Trails-to-the-Past-Minnesota-Jackson-biographies

The Date in the ( ) is the date that the person became a resident of Jackson County

LOUIS F. LAMMERS (1880), attorney at law of Heron Lake, has resided in that village nearly thirty years and is one of the best known men of Jackson county. He is a native Minnesotan and the son of very early pioneers to this commonwealth. His parents came when the Minnesota country was a part of Wisconsin territory, and he himself was born before the state was admitted to the union.

The parents of our subject were Fred W. and Helen C. (Nelson) Lammers. The father was born in the kingdom of Hanover February 22, 1829, and was a graduate of the university of Hanover, being a Greek and Latin scholar. He immigrated to America in 1844, and for three years lived in New Orleans and St. Louis, employed as a bookkeeper for a pioneer lumber company. While in the service of the company he moved to Taylor’s Falls, Wisconsin territory (now Minnesota), then an untamed wilderness, and for several years served as bookkeeper and accountant for the Southern Lumber company. He afterwards engaged in lumbering for himself and was so engaged until 1861, when he sold out and engaged extensively in farming near Taylor’s Falls. In 1865 the elder Lammers moved to Marine Mills, Washington county, and there he spent the remainder of his life, dying there February 12, 1890. Our subject’s mother was born at Rock Island, Illinois, March 2, 1834, and was married to Mr. Lammers September 18, 1852, at Taylor’s Falls. They were the parents of fifteen children, of whom the following named are living: Nathan D., George A., Albert J., Charles A., Alice H., Swanson. Louisa A., all of Stillwater, Minnesota; Frank E., of Minneapolis. Mary E. Wood and Louis F. of Heron Lake, and Clarence, of Washington.

Our subject was the third child of this family and was born at Taylor’s Falls, Minnesota, December 14, 1855. He received a high school education at Marine Mills and a business education in the St. Paul Commercial college. At the age of twenty he left home and took a position as bookkeeper in the pineries of Wisconsin, working several years for the Schulenburg Lumber company of St. Louis and later for Isaac Staples, the millionaire lumberman of Stillwater. On July 20, 1880, Mr. Lammers arrived in Heron Lake, and the village has ever since been his home.

During the first two years of his residence in Jackson county Mr. Lammers was employed as bookkeeper for John T. Smith. Then he engaged in the general merchandise business in partnership with C. A. Wood, which business he continued until 1888. During the time he was engaged in business Mr. Lammers took up the study of law, and in 1888, at the June term of court at Windom, he made application for admission to the bar. Judge A. D. Perkins appointed a commission consisting of George W. Wilson, of Worthington; John G. Redding, of Windom; and Daniel Kohrer, of Worthington, who conducted the examination in open court. June 23, 1888, an order of the court was made admitting him to the practice of law, which has since been his profession. He has one of the largest and best equipped law libraries in southwestern Minnesota, and he enjoys an extensive and lucrative practice.

On several occasions Mr. Lammers has been an official capacity. In the fall of 1886 he was elected superintendent of schools and was reelected in 1888. In January 1890, he was appointed county attorney by the board of county commissioners to complete the unexpired term of W. A. Funk, who resigned. He was elected county attorney on the republican ticket in 1906 and served one term. He was president of the Heron Lake village council during 1905, 1906 and 1907, and since the that date has been village attorney. For fifteen years he served as president of the Heron Lake board of education, during which time three school houses were erected. Sixteen hundred acres of farming land in Jackson and Cottonwood counties are owned by Mr. Lammers as well as valuable village property, including a handsome home in Heron Lake. He is an active lodge man and is a member of all the A. F. & A. M. lodges from the Lake lodge to and including the Shrine, holding membership in Osman Temple, of St. Paul. He has filled all the offices in the Odd Fellows order and holds membership in the Elks lodge No. 225, of Mankato, the M. W. A. and the A. O. U. W.

Mr. Lammers was married at Heron Lake June 30, 1883, to Harriet K. Spaulding, a native of Saratoga, New York, and a daughter of Mary E. Spaulding. They are the parents of three children, as follows: Howard M., born February 9, 1888; Raymond S., born October 3, 1892; Mildred H., born September 15, 1895. Howard M. the eldest, was graduated from the United States naval academy in June, 1908, and is now an officer in the naval service of the United States.

AUGUST LARSON (1902), a farmer of Delafield township, was born in Sundsvall, Sweden, October 12, 1877, the son of Lars Erick Erickson and Ingeborg (Nelson) Erickson. His father still lives in Sweden; his mother died in Sweden in 1893.

August lived in his native land until 1902. He received a public school education and was raised on the farm. After becoming old enough to work he spent the summer months working on the farm for his father and the winter months working in the woods.

He arrived in Windom, Minnesota, direct from Sweden on May 31, 1902, and since that time has been a resident of Jackson county. For three years he worked for his brother Oscar on the farm south of Wilder. Then he rented Mrs. Peter J. Johnson’s farm in Delafield, farmed it three years, and in the spring of 1908 rented his present farm, the southwest quarter of section 26 Delafield he owns a 160 acre farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, which he bought in 1904. Mr. Larson has been ill much of the time in recent years— to such an extent that he was unable to work at times. A serious operation was performed in the winter of 1908-09.

Mr. Larson was married in Jackson April 17, 1905, to Emma Johnson, who was born in Delafield township March 20, 1874. She is the daughter of Peter J. and Majlen Johnson. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Larson, namely: Agnes Alida, born October 2, 1905; Malvin Theotild. born September 11, 1908.

JOHN LARSON (1902) is a Belmont township farmer. He is a native of Sweden and was born May 8, 1858 the eldest of a family of six children born to Gustav and Mary (Anderson) Larson. The other children of this family are Oscar, Augusta, Hannah. Sophia and Tillie Nelson.

Mr. Larson resided with his parents in Sweden until fourteen years old: then he worked out for a few years and in 1875 crossed the water to America. The first seventeen years of his life in the new world were passed as a resident of Bureau county, Illinois, where he worked out for a few years and then engaged in farming. From 1802 to 1902 he lived in Emmet county, Iowa, where he bought land and engaged in farming. He came to Jackson county in the year last mentioned, bought his present farm of 100 acres on sections 9 and in Belmont township, and has since made his home there. He is a director of school district No. 123 and has served as road overseer. He is a member of the M. W. A. lodge.

In Bureau County, Illinois, our subject was married on June 17, 1885, to Clara A. Larson, a native of Sweden. To this union have been born nine children, named as follows: John (deceased). Susie, Willie, Esther, Ivan, Mary, Lewis, Levi and Vernie.

JOHN S. LARSON (1872). Delafield Township farmer, has spent his entire life in Jackson county, having been born in a dug-out in Weimer township March 6, 1872. He is next to the youngest in a family of five living children. named as follows: Lena, Annie, Louis, Ludwig and Jedin S. His parents, Segar and Isabella (Johansadter) Larson, were born in Norway, were married there January 8, 1860, came to America in 1869, resided two years in Boone county Illinois, and located in Jackson county in the fall of 1871. A homestead was taken in section 10, Weimer Township, and there the father of our subject still lives; his mother died May 8, 1906, aged 72 years.

John Larson resided on the old homestead with his parents until he was of age, working for his father and attending school. After completing the common school course, he entered the Breck school of Wilder, being a student of that school two terms. When he reached his majority he started in life for himself, working as a farm laborer for a few years. In 1890 he bought his present farm, the south half of the southeast quarter of section 5, Delafield township, moved onto the place the next year, and that has since been his home. In addition to his own land he farms an eighty acre tract adjoining, the property of his brother, Louis. Mr. Larson is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church and of the M. W. A. lodge.

At St. James, Minnesota, on July 5, 1897, Mr. Larson was united in marriage to Helen Grinager, who was born in Norway November 14, 1875, and who came to the United States with her parents when twelve years of age. Her father, Thomas Grinager, died in 1908; her mother, Andrena Grinager, lives in Delafield township. To Mr. and Mrs. Larson have been born five children, of whom the following three are living: Myrtle, born October 20, 1899; Tilden, born February 10, 1904; Alf, born May 24, 1907. Two children, Inga and Palmer, died in infancy.

OLE L. LARSON (1882) is a Weimer Township farmer residing a short distance south of I he village of Heron Lake. He is a native of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, and was born December 2, 1880. At the age of two years he accompanied his parents to Jackson county, the family home being made on the place now farmed by our subject, the west half of the southwest quarter of section 30, Weimer. With the exception of the years 1902 and 1903, when he was in Dakota, Mr. Larson has ever since lived in the county.

In 1904 Mr. Larson began farming for himself, he rented farms in the vicinity of Heron Lake until 1907, when he took charge of the home place, where he has since resided, making his home with his mother.

The parents of our subject were Lemick and Sarah (Olson) Larson, natives of Norway. They came to the United States in the sixties and were married at Red Wing, Minnesota. In the early seventies they came to Jackson county and homesteaded the land now farmed by their son. The father died in 1900. There were seven children in the family as follows: Martin, Elmer, Ole L., Minnie (Mrs. Oscar Seleen), Kate (Mrs. Peter O. Miekelson), of Canada; Julius E. and Ida L.

Ole received his education in the Heron Lake public schools, he is unmarried. During the year 1908 he served as road overseer of his district. He holds membership in the Yeomen lodge.

OSCAR A. LARSON (1893) is one of the extensive and successful farmers of Delafield township. He rents 640 acres of land on sections 20, 19 and 30, all except forty acres of which is owned by his father-in-law, John Esklund. He engages in stock raising extensively, having over one hundred head of cattle, besides herds of hogs and horses. Mr. Larson is a native of Sweden and was born August 21, 1873. His father, Lars Erick Erickson, lives on a farm in the old country; his mother, Ingeborg Katharina (Nelson) Erickson, died in Sweden in December, 1893.

Oscar was brought up on a farm and was educated in the country schools of his native land, where he lived until he was nineteen years of age. He emigrated to America in the spring of 1893, and for a few months lived in Carleton county, Minnesota. In the fall of 1893 be came to Jackson county. The first two and one-half years of his residence in this county were spent working on the farm of his future father-in-law, John Esklund, in Delafield township. During the next few years he worked as a farm hand in the vicinity of Windom. He made a six months’ visit to his old home in Sweden in 1898, and returning began working at the painting and paperhanging trade in Windom and was so engaged three years. In the spring of 1902 Mr. Larson rented John Esklund’s farm and has since conducted it.

At Windom on July 11, 1902, Mr. Larson was united in marriage to Jennie Esklund, daughter of John and Johanna Esklund, who were pioneer settlers of Delafield township. To Mr. and Mrs. Larson have been born three children, as follows: Nellie Geneva, born September 30, 1903: Alfred Alexander, born January 15, 1906; Leonard Jennings, born December 16, 1908.

BROWNELL H. LEE (1865), of Jackson, has lived in the county’ ever since he was five years of age and during his long residence here has been engaged in many different business enterprises. He was born in Madison, Wisconsin, January 29, 1860, the son of Halvor and Martha (Hansen) Lee.

When Brownell was one year old the family moved to Primrose, Wisconsin, and after a residence of four years left there on May 26, 1865, by ox teams for Jackson county, arriving June 17, 1865. During the first four months of the residence here the family lived in old Fort Belmont, and in the spring of 1866 the head of the family took a homestead claim on section 2, Des Moines township. Brownell lived at home until he was twenty-two years of age, receiving his education in Belmont and Des Moines townships. His parents both died on the old homestead, aged 60 and 58 years, respectively.

In 1883 Mr. Lee set out in life for himself and moved to Charles Mix county, South Dakota, where he took a homestead claim and where he remained about one and one-half years. Returning to Jackson county in 1881, he spent two years on the old homestead. In 1881 he moved to Jackson and was employed as cream buyer for the Wilson & Avery creamery, and two years later bought the creamery, conducting it one year. He then sold an interest in the creamery and started a brewery, which he managed a year, and then sold out. In 1890 Mr. Lee purchased a building on Main street, one door north of Berge’s store, and for the next twelve years was in the restaurant business. In 1895 he purchased the old brick yard and a little later in the same year took in John Stroble and William Finnern as partners, was interested in the business two years, and then sold out to his partners. After disposing of the restaurant business in 1902, Mr. Lee was not engaged in active business for a couple of years, but in 1904 he leased the West hotel and was its landlord three years. He then took charge of the hotel at the north end of Main street and conducted it one year. Leaving the hotel, he started a feed barn, in which business he has since been engaged and in breeding Percheron horses.

Mr. Lee is a member of the Episcopal church and of the M. W. A. lodge. Mr. Lee was married in Jackson to Miss Eva Simpson. As a result of this union three children have been born, named as follows: Margie M., Ruth S. and Hubert B.

FRANC1S O. LEE (1892) resides in the village of Jackson, from which place be farms Ids Middletown township land, four miles southwest of town. He has been a resident of the county seventeen years.

The parents of our subject are John and Hannah (Spink) Lee. John Lee was born in Haslet, Yorkshire, England, October 18, 1829; Hannah Spink, in Hook, Yorkshire, England, January 28, 1834. They were married November 30, 1852, and in July, 1853, came to the United States. From the time he was sixteen years of age until his marriage John Lee was a sailor. Upon their arrival to the new world Mr. and Mrs. Lee located at East Haven, New York, and eighteen months later moved to Morgan county, Illinois. In January, 1868, they moved to Logan county, Illinois, and the next year to Sangamon county of the same state, where they bought a farm and resided until 1891. They then moved to the town of Buffalo, in Sangamon county, and there they still reside. Mr. and Mrs. John Lee brought up a family of twelve children, of whom eight are living. The children are: George R, born April 21, 1855, died February 18, 1904; William, born September 28, 1850, died May 27, 1908; Mariam born April 7, 1858; Francis Oliver, born February 12, 1860; Joseph, born August 18, 1861 died April 15, 1863: John Albert, born May 14, 1863: Morris Parker, born January 28, 1865; Minnie Ann, born July 15, 1867; Nora Bell, born June 18, 1869: Anna Adelia, born August 25, 1873; Aldie May born April 11, 1875; Sarah Elizabeth, born January 10, 1878 died December 20, 1884.

It was while his parents were living in Morgan county, Illinois, on the twelfth day of February, 1860, that Francis Oliver Lee was born. Until he was of age he worked on his father’s farm; then he farmed rented land and made his home with his parents until he was twenty-five years old. Then he rented a farm near Curran, Sangamon county farmed the place two years, and then located in Logan county, where he engaged in farming until 1891. The next year he spent farming near Illiopolis, Sangamon county, and in March, 1892 came to Jackson county, Minnesota. He farmed in Des Moines township one year, and then located in Middletown township where he resided ten years. While still a resident of Illinois, Mr. Lee had come to Jackson county and bought the northeast quarter of section 4, Middletown township, which he still owns, but upon which he never lived. In the fall of 1902 Mr. Lee moved to Jackson, bought town property, and has since made his home there, engaged in conducting his farm. During his residence in Middletown Mr. Lee served one term as a member of the township board. He holds membership in the A. F. & A. M., the M. W. A. and the Eastern Star lodges. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church and of the Eastern Star and Royal Neighbors lodges.

Francis Oliver Lee was married at Mount Pulaski, Logan county, Illinois, on the first day of the year 1885, to Miss June Alexander, who was born in Waynesville, Dewitt county, Illinois, May 28, 1862, the daughter of Orrin A. and Lockey M. (Parker) Alexander. Her mother died September 2, 1887, aged 56 years, 4 months and 8 days. Her father died October 23, 1908 aged 84 years.

Orrin A. Alexander was a noted photographer of war times and before, and he took several pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas when they were on their memorable debating trip. These pictures are in the possession of Mrs. F. 0. Lee. From these originals all the pictures of Lincoln of that time have been copied. Of Mr. Alexander’s work as a photographer the Decatur (Illinois) Review of November 29, 1908, said:

When O. A. Alexander was found dead in Mount Pulaski it was recalled that during the war he was a traveling photographer with territory comprising Decatur, Bloomington, Clinton and Springfield. When his daughter, Mrs. Oliver Lee, of Jackson, Minnesota, came to dispose of her father’s effects she found great quantities of copper plates, mates, frames and cases used in the mounting of daguerreotype pictures. Among them she found many photographs of army officers and fair ladies, but of greater interest were pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, taken at the time of the famous debate.

Mr. and Mrs. Lee have three children: Reuel Parker, born February 18, 1888, in Logan county, Illinois; Mabel June, born October 17, 1890, in Logan county, Illinois; Royal Emory, born March 27, 1894, in Middletown township, Jackson county.

HENRY H. LEE (1865), Des Moines township farmer, is one of the oldest settlers of that precinct, having resided in Jackson county since he was four years of age. He is the son of Halvor B. and Martha (Hansen) Lee and was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, June 4, 1861. He is next to the eldest of a family of eleven children, of whom the five named are living: Brownell H., Henry H., Martin H., Martinus and Emma (Mrs. Ed. Olson).

Henry accompanied the family to Jackson county when they made the trip by ox team from Wisconsin in 1865, the date of his arrival to the county being June 18, 1865. On account of Indian alarms the family spent the first four months of their residence in Jackson county in “Fort Belmont.” Halvor Lee took as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 2, Des Moines township, and upon that farm Henry grew to manhood, residing there continuously until he was twenty-seven years of age. At that age he bought a farm in Belmont township, which he conducted a short time. He sold out in 1899 and moved to Jackson, where for the next two years he engaged in the grain and stock business. Then he bought the old homestead, and with the exception of a short time spent in Jackson, he has resided on the place ever since. During the past ten or eleven years he has been engaged in the stock and grain business as well as farming. Mr. Lee owns a residence in the village of Jackson. He has held the office of director of school district No. 13 and he and his family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.

Mr. Lee was married in Jackson county September 6, 1891, to Lena Anderson Rod, who was born in Norway May 20, 1875. She is the daughter of Hans Anderson Rod, now a resident of Enterprise township, and Andrena Anderson Rod, deceased. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lee as follows: Mabel A., born July 26, 1892; Emily H., born January 13, 1894; Agnes J., born December 1, 1895; Henry O., born February 6, 1898; Hilda :M., born April 26, 1900; Edward J., born June 1, 1903: Evelvn O., born August 28, 1909.

MARTIN H. LEE (1865) owns and farms the northeast quarter of section 13, Des Moines township, which lies only a short distance to the north of the Jackson depot. He has been a resident of Jackson county ever since he was a baby two years old. He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, February 8, 1863, the son of Halvor B. and Martha (Hansen) Lee, pioneer residents of the county.

Martin has grown to manhood in Jackson county. Until he was twenty-one years of age he resided on his father’s old homestead in Des Moines township. For several years thereafter he worked out part of the time and farmed rented land part of the time. He bought his present farm in 1892, and has made all the improvements on the place. He is a breeder and raiser of sheep and horses and for the last eleven years has been engaged in buying grain and stock. Since buying his present farm he has resided alternately on it, in Jackson, and on the old homestead. He is the third child in a family of five living. He has never married.

ALBERT A. LEV (1890) has been a resident of Jackson county for the past nineteen years and resides on his farm in Des Moines township which was formerly the Ole Anderson homestead, and is located on the northeast quarter of section sixteen.

Mr. Lev was born in Bohemia June 13, 1873, and at the age of twelve years accompanied his parents to the United States, and first made settlement in Linn county, Iowa, where he resided five years. Then the family came to Jackson county and located on the south half of the northwest quarter, section 8, in Des Moines township, where our subject lived with his parents and worked on the farm until he was twenty-six years of age. He then married and rented a farm in Hunter township for a period of four years. In 1901 he purchased the farm on which he has since resided.

He is the son of Albert and Anna Lev. The former resides with his son Frank, in the village of Jackson. His wife died April in 1909 at the age of 70 years. They are the parents of the following; children: Mary (Mrs. Frank Viner), Albert. Frank and Anna (Mrs. William Renda).

Albert Lev was married in the village of Jackson on November 9, 1897, to Miss Mary Renda. a native of Iowa. They are the parents of five children, namely: Willie, Anna, Lulu, Julia and Henry.

Mr. Lev now holds the office of director in school district 7, and also is treasurer of the township board, having held both offices the past seven years. He is also secretary of the West Des Moines Telephone line. He is a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and of the Catholic church.

FRANK M. LEV (1880), carrier for R. F. D. route No. 1 out of Jackson, was born in Bohemia April 24, 1875 the son of Albert H. and Anna M. (Veverka) Lev. The father now lives in Jackson and is 77 years of age; the mother died at Jackson April 10, 1900, aged 68 years and eight months. There are three living children of this family besides the subject of this biography. They are Mrs. Mary Vajner, Albert A. Lev and Mrs. Anna Renda.

In 1883 Frank accompanied his parents to America, the family home being made at Mount Vernon, Iowa. In 1889 the family moved to Jackson county and made their home on the south half of the northwest quarter of section eight, Des Moines township. Frank lived with his parents on that farm until 1906. Then he acquired the property, rented it and moved to Jackson where he bought village property. He took the position of mail carrier for route one in 1906 and has since been engaged in that occupation.

Mr. Lev is a member of the Catholic church, he was married in Chicago December 11, 1906, to Anna R. Benesh, a native of the city in which she was married and a daughter of Wenzel and Mary Benesh. Mr. and Mrs. Lev are the parents of one child, Elenora, born April 3, 1908.

EDWARD J. LEWIS (1904). Among the several really meritorious enterprises of which the county seat boasts is the Jackson nursery. Edward J. Lewis, who has made that business his life’s study, is the proprietor. Although his business is yet in its infancy, its success is assured. He produces all kinds of fruit and shade trees and many varieties of berries. He employs several agents who sell his goods throughout southwestern Minnesota, northern Iowa and North Dakota.

Mr. Lewis was born in Howard county, Iowa, August 8, 1883, being the only son of William and Emma (Moore) Lewis. His father died when our subject was two years of age: his mother lives in Cresco, Iowa. Edward lived in Howard County Iowa, until he reached his majority. He attended the public schools until he was thirteen years of age; then he began working in a nursery, which has ever since been his occupation. He moved to Jackson in the spring of 1904, bought a ten acre tract of ground on Thomas hill, made improvements and started his nursery, which has since occupied his attention.

At Cresco, Iowa, June 22, 1903, Mr. Lewis was united in marriage to Miss Alice Bents, a native of the village in which she was married. To this union have been born two children. Virginia and Venita. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Modern Brotherhood of America.

LEONARD A. LIBRA (1887) is a landowner and farmer of Petersburg township who has lived on his present place twenty-two years. He was born in Moravia, Austria, September 3, 1867, the son of Joseph and Josephine (Ambrose) Libra.

Our subject received a common school education in his native country and in December, 1880, emigrated with his parents to America, and located in DeSoto, Iowa. Although not yet a man grown Leonard spent most of the time of the seven years residence in that place working in a stone quarry. In 1887 Mr. Libra came to Jackson county and located on his present farm in Petersburg township, on section 17, where he has since been engaged in farming. He owns 120 acres of land and has served as a member of the township board since 1906. He belongs to the Workmen, Woodmen and Z. C. B. J. lodges.

Mr. Libra was married April 4, 1885, in De Soto, Iowa, to Mary Zebedee. As a result of this union three children were born; Edward A. and Mary E., born July 17, 1887, and Anna born December 17, 1889. Mr. Libra’s second marriage occurred October 16, 1892, when he wedded Josie Najt in Jackson. To these parents have been born the following children: Roy E., born March 15, 1894; William L., born May 28, 1897; Ella J., born June 5, 1900; Lydia, born October 19, 1901; Nettie, born May 12, 1903; Leonard A., Jr., born March 29, 1905; John K., born March 15, 1907; Agnes, born December 1, 1908.

JOHN G. LIEPOLD (1875) owns a quarter section farm in LaCrosse township, a few miles northwest of Heron Lake, upon which he has lived all except the first three months of his life. He was born in Austria May 9, 1875, and when an infant in arms was brought by his parents to the United States and to Jackson county.

The parents of our subject Franz and Beatrice (Winkler) Liepold, came from the old country during the summer of 1875 and took as a homestead claim the east half of the southeast quarter of section 2 LaCrosse township, upon which they lived until the year 1901, when they sold the homestead to their son and moved to Heron Lake. Mrs. Liepold died there February 13, 1905, at the age of 68 years. Their first house on the old homestead was made of sun-burned clay with a hay thatched roof. It still stands on the farm. John worked on his father’s farm until 1901.

Then he married and, purchasing the home place, engaged in farming on his own account, he also owns the north half of the northwest quarter of section 1. Mr. Liepold is clerk of school district No. 44 and before taking that position held the office of director. He is a member of the Catholic church of Heron Lake and of the Catholic Order of Foresters.

Mr. Liepold was married in LaCrosse township October 15, 1901, to Anna Hedrick. She was born in Austria March 5, 1878, and is the daughter of Frank and Anna Hedrick, of Graham Lakes township Nobles county. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Liepold, namely: Alphons, Irene and Beatrice.

JULIUS K. LIEPOLD (1875). mayor of Heron Lake and a druggist of that village, was born in Germany September 15, 1870. He is the son of Franz Liepold and Beatrice (Winkler) Liepold who came from Germany in May, 1871, and homesteaded in LaCrosse township. They remained on the farm until 1903, when they moved to Heron Lake, where Mr. Liepold still lives at the age of 68 years, and where Mrs. Liepold died in February 1906 at the age of 67 years.

Julius is one of a family of six children, all living. He crossed the ocean with his parents in 1875 and until he was eighteen years old lived on the farm in LaCrosse township, then moving to Heron Lake. He was educated in the schools of LaCrosse township and Heron Lake village, in the Mankato normal, the Breck school at Wilder, where he took a commercial course, and the College of Pharmacy of Minneapolis.

After removing to Heron Lake Julius, attended school and worked at various occupations. In 1897 he bought out the drug store of G. C. Cooley for whom he had worked as a clerk, and has ever since conducted the store. Mr. Liepold was elected president of the village council in 1908 and was reelected in 1909. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., the K. P. and the M. B. A. lodges. Mr. Liepold was married in Heron Lake June 1, 1900, to Miss Lizzie Syennes. a native of LaCrosse township and a daughter of Benjamin J. Svennes. one of the pioneer settlers of that township. Her father died in July, 1908. Her mother Isabelle Svennes, resides in Heron Lake.

CHRISTIAN E. LINDBERG (1882), of Belmont township, was born in Norway May 23, 1852. His mother, Annie Lindberg, resides in Belmont.

Until he was eighteen years of age Christian lived with his parents. Then he began life’s battles on his own account. For the next twelve years he was employed as a farm hand and at work in the pineries of his native land. He came to America in 1882 and direct to Jackson county. For five years he worked out on farms in Belmont township and then he bought the west half of the northeast quarter of section 30, Belmont, and that has ever since been his home. When he arrived in the country he was penniless and owed his brother for the passage money across the water. By industry and hard work he has prospered, now owning a 280 acre farm, well improved and stocked. The place was unimproved when he bought it; now he has a splendid grove, a nice house, barns and other buildings—one of the many fine homes of Belmont Township.

Mr. Lindberg was married in Jackson county October 30, 1888, to Olena Lindberg, who was born in Norway in 1862. They are the parents of three children: Janetta, born in Belmont township July 1, 1889; Anton, born in Belmont October, 1890; John, born in Belmont January 2. 1893. Another child, Clara Olava, was born December 20, 1900, and died the same day. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of West Belmont, Mr. Lindberg having been secretary of the church society fifteen years. He served as treasurer of school district No. 18 for five years.

ROLLEN W. LIVENGOOD (1902), manager and owner of the Jackson Plan sifter flouring mill, has not been a resident of Jackson county a great many years, but he was born in the neighboring county of Martin. The date of his birth was April 30, 1873, and he is the son of R. F. and Ophelia (Fallett) Livengood, natives of Pennsylvania and New York state. respectively. The father came to Fillmore county, Minnesota, when seven years of age. He is now living and is 62 years old. The mother of our subject is living at the age of 60 years. Rollen is one of a family of four children, his brothers and sister being Fred K., John S. and Nellie V.

Rollen grew to manhood in Martin county and was educated in the public schools of Sherburn and Fairmont. Until he was sixteen years of age he lived at home and assisted with the work in his father’s flouring mill at Fairmont. He then set out in life for himself, working from that time until 1902 in flouring mills in different parts of this state and at Egan, South Dakota, where he was for one and one half years. In 1902 he moved to Jackson and bought a half interest in the flouring mill at that point, his father being the owner of the other half interest. In the summer of 1909 he purchased his father’s interest and is now sole owner. The mill is one of the town’s important industries. Mr. Livengood manufactures flour and feed and deals in fuel. He is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge and holds the office of past grand in that institution.

Mr. Livengood was married at Fairmont on Christmas day, 1891, to Mary Youmans, a native of Martin county and a daughter of Levi and Samantha Youmans, both deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Livengood has been born one child, E. Jay Livengood, born May 12, 1893.

ANDREW LOKEN (1883) is a Delafield township farmer residing a short distance south of Windom, in which village he was engaged in business for a number of years. Mr. Loken was born in Norway February 18, 1861. His father, Andreas Loken, now 88 years of age, makes his home with his son. His mother, Agneate (Christopherson) Loken, died in Windom in 1894.

Andrew spent the first nineteen years of his life in his native land. His early days were spent on a farm, but four years of his residence in the old country were spent in the city of C’hristiania, where he finished his education. He learned the painter’s trade and in 1880 came to the new world to seek his fortune. For three years he worked for farmers in Watonwan county, Minnesota, and then located in Jackson county. He bought a farm on section 1, Delafield township, which he farmed five years. He then sold out and located in the village of Windom, engaging in the mercantile business there one year. During the next ten years Mr. Loken worked at his trade in Windom, and then, in 1899 opened a paint and wall paper store. He conducted that six years and built up an excellent business, but on account of ill health was obliged to sell. In 1905 he bought his present farm, the south half of the northwest quarter of section 1 and has since made his home there, engaged in farming. Besides his farm Mr. Loken owns valuable property in Windom.

Mr. Loken was married in Delafield township November 2, 1883, to Susan Hofland, daughter of Ole Hofland, deceased, an early settler and homesteader of Delafield. Mrs. Loken was born in Norway September 6, 1863, came to the United States in 1873 and to Jackson county the same year. Mr. and Mrs. Loken are the parents of ten children, all living. They are as follows: Adenia, born December 4, 1886; Oscar, born July 25, 1888; Chris, born February 23, 1890; Carrie, born October 25, 1891; Annie, born November 13, 1893; Sophia, born November 2, 1895; Walter, born July 13, 1898; Theresea, born August 17, 1900; Nomie, born July 23, 1903; William, born September 16, 1908.

CHRIST LUDVIGSEN (1890). president of the Jackson village council and member of the firm of Ludvigsen Brothers, which invented and manufactures the famous welded steel center toe calk for horseshoes, is a native of Denmark and was born August 20, 1869, the son of George and Agnes (Jorgenson) Ludvigsen. George Ludvigsen was a blacksmith. He came to the United States in 1882 and died at Jackson in 1893 at the age of 64 years. Our subjects mother died in 1891 at the age of 64 years.

Christ received a common school education in Denmark and served one year in the Danish army. He came to the United States in 1880 and located at South Bend, Indiana, where for ten years he was employed in the wagon and buggy factory of Studebaker Brothers. He then came to Jackson county, arriving March 30, 1890, and in partnership with his brother, Nels Ludvigsen, opened a blacksmith shop at Jackson. A little later another brother, Eric Ludvigsen. joined the firm, and some years later Nels sold out to his brothers and the firm of Ludvigsen Brothers has since been composed of Christ and Eric. They conducted the blacksmith shop until October, 1907, and since that date have been engaged entirely in the manufacture of their patent calks. Besides his interest in the manufacturing business Mr. Ludvigsen owns property in the village of Jackson and 320 acres of land in North Dakota. He is a member of the Lutheran church and of the M. W. A., Danish Brotherhood and Equitable Fraternity lodges.

Mr. Ludvigsen was married July 4, 1890, to Miss Maren Ericksen. To them have been born two children as follows: Edward, born in 1891; George, born February 22, 1895.

The manufacturing plant of Ludvigsen Brothers is one of the principal industries of Jackson, and the history of the invention and growth of the manufacturing business is worthy a place in this history. While the brothers were engaged in the blacksmith business in Jackson they invented and made by hand, for their own use only, a self sharpening calk to be used on horseshoes. The calk consists of a hard plate in the center with a soft iron plate on either side, welded together and forming a sharp calk during the process of manufacture. For several years they made these by hand and used them in connection with their blacksmithing business. Then they put them on the market, the output at the start being about 100 pounds per day. The demand increased and they finally increased the capacity until the output was about one-half ton per day.

The calk was patented in the United States May 7, 1907, and in Canada August 6, 1907. When it became well known the demand so increased that Ludvigsen Brothers, in October 1907, gave up their general blacksmith business and devoted their entire time to the manufacturing business. The triphammers, which they had formerly used, could not turn out the work fast enough, and they invented and patented the calk machine—the only machine of the kind in the world—with which they are enabled to turn out a ton of the finished product a day. Seven men are employed in the factory, and the product goes to every state in the union and every province of Canada where a sharp calk is needed. The manufacturing plant and headquarters are at Jackson, while a branch house is maintained in Milwaukee to supply the eastern markets. Ludvigsen Brothers sell their product to jobbers and wholesale houses.

ERIC LUDVIGSEN (1888) is a member of the firm of Ludvigsen Brothers of the preceding sketch and is engaged in the manufacture of the welded steel center toe calks at Jackson. He was born in Denmark October 16, 1867, the son of the late George and Agnes (Jorgensen) Ludvigsen.

Eric was educated in his native country and resided there with his parents until 1882. He crossed the water with his parents that year and located at South Bend, Indiana. He came to Jackson county with the family in 1888 and for three years lived on his father’s farm in Middletown township. After his mother’s death he moved to Jackson and became a partner with his brothers in the blacksmithing business. This was in 1891, and since that date he has continued a member of the firm. Mr. Ludvigsen was married in Jackson April 12, 1895, to Carrie Nelson, a daughter of Danish parents and a native of Streator, Illinois. Three children have been born to this union, Elliot, Esther and Loren. Mr. Ludvigsen is a member of the Danish Brotherhood lodge.

JOHN C. LUENEBURG (1878), carpenter and contractor of Lakefield and proprietor of a summer resort on Heron lake, was born in Germany December 27, 1858, son of Ludwig and Lena (Fischbach) Lueneburg, both deceased. He was thirteen years old when he came to the United States with his parents and located in Morrison county, Missouri. Two years later the family located in Fillmore county, Minnesota, and there our subject lived until 1878. He worked on his father’s farm and learned the carpenter trade at Hamilton.

John accompanied his parents to Jackson county in 1878, and for several years lived with them on the homestead on section ten, Rost township. During these years he assisted with the farm work and worked at his trade. When he became of age he took as a homestead the southeast quarter of section 4, Rost township, which he farmed for a short time. Mr. Lueneburg located in Lakefield in 1885 and engaged in the furniture business four years. He then spent a few months in the state of Oregon, but returned to Lakefield, and has since worked at his trade, engaging in contract work to a considerable extent. In 1899 he bought a small tract of ground on the bank of Heron lake, on section 30, Heron Lake Township, and erected a house. He spends the summer months there and resides in the village during the winter months. He operates two pleasure launches on Heron lake for the benefit of pleasure seekers and has a fine place for a resort.

Mr. Lueneburg was married at Wells, Minnesota, January 8, 1883, to Miss Mary Gabriel, who was born in Germany and came to the United States at the age of eighteen years. Four children, named Annie, Ida, Hugo and George, have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lueneburg. During the period of his residence in Rost township Mr. Lueneburg served as a supervisor and as a member of the school board.

ROBERT H. LUENEBURG (1878) is the editor and publisher of the Lakefield Standard and an early day settler of Jackson county. He first saw the light of day in Krakow, Germany, on March 16, 1863. His parents, Ludwig and Caroline (Wicherd) Lueneburg, are both dead, the former having died March 16, 1906, aged 80 years; the latter on April 8, 1900, aged 76 years.

Robert accompanied his parents to the new world in 1872 and for two years lived at Hermann, Missouri. From 1874 to 1878 the family home was near Spring Valley, in Fillmore county, Minnesota, and in the year last named they came to Jackson county and located on section 10, Rost township, about six miles west of the present village of Lakefield. Robert remained on his father’s farm until 1883 and then he went to Jackson and entered the office of the Jackson Republic as an apprentice, the paper then being under the management of Burt W. Day. One year later Mr. Lueneburg went to Edgerton, bought a half interest in the Enterprise and conducted the paper one year.

Early in October, 1885, Mr. Lueneburg moved to Lakefield and bought the Minnesota Citizen. The next spring he changed the name of the journal to Lakefield Standard, presided over its destinies until the fall of 1891, and then sold out to Crawford Brothers. He ran a paper at White Bear a short time after moving from Lakefield and then went to Brownton, McLeod county, and founded the Bulletin. He disposed of his interests at Brownton, in the spring of 1896 and established the Free Press at Elgin, Wabasha county. He returned to Lakefield in the spring of 1900 and bought the Lakefield Herald, which he ran about two and one-half years, and then sold to C. S. Bell. He conducted a job office in Lakefield for about two years, and then in September, 1906, returned to his first love and purchased the Lakefield Standard, which had been consolidated with the Herald in May, 1904. At the time of making the purchase J. W. Daubney secured a half interest. Mr. Lueneburg served as recorder of Lakefield village from 1887 to 1890 and in 1895 he held a clerkship in the Minnesota state senate.

The subject of this biography was married at Spring Valley, Minnesota, October 31, 1886, to Emma Kummer, a native of that village. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lueneburg, of whom the following two are living: Raymond, born October 27, 1890; Lois, born April 25, 1905.

CONRAD W. LUFT (1894), of Petersburg township, was born in Lee county, Illinois, June 30, 1871, the son of W. M. and Barbara (Leich) Luft, both deceased. The first two mid one-half years of his life were passed in his native county, the next two years in Crawford County, Iowa, and then the family located permanently in Sac county, Iowa. In that county Conrad grew to manhood, receiving a common school education. He came to Jackson county in December, 1894, lived here five years, and then took up his residence at Superior, Iowa. Three years later he came back to the county and has since resided here. He is engaged in farming on section C, Petersburg township. He is a member of the German Lutheran church.

Mr. Luft was married December 15, 1898, to Miss Anna Mueller. Two children have been born to them: Charles, born December 11, 1899; Henry, born July 28, 1901.

The information on Trails to the Past © Copyright may be used in personal family history research, with source citation. The pages in entirety may not be duplicated for publication in any fashion without the permission of the owner. Commercial use of any material on this site is not permitted. Please respect the wishes of those who have contributed their time and efforts to make this free site possible.~Thank you!