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FREDERICK B. FABER
(1895), junior member of the law firm of Knox
& Faber of Jackson, is a native of Seymour,
Connecticut, and was born January 13, 1865. His
parents, Jacob P. and Mary C. (Conde) Faber were
natives of Germany, but came to the United States
when young and were married in Seymour,
Connecticut. His father died in that New England
town: his mother still resides there.
Frederick B. Faber grew to
manhood in Connecticut. In 1889 he was graduated
from the Wesleyan university at Middletown,
Connecticut, and later from the Minnesota Law
school. In 1895 he
moved to Jackson and began the practice of his
profession and five years later formed a
partnership with T. J. Knox.
On June 27, 1900 Mr. Faber
was united in marriage to Miss Bertha S. Meyer, of
Wabasha, Minnesota, and to them have been born two
children: Henrietta and Russell C. Mr. Faber is a
member of the Masonic and Modern Woodmen of
America
lodges.
EDSON FADER (1872) is a
retired farmer living at Lakefield. He was born in
Calmar, Winneshiek county, Iowa, February 13,
1857, the son of Ludwig and Jane (McNeil)
Fader. One year after
his birth the family moved to New Oregon, Iowa,
and five years later, in 1863, to Fillmore county,
Minnesota. Edson Fader
came to Jackson County with his parents in
September, 1872, and for the next six years lived
on the farm in Minncota township, nine miles south
of Lakefield. He went to the vicinity of Madison,
South Dakota, in 1878, took a claim there and
resided upon it until 1889. Returning to Jackson
county that year, he bought a farm in Minncota
township and resided in that precinct ten years.
We next find Mr. Fader at Wentworth, South Dakota,
where he engaged in farming two years. He moved to
Polk county, Minnesota, in 1901, farmed two years,
and then took up his residence in Lakefield, where
he has since resided.
During his residence in
Minncota township Mr. Fader was often called upon
to serve in an official capacity. He was assessor
two years, served as a member of the board of
supervisors, and was town clerk six years. He is a member
of the Odd Fellows and Rebekah lodges. He owns six
blocks of land in the southern part of Lakefield
village.
Mr. Fader has been married
three times. The first was
on July 5, 1880, when he wedded Louisa Welch at
Jackson. She died May 24, 1890, after having borne
six children, named as follows: Vivian V., born
July 24, 1881; Vira V., born April 13, 1883;
Cleveland C, born December 13, 1884; Leland L.,
born June 3, 1886; Mabelle, born March 4, 1888:
Maggie, born December 25, 1889, died August 13,
1890. His second
marriage occurred October 8, 1892, to Sarah Nicely
at Evansville, Indiana. To this union
four children were born: Perninna F., born July 4,
1892; Wahnetta, born May 30, 1894; Ula, born June
6, 1890; Ingra, born August 9, 1898. Mrs. Fader
died December 16, 1901. Mr. Fader married his
present wife, Dora M. Starkey, at
Princeton, Indiana, February 10,
1903.
MATHIAS FEST (1897) owns
a quarter section farm on the north shore of Heron
lake, it being described as the southwest quarter
of section 22, Weimer township. He was born in
Grant county, Wisconsin, October 7, 1865, and is
of German-Austrian descent. His father, John Fest,
came to America from the fatherland when fifteen
years of age and was married in Dubuque county,
Wisconsin. He died in 1902 at the age of 87 years.
The mother of our subject, Mary (Robinstein) Fest,
a native of Austria, now resides at Cassville,
Wisconsin. Mathias is one of a family of thirteen
children, of whom nine are living.
During the first twenty-three
years of his life Mathias Fest lived with his
parents in his native county, then he took a
position as clerk on a government boat, the
“General Barnard,” plying the Mississippi river
between St. Louis and St. Paul, and was so
employed two years. Between that time and the year
1897 he engaged in farming two years near
Cherokee, Iowa, two years in Charles Mix county
South Dakota, and again two years near Cherokee.
He came to Jackson county in
1897, rented the farm he now owns two years and
then bought the place. He has lived on the farm
since coming to the county. He raises cattle and
sheep quite extensively, having a flock of 300
sheep, and makes a specialty of dairy farming.
Mr. Fest was a
supervisor of Weimer township two years and has
served as justice of the peace of his precinct
since 1899. He is a member of the Catholic church
and of the M. W. A. lodge.
At Cherokee, Iowa, on the
ninth day of February 1893, Mr. Fest was married
to Elizabeth Bauer. She is a daughter of Fred and
Mary Bauer and was born in Cherokee December 19,
1876. Six children have been born to this union:
Arthur, Loretta, Lucy, Mathias, Joseph and
Isabella.
FRANK FIALA (1889) owns a
240 acre farm on section 3, Belmont township,
where he has lived for the last twenty years. He
was born in the city of Chicago May 26, 1864, the
oldest of a family of five children born to John
and Annie (Shimick) Fiala. These parents were born
in Bohemia and came to America in 1858. They lived
in Chicago until 1869, in Jones county, Iowa,
until 1889, and in Jackson county until 1891. They
then located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where
both died. Frank’s brother
and sisters are Mary, Annie and Joseph, Lena,
another sister, is dead. Frank
accompanied his parents to Jones county, Iowa, in
1869, and there grew to manhood. In 1889 he came
with his parents to Jackson county and located
upon the farm upon which he now lives. He worked
for his father for a few years and then bought the
farm, and he has made all the improvements on the
place.
Mr. Fiala was married in
Belmont township August 3, 1889, to Tony Hurt, who
was born in Bohemia and who came to Chicago when a
young woman. Seven children have been born to this
union, as follows: Edward, born July 15, 1890;
Bobous, born January 3, 1892; Frank, born November
30, 1893; Joseph, born March 20, 1896; Henry born,
January 24, 1898; Emma, born March 29, 1900;
Bessie, born January 10, 1903. Mr. Fiala’s family
are members of the Catholic church and he is a
member of the M. W. A. lodge. He now holds the
office of director of school district No.
89.
 ALEXANDER
FIDDES (1869). A pioneer resident of Jackson and a
man held in the highest esteem by the residents of
that village is Alexander Fiddes the postmaster.
For over forty years he has been a resident of the
town and during all of that time has been engaged
in business. His life history is full of
interest.
Mr. Fiddes was born in
Campsie, Sterlingshire, Scotland, on March 15,
1840, the son of James and Jessie (Nisbet) Fiddes.
Until he was sixteen years of age he resided in
his native village, securing an education. In 1850
he went to the city of Glasgow and served a five
years’ apprenticeship to the trade of
engineer. The next five
years were passed on the sea, cruising among the
East Indies. At the time of the war between
England and Abyssinia Mr. Fiddes was engaged in
carrying dispatches between India and Abyssinia
and was in the latter country at the time of the
capture of King Theodore. Leaving his ship at
Bagdad, on the river Euphrates, be proceeded to
Bombay, thence up the Red sea to Suez, and across
the desert to Alexandria. Taking ship there Mr.
Fiddes went down the Mediterranean to Marseilles,
thence to Paris and London and his home in
Campsie, Scotland.
Early in the year 1869 Mr.
Fiddes left home and crossed the sea to Canada.
After visiting there a short time with two
brothers, he moved to the little village of
Jackson, arriving in July 1869. He took a
homestead claim in Hunter township and very soon
after his arrival went into the general
merchandise business in partnership with J. B.
Hunter. He sold out in 1872 and started a hardware
store, which he conducted until 1890 selling out
at that time to W. H. Gillespie. Since that time
he has devoted his time entirely to his duties at
the post office. Mr. Fiddes owns his home in the
city and 400 acres of land in Des Moines and
Wisconsin townships.
During his long residence in
the county Mr. Fiddes has
often been called upon to serve in an Official
capacity. He served as postmaster of Jackson from
October 4, 1877 to March, 1880: from August, 1889
to November, 1893, and from February 1, 1902, to
the present writing. He was elected to the
Minnesota legislature in 1877 and again in 1884.
He was elected a member of the board of county
commissioner’s in 1894 and served four years as
chairman of the board. He was clerk of the
district court a short time in 1874, having been
appointed to fill a vacancy. Mr. Fiddes was a
member of the republican state central committee,
having been chosen to that position in 1895. He
served four years as president of the village
council and for twenty-five years was treasurer of
the Jackson school board.
Mr. Fiddes is a member of the
Presbyterian church. He is a member of the A. F.
& A. M. and a Knight
Templar. He was made a Mason in Renfrew, Scotland,
in 1865, becoming a member of Prince of Wales
lodge No. 426, and five months later was made
junior warden. He is also a member of the A. 0. U.
W. lodge. Soon after his
arrival to Jackson, on September 16, 1869, Mr.
Fiddes was united in marriage to Agnes Hunter. To
them have been born five children, all living.
They are: Jessie (Mrs. A. B. Cheadle), of Jackson;
James H., of Minneapolis: John S., of Jackson;
David H., of Colfax, Washington: Alexander T., of
Jackson.
ALEXANDER T. FIDDES
(1880), junior member of the firm of A. Fiddes
& Son, Jackson, and half owner of the drug
business of that firm, is a native of Jackson. He
was born December 21, 1880, and is the son of
Alexander and Agnes (Hunter) Fiddes, pioneers of
the village.
The subject of this review
secured his general education in the village of
his birth, having been graduated from the high
school in 1898. He then took a position in his
father’s drug store, which was purchased that year
from C. A. Portmann, and four years later took a
course in Drew’s school of pharmacy. Later he
purchased a half interest in the business from his
father and has since been engaged in managing the
business. The store is located in a handsome brick
block which was erected by the senior member of
the firm in 1899. Mr. Fiddes is a
member of the A. F. A. M. and of the
Chapter. He is now worshipful master of Good Faith
Lodge No. 90.
O. T. FLATGARD (1869) is
one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of
Christiania township and has lived in Jackson
county since he was six years of age. He is the
son of T. O. and Ingebor (Valden) Flatgard, of
Belmont township, and was born in Norway April 23,
1863.
At the age of five years our
subject accompanied his parents to America. The
family lived in Fillmore county, Minnesota, one
year and arrived in Jackson county in June,
1869. His father took
a homestead on section 14, Belmont, and on that
farm 0. T. Flatgard grew to manhood. He moved onto
his present farm, the southwest quarter of section
23, Christiania, in 1905. He owns the quarter
section and makes a specialty of raising Shorthorn
cattle. Mr. Flatgard owns stock in several
business enterprises, including the First National
Bank of Windom, the Farmers State Bank of Windom,
the Farmers Elevator company of Windom, and the
Christiania Mercantile company of Bergen. He is a
member of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
Mr. Flatgard was married
April 4, 1887, to Johanna Lean. To these parents
seven children have been born, namely: Theodore,
born May 14, 1888; Inga, born February 12, 1890;
Julia, born January 5, 1892; Anna, born September
4, 1894; John, born November 13, 1899; Oscar, born
April 13, 1903; Odin, born August 27,
1905.
JOHN R. FORMAN (1903), a
school teacher in district number 7, is a resident
of Jackson, He was born in Kankakee, Illinois,
January 15, 1878, the son of Charles M. and Sarah
(Michael) Forman, natives of New York and
Illinois, respectively. The family moved to
Nebraska in grasshopper days, resided there four
years, and then returned to Illinois, where they
resided until 1902, that year they moved to
Jackson, where they now reside.
The subject of this biography
resided with his parents in Kankakee, Illinois,
until twenty-one years of age. He then located in
Marshall, Minnesota, and four months later
enlisted in the 45th United States regiment of
infantry and was sent to the Philippine
islands. His army
service covered a period of twenty-one months,
eighteen of which were in foreign service. He
received his discharge at San Francisco in June,
1901. He returned to his old home in Illinois
after his discharge, but in 1903 located in
Jackson. For a few years he engaged in farming and
teaching school and three years ago entered the
mail service as carrier out of Jackson, which he
followed until September 1, 1909 when he resigned
to again take up school teaching. He is a member
of the Methodist church and of the M. W. A. lodge.
Mr. Forman was married in
Jackson May 18, 1904, to Miss Cardelia M. Odbert,
a native of Jackson and a daughter of Edward and
Clara Odbert. To Mr. and Mrs. Forman has been born
one child, Edith, born March 12, 1905.
 A. A.
FOSNESS (1892). member of the firm of Fosness
& Hill, doing business as Globe Milling
company of Lakefield, was born in Norway August
10, 1856, the son of Arne and Bertha (Erdhal)
Fosness.
He came to America in 1874,
when eighteen years of age, and settled near Blue
Earth City, Minnesota. There he continued his
education, which had been begun in Norway, and
completed it with a course in St. Olof’s college
of Northfield. The first two years of his life in
the United States were spent on the farm near Blue
Earth City and the next four in the town of
Austin, where he learned the miller’s trade. He
then moved to Blue Earth City, where he remained
five years and was employed at his trade. He took
up the same work in Winnebago and was employed in
a mill there seven years. Mr. Fosness moved to
Lakefield in June, 1892, and built the flouring
mill. The next year he sold a half interest to W.
D. Hill and the
firm name has since been Fosness & Hill.
Mr. Fosness was married at
Winnebago August 22, 1889, to Miss Laura Williams
and to them have been born the following named
children: Arthur, born November 18, 1890; Leslie,
born June 1, 1898; Ethel, born October 18, 1900;
Paul, born May 15, 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Fosness are
members of the Methodist church. He belongs to the
A. F. and A. M., Odd Fellows, Woodmen and Workmen
orders.
L. A. FOSS (Furuseth)
(1869) is one of the pioneer settlers of Delafield
township and one of the best known residents of
that precinct. He owns a fine
farm on the bank of Minneseka Lake, one mile south
of the village of Wilder. The home farm consists
of 148 acres on the northwest quarter of section
18, and he owns in addition eighty acres on
section 17 and a quarter section of land in Norman
county, Minnesota.
Mr. Foss was born in Land,
Norway, February 11, 1852, the son of Anton
Mikkelsen Furuseth and Martha (Larson) Sveeom. The
former died March 5, 1886; the latter October 10,
1898. Until he was sixteen years of age L. A. Foss lived in
his native country, securing a good education and
working on the farm. He accompanied his parents to
America in 18(>8 and located in Olmsted county,
Minnesota. There young
Foss continued his schooling, taking a course in
English, and working on a farm.
In May, 1869, the family came
to Jackson county, and the father of our subject
took as a homestead claim eighty acres of his
son’s present farm, taking another eighty acres as
a preemption claim. At this early day the nearest
neighbor was seven miles away, on Heron lake, and
lumber for the pioneer cabin of the Minneseka lake
country had to be hauled from Lake Crystal. Wild
game was plentiful in the neighborhood and the
Fosses made their living for several years
principally by trapping.
The rest of the family
remained to make their permanent home in Jackson
county, but L. A. Foss went back to his old home
in Olmsted county, where for two years he worked
on a farm. Returning to Jackson county in 1871, he
took employment with the Sioux City & St. Paul
Railroad company, which was then extending its
line through this part of the county, and for two
years worked for that company. He again returned
to Olmsted county, was married there in 1875, and
for two years engaged in farming on rented
land. Again he came
back to Jackson county, this time to remain
permanently. He bought 120 acres of land on the
northeast quarter of section 18, Delafield
township, and engaged in farming. That was his
home until 1903, when he located upon the present
place—his fathers old homestead. He purchased the
eighty acre tract on section 17 in 1897 and his
present farm in 1899. Mr. Foss rents most of his
land and farms only a small part of it himself,
having retired from bard work and active
business.
Mr. Foss is interested in
several lines of endeavor besides his farming
operations. He owns stock in the creamery company
of Wilder, in the Sontag Lumber company of Heron
Lake and in the Jackson County Cooperative
company’s store at Lakefield. He served as
treasurer of school district No. 28 for twelve
years and was a Delafield township supervisor four
years. He and his family are members of the
Norwegian Lutheran church of Delafield.
In Olmsted county, Minnesota,
on May 24, 1875, Mr. Foss was married to Anne C.
Evenson, who was born in Olmsted county December
17, 1858. To these parents have been born a large
family of children, named as follows; Albert, born
August 20, 1876, died December 23, 1894; John, of
Weimer township, born October 16, 1878; Oscar, of
Delafield township, born December 9, 1880; Mary
Ella (Mrs. Otto Bailey), of Berlin, North Dakota,
born December 11, 1882: Tillie Bertina (Mrs.
Martin Endeward), of Watertown, South Dakota, born
August 28, 1885; Walter Levi, born December 23,
1887, died June, 1889; Walter L., born August 20,
1889: Lillie Amanda, born December 3, 1891; Elmer,
born January 30, 1894; Albert Clifford, born April
27, 1896, died December 21, 1896; Manton, born
January 30, 1898: Verna C. born March 31,
1901.
MARTIN A. FOSS (1899).
farmer and stock raiser of Heron Lake township, is
one of the county’s pioneers. He was born near the
city of Christiania, Norway, the son of Anton and
Martha Foss. He was brought up on a farm and when
twelve years of age came to America with his
parents.
After living in Olmsted
county, Minnesota, one year the family came to
Jackson county and located on section 18,
Delafield township. They were the
first family to make improvements in that
precinct, although one or two claims had been
taken before that date. For several years Martin
worked for his father and for neighboring farmers,
and in 1882 he bought his present farm, the
southeast quarter of section 18, Heron Lake
township, and farmed it ten years. He went to
Windom in 1892 and from that date until 1899 was
in the general merchandise business at Windom and
Heron Lake. Returning to the farm. Mr. Foss has
since been engaged in farming. In 1901 he built
his present house, one of the very finest farm
homes in the whole of Jackson county. Mr. Foss has
stock in and is a director of the First National
Bank of Lakefield and has stock in the Jackson
County Cooperative Store company and the Farmers
Elevator company of the same town. He is clerk of
school district No. 17 and has served since 1900,
and he has held the office of township treasurer.
Mr. Foss and his
family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran
church of Lakefield.
OSCAR FOSS (1880) owns
and farms a quarter section farm on section 18
Delafield one mile south of the village of Wilder.
He was born on the farm which he now owns December
9, 1880, the son of L. A. and Anna Foss Furuseth,
of the same precinct.
Oscar has spent his entire
life on the farm he now conducts. He was educated
in the Wilder public school and until he reached
his majority worked for his father. Then he rented
the home farm and conducted it on shares with his
brother until March 1908. At that time he bought
the property from his father. He is a member
of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Delafield
Township.
Mr. Foss was married in
Delafield Township December 18, 1905, to Clara
Brakke daughter of John P. Brakke and a native of
the township in which she was married. To Mr. and
Mrs. Foss have been born two children: Mildred,
born March 21, 1907: Luella born December 16,
1908, died October 6, 1909.
HENRY FRANDRUP (1890) is
a Weimer township farmer who lives two miles north
of Heron Lake. He is a native of Germany and was
born July 2, 1855. He is one of a family of five
children, all except himself living in Germany.
His parents were Fred and Annie (Lousmann)
Frandrup both of whom died in the fatherland.
Henry lived in Germany until
twenty-three years of age, attending school and
working on his father’s farm. In 1878 he came to
the United States and located in Carroll county,
Iowa, where he farmed rented land until 1890. That year he
came to Jackson county, bought his present
farm—the southeast quarter of section 7 Weimer,
and has ever since made his home there. He is a
member of the Catholic church.
Mr. Frandrup was married in
Bremen, Germany July 15, 1878--just before his
departure for America—to Dina Reackr. born
November 1, 1857. Mr. and Mrs. Frandrup are the
parents of five sons and three daughters, named as
follows: Barnard, Louis, Henry, Ferdinand. Frank,
Elizabeth, Annie and Margereth, Another child Eda
died May 26, 1909 aged twentv-three
years.
CARL FRANTSEN (1873),
Belmont township farmer, was born in that precinct
February 2, 1873, the son of John and Johanna
(Halverson) Frantsen. His parents were born in
Norway and came to America when young. They were
married a year before their arrival and in an
early day came to Jackson county and homesteaded
in Belmont township, where they lived until their
death. There are seven children of the family
living: Ferdinand, Mrs. Nels Holsten,
Carl, Mrs. George Lilleberg (deceased), William,
Mrs. Paul Olson, Mrs. Obert Olson.
Carl was brought up on his
father’s farm in Belmont township, living with his
parents on the old homestead on section 20 until
he was twenty years of age. Then he started in
life for himself and farmed rented land for about
six years. In 1898 he bought his present farm, the
west half of the northwest quarter of section 29,
then entirely unimproved, and has since made his
home there. Mr. Frantsen
was married on the old Slaabaken farm in Belmont
December 29, 1898, to Obena Olson, who was born in
Belmont and who is the daughter of Ole Olson,
deceased. Her mother is
now Mrs. William Johnson.
Two children have been born
to Mr. and Mrs. Frantsen: Juit,
born December 20, 1901; Bert, born January 30,
1905. The family are members of the Norwegian
Lutheran church and Mr. Frantsen is a director of
school district No. 18.
BENDICK FREDERICKSON
(1876), Christiania township farmer and feeder of
cattle and hogs, is a native of that township,
having been born on the farm he now conducts
December 7, 1876 the son of pioneer residents of
Christiania.
His parents were John and
Engebor Frederickson, who came from Norway soon
after their marriage, and, after living a short
time in Olmsted county, settled in Jackson county,
taking as a homestead claim in 1870 the south half
of the southwest quarter of section 24,
Christiania township. On that farm they lived
until their death, some fifteen years ago.
Bendick is the oldest of a
family of four children living. The others are
Albert, Henry and Anna (Mrs. Gust Thompson). With the
exception of a few years when he was working out
Bendick has spent his entire life on the home
farm. He bought the farm from the other heirs in
1901 and has since resided on the place. Mr.
Frederickson is not married and makes his home
with the family of his brother, Albert. Recently
he has begun feeding cattle and hogs for the
market, in addition to his own farm he farms an
eighty acre tract on section 24. Mr. Frederickson
is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church and
of the Sons of Norway lodge. He is a director of
school district No. 26.
FRED O. FREDERICKSON
(1875) is the manager of the St. .John Grain
company’s elevator at Wilder and of the Sontag
Lumber company’s yards in the same village. He is
the son of Ole Frederickson Bokke and Mary
(Mellem) Frederickson Bokke, residents of
Delafield Township. These parents came to the
United States in 1870, located at Muskegon,
Michigan, and the same fall took up their
residence at Madelia. The next year they located
at Windom, where our subject’s father worked on
the railroad one year and where he conducted a
railroad boarding house three years. In 1872 he
had entered a homestead claim in Delafield
Township Jackson county, and when he moved from
Windom located on the land where he has ever since
made his home and where he owns 600 acres of land.
He was born in Norway in 1844, his wife in
1846.
Our subject is the eldest of
five children born to these parents, the others
being Ole, Albert, Ella, Gina (Mrs. John J.
Swenson). He was born in Norway February 19, 1869
and when one year of age accompanied his parents
to America. He grew to manhood on the Delafield
township farm, receiving an education in the
district schools and in the Breck school of
Wilder, where he studied three years, taking a
business course in addition to the scientific
course.
After obtaining an education
Mr. Frederickson assisted his father in the
management of the big farm and made his home on
the farm until 1904. That year he moved to Widler
and accepted the position of manager of the St.
John elevator, which position he has since held.
When the yards of the Sontag Lumber company were
established in Wilder Mr. Frederickson was made
manager and has held that position in addition to
his duties with the elevator company. During his
residence in Delafield township Mr. Frederickson
served two years as township clerk. He is a member
of the Norwegian Lutheran church of
Delafield.
JOHN FREDERICKSON (1879),
one of the members and officers of the Lakefield
Tile & Drainage company, cement tile
manufacturers, has been a resident of Lakefield
ever since the founding of the village. He is a
native of Norway and was born September 9, 1846
being the son of Frederick and Mary (Kulungstad)
Frederickson.
Our subject spent the first
twenty-three years of his life in his native land.
He was educated in the public schools and later
studied the English language under a private
tutor. In 1869 he
emigrated to America and during the first three
years of bis residence in the new world lived at
several different places, working on the railroad.
He spent one month in Madelia and then worked on
the Omaha road a short time at Mankato. Next he
took a position with the Milwaukee road, but a
little later went to St. Paul and for two years
worked for the Northern Pacific. He spent one
harvest season working near Hastings, and then
again took a position with the Northern
Pacific.
In 1872 Mr. Frederickson
located in the new town of Windom, where he
secured a position in a lumber yard. Later he
built a boarding house there, which he conducted
several years. While living at
Windom he took a homestead claim near Wilder
station. On the first day of September 1870, while
the town was being founded. Mr. Frederickson
located in Lakefield and that village has ever
since been his home. For seven years
he was manager of the Colman lumber company’s yard
and then engaged in the machinery business. He
conducted the machinery business alone for ten
years, then sold a half interest to Charles M.
Gage, and later sold his remaining interest to E.
A. Gage. After going out
of the machinery business lie opened a land
office, which he has conducted ever since. In 1908
he formed the Lakefield Tile & Drainage
company and began the manufacture of cement tile.
The officers of this company are Anders Quivli,
president: John Frederickson, secretary; John
Grein, treasurer.
The subject of this
biography, in partnership with Walter L. Seely,
platted the addition to Lakefield known as South
Lakefield. He has been a
member of the board of education ever since the
district was formed. He has served as a member of
the village council a number of times, has been
president of the council two terms and has served
as village treasurer a number of years. He is a
member of the Methodist church and of the I. O. O.
F. lodge.
Mr. Frederickson was married
at Windom April 12, 1872, to Karen Foslie. To this
union have been born the following named children:
Fred, born December 21, 1874; Martin, born January
21, 1876; Charles W., born 1877; Ida, born
November 17, 1878: Samuel, born April 18, 1880;
Emma, born September 10, 1881; Marcus, born
December 25, 1882; Lucy M. born May 22, 1884;
Clara J., born July 7, 1887; Benjamin F., born
February 28, 1889.
SAMLUEL FREDERICKSON
(1880), cashier of the First State Bank of
Okabena, is a native of Jackson county, having
been born in Christiania township April 18, 1880.
He is the son of John and Carn (Foslic)
Frederickson, of Lakefield.
Our subject was educated in
the public schools of Lakefield and in the Breck
school at Wilder, where he was a student during
1901 and 1902. In 1903 he attended the Minnesota
School of business at Minneapolis. After securing
his education he was manager of a store at Wilmont
about one year, bought grain for the W, W. Cargill
Elevator company at Oldham, South Dakota, for some
time, and for two years was employed in the First
National Bank of Lakefield. On October 1, 1906,
Mr. Frederickson helped organize the First State
Bank of Okabena. and has since been the cashier of
that institution. He is a memb er of the Masonic
lodge and holds the office of justice of the
peace.
Mr. Frederickson is treasurer
of the Okabena Cooperative Creamery association,
and secretary of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator
company of Okabena.
WILLIAM E. FREEMIRE
(1874) owns and farms the northeast quarter of
section 32, Weimer township, a short distance
south of Heron Lake. He is an early day settler of
Jackson county and a native Minnesotan, having
been born in Fillmore county January 6,
1858—before Minnesota had been admitted as a
state. His father, George H. Freemire, is a native
of New York state and still lives on the old home
farm, aged 87 years. The mother of our subject was
Susan Maria (Pease) Freemire. She was a native of
Vermont and died in Jackson county August 13,
1909, aged 82 years.
William spent the first seven
years of his life in Fillmore county and then
accompanied the family to Winneshiek county, Iowa.
There he lived until 1874, when he came with the
family to Jackson county. From the time of his
arrival until 1892 Mr. Freemire resided with his
parents on their farm, the southwest quarter of
section 32, Weimer township. Then he moved onto
his present place, where he has ever since
resided. He served nine years as clerk of Weimer
township. He is a member of the M. W. A. and A. O.
U. W. lodges.
At Windom in February, 1885,
Mr. Freemire was united in marriage to Clara Howe,
a native of Vermont. To them have been born five
children, as follows: Erwin, Henry, Jennie, Frank
and Susan.
NEWTON FREER (1874), Alba
township farmer, was born in Ulster county New
York, October 20, 1844, the son of J. D. and Anna
L. (Hasbrook) Freer, both natives of the Empire
state. They came west in 1851 and located in
Winneshiek county, Iowa, moved to Jackson county
in 1874, and died in Heron Lake. Newton is one of
a family of six children born to these
parents.
The subject of this biography
moved from Ulster county, New York, with his
parents when a child and grew to manhood in
Winneshiek County, Iowa. He spent his early years
with his parents on the farm with the exception of
five years when he was employed in a flouring mill
at Frankville, Iowa. He spent three years in the
Black Hills country, and then, in 1874, became a
resident of Jackson county. He took as a homestead
claim the east half of the southwest quarter of
section 24 Alba township, and upon that place he
has ever since resided, being one of the pioneer
settlers of the precinct.
Mr. Freer was married in
Winneshiek county Iowa, February
6, 1874 to Rosa Rathburn, a native of the county
in which she was married, having been born
September 16, 1854. She is the
daughter of Walter and Welthy (Lummis) Rathburn.
One child was born to this union, Lloyd, born in
April, 1886, and died in September, 1894. They
have an adopted son, Emmet, aged fourteen years.
Mr. and Mrs. Freer are members of the Methodist
church. He has served as a member of the Alba
township board and now holds the office of
treasurer of school district No.
85.
PETER E. FREER (1874), of
Heron Lake, is an early day settler of western
Jackson county. He is the son of Johannes D. and
Ann E. (Hasbrook) Freer, descended from pioneer
New York state stock, the family originally coming
from Germany in colonial days. The mother of
our subject was a cousin of John Jacob Astor, the
founder of the American branch of the Astor
family. The father of our subject moved from New
York state, to Winneshiek county Iowa, in 1856,
and settled with his family at Frankville. There
he erected and conducted a flouring mill seven or
eight years. Later he engaged in farming in
Winneshiek county, and in 1874 came to Jackson
county and homesteaded in Alba township. He located In
Heron Lake in 1889 and died in that village in
1894 at the age of 78 years. His wife died in
1896, aged 78 years. Mr. and Mrs.
Johannes D. Freer were the parents of seven
children, as follows: Abraham H., born May 29,
1840; Sarah A., born May 22, 1842; Newton, born
October 20, 1844; Peter E., born April 10, 1848;
Mary C. born August 23, 1850; Nellie D., born
August 11, 1853, died November 9, 1853: Walter,
born March 29, 1859.
Peter E. Freer, the fourth
child of this family, was born in Ulster county,
New York, he accompanied his parents to Winneshiek
county, Iowa, in 1856 when eight years of age, and
in that county he grew to manhood, receiving his
education and working on his father’s farm and in
the flouring mill at Frankville. He came with
the family to Jackson county in 1874 and took a
homestead claim in Alba township. He remained on
the homestead until the fall of 1879, and then
took a position as brakeman on the St. Paul and
Sioux City railroad, running between Heron Lake
and Woodstock. In the fall of 1880 Mr. Freer took
a position in the tow mill of J. T. Smith, and
operated one of the brakes in the mill the
following winter. In the Summer of 1881 he was
employed on the large firm of Hugh Paul, and that
fall operated a threshing machine.
Mr. Freer went to St. Paul in
the spring of 1882 and for three months was
engaged in teaming there. He was in White Bear
Lake for a time and then returned to Jackson
county, locating in Heron Lake. In partnership
with his brother, W. S. Freer, he rented the
Pioneer House, which he conducted for a number of
years. He also conducted the Chapman House livery
barn until the spring of 1884. Returning to the
farm that year, he engaged in agricultural
pursuits until the fall of 1889; then he moved to
Heron Lake, rented the Pioneer House from his
brother Walter, and conducted it eleven years.
Thereafter until the spring of 1909 he engaged in
teaming in Heron Lake. On that date he rented the
Waver Tree hotel, which he conducted until the
fall of 1909. Mr. Freer owns his home in the
village of Heron Lake. During his residence in
Alba township Mr. Freer served two terms as
treasurer of his precinct.
Mr. Freer was married to
Maggie Golda in Heron Lake March 7, 1893. She was
born in Germany and came to America with her
father, Joseph Golda when one year old. They have
six children: Milton S., born February 11, 1894;
Merlin M., born July 20, 1895; Maud A., born June
12, 1908; Myrtle, born December 23, 1901; Raymond,
born January 21, 1903; Mary, born August 30,
1905.
WALTER S. FREER (1874),
proprietor of a livery barn at Heron Lake and
deputy sheriff of Jackson county, is a native of
Winneshiek county Iowa, where he was born March
29, 1859. His parents were Johanes D. and Anna
(Hasbrook) Freer, natives of Ulster county, New
York. They moved to Winneshiek county, Iowa, in
1858 and to Jackson county in 1874. The father took
as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of
section 24, Alba township, and on that farm the
family resided until about fifteen years ago, when
they moved to Heron Lake. Johanes Freer died
December 24, 1894. aged 76 years: Anna Freer died
October 16, 1896, aged 76 years. They were the
parents of seven children, of whom the following
six are living: Hasbrook, Sarah, Newton, Peter,
Mary and Walter S.
Walter Freer came to Jackson
county with his parents in 1874 and resided on the
home farm until twenty-three years of age,
receiving an education in the Heron Lake school.
He then moved to the village and bought the
Pioneer hotel and a livery stable, and has ever
since been in the livery business. For the past
seventeen years he has followed the race circuit
and has a fine string of horses. Mr. Freer owns four
residences and a business lot in the village. He
holds membership in the Odd Fellows and Modern
Woodmen lodges. He is deputy sheriff of the county
and has held the office several terms. He also
served two terms as member of the village
council.
Mr. Freer was married in
Heron Lake February 26, 1886, to Nora Parro a
native of Minnesota. She died April 19, 1893 aged
24 years. Two children were born to this union, of
which one, Fred W., is living, having been born
July 8, 1890. Mr. Freers second marriage occurred
July 10, 1895 to Miss Ida Weld. To them one
child has been born Margaret, born October 10,
1898.
AUGUST FREKING (1901) is
one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of
La-Crosse township. He is a native of Oldenberg,
Germany, and was born November 23, 1870. His
parents, H. A. Freking and Christina Elizabeth
(Schulte) Freking, are both dead.
August was brought up on a
farm and received his education in the fatherland.
At the age of twenty years, in 1890, he came alone
to America and located at New Vienna, Iowa, where
he resided until 1901, During the first six years
of his residence there Mr. Freking worked out as a
farm hand and hauling cream. He then rented a farm
and engaged in business for himself. In the spring
of 1901 he sold part of his interests in Iowa and
located upon his present farm in Jackson county,
which he had bought the year before. He owns a well
improved farm of 240 acres on section 28 and is
one of the most extensive stock raisers of
LaCrosse township. Besides his
farming and stock raising interests, Mr. Freking
is interested in many other lines of business. He
is a stockholder and director of the Farmers State
Bank of Heron Lake, of the Sontag Lumber company,
of the Farmers Elevator company and is president
of the Heron Lake Cooperative Creamery company. He
is clerk of school district No. 33 and has served
for a number of years. For two years he served as
township treasurer. He is a member of the Catholic
church of Heron Lake and is treasurer of the
church organization. He also holds
membership in the I. O. O. F. lodge.
Mr. Freking was married at
New Vienna, Iowa, February 11, 1896, to M.
Josephine Oberbroeckling, who was born in New
Vienna May 24, 1876. To these parents have been
born the following named children: Mary Monica,
born December 3, 1896; William Arnold, born
February 24, 1898; Clementina Elizabeth, born July
14, 1899; Joseph Lawrence, born October 21, 1900;
Annie Mary, born February 27, 1902; Aloysius Carl,
born August 25, 1903; Lawrence Mike, born January
4, 1905; Rosie Josephine, born August 31, 1906;
Leo Clemens, born January 25, 1909.
JOSEPH E. FRITSCHER
(1897) is a Weimer township farmer who resides a
short distance northeast of Heron Lake. He is an
Austrian by birth and first saw the light of day
on the last day of October, 1870. He is the second
child of a family of four children born to Joseph
Fritscher, who makes his home with his son, and
Theresa (Hruby) Fritscher. When fourteen
years of age Joseph emigrated to the new world
with his parents and from 1884 to 1897 was a
resident of Murray county, living near Fulda. He
resided at home until his mother’s death, which
occurred in 1887; then he started in life for
himself and until 1892 was employed on farms in
the vicinity of his home. He married in 1892 and
for the next five years farmed a rented place in
Murray county. Mr. Fritscher came to Jackson
county in 1897, and during the next eight years
engaged in farming rented land in LaCrosse
township.
It was while a resident of
LaCrosse township on Louis Hager’s farm - on the
thirtieth of June, 1903, that the terrible cyclone
(the story of which is given in the historical
section) swept over his place killing his wife and
two children and injuring several others of the
family. His wife and one child were killed
instantly and the second child died a few hours
later. Mr. Fritscher was in the house at the time
and was blown a distance of ten rods into the
grove, but was not seriously injured. His father was
quite badly hurt, but the other children escaped.
The buildings were carried away and
demolished.
In 1905 Mr. Fritscher moved
to Kansas, but a year later returned to Jackson
county and rented the Frank Nimerfroh farm, where
he has since resided. Mr. Fritscher is a member of
the Catholic church and of the Catholic Order of
Foresters.
Mr. Fritscher’s first
marriage occurred at Avoca, Minnesota, October 15,
1892, when he wedded Theresa Schwager, who was
born in Austria October 5, 1874. She was killed in
the cyclone of June 30, 1903. Six children were
born to this union, as follows: Aurelia, who met
death in the cyclone; Theresa, Henry, Arthur,
Agnes and Mary, who was also killed in the cyclone
of June 30, 1903. The second
marriage of Mr. Fritscher occurred in Heron Lake
in June, 1904, when he wedded Mrs. Amelia
Haberman-Pieschel, to whom three children have
been born, as follows: Amelia, deceased; Alphonse
and Alfred.
HERMAN FRODERMANN (1890),
Rost township farmer and stockman, was born in
Holstein, Germany, February 10, 1867, the son of
August and Magdalena (Hendricks) Frodermann. His father died
at Holstein, Germany, in 1878, aged 43 years; his
mother, who was born in 1833, still lives in her
native land. Herman lived in
Germany until twenty-two years of age. He was
brought up on a farm and after growing up worked
as a farm laborer. He came to
America in 1889, landing in New York March 28. He
spent the first eight months of his life in the
new world working on a farm in Clinton county,
Iowa, and then went to Holstein, Ida county, Iowa,
where he was employed on a farm until the spring
of 1891.
Mr. Frodermann first came to
Jackson county in the fall of 1890, was here a
short time and then returned to Ida county. In
March, 1891 he returned to Jackson county to
reside permanently. He worked out one year in Rost
township, and then engaged in farming on his own
account. One year he farmed the Peter Tordsen farm
and the next year the Charles Schmidt farm, both
in Rost township. Mr. Frodermann
next rented the Fred Flagman farm in Sioux Valley
township and farmed it eleven years. He farmed the
Stelk farm in Rost two years, and on March 1,
1907, located on the S. M. Richards farm in Rost,
where he has since lived. In the fall of 1909 he
became a land owner, having purchased a 120 acre
farm on section 34, Rost township. Mr. Frodermann
engages extensively in stock raising, shipping his
own stock. He has interests in the Rost creamery,
the cooperative store at Lakefield and the farmers
elevator of the same town. He is a member of the
K. 0. T. M. and the
M. W. A. lodges.
In Sioux Valley township on
October 11, 1891, Mr. Frodermann was married to
Dora Grimm, who was born in Hanover, Germany,
March 23, 1874, and who came to the United States
in 1889. To them have been born five children as
follows: Lizzie, born April 7, 1892; August, born
March 30, 1894; Emma, born December 20, 1895;
Mary, born January 26, 1898; Erwin. born February
5, 1900.
MOSES L. FROST (1871), of
Jackson, is a breeder of thoroughbred stock. He
was born in Jackson county on August 25, 1871 and
is a son of those pioneer settlers, Nathaniel and
Maryette (Root) Frost.
In 1874 the Frost family
moved from the old homestead in Jackson to
Mirabile, Missouri. After engaging
in farming there four years, they returned to
Jackson in 1878 and since that date Moses has made
his home there. He was educated and grew to
manhood in Jackson, and after reaching manhood
engaged in the stock business. He makes a
specialty of thoroughbred O. L. C. hogs and
Shorthorn cattle and has large herds. At the
world’s fair at St. Louis in 1901 Mr. Frost
exhibited his “Jackson Chief.” No. 1479 Vol. 4. O. I. C. and
that animal won the grand championship prize of
the world for the best boar of any age.
Mr. Frost owns 100 acres of
land in the limits of the village corporation and
eighty acres in section nine, Des Moines township.
He served as a member of the village council from
1903 to 1907 and has held the office of constable.
He is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge.
The village of Springfield
was located on the home place before Jackson was
founded, and here one of the Wood brothers met his
death in the Indian massacre of 1857. He was
buried sixty rods north of the Frost home by
Nathaniel
Frost.
NATHANIEL FROST (1856),
deceased, was one of the very first residents of
Jackson county, having located here when the
country was a part of Brown county. He took part
in many of the stirring events of the early days
and after the county became settled became a
prominent citizen.
Mr. Frost was born in Pipe
Creek, Tioga county, New York, January 14, 1832.
During the first year of his life the family moved
to Covington, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and
there our subject spent his youth and early
manhood. In 1854 he came west, locating in
Michigan, where he lived eight months. He then
moved to Hardin county, Iowa, where he lived
nearly two years. Going to Webster City in
Hamilton county, Mr. Frost met an old friend Jareb
Palmer, and with him drove to the future Jackson
county, settling near the present site of the
village of Jackson. He arrived in the county in
company with Jareb Palmer and Bartholomew McCarthy
on the twenty-seventh day of November 1856. Some of the
life history of Mr. Frost during these early days
is told in the historical section of this work,
and in a brief biographical sketch of this kind we
can only touch on the principal events.
The massacre of 1857 drove
Mr. Frost temporarily from the county. In 1862 he
enlisted in company K, of the Fourth Minnesota
volunteer infantry. He was ordered to St. Louis,
where he was about two years. After his term of
enlistment had expired he reenlisted as a veteran
and served until the close of the war. He took
part in sixteen important engagements of the civil
war and was with General Sherman on the march to
the sea. With the exception of the four years
spent in the army, two years spent at Kasota,
Minnesota, and four years in Caldwell county,
Missouri, Mr. Frost was a resident of the county
until his death. which occurred at Jackson
December 21, 1899.
Mr. Frost was married January
2, 1861, to Maryette Root of Benson. Vermont, and
to them were born three children: Flora J.
(Mrs. Wagner), John
and Moses.
THEODORE FUGLESTEEN
(1899) resides in Middletown township, a short
distance south of the village of Jackson. He
engages in farming and stock raising and buys and
ships stock on an extensive scale. He owns a
120-acre farm on section 1 Middletown, and eighty
acres on sections 6 and 7, Petersburg, and also
has an interest in a quarter section in Deuel
county South Dakota. He has a finely improved
farm, and is on the road to success.
Mr. Fuglesteen is a Norwegian
by birth, and first saw the light of day February
23, 1870. His parents were Edward and Mary (Lunde)
Fuglesteen the father dying when our subject was
six years of age. He was the eldest child, and at
the tender age of six he began to work to help
support the family. He attended
school as opportunity offered, and when fifteen
years of age came to America. For five years
he worked on farms near LeRoy, Minnesota,
attending the American schools during the winter
months. In 1890 he rented a farm near LeRoy and
engaged in farming there three years. In 1899 he
moved to Jackson county, and he and his brother
in-law. John Westerse, farmed on section 12,
Middletown. in partnership three years. During the
next four years he engaged in the threshing and
horse business; then he moved onto the farm upon
which he still makes his home, having previously
traded western land for it. Mr. Fuglesteen is a
director of the Jackson County Cooperative
Elevator and Stock company.
At Lakefield, on September 6,
1907, Mr. Fuglesteen was married to Helen Monson,
a native of Wisconsin. One child, a daughter, has
blessed this union, having been born November 29,
1908.
Theodore is the eldest of a
family of six living children, named as follows:
Theodore, Knute, Ole, Conrad, Peter and Carrie
(Mrs. John Westerse),
of Middletown.
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