AMBROSE D. COUNTRYMAN The paternal ancestors of Ambrose D. Countryman were Germans, and settled in the Mohawk Valley, New York, early in the eighteenth century. His great grandfather was a faithful soldier in the army of the revolution, and his father, P. F. Countryman, was still living in the empire state when the subject of this sketch was born, February 8, 1850. On his mother’s side, Mr.  Countryman comes of good old English stock, and the branch of the family to which she belongs were early settlers in Vermont. Her maiden name was Elizabeth E. Gleason.

When he was five years of age, young Countryman left St.  Lawrence County, New York, his birth-place, and came with the other members of his father’s family to Nininger, Dakota County, Minnesota, then a wild country on the frontier of civilization, and here it was that he passed his boyhood and youth, attending the country schools in the winter and working on his father’s farm in the summer.  The family was poor and Ambrose was the eldest of eleven children. In 1861 his father enlisted as a member of the second Minnesota volunteer infantry, serving until the close of the war, in 1865.  During all these years, the oldest son, who in 1861, was a lad of eleven, was burdened with a responsibility far beyond his years and compelled to undertake the work of a man on the farm. But this turned out to be good training. The war over, the husband and father resumed his place as the head of the family and the eldest son was permitted to finish his education.

He went for one year to Hamline University, then located at Red Wing; one year to the state university and two years to Washington University, St. Louis, graduating from the St. Louis law school (Washington University) in June, 1874, with the degree of LL. B. Mr. Countryman earned his first dollar grinding grain after a McCormick reaper, and taught school in order to earn money to carry him through college. In June, 1876, he settled in Appleton, Swift County, Minnesota, on a homestead, and in March, 1879, began to practice law in that place, which has ever since been his home.  In addition to the practice of his profession, he has for a number of years been engaged in the newspaper business, first with the “Appleton Press,” and later with the “Appleton Tribune.” He always has been a Republican, and his party locally has honored him repeatedly. From 1878 to 1882 he was county commissioner of Swift County, and from 1882 to 1889 judge of probate of Swift County. For fifteen years he has been a member of the board of education of Appleton, and is now president of the board. Since 1884 he has been village justice of Appleton. For years prior to 1897 he was secretary of the Republican club organization in his home town. In 1897 the state senate elected him first assistant secretary, a position whose duties he discharged with marked ability.

Mr. Countryman is past master of Appleton Lodge, No. 137, A. F. and A. M., and past chancellor commander of Appleton Lodge, No. 76, Knights of Pythias. Of both lodges he is a charter member. As a member of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Minnesota he is chairman of the committee on returns of lodges.  He is a member of the Episcopal church, and senior warden of Gethsemane parish, Appleton.  August 30, 1874, he was married to Miss Jane Beswick, and three children have been born to them. Helen L., December 23, 1876, Ernest A., March 23, 1882, and Peter F., September 21, 1885.  Mrs. Countryman was born in England.