and the Modern Woodmen lodge of Garvin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOUIS HELGESON (1874) is one of Monroe township's successful farmers, owning the northeast quarter of section 28, which adjoins the quarter section belonging to his brother Ole. He was born April 3, 1874, on his father's homestead, the northwest quarter of section 28, Monroe township. During his boyhood days he worked for his father and attended the school of district No. 33. After completing his schooling he worked for neighboring farmers and at home until his fathers death in 1892.
After the father's death Louis Helgeson, in company with his brothers Ole and Helge rented a half section of land, and for several years the three boys farmed that and the homestead in partnership. In 1906 Louis withdrew from the partnership and bought the laud which he now owns, which he has farmed since that time. He has a well improved piece of land and engages in raising cattle to some extent.
The marriage of Louis Helgeson and Elise Anderson occurred December 20, 1906, in Monroe township. Mrs. Helgeson was born April 25, 1885, and died October 18. 1908.
The parents of our subject were Ole Helgeson Brevig, born November 9, 1840, and Isabel (Olsdatti) Helgeson, both natives of Norway. They came to this country in 1869 and located in Fillmore county, Minnesota. They resided there a few years before coming to Lyon county in 1871 and taking a homestead in Monroe township. Both parents are now dead.
Louis Helgeson is a member of the Holand Norwegian Lutheran church. For two years he served on the Township Board of Supervisors of Monroe township.