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1543317 MONUMENTS MARK HISTORICAL SITES IN COUNTYThe first one dates back to 1928. It is the one at Old Clitheral, site of the first permanent settlement in the county. Next to be erected was a monument at Rush Lake, second permanent settlement. A marker at Parkers Prairie commemorated the Swedish Settlement in that area. One at Perham takes note of the first railroad; Ottertail City, the first county seat; Tordenskjold, location of the second county seat. Earliest trading post at Leaf Lakes and the first Grist Mill at Balmoral.

Prairie Lake where the oldest skeleton in North America was found, the arrival of the first train in Pelican Rapids, the arrival of the train at Henning, the first school in Fergus Falls, the Oxcart trail at Leaf Lakes, the Historic Phelps Mill, and the plaque in memory of Geneva Tweten. World's largest Pelican at Pelican Rapids.
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31720347 YEARS OF NUNDAHL OILBernie Nundahl Sr. and wife Sadie came to Perham from Mpls. in 1945, purchasing the Phillips 66 Station and bulk plant from Zeigler and Johnson.

Bernie's goal was to sell over a million gallons of gas and fuel oil in a year. With four road constructions going, much farm trade, heating, fuel and gas pumps at the station and working 5:00 am until 10:00pm that dream came true.

Nundahl Oil was the first Perham Dealer to install a metering system on their delivery trucks. As distributors they supplied many of the Phillips 66 dealers in the area and also supplied aviation fuel to Park Rapids, New York Mills, Wadena, Henning, Evansville, Detroit Lakes and Perham where they had pumps and tanks at the airport. The shop at the station was a busy place with repairs, tires and oil sales etc.

Bernie Jr.joined his father in 1946 after serving three years in the Navy.

Bernie Sr. retired in 1952 selling the business and leasing the station to his sons Bernie Jr. and Vernon at which time Ed Beringer became a partner. Bernie Sr. died in April 1954 at the age of 48. Ed Beringer retired in 1971, recovering from a heart attack and moved to California.

Vernon worked part time at Perham Post Office and sold his partnership to Bernie Jr. in1977, going full time to the Post Office. Dennis Nundahl came home from the Army and worked at the station. He died in 1991, from cancer.

Nundahl Oil building at West Main was purchased by Bauck Chevrolet in 1979 and business was moved to 210 E. Main (the former Standard Station) where Bernie Jr. and wife Jan continued to operate the station along with the Bulk Plant (now located in the Industrial Park) Bernie Jr. and Jan retired in January 1992 which brought to an end The Era of Nundahl Oil Co. after 47 years.



From East Otter Tail County History Book Vol II 1994
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15332119 YEARS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN PERHAMWith the railroad arriving in Perham in 1871 and settlement in 1872 the Perham Public School District #44 was organized in September of 1873. Classes were held in Christ Schroeder's Harness Shop until the first frame schoolhouse was built in 1875. In 1888, a two-story solid brick schoolhouse, including basement, was constructed. The frame school building was purchased by St. Henry's Parish for $25.00 in 1890, and used as a school until it was replaced by the current St. Henry's brick school building in 1916. In 1898, the public school constructed an addition and the upstairs became a high school, with the first PHS students graduating in 1903.

A new high school was built in 1917 and located at 200 5th St. S.E. its current site. In 1935, 36 students graduated, with senior class sizes varying between 4 to 52 pupils. In February of 1936, the 1888 school, including the 1898 addition, was destroyed in a spectacular fire, possibly from spontaneous combustion of wood refuse in the basement. The subzero weather prevented the fire department from extinguishing the blaze. In 1937, a gymnasium-auditorium, four classrooms, a band room and a county agent's office were added to the 1917 school building. The gymnasium-auditorium was one of the finest built at the time, which offered theater seating for both basketball games and stage performances. In years, to come, the hardwood gym floor was turned to a 90 degree angle, expanded and spectator bleachers were added. In 1937, one bus handled the Perham School bus route whereas in 1994, 28 buses travel the routes. In 1955, an expanded gym, home economics and shop areas were added to the building. In 1964, a school building addition provided more elementary and office space, a multipurpose area and science laboratories.

Dent Independent School District #55 1, (originally #274), consolidated with Perham in 1970-71. Dent, having combined with four adjoining districts, #514, # 1505, # 1523, and # 1526, built its current structure to house its increased student enrollment in 1963. The Perham-Dent School District #549, having consolidated with 18 school districts, between 1956 and 1970, flourished and the student population continued to grow. In 1971, the city of Perham celebrated its Centennial, with PHS graduating 126 students and offering 53 subjects from which to choose.

Major growth in student enrollment brought additional expansion and building projects in the 80's and 90's. In 1989, Dent Elementary School received a two-classroom addition and major renovation and accommodated over 100 kindergarten through fourth grade students in the south part of the district.

In 1990, Heart of the Lakes Elementary School (HOTL) was built at 810 2ndAve S.W. as part of a three phase project. It houses kindergarten through sixth grade students and cost $3.5 million. In 1991, at a cost of $3.8 million, PHS completed a major addition and renovation project. The PHS Auditorium was updated and modernized in 1994 for $600,000. Also in 1994, ground breaking and construction began on a six million dollar Middle School, southwest of HOTL, which would house fifth through eight grades. Total student enrollment for 1993-94 was 1,610 pupils, with 135 classes for 7th - 12th grades and 209 school district employees.

As stated in the 1917 Perham High School Annual, our school facilities and community's priority on quality education have been made possible through the "sacrifice and foresight" of its citizens. Perham-Dent Schools' Alumni have become successful men and women in all walks of life, thanks due in part to the 119 year of dedicated school teacher, staff members, principals, superintendents and board members. May the rich tradition of Perham and Dent School History provide the cornerstone of its education building blocks for the future!

Looking Back: For many years students had recess in what was then known as "Struett's Cow Pasture"...students used slates, and learned lessons in "recitation" rooms, before the introduction of paper and pencils ... In 1925, organzied athletics caught on for boys ... for girls in 1969 ... no extracurricular activities for years but music was part of the regular school curriculum ... a teacher's wages in 1890 was $600 annually... "hot lunch" program began in early 1950's ... pupils in the Dent area walked three miles to a one room school in Reddington, before having a school in Dent ... quote from a PHS Annual: "education should not be used to get rich but to enrich others."
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62279140 RED RIVER CARTS ONCE TREKKED THIS AREABecause the Red River, on Minnesota's western border runs north, early settlers had little use for the waterway in transporting goods and people to the south. As a result of the need for a method of transportation, the Red River Cart was developed. According to the Minnesota Historical Society, these carts were made without metal and tied together with leather thongs. They were painted bright colors and fitted with a cover or canopy for protection from the elements. The Red River Cart was generally pulled by one ox, and many of them were driven by women.

In June of 1858, the greatest of all prairie convoys was formed: 140 carts gathered at Pembina in the north, to bring people and animal pelts south to the Mississippi area near St. Paul. So slow as the progress of the Red River Ox Cart train, that it took an entire summer season to make one round trip.

The prairie convoys were a short-lived form of transportation and existed only because there was no direct connection by river between the north and south flowing waters. Within a few years of the giant 140-cart convoy the steel rails connecting the Red River and the Mississippi had been laid and the ox was replaced by the locomotive mass transit in the 1850's, that's the way it was.

From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
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632801941 BLIZZARD IN DORAAs a girl of twelve, I vividly remember the March blizzard of 1941 and the welcome shelter old District 164 provided and neighbors that memorable night.

Celebrating neighborhood birthdays with a whist part and potluck was the usual custom. On the evening of Mary 15th, my mother, father and ten-year old sister, Marcia, were off to the Albright farm across the hill to celebrate Ed's birthday. The weather was mild so mother let us wear our long brown stockings covered with wool knee-highs instead of the usual snow pants with our snowsuit jackets. Mother was dressed in her Sunday coat and good hat with thin gloves to match. Although the Albright farm was just over the field, we needed to drive around and through a field road, which served as a winter road. It had been opened with a homemade plow, as was the usual method for small roads in the area. The total distance would have been two miles.

Marcia and I soon wearied of watching the card playing and went upstairs to nap until lunch was served. The roaring wind, which had come up and the branches banging against the side of the house frightened us so we could not sleep. We hesitated to admit our fear, but at last went downstairs. At first the grown-ups made light of our fears. Then one went to investigate and found the blizzard to be raging, no time was lost in piling out to the cars to head for home.

We had not traveled far when we became hopelessly hung up the fresh snow that had blown into the narrow plowed trail could not go back facing the strong wind and driving snow so it was decided we should continue ahead toward the schoolhouse. Father and I started ahead as I knew the "secret" way to unlock the woodshed door by inserting a slender sliver of wood between the worn door edge and the door in such a way as to lift the hook. This we did when playing "Hide and seek", providing the teacher didn't catch us at it.

The journey from the car in the snow bank to the safety of the school was slow and strenuous. The wind nearly took our breath away and the snow was driven into our clothes. It had been a moonlight night, but we could scarcely make out the fence posts as we trudged along. When we at last reached the woodshed, I was able to dig around outside the door and find a wood sliver that fit and my father and I were out of the wind. We got a kerosene lamp lit and got a red can marked kerosene out ready to get the wood burning stove going, Unfortunately the can had been marked incorrectly and contained gasoline instead. The explosion that followed very nearly burned our shelter. Father and I stamped it out and did get a fire started just about the time Mother and Marcia arrived, snow encrusted. Mother was totally exhausted and had crawled the last few yards with my sister pulling and guiding her toward the light.

We were to be joined by another carload of stranded partygoers soon. The Herman Harthun family; Herman, Martha, Herman Jr., George, and his fiancé, Mignonette, saw the lamplight and found the door.

The night was long. After the grown-ups were somewhat rested and warmed, they wrapped Marcia and me in extra coats and gave us the library table by the stove to use as a bed. They took turns stoking the big wood stove and had a few games of whist to keep themselves awake. No one strayed far from the stove for the wind blew right through everything. I do remember watching the little three-dimensional windmills and the tulips and Dutch windmills on the window sills and thinking certainly they were fitting decorations for March as they turned all night in the wind. I also remember the men worrying that the big pile of wood in the shed might not hold out until morning as it was taking so much fuel.

Morning dawned at last. Father and one of the Harthun boys decided it would be safe for them to walk the half mile through the deep banks in order to get the team and sled to get us home. The horses went down in the deep snow banks and had to be assisted several times before we were finally home.

The house was icy cold for the wood furnace had gone out hours before. Soon we had the fire going and my Mother and Martha started preparing some good hot soup and dumplings for the nine of us. We giggled when later Martha's hat that she didn't like very much was found on a tumbleweed out in the field. When Herman Jr. went back to try to start the car he brought the birthday cake in its round container, dropped it and it rolled frozen down the hill.

We suffered only a few ill effects. Our snow pants had been needed for our thighs were frozen and blistered so badly that we were unable to walk and missed school for a few days. Mother's legs were badly frozen all the way to her ankle and she felt the effects for several weeks.

Perhaps the most lasting effect of the experience was the strengthening of a young girl's faith. Marcia and I received as a gift a subscription to a Christian oriented magazine, Wee

Wisdom given to us by Mart Garber, a neighbor from our church. In this magazine was a prayer called The Prayer of Faith, which Mother had helped Marcia and me memorize. During our time out in the storm, I prayed The Prayer of Faith and had faith that God would lead us to safety. I've always felt my prayers were answered that night.





From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
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319204A VETERINARY HOSPITALIn the spring of 1952, Dr. Raymond P. Fistler bought the home and veterinary practice on West Main street from Dr. Wm. Newman who then retired.

A 1943 graduate of the Iowa State College Veterinary School, Dr. Fistler previously had served in the Army and then was in practice at Cloquet, Minnesota before moving to Perham.

In December 1952 he married Carol Johnson R.N. of Cloquet. She was his sole office and hospital help for twenty-five years until he began hiring graduate Veterinary Technicians and other help.

The Fistlers had three children. Jim was an architect at Dynamic Homes in Detroit Lakes, MN. Nancy is a nurse’s anesthetist in Denver. Jon is a veterinarian in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

In 1961 they built a home with connected Veterinary Hospital on the corner of 3rd Ave. S.E. and Highway 76.

Dr. Wm. Rose came to work with him in late 1977 and Dr. Wm. Clausen joined them in the fall of 1981.

In 1983 Drs. Rose and Clausen left to establish their own business in Perham, the Lakeland Veterinary Clinic on West Main Street.

Cathy Johnson, Veterinary Technician, Carol Sazama, Hospital Aide, and Donna Gill, Office Worker, stayed on as staff members.

Dr. Fistler again worked alone until hiring Dr. Kelvin Rudolph in August 1984. Very shortly afterward, Dr. Fistler became ill and was forced to retire.

Dr. Rudolph bought the entire practice in January 1985 and worked out of the same building until that fall when he moved into the extensively remodeled house next to Dean's Market. This is the Pine Shelter Veterinary Hospital.

Dr. Fistler passed away in June 1985 of a brain tumor.

Mrs. Fistler sold the building to Jon Staebler who fully remodeled the interior. Now half houses his business, Staebler Financial services, and half is rented to Dr. James Swenson, an Orthodontist.



From East Otter Tail County History Book Vol II 1994
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318205A CHAIR FACTORYAnother early industry was the chair factory, established by Almon Whiting, Sr., in 1879, when he moved to Girard. Mr. Whiting gathered all his material from the woods around him ' even making the glue from deer horns and hoofs and mixing his own paints. He sold his chairs as far as Fergus Falls, Perham and Alexandria. A Whiting chair is now a highly prized possession.

But the chief occupation of the early settlers was making railroad ties and cutting cordwood. Ties sold at 20C to 304Z each-, good oak and maple cordwood, $1.50 to $2.00 per cord delivered. This was hauled across the lake and traded for groceries and horse feed. The summer occupation was grubbing and clearing land.

The first permanent settler of Girard was Thomas Mason, known throughout the country as "Old Tom"; a tall, thin, crabby, silent old man, but free hearted and generous. In 1867 he took homestead on the northeast shore of East Battle Lake, but lived here only a short time when he built a cabin on the east-end of Long Lake, since called Mason Lake. Later, he was taken to the county poor farm where he died.

Another pioneer was Lewis Denna, an Oneda Indian chief from New York, who fell in with the Clitherall people in Ohio or Iowa, and who with his white wife came to Girard with F. L. and Almon Whiting families. Here he lived until his death ' living like a white man, grubbing swamps and working at anything he could get to do.

The common hardships of pioneer life was the lot of these sturdy settlers. Neighbors were widely scattered; there were no conveniences; a barrel sunk in the edge of a slough provided water which was dipped up with a tin bucket at the end of a forked stick. The houses were built of rough logs and had no screens, but there was usually a piece of mosquito bar to protect the baby from flies during its nap. Some of the children were delegated to brush the flies from the table until the family sat down to eat; then it was everybody for himself, including the flies. A smudge was built nights to stupefy the mosquitoes, but sometimes the remedy was worse than the disease. Labor was hard but not rushing. There was always time to enjoy the few pleasures that the times afforded; log rollings, Fourth of July celebrations, and town meetings and neighborly visiting. And there was no house too small to afford protection for an extra family of newcomers until their home could be built.

Mixed in with these hardships and inconveniences there were a few luxuries that we cannot enjoy today. Game and fish were plentiful, with no closed season; and wild fruit grew in abundance, I remember my mother and my aunt, Mrs. C. R. Kimber, coming in from the woods one noon, each with a big milk pail full of delicious wild raspberries. These were used in sauce, short cakes and canned in gallon jugs, the corks sealed with melted resin.

The changes of the last fifty years have scattered some of these old pioneers in the four quarters of the earth, where they laid down their burdens, others rest in the home cemeteries, and strangers and a few of their descendants occupy the old homesteads. The only one left of all that company of pioneers of fifty years ago is Mrs. C. R. Kimber, who has been an invalid for several years and is patiently waiting for her summons to depart. Life has given her much: children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and she made abundant returns in kindly, neighborly service.

Girard Twp. early residents Sept. 25, 1939

1 . Looker. Mrs. Mary (Blakslee)

2. Sherman, Cassius (Cash)

3. Dobbs, Mrs. Flora (Whiting)

4. McLaughlin, Mrs. Louisa (Fletcher)

5. Kimber, Miss Alta

6. Kimber, Ben

7. Whiting, Lester

8. Girard Township

9. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

10. School District # 152 11. School District # 153 12. School District # 174

From East Otter Tail County History Book Vol I 1977
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147364ABRAM WOLLSCHLAGER, THEOPHILE ELISABETHTheophile Elisabeth Abram came to America from Russ-Poland in 1901, following her family of 1 son and 4 daughters. Her husband, Ferdinand, died August 1899. She was born March 19, 1851, the daughter of Michael Wolischlager.

Her children were: Albertina, Mrs. Henry Besel. Fredricke Wilheimina, Mrs. Ferdinand Tober. Michael - married to Olga Stoike - later to Louisa Sonnenberg Bunkowski. Louisa, Mrs. Fred Tober. Alvina Irene, married to James Wright Rohdes - later to Walter Joseph Thompson.

Theophile worked in Fargo and in the Corliss area. She died April 24, 1930, in Perham, and is buried in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery of Corliss.
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148489ABRAM, MICHAELMichael Abram, farmer and railroad worker, was born October 21, 1877, at Lipno, Poland. He was the son of Ferdinand and Theophile Elisabeth Wollschlager Abram. He emigrated from Bremen, February 5, 1901, and landed in Halifax, Canada, arriving in Pembina, North Dakota, March 10, 1902, and applied for citizenship at Dickinson in 1906.

He married Olga Stoicke January 25, 1906, at Corliss. She was born November 17, 1887, in Poland, one of the nine children of Fred (5-22-1858/3-10-1940) and Mary Anne Wahl Stoicke (8-22-1855/11-6-1916). They came to America in 1892. Olga died at Duluth September 23, 1968.

Mike and Olga were the parents of five sons: Alexander Rudolf, born August 27, 1908. He married Dorothy Rose Thornton. They were the parents of Mary Agnes and Ruth Ann. He died November 9, 1972. Dorothy died June 19, 1972, at Oxnard, California. Michael Friedrich, born December 16, 1909, married Edna Virgie Crouse. They were parents of Ralph Michael, Nora Jean, and Terry Mack. Leo Ferdinand, born February 9, 1911, died March 2, 191 1. Edward, born March 23, 1912, died April 8, 1912. Karl Heinrich, born July 19,1913, died November 11, 1913.

Michael's second marriage was to Maria Luesa, widow of Louis Bunkowske, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Sonnenberg. She was born February 12, 1883, in Russ-Poland, and came to America in 1900. Fred, Gustav, and Martha were the children from her first marriage.

Luesa died at Perham May 30, 1945. Michael died January 6, 1954, at Kragnes, Minnesota. Both are buried at St. John's Lutheran Cemetery at Corliss.


Michael Abram, farmer and railroad worker, was born October 21, 1877, at Lipno, Poland. He was the son of Ferdinand and Theophile Elisabeth Wollschlager Abram. He emigrated from Bremen, February 5, 1901, and landed in Halifax, Canada, arriving in Pembina, North Dakota, March 10, 1902, and applied for citizenship at Dickinson in 1906.

He married Olga Stoicke January 25, 1906, at Corliss. She was born November 17, 1887, in Poland, one of the nine children of Fred (5-22-1858/3-10-1940) and Mary Anne Wahl Stoicke (8-22-1855/11-6-1916). They came to America in 1892. Olga died at Duluth September 23, 1968.

Mike and Olga were the parents of five sons: Alexander Rudolf, born August 27, 1908. He married Dorothy Rose Thornton. They were the parents of Mary Agnes and Ruth Ann. He died November 9, 1972. Dorothy died June 19, 1972, at Oxnard, California. Michael Friedrich, born December 16, 1909, married Edna Virgie Crouse. They were parents of Ralph Michael, Nora Jean, and Terry Mack. Leo Ferdinand, born February 9, 1911, died March 2, 191 1. Edward, born March 23, 1912, died April 8, 1912. Karl Heinrich, born July 19,1913, died November 11, 1913.

Michael's second marriage was to Maria Luesa, widow of Louis Bunkowske, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Sonnenberg. She was born February 12, 1883, in Russ-Poland, and came to America in 1900. Fred, Gustav, and Martha were the children from her first marriage.

Luesa died at Perham May 30, 1945. Michael died January 6, 1954, at Kragnes, Minnesota. Both are buried at St. John's Lutheran Cemetery at Corliss.


Michael Abram, farmer and railroad worker, was born October 21, 1877, at Lipno, Poland. He was the son of Ferdinand and Theophile Elisabeth Wollschlager Abram. He emigrated from Bremen, February 5, 1901, and landed in Halifax, Canada, arriving in Pembina, North Dakota, March 10, 1902, and applied for citizenship at Dickinson in 1906.

He married Olga Stoicke January 25, 1906, at Corliss. She was born November 17, 1887, in Poland, one of the nine children of Fred (5-22-1858/3-10-1940) and Mary Anne Wahl Stoicke (8-22-1855/11-6-1916). They came to America in 1892. Olga died at Duluth September 23, 1968.

Mike and Olga were the parents of five sons: Alexander Rudolf, born August 27, 1908. He married Dorothy Rose Thornton. They were the parents of Mary Agnes and Ruth Ann. He died November 9, 1972. Dorothy died June 19, 1972, at Oxnard, California. Michael Friedrich, born December 16, 1909, married Edna Virgie Crouse. They were parents of Ralph Michael, Nora Jean, and Terry Mack. Leo Ferdinand, born February 9, 1911, died March 2, 191 1. Edward, born March 23, 1912, died April 8, 1912. Karl Heinrich, born July 19,1913, died November 11, 1913.

Michael's second marriage was to Maria Luesa, widow of Louis Bunkowske, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Sonnenberg. She was born February 12, 1883, in Russ-Poland, and came to America in 1900. Fred, Gustav, and Martha were the children from her first marriage.

Luesa died at Perham May 30, 1945. Michael died January 6, 1954, at Kragnes, Minnesota. Both are buried at St. John's Lutheran Cemetery at Corliss


Michael Abram, farmer and railroad worker, was born October 21, 1877, at Lipno, Poland. He was the son of Ferdinand and Theophile Elisabeth Wollschlager Abram. He emigrated from Bremen, February 5, 1901, and landed in Halifax, Canada, arriving in Pembina, North Dakota, March 10, 1902, and applied for citizenship at Dickinson in 1906.

He married Olga Stoicke January 25, 1906, at Corliss. She was born November 17, 1887, in Poland, one of the nine children of Fred (5-22-1858/3-10-1940) and Mary Anne Wahl Stoicke (8-22-1855/11-6-1916). They came to America in 1892. Olga died at Duluth September 23, 1968.

Mike and Olga were the parents of five sons: Alexander Rudolf, born August 27, 1908. He married Dorothy Rose Thornton. They were the parents of Mary Agnes and Ruth Ann. He died November 9, 1972. Dorothy died June 19, 1972, at Oxnard, California. Michael Friedrich, born December 16, 1909, married Edna Virgie Crouse. They were parents of Ralph Michael, Nora Jean, and Terry Mack. Leo Ferdinand, born February 9, 1911, died March 2, 191 1. Edward, born March 23, 1912, died April 8, 1912. Karl Heinrich, born July 19,1913, died November 11, 1913.

Michael's second marriage was to Maria Luesa, widow of Louis Bunkowske, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Sonnenberg. She was born February 12, 1883, in Russ-Poland, and came to America in 1900. Fred, Gustav, and Martha were the children from her first marriage.

Luesa died at Perham May 30, 1945. Michael died January 6, 1954, at Kragnes, Minnesota. Both are buried at St. John's Lutheran Cemetery at Corliss
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149366AHLERS, FRED AND SOPHIEFrederich Heinrich Ahlers, born 28 November 1853 West Bend, Wisconsin, first born of Heinrich Johann and Dorette (Windels) Ahlers. Dorette was a sister of Henry Windels Sr. Sophia Marie Willharm born in Wisconsin 18 March 1854 to Mary (Ahlers) and J. Willharm making her and Fred first cousins.

Sophia and Fred were married 20 December 1877 in Waverly, Iowa.

They homesteaded in section 24 Homestead Township in 1879, joining relatives, Windels, Bruning, Stover, Kertscher and Ehnert who had also come from Wisconsin.

Of the seven known children born, only four lived to adulthood, with only one having living issue.

William Henry 16 March 1880-25 April 1948 (Lillian Siers) Augusta Dorothe Anna 22 September 1882-22 April 1886 Lillian F. June 1885 - 7 June 1918 (Carl Ogsbury) John

B. 22 November 1886 - 2 August 1926 (Blanch Paschke) Charles H. 22 November 1888 - 30 January 1893 Dorothy Magdalina 17 July 1891 - 31 March 1936 (Bob Reinhart) Walter F. 21 February 1894 - 23 February 1898

Over the years, Fred bought and sold various parcels of land in Blowers, Homestead and Newton Townships; Buying lot 18 of Block 5 in New York Mills in 1901; Building a General Merchandise Store with living quarters above; moving to town in 1902. Several years later he opened the Homestead Store, which Sophia ran. In 1915 Fred built a two-story house on Park Street.

Sophia and Fred were divorced in 1910. She moved to Montana with son, John in 1916 and onto Oregon to her daughters; dying in Portland 2 July 1926.

Fred sold the store, returning to farming in section 26 Homestead. He had been a very progressive farmer in his earlier years, having a threshing rig and hay baler. Later years were spent in light farming and bee keeping. Fred died 28 February, 1936.
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150367AHLERS, WILLIAM HWilliam Henry Ahlers was born 16 March 1880 in section 24 Homestead Township-son of Sophia (Willharm) and Fred Ahlers.

He attended school in Dist. 179 and later an agricultural school, but soon realized he preferred working the land, which he'd begun at an early age. His shorter leg caused by having it broken at age nine, when the team of horses ran away with him, was proof of that.

Will married Lillian C. Siers-born 23 Feb. 1891 Walcott Township, Rice County to Myra (Vail) and William Siers-in Wadena in 1908.

They bought the Homestead Store in section 14 that same year, living in the rooms in back. Evelyn Dorothy-20 Dec. 1908- 12 Nov. 1989 (Mrs. Harry Peterson) and Willard Herman- 14 Aug. 1910-8 Nov. 1923, was born there.

In 1913 they sold the store to Will’s brother, John renting Christ Olson's farm. Florence Marie, 22 Nov. 1914-26 Dec. 1916 was born there.

In 1915 they bought 80 acres in section 15 Homestead Township, building all necessary buildings, and moving into the lean-to of the barn until the house was finished.

After the deaths of Florence and Willard a second family arrived: Lillian E. 15 Feb. 1925 (Mrs. John Hopponen); Rose Marie 10 June 1927 (Mrs. Arlie Niemala).

The Wm. Ahlers family moved to Fred Ahlers farm in section 26 in the fall of 1933-sharing the house-Fred having two rooms and the family of four having the other two rooms with sleeping space above.

In 1942 Will sold all but thirteen acres of the original 160-bought 40 adjoining acres and built a new house.

In the mid-40's Lill began caring for foster children- raising Virgina (Mrs. Marvin Koplin) and Gene Stenerson to adulthood.

Will died 25 April 1948 and Lill 9 June 1985.

Submitted by Lil (Ahlers) Hopponen
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151368AHLFS, JAMES AND PATRICIAJim is the son of Joe and Evelyn (Wagner) Ahlfs. He was born in 1930 at Deer Creek. Pat is the daughter of Eldred (Hi) Schultz and Ruth (Pream) Schultz. She was born in 1934 in Ottertail. They were married Sept. 1954 and live in Ottertail City. They have one daughter- Mary Ahlfs-Peterson who is the owner-operator of Mary's Beauty Salon in Ottertail. She has a daughter, Jessica Ann. They have two sons, Thomas, who is married to Jean Stoderl of Perham. They have two children, Anna Marie and Joseph Thomas. Tom is construction manager of Ahlfs Construction.

Son Michael lives in Ottertail and is the manager of Ottertail Ready Mix.

Jim started a gravel hauling business in 1946 in New York Mills. After his US Army military service in Germany he expanded the business to road construction as well as graveling. He also hauled milk for the Ottertail Creamery and later for Mid-Am dairy of Fergus Falls. In 1976 they constructed a ready mix concrete plant and aggregate crushing equipment at the gravel pit in Otter Tail Township.

Over the years they have worked for 65 or more townships in Otter Tail, Wadena and Becker Counties building, graveling and maintaining roads.

Pat worked as bookkeeper for the Ottertail Creamery and 25 years for the US Postal Service in Ottertail -22 years as Postmaster. She is active in the Otter Tail Firemen's Auxiliary-the United Methodist church and Ottertail Lions club. Jim served on the Otter Tail city council and has been a member of the Ottertail Fire and Rescue Dept. for 37 years. He also is a charter member of the Ottertail Lions club.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
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330369AHRENS, DIEDERICHDiederick Ahrens was born-in Hannover, Germany on Jan. 12, 1869. He moved to Lime Springs, Iowa where as a young man he was married to Anna Augusta Lubitz in 1892. Anna was born in Pommern, Germany. This union was blessed with five children, all born in Iowa: William, born April, 1893 and married Ruth Palmer. Bertha, born Sept. 1894, and married Ferdinand Schatschneider. George, born Nov. 1896, he never married and now lives in Detroit Lakes. Rose, born June, 1901 married Howard Palmer. She is a resident of Memorial Home in Frazee, Minn. John, born Nov. 1909, married Marion Schmidt and still resides on the home farm.

The family farmed in Iowa and in 1914 moved to the Corliss area where they bought the farm where Oscar Stueber now lives, and later the home place that John now lives on. Dick moved to Perham in Oct. 1930 and passed away in April, 1953.

DIEDERICH AHRENS FAMILY


Diederick Ahrens was born-in Hannover, Germany on Jan. 12, 1869. He moved to Lime Springs, Iowa where as a young man he was married to Anna Augusta Lubitz in 1892. Anna was born in Pommern, Germany. This union was blessed with five children, all born in Iowa: William, born April, 1893 and married Ruth Palmer. Bertha, born Sept. 1894, and married Ferdinand Schatschneider. George, born Nov. 1896, he never married and now lives in Detroit Lakes. Rose, born June, 1901 married Howard Palmer. She is a resident of Memorial Home in Frazee, Minn. John, born Nov. 1909, married Marion Schmidt and still resides on the home farm.

The family farmed in Iowa and in 1914 moved to the Corliss area where they bought the farm where Oscar Stueber now lives, and later the home place that John now lives on. Dick moved to Perham in Oct. 1930 and passed away in April, 1953.
15
331370AHRENS, JOHNJohn Ahrens, born in 1909 to Dietrick and Anna Ahrens, moved from Cressco, Iowa with his parents when five years old to Corliss Township on the farm where Oscar Steuber now lives. In 1920 they moved to Section 27 of Corliss Township.

In 1931 John married Marion Schmidt and they have lived on the home farm for 43 years. They have three daughters: Donna Pehl, born in 1933; Joyce, Mrs. Edward Bachmann, born in 1937; and Pamela Schwinghamimer, born in 1947.

John was treasurer for Corliss Township for 12 years and on the Finance Board for St. John's Lutheran Church for 2 years. Marion is a Sunday school teacher for St. John's Lutheran Church and has been a member of the Missionary League and Ladies' Aid for many years.
16
332371AILIE, JOHNJohn Ailie married Lillian Muckala, daughter of John and Minnie Muckala, at Cokato, Minnesota on July 25, 1936. John and Lillian farmed at Dassel, Minnesota, until 1944. From 1944 to 1946, John served at the Atomic Energy Plant at Pasco, Washington, and later at the Gopher Ordinance Plant at St. Paul. In 1957 he was LOL fieldman. Then in 1948 he set up his own business in New York Mills, a hatchery and home improvement service.

Lillian received her education from Bemidji and the University of Minnesota. She has her BA, BS and MA Degree. She taught school for thirty-three years. During her life time she was a state champion 4 H-ER, in 1983 she was elected as one of the five all-time Bemidji outstanding graduates, in 1979 was Otter Tail County's Outstanding lady Senior Citizen and New York Mills Centennial Reunion Outstanding Senior Citizen in 1984. John and Lillian have been active in a number of community projects.

They have two daughters, Gloria married John Aske. She taught school twenty-six years in Alaska. She and John are retired and live at Florence Oregon. Cynthia, the younger daughter, teaches at Huntington Beach, California. She has taught over twenty-five years. Both daughters are active in community activities.

John and Lillian Ailie have been married for fifty-seven years and live in their home at New York Mills.








From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
17
333372AITKEN GRISMER, DON DRAY AND MARYDon Dray son of Don and Dixie (Crabtree) Aitken and Mary Grismer, daughter of Paul and Linette (Atkinson) Grismer were married August 28, 1982 at St. Henry's Church in Perham.

Don Dray was born in Cambridge, Ohio on August 26, 1959. He lived in Eau Claire, Wisconsin from 1961-1967. Then his family moved to Perham in 1967. He attended Perham grade school and high school. He graduated in 1977. He then attended Detroit Lakes Vo-Tech for Electrical Company Generation in 1979. Don has been employed by Perham Ready Mix and Agregate since 1980.

Mary was born September 17, 1963 at Memorial Hospital in Perham, Minnesota. She has been employed by Memorial Nursing Home since 1980 as a nurse aide.

Don and Mary have two daughters-Andrea, eleven years and Danielle, nine years. Both were born at Memorial Hospital. In 1993, they purchased a home and two and three fourths acre north of Perham.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
18
334373ALBEE, HARRYHenry "Harry" Albee was born on January 6, 1870 in Rochester, Minnesota and came to Oak Valley Township with his family. He married Ida Lahrmann on November 19, 1890 in Wrightstown. Ida Charlotte Sophia, daughter of Jost Friedrich and Sophia (Fegebank) Lahrmann, was born in 1871 in Quincy, Illinois and came to Oak Valley with her family in 1882.

Harry and Ida first made their home with her mother and brother. Later they moved to a new place in Section 15. There they lived in a small house while Harry with the help of friends and relatives, built a new house. Harry obtained the materials for the house in March of 1916 and constructed the basement in November of 1916. The house construction got underway in February of 1917.

Harry farmed and worked as a carpenter in Oak Valley. In 1918 he helped his nephew Charles Lange construct his barn on the former Orr farm near Deer Creek. The family was involved in the Oak Valley Union Church.

On October 20, 1927 the Albee family held a farm auction which was attended by a large crowd with everything selling well. In November they moved into Wadena. In 1928 the family moved to Burlington, Washington.

Harry and Ida raisied six children: Sylvia (Mrs. Allen) Bates; Rose (Mrs. Cleon) Cornish; Evelyne (Mrs. Frank) Rentz; Alfred, Merle and Ronald.

Harry died in 1952 and Ida died in 1970 at the age of 98. Both had been active members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Burlington for many years and are buried there.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
19
335374ALBRECHT, RUBYRuby's parents, Melvin and Bertha (Voss) Hein, moved to Otter Tail County from Southern Minnesota near Belllingham. Ruby was born in Paynesville May 8, 1909. She moved with her parents when still a youngster, coming to Evergreen Township. Their next and final move was to Otter Tail county close to Buchanan Lake where they started farming.

In Ruby's family there were two brothers and one sister. Her brothers Loren and Donald are no longer living. Her sister, Virginia (Busch) lives near Otter Tail Lake.

They attended the rural school at Evergreen through the eighth grade. Ruby had the usual fun times with the rest of the students, playing ball, etc.

When she was old enough to go out to work, she found work at Stolzmans near Casselton, North Dakota doing general housework for $ 10 a week, and felt very lucky.

Ruby married Leo Hannebuth November 16, 1929 and was married for 28 years until he passed away in 1957.

They had two children: Delores Lachowitzer (Mrs. Arnold) and Duane Hannebuth, Kansas City, Missouri.

After Leo's death Ruby found work at St. James Hospital, in Perham, working for the nuns as a practical nurse for ten years.

On February 22, 1967, she married Edward Albrecht. Their farm near Toad Lake gave them happiness as well as work. They had fun dancing and visiting with their good

friends.

Ruby says her aim in life is to have good friends and remain contented. She has lived in the Perham Memorial Home for the past five years.

Ruby has ten grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.




From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
20
336375ALBRIGHT, BENTwo familiar faces of Perham in the 1940's, who are now retired and living at Star Lake, were Ben and Marie Albright.

Ben was born in 1910 in Dora Township, the son of Emil and Emma Stender Albright. Emil was born in 1880 and died in 1917. Emma was born in 1887 and died in 1973.

Marie was born in Dead Lake Township in 1912, the daughter of August and Emma Leuders Ebeling. August was born in Norfolk, Nebr. in 1879 and died in 1954. Emma was born in Germany in 1881 and died in 1966. They were residents of Perham, Minnesota from 1916 to 1954.

Ben was the owner and operator of Hartz Store from 1946 to 1953, and the Fairway Store from 1955 to 1960. During this time, Marie was an elementary teacher in various schools in Otter Tail County. After leaving Perham, Ben owned the Northside Barber Shop in Detroit Lakes.

To this couple five children were born: LeRoy and James, deceased; Dr. Darryl who was born in 1938, married to Vae Lyn Hershey, and a psychologist at McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Dr. Thomas who was born in 1949, married Roberta Lindeman, and doing post-doctorate work at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. in Theoretical Chemistry; and Bernard, who was born in 1952, married Linda LaBatte and is working on his master's degree at the University of Missouri. Darryl has one daughter, Jill, born in 1961 and Thomas has a son, Alexander, born in 1968.

Ben and Marie are members of the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church.
21
337376ALDRICH FAMILYof Wrightstown and Woodside Township

John H. Aldrich filed on a homestead in 1874 in an area that was to become known as Woodside Township, Otter Tail County.

Robert compiled a fairly comprehensive history of the family of which he is a member. It tends to indicate that the church in Wrightstown was not only the religious center but also the civic center of all activities in that little community.

John H. Aldrich was born in 1830 at Onando County, New York. He was the son of Abel Aldrich, a Baptist minister, originally from Rhode Island. John married Angenette Stinson, who was born in Lincoln, Maine, and as far as we have been able to find out, they were both of English descent. They married in Grand Rapids, Wisconsin and first resided in Waukesha, Wisconsin. They moved to Winona, Minnesota and from Winona to Centralia, Wisconsin, where John was head sawyer in the Wisconsin Saw Mills. After residing here for about ten years he moved to Woodland in Martin County, Minnesota, where John was blacksmithing and carpentering in the winter months and farmed in the summers. After the grasshopper infestation, John and the family then moved to Wilcox, Pennsylvania for a brief time, this being where part of his family was permanently settled. From here they returned to southern Minnesota for a brief time, then started their last move northward by covered wagon. They now had four sons, Herbert, Plyn, Edgar, and Glenn, who were each born in a different locality. After three weeks of tedious travel, they arrived at their destination on July 3, 1874, on the old state road, halfway between Parkers Prairie and Wadena. This state road was not much more than a cut over trail.

John picked his land for homesteading and in true pioneer fashion immediately erected a set of log buildings by cutting logs from the surrounding woods. For shingles they used birchbark, which the boys had collected and flattened under stones. One shelter was for livestock and the other their home. Upon arriving here there were only three or four families living in this area, so that the territory was almost completely virgin, as these families had been here less than a year. John fixed a room in the front of their house to sell groceries, and later it was also used as a combination store and Post Office, which was to be part of their income. Mr. Aldrich immediately homesteaded eighty acres and later purchased another eighty acres on which to farm.

Shortly after the family had arrived, a rider rode up in haste, warning them that the Dakota Indians were killing and scalping the settlers and burning their places to the ground only three miles west. Angenette hurriedly prepared the boys, and John collected some food and blankets, and they fled to the swamp and stayed there for three days. The Indians apparently also fled as that was the last of this kind of trouble. One interesting story from this incident has been passed down by the family. Two boys from one of the families which had been massacred, were away from home visiting relatives at the time, so were spared. One of the boys was extremely bitter and as years went by, Indians would vanish now and then, and it was noted that this boy kept adding notches to his rifle, and it was common knowledge that he avenged his family's killings in his own way.

From the time that the Aldriches arrived there until 1800 there was an influx of settlers. In a letter dated May 6, 1879, written by John to his two sons Bert and Plyn, who were working at Lake Park, Minn., he stated: "There are lots of land lookers here now, there were eight here this morning, the stage has just come, good bye". On June 21, 1875 a Post Office was set up in the Aldrich Store, and John was appointed Postmaster. At this same time a stage line was set up to haul mail and freight on Mondays and Thursdays of each week between Parkers Prairie and Wadena, and Wrightstown was to be the halfway station to freshen the horses and exchange if necessary.

On January 2, 1877 John and a group of neighbors met in the Aldrich home and signed a petition to form a township, and it was to be called Wrightstown; evidently this petition was rejected, as it was later on in April that the township was officially called Woodside, and officers were elected. The village, however, was called Wrightstown after one of the Wrights who aided greatly with the small pox epidemic. He had been a medic during the war and was familiar with the disease and was credited with saving lives here at this time.

John had a well drilled on the homestead for the purpose of watering livestock and their own use and for the community use also. Due to very few wells in the neighborhood, many neighbors came to get their daily supply, and the stage drivers used it for watering their teams. This well became known as the community well, and it had a historical significance. John's son, Herbert, told us that when he was a boy, he would spend most of his free time at the well listening to the neighbors as they would gather while after water and tell yarns, war stories, and play pranks on one another. Bert said he enjoyed the war stories told by Edgar Perkins the most. Edgar later became Bert's father-in-law.

During all of this building, breaking, and organizing, three children were born to the Aldriches. Cora was born September 24, 1875, but lived only about six months. Clara was born August 25, 1877, and Guy was born February 25, 1879. Little Guy died September I of that year, and four days following his death, John Aldrich, our subject, died suddenly with pneumonia. They were both buried north of the house, and a spruce was planted at the head of the grave and a lilac at the foot. The spruce and lilac are still growing today, although the bodies were later moved to the Wrightstown cemetery, after it had been organized and plotted. All of this sadness was quite a shock to the family as well as a financial burden. They had lost a small child while at Winona, and her folks had died a few months before moving to Wrightstown. The boys helped by working out and keeping the farm going, although Angenette soon realized that she could not keep up the store business any longer. She sold out to Jeremiah Newel. He bought an acre of ground and built a new building a little west of the Aldrich home to carry on the store business.

The Aldrich boys began to marry and leave home. Edgar married Ella Stone and moved into Bertha, where he started a mercantile business, and later sold out, moved to the town of Aldrich and went into partnership with Charlie Walker in a mercantile business, and remained here until his death.

Plyn married Florence Turner and purchased the farm now owned by Roy Koechel. He later traded his farm for a hotel in Battle Lake, Minnesota and was one of the first to buy shares and organize the first bank there.

Glenn married Ida May Turner and went to Almora and started a mercantile business one year before the railroad came through that town. He and his brother Plyn later sold out and went to Brooksville, Florida, where they remained until death.

Clara married Alfred Naylor and moved into Bertha where they purchased Edgar's mercantile business.

Herbert, our next subject, stayed permanently at Wrightstown. I will mention here some of the experiences that he had in his earlier youth. At fourteen years of age he was expected to keep the table in game meat. Henry Goodale, a neighbor who was an expert shot, taught him to be a good hunter. He said wolves were at times a threat to livestock and persons out alone. He barely escaped death on two occasions with wolf packs while working in the woods. He and Dan Cameron usually cut wood together. Dan later on became his brother-in law. Bert mentioned that he and his brothers would walk fourteen or fifteen miles to Parkers Prairie and back for flour and groceries in the winter when the snow was too deep for the horses. They made snow shoes of a fashion to tread the snow.

Herbert purchased land adjoining John's and started farming this land and also the land of his mother's. He worked in the woods in the winters. During this time he bought shares in a threshing machine. Herbert married Jennie Cameron in 1883, although this marriage was short in duration as Jennie died four years later, leaving one daughter, Nellie, who was then raised alternately by the Camerons and Angenette.

Herbert is to be the next generation to step into his father's shoes at Wrightstown. He purchased the Wrightstown store from Mr. Newel, who had owned it about eleven years. The value of the stock at purchase was $275.00. Bert, as he was always called, sold some of his property and enlarged the store and increased the volume of merchandise, so that in the year of 1914 he grossed $23,000 and had four clerks hired.

Bert continued his interest in farming; he purchased the land his mother owned and, throughout his life, purchased other farms and land, so at one time he owned 760 acres of farmland.

In 1897 a double wedding took place, as Herbert S. Aldrich married Margaret Jane Perkins, and Clara Aldrich married Edgar Naylor. They were the first to be married in the new United Brethren Church by Rev. Vine. Margaret was the daughter of Edgar and Cynthia Perkins, early settlers, who farmed and operated a saw mill east of Wrightstown. To the marriage of Herbert and Margaret, seven children were born: Hazel, Myrtle, Paul, Kenneth, Renold, Laverne, and Stanley. In addition to their own children, they helped raise two of Nellie's (Bert's first child) children, Ardith and Arvid. Arvid stayed with the Aldriches and worked for his grandfather for years, until he himself purchased the Woodside store.

While Bert was in business in the store, there were many little interesting incidents which, are spoken of as years have passed on. In those early days horses were the mode of travel, and cars were coming but very scarce, so that the neighbors stayed pretty close to home. They created their own entertainment, and this little settlement became headquarters for news and get-togethers; many good times were had here. In the evenings the store would be open, and many games of checkers and yarns told around the long heating stove, which was about cordwood length. One evening an old man, nearly blind, and sitting by the stove, spit tobacco juice all evening on the Aidrich's little white dog lying curled up asleep, as he thought the dog was a spittoon.

When radios first came into the area, they put one in the store, and neighbors would walk quite a distance to listen to Amos and Andy on the radio. One time Bert was swamped with customers, and a little lady of much impatience, who couldn't wait for him to get her groceries, commenced to wait on herself, which wasn't done in those days. She could not reach the prunes, so climbed up on a flour barrel; the lid flipped, and she went right down into the flour. Everyone in the store laughed to tears seeing this white sputtering woman come out of the barrel. Flour was too precious to throw out, so Bert auctioned it to the highest bidder. The man who bought it said, "My wife and seven hungry children won't know the difference and I'm not fussy."

Quite frequently someone's team of horses would run away and come tearing through the village, tearing harnesses and wagons apart before they could be caught. Each summer a band or two of gypsies would stop at the store and would cause much stir. The message would soon spread, and the Aldrich ladies and anyone else around would hurry to the store to help watch them, so they wouldn't pick up merchandise.

Bert was always known as a horse trader, and every summer traders would come here for a few days to trade horses. They would come by covered wagon, with pots and pans, etc. tied to the sides and horses tied behind, with other horses being driven. At one time Bert had thirty horses in the farm lot.

One cold night when the temperature was 30 degrees below zero in 1932, the old store, with all the old memories, burned to the ground. It seemed that in those days most any item needed could be found here including ladies' hats, dresses, eye glasses, bolt goods. Even a traveling library was kept.

By this time, Bert had worked Paul and Kenneth into the store business; the boys each were given a third share in the store. To his other children he gave eighty-acre farms. After the fire, the three men made a decision to rebuild a new building and continue with the store business. A cream hauling route was started from the store to Bertha, as a creamery had been built there. The first truck they purchased for this job was a Maxwell with solid rubber tires. It couldn't be driven very fast, as roads were very rough and usually had holes everywhere to dodge. This was the first truck in the area. As far as they knew, there was only one truck in Wadena at the time, owned by Tony Lawrence.

Herbert kept active with his various businesses up until a year prior to his death; he had suffered a heart attack and was bedridden until his death in 1938.

Looking back on Bert's life, most agreed that he was a natural leader and organizer among the people in the church and community, and was widely respected for his fair dealings throughout his life. He seemed to have the ability to make people feel at ease with his humor and slowness to anger; however, he raised his children with strict discipline. Bert was very conservative as well as a generous man; he saw needs of others less fortunate and responded. During the depression years, he kept many families in food, knowing very well he would never be paid in money.

Bert was an officer for the Minnesota Conference of the United Brethren Church; he was a township treasurer, and on the school board for many years. His 76 years can be summed up as very eventful, active, and satisfying for a man with such a limited education. He attended only four years of school and not more than three months in any year.

Margaret was a great aid to her husband. She was a hard worker, and at the same time, enjoyed life and was slow to anger. She, too, worked some in the store and at the one time, designed ladies' hats for sale there. She was a faithful church leader, being very active in the Sunday school and Ladies' Aid. She is now residing in the Rest Home at Bertha and is ninety-four years of age.

Herbert and Margaret's children generally inherited leadership qualities and business interests of their parents and grandparents. Hazel spent most of her working years with the Marine Insurance Company, Myrtle worked with a real estate firm until her death in an auto accident in 1953. Kenneth has worked continually with the Guardian Life Insurance, and for many years, was general manager of the Indianapolis branch. Renold has gone into the mercantile business at Hewitt. Laverne was in the mercantile business for many years at Rose City. Stanley was a salesman with the Peavy Paper Company, until he went into service. He was killed in France in the Second World War while a 1st Lt. in the United States Army.

Paul, our next subject, married Marie Triplet in 1924 and stayed with the store business, eventually buying out the shares of his mother and brother, Kenneth.

As time went on and roads and transportation improved, the store business declined. Paul had taken a school course in mechanics in Kansas City, and as a result, became interested in trucking business. Paul purchased a new Willys truck in about the year 1932 and commenced hauling livestock to South St. Paul, to return with a load of freight to this area. This business increased to the point that Paul had very little time to spend with the store, so he sold it to Donald Franklin, who had been working for him. The store is still operating and is now owned by William Johnston. 1970 was the 96th year that the store has been operating at Wrightstown-, the Aldriches owning the store business for 67 of them.

After about thirty-six years of trucking, Paul sold his trucking business in 1967. This type of trucking is hard work and very taxing when roads are icy, and rural roads and farm-yards were often full of snow. The average trucking life of a man is figured as twenty years. Paul and Marie are presently distributing and selling popcorn. They sell mainly to wholesale houses, schools, and theaters. They make caramel corn and seasoned popped corn, which is packaged, in addition to the raw corn.

Paul, like his father, has been very active in Church and has been a school board member for about 45 years. Marie has been very active in the Ladies' Aid and Sunday school of our church at Wrightstown. Paul and Marie have two sons, Robert and Norman. Norman took up electronics and is presently employed with General Electric of Phoenix, Arizona. Robert worked with my father until 1953, when he was appointed Postmaster at Hewitt. He married Genevieve Kassube, daughter of Gustav and Mabel Kassube, who farmed east of Wrightstown.

Robert has been active in the church and was treasurer of the township for several years. Genevieve, better known as Gen. attended college at Winona and has taught school both at Henning and Bertha. She has been very active in Sunday school work and is now serving a Regional Office with the State Women's Missionary Society of our United Methodist Church.

Robert and Genevieve have made their home at Wrightstown and have purchased about 90 acres of land, part of it being the homestead of John H. and Angenette Aldrich. Six children were born to this family: Julie, Jeanne, Douglas, Bryan, Jill and Todd, thus making the fifth generation of Aldriches to live on the Old Homestead at Wrightstown.







From East Otter Tail County History Vol I 1977

of Wrightstown and Woodside Township

John H. Aldrich filed on a homestead in 1874 in an area that was to become known as Woodside Township, Otter Tail County.

Robert compiled a fairly comprehensive history of the family of which he is a member. It tends to indicate that the church in Wrightstown was not only the religious center but also the civic center of all activities in that little community.

John H. Aldrich was born in 1830 at Onando County, New York. He was the son of Abel Aldrich, a Baptist minister, originally from Rhode Island. John married Angenette Stinson, who was born in Lincoln, Maine, and as far as we have been able to find out, they were both of English descent. They married in Grand Rapids, Wisconsin and first resided in Waukesha, Wisconsin. They moved to Winona, Minnesota and from Winona to Centralia, Wisconsin, where John was head sawyer in the Wisconsin Saw Mills. After residing here for about ten years he moved to Woodland in Martin County, Minnesota, where John was blacksmithing and carpentering in the winter months and farmed in the summers. After the grasshopper infestation, John and the family then moved to Wilcox, Pennsylvania for a brief time, this being where part of his family was permanently settled. From here they returned to southern Minnesota for a brief time, then started their last move northward by covered wagon. They now had four sons, Herbert, Plyn, Edgar, and Glenn, who were each born in a different locality. After three weeks of tedious travel, they arrived at their destination on July 3, 1874, on the old state road, halfway between Parkers Prairie and Wadena. This state road was not much more than a cut over trail.

John picked his land for homesteading and in true pioneer fashion immediately erected a set of log buildings by cutting logs from the surrounding woods. For shingles they used birchbark, which the boys had collected and flattened under stones. One shelter was for livestock and the other their home. Upon arriving here there were only three or four families living in this area, so that the territory was almost completely virgin, as these families had been here less than a year. John fixed a room in the front of their house to sell groceries, and later it was also used as a combination store and Post Office, which was to be part of their income. Mr. Aldrich immediately homesteaded eighty acres and later purchased another eighty acres on which to farm.

Shortly after the family had arrived, a rider rode up in haste, warning them that the Dakota Indians were killing and scalping the settlers and burning their places to the ground only three miles west. Angenette hurriedly prepared the boys, and John collected some food and blankets, and they fled to the swamp and stayed there for three days. The Indians apparently also fled as that was the last of this kind of trouble. One interesting story from this incident has been passed down by the family. Two boys from one of the families which had been massacred, were away from home visiting relatives at the time, so were spared. One of the boys was extremely bitter and as years went by, Indians would vanish now and then, and it was noted that this boy kept adding notches to his rifle, and it was common knowledge that he avenged his family's killings in his own way.

From the time that the Aldriches arrived there until 1800 there was an influx of settlers. In a letter dated May 6, 1879, written by John to his two sons Bert and Plyn, who were working at Lake Park, Minn., he stated: "There are lots of land lookers here now, there were eight here this morning, the stage has just come, good bye". On June 21, 1875 a Post Office was set up in the Aldrich Store, and John was appointed Postmaster. At this same time a stage line was set up to haul mail and freight on Mondays and Thursdays of each week between Parkers Prairie and Wadena, and Wrightstown was to be the halfway station to freshen the horses and exchange if necessary.

On January 2, 1877 John and a group of neighbors met in the Aldrich home and signed a petition to form a township, and it was to be called Wrightstown; evidently this petition was rejected, as it was later on in April that the township was officially called Woodside, and officers were elected. The village, however, was called Wrightstown after one of the Wrights who aided greatly with the small pox epidemic. He had been a medic during the war and was familiar with the disease and was credited with saving lives here at this time.

John had a well drilled on the homestead for the purpose of watering livestock and their own use and for the community use also. Due to very few wells in the neighborhood, many neighbors came to get their daily supply, and the stage drivers used it for watering their teams. This well became known as the community well, and it had a historical significance. John's son, Herbert, told us that when he was a boy, he would spend most of his free time at the well listening to the neighbors as they would gather while after water and tell yarns, war stories, and play pranks on one another. Bert said he enjoyed the war stories told by Edgar Perkins the most. Edgar later became Bert's father-in-law.

During all of this building, breaking, and organizing, three children were born to the Aldriches. Cora was born September 24, 1875, but lived only about six months. Clara was born August 25, 1877, and Guy was born February 25, 1879. Little Guy died September I of that year, and four days following his death, John Aldrich, our subject, died suddenly with pneumonia. They were both buried north of the house, and a spruce was planted at the head of the grave and a lilac at the foot. The spruce and lilac are still growing today, although the bodies were later moved to the Wrightstown cemetery, after it had been organized and plotted. All of this sadness was quite a shock to the family as well as a financial burden. They had lost a small child while at Winona, and her folks had died a few months before moving to Wrightstown. The boys helped by working out and keeping the farm going, although Angenette soon realized that she could not keep up the store business any longer. She sold out to Jeremiah Newel. He bought an acre of ground and built a new building a little west of the Aldrich home to carry on the store business.

The Aldrich boys began to marry and leave home. Edgar married Ella Stone and moved into Bertha, where he started a mercantile business, and later sold out, moved to the town of Aldrich and went into partnership with Charlie Walker in a mercantile business, and remained here until his death.

Plyn married Florence Turner and purchased the farm now owned by Roy Koechel. He later traded his farm for a hotel in Battle Lake, Minnesota and was one of the first to buy shares and organize the first bank there.

Glenn married Ida May Turner and went to Almora and started a mercantile business one year before the railroad came through that town. He and his brother Plyn later sold out and went to Brooksville, Florida, where they remained until death.

Clara married Alfred Naylor and moved into Bertha where they purchased Edgar's mercantile business.

Herbert, our next subject, stayed permanently at Wrightstown. I will mention here some of the experiences that he had in his earlier youth. At fourteen years of age he was expected to keep the table in game meat. Henry Goodale, a neighbor who was an expert shot, taught him to be a good hunter. He said wolves were at times a threat to livestock and persons out alone. He barely escaped death on two occasions with wolf packs while working in the woods. He and Dan Cameron usually cut wood together. Dan later on became his brother-in law. Bert mentioned that he and his brothers would walk fourteen or fifteen miles to Parkers Prairie and back for flour and groceries in the winter when the snow was too deep for the horses. They made snow shoes of a fashion to tread the snow.

Herbert purchased land adjoining John's and started farming this land and also the land of his mother's. He worked in the woods in the winters. During this time he bought shares in a threshing machine. Herbert married Jennie Cameron in 1883, although this marriage was short in duration as Jennie died four years later, leaving one daughter, Nellie, who was then raised alternately by the Camerons and Angenette.

Herbert is to be the next generation to step into his father's shoes at Wrightstown. He purchased the Wrightstown store from Mr. Newel, who had owned it about eleven years. The value of the stock at purchase was $275.00. Bert, as he was always called, sold some of his property and enlarged the store and increased the volume of merchandise, so that in the year of 1914 he grossed $23,000 and had four clerks hired.

Bert continued his interest in farming; he purchased the land his mother owned and, throughout his life, purchased other farms and land, so at one time he owned 760 acres of farmland.

In 1897 a double wedding took place, as Herbert S. Aldrich married Margaret Jane Perkins, and Clara Aldrich married Edgar Naylor. They were the first to be married in the new United Brethren Church by Rev. Vine. Margaret was the daughter of Edgar and Cynthia Perkins, early settlers, who farmed and operated a saw mill east of Wrightstown. To the marriage of Herbert and Margaret, seven children were born: Hazel, Myrtle, Paul, Kenneth, Renold, Laverne, and Stanley. In addition to their own children, they helped raise two of Nellie's (Bert's first child) children, Ardith and Arvid. Arvid stayed with the Aldriches and worked for his grandfather for years, until he himself purchased the Woodside store.

While Bert was in business in the store, there were many little interesting incidents which, are spoken of as years have passed on. In those early days horses were the mode of travel, and cars were coming but very scarce, so that the neighbors stayed pretty close to home. They created their own entertainment, and this little settlement became headquarters for news and get-togethers; many good times were had here. In the evenings the store would be open, and many games of checkers and yarns told around the long heating stove, which was about cordwood length. One evening an old man, nearly blind, and sitting by the stove, spit tobacco juice all evening on the Aidrich's little white dog lying curled up asleep, as he thought the dog was a spittoon.

When radios first came into the area, they put one in the store, and neighbors would walk quite a distance to listen to Amos and Andy on the radio. One time Bert was swamped with customers, and a little lady of much impatience, who couldn't wait for him to get her groceries, commenced to wait on herself, which wasn't done in those days. She could not reach the prunes, so climbed up on a flour barrel; the lid flipped, and she went right down into the flour. Everyone in the store laughed to tears seeing this white sputtering woman come out of the barrel. Flour was too precious to throw out, so Bert auctioned it to the highest bidder. The man who bought it said, "My wife and seven hungry children won't know the difference and I'm not fussy."

Quite frequently someone's team of horses would run away and come tearing through the village, tearing harnesses and wagons apart before they could be caught. Each summer a band or two of gypsies would stop at the store and would cause much stir. The message would soon spread, and the Aldrich ladies and anyone else around would hurry to the store to help watch them, so they wouldn't pick up merchandise.

Bert was always known as a horse trader, and every summer traders would come here for a few days to trade horses. They would come by covered wagon, with pots and pans, etc. tied to the sides and horses tied behind, with other horses being driven. At one time Bert had thirty horses in the farm lot.

One cold night when the temperature was 30 degrees below zero in 1932, the old store, with all the old memories, burned to the ground. It seemed that in those days most any item needed could be found here including ladies' hats, dresses, eye glasses, bolt goods. Even a traveling library was kept.

By this time, Bert had worked Paul and Kenneth into the store business; the boys each were given a third share in the store. To his other children he gave eighty-acre farms. After the fire, the three men made a decision to rebuild a new building and continue with the store business. A cream hauling route was started from the store to Bertha, as a creamery had been built there. The first truck they purchased for this job was a Maxwell with solid rubber tires. It couldn't be driven very fast, as roads were very rough and usually had holes everywhere to dodge. This was the first truck in the area. As far as they knew, there was only one truck in Wadena at the time, owned by Tony Lawrence.

Herbert kept active with his various businesses up until a year prior to his death; he had suffered a heart attack and was bedridden until his death in 1938.

Looking back on Bert's life, most agreed that he was a natural leader and organizer among the people in the church and community, and was widely respected for his fair dealings throughout his life. He seemed to have the ability to make people feel at ease with his humor and slowness to anger; however, he raised his children with strict discipline. Bert was very conservative as well as a generous man; he saw needs of others less fortunate and responded. During the depression years, he kept many families in food, knowing very well he would never be paid in money.

Bert was an officer for the Minnesota Conference of the United Brethren Church; he was a township treasurer, and on the school board for many years. His 76 years can be summed up as very eventful, active, and satisfying for a man with such a limited education. He attended only four years of school and not more than three months in any year.

Margaret was a great aid to her husband. She was a hard worker, and at the same time, enjoyed life and was slow to anger. She, too, worked some in the store and at the one time, designed ladies' hats for sale there. She was a faithful church leader, being very active in the Sunday school and Ladies' Aid. She is now residing in the Rest Home at Bertha and is ninety-four years of age.

Herbert and Margaret's children generally inherited leadership qualities and business interests of their parents and grandparents. Hazel spent most of her working years with the Marine Insurance Company, Myrtle worked with a real estate firm until her death in an auto accident in 1953. Kenneth has worked continually with the Guardian Life Insurance, and for many years, was general manager of the Indianapolis branch. Renold has gone into the mercantile business at Hewitt. Laverne was in the merc
22
338377ALDRICH, JOHNJohn Aldrich was born January 18, 1949. He was married to Amelia Young who was born August 11, 1855. They moved to Richville in 1913, from a farm, which is now known as the town of Almora.

John Aldrich was in the Civil War. He was a member of the Mounted Cavalry and was with General Sherman when he made his famous march. Once when he was to take a message from one general to another, he was fleeing from the southern soldiers when his horse got tired and he knew he could not complete the journey without a fresh horse. So, spotting a young pony in a pasture, he quickly exchanged horses and completed his mission.

When John and Amelia moved to Richville, John was 64 years old, so he was retired. They lived in the house that is now known as the William Hughes home.

John and Amelia had five sons and three daughters. His daughters were: Almeda Aldrich Babcock, born December 11, 1879. Amanda Aldrich Chesbrough, born June 19, 1873. Edith Aldrich Shaw, born January 22, 1883.

The five sons were: Jessie Aldrich who died as an infant. Peter Aldrich, born May 17, 1877. John Aldrich, born August 23, 1884. Guy Aldrich, born September 22, 1890. Grover Aldrich, born August 18, 1892. Grover was in the 118th Infantry and was killed in France in 1918.

Amelia Aldrich died on October 11, 1918. John Aldrich died in 1926. The last three are buried in Richville cemetery.


John Aldrich was born January 18, 1949. He was married to Amelia Young who was born August 11, 1855. They moved to Richville in 1913, from a farm, which is now known as the town of Almora.

John Aldrich was in the Civil War. He was a member of the Mounted Cavalry and was with General Sherman when he made his famous march. Once when he was to take a message from one general to another, he was fleeing from the southern soldiers when his horse got tired and he knew he could not complete the journey without a fresh horse. So, spotting a young pony in a pasture, he quickly exchanged horses and completed his mission.

When John and Amelia moved to Richville, John was 64 years old, so he was retired. They lived in the house that is now known as the William Hughes home.

John and Amelia had five sons and three daughters. His daughters were: Almeda Aldrich Babcock, born December 11, 1879. Amanda Aldrich Chesbrough, born June 19, 1873. Edith Aldrich Shaw, born January 22, 1883.

The five sons were: Jessie Aldrich who died as an infant. Peter Aldrich, born May 17, 1877. John Aldrich, born August 23, 1884. Guy Aldrich, born September 22, 1890. Grover Aldrich, born August 18, 1892. Grover was in the 118th Infantry and was killed in France in 1918.

Amelia Aldrich died on October 11, 1918. John Aldrich died in 1926. The last three are buried in Richville cemetery.


John Aldrich was born January 18, 1949. He was married to Amelia Young who was born August 11, 1855. They moved to Richville in 1913, from a farm, which is now known as the town of Almora.

John Aldrich was in the Civil War. He was a member of the Mounted Cavalry and was with General Sherman when he made his famous march. Once when he was to take a message from one general to another, he was fleeing from the southern soldiers when his horse got tired and he knew he could not complete the journey without a fresh horse. So, spotting a young pony in a pasture, he quickly exchanged horses and completed his mission.

When John and Amelia moved to Richville, John was 64 years old, so he was retired. They lived in the house that is now known as the William Hughes home.

John and Amelia had five sons and three daughters. His daughters were: Almeda Aldrich Babcock, born December 11, 1879. Amanda Aldrich Chesbrough, born June 19, 1873. Edith Aldrich Shaw, born January 22, 1883.

The five sons were: Jessie Aldrich who died as an infant. Peter Aldrich, born May 17, 1877. John Aldrich, born August 23, 1884. Guy Aldrich, born September 22, 1890. Grover Aldrich, born August 18, 1892. Grover was in the 118th Infantry and was killed in France in 1918.

Amelia Aldrich died on October 11, 1918. John Aldrich died in 1926. The last three are buried in Richville cemetery.


John Aldrich was born January 18, 1949. He was married to Amelia Young who was born August 11, 1855. They moved to Richville in 1913, from a farm, which is now known as the town of Almora.

John Aldrich was in the Civil War. He was a member of the Mounted Cavalry and was with General Sherman when he made his famous march. Once when he was to take a message from one general to another, he was fleeing from the southern soldiers when his horse got tired and he knew he could not complete the journey without a fresh horse. So, spotting a young pony in a pasture, he quickly exchanged horses and completed his mission.

When John and Amelia moved to Richville, John was 64 years old, so he was retired. They lived in the house that is now known as the William Hughes home.

John and Amelia had five sons and three daughters. His daughters were: Almeda Aldrich Babcock, born December 11, 1879. Amanda Aldrich Chesbrough, born June 19, 1873. Edith Aldrich Shaw, born January 22, 1883.

The five sons were: Jessie Aldrich who died as an infant. Peter Aldrich, born May 17, 1877. John Aldrich, born August 23, 1884. Guy Aldrich, born September 22, 1890. Grover Aldrich, born August 18, 1892. Grover was in the 118th Infantry and was killed in France in 1918.

Amelia Aldrich died on October 11, 1918. John Aldrich died in 1926. The last three are buried in Richville cemetery.


John Aldrich was born January 18, 1949. He was married to Amelia Young who was born August 11, 1855. They moved to Richville in 1913, from a farm, which is now known as the town of Almora.

John Aldrich was in the Civil War. He was a member of the Mounted Cavalry and was with General Sherman when he made his famous march. Once when he was to take a message from one general to another, he was fleeing from the southern soldiers when his horse got tired and he knew he could not complete the journey without a fresh horse. So, spotting a young pony in a pasture, he quickly exchanged horses and completed his mission.

When John and Amelia moved to Richville, John was 64 years old, so he was retired. They lived in the house that is now known as the William Hughes home.

John and Amelia had five sons and three daughters. His daughters were: Almeda Aldrich Babcock, born December 11, 1879. Amanda Aldrich Chesbrough, born June 19, 1873. Edith Aldrich Shaw, born January 22, 1883.

The five sons were: Jessie Aldrich who died as an infant. Peter Aldrich, born May 17, 1877. John Aldrich, born August 23, 1884. Guy Aldrich, born September 22, 1890. Grover Aldrich, born August 18, 1892. Grover was in the 118th Infantry and was killed in France in 1918.

Amelia Aldrich died on October 11, 1918. John Aldrich died in 1926. The last three are buried in Richville cemetery.
23
15534ALMORA(1)About fifty years ago, Almora, Minnesota was a thriving town that was located in Sec. 17 of Elmo Township in Otter Tall County. History began around the turn of the century, when the Soo Line Railroad built a branch line through that part of the country.

Soon a depot went up. The Whiting's from Clitherall put in a hotel, Knute Robbins built a straight hardware store, Charlie Dalton started the grocery store, and Glen Aldrich added a post office. Ole and Andrew Netland from Audubon started the Bank. Soon there was an elevator, a cheese factory, a pickle factory, and a lumberyard. The school had 73 pupils.

The first church was Presbyterian and was later used as a non-denominational place of worship. There was a Woodman's Lodge with over 100 members and a shipping association with about the same number of members.

After the bank robbery of Aug. 12, 1924, when they left with about $1,500.00 and were never caught, the depression came and a series of fires made the future look rather dim. Separate fires destroyed the elevator, the cheese factory, the post office, and the depot. The village never recovered from these losses. Then one by one, the businesses began to fold.

Robbins went to the Dakotas, where he opened more stores. John Leonard sold his general store to some men, who according to one source didn't know much about running a business. The lumberyard was simply discontinued. The post office has been discontinued for at least the past fifteen years. The pupils from the Almora district are now bussed to Henning. The Quaalle General Store closed in the 1960's.

Now the citizens are mostly retired farmers. There is tall grass where the depot was, a deserted main street, a burned down cheese factory, a few houses, a lone gas station and a railroad track that carries the Soo Line train through the west central part of Minnesota.
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339378ALMY, MAMMIE COOLEYMammie Marquardt was born in New York Mills. She married Grant Cooley who died in 1911 when their youngest child Arvilia was only five months old. In 1919 Mammie married George Almy who died in 1962.

Mammie and Grant Cooley were parents of five children. Lawrence, born in 1902, married Dorothy Johnson. They had four children: Alice, Delphine, Cal, Irene. After Dorothy passed away, he married Shirley Johnson. They were parents of seven children: Sherry, Linda, John, Margaret, Carolyn, Leslie, and Edgar.

Gladys was born in 1904. She married Ford Holly and they had two children: Berdell and Robert. Gladys died in 1936.

Edgar was born in 1906. He lived in the home place in New York Mills, and died Jan. 14, 1974 at the Boren Home in Fergus Falls.

Opal was born Aug. 20, 1908. She married Arthur Hoff and raised three children: Agnes, Bernice and Ray Stoltz, children from Opal's first marriage. They reside in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

Arvilia was born in 1910 and she married Ervin Wells. They had one son, Keith, who died in active duty in 1947.

Mammie Cooley Almy died Feb. 1, 1975 at the age of 88 years.
25
15635ALTONA LATER CALLED VERGASLater called Vergas



Platted and incorporated under the name of Altona, it is located on the Soo Line. It was platted for the Minnesota Loan and Trust Company, in 1903; bearing the signature of Eugene A. Merill, president of the company.

The petition for incorporation was signed by 33 voters on Feb. 21. 1905, as follows: Veeder G. Buck, E. S. Ferguson, Edmund Pausch, Charles A. Peterson, August Elchmiller, F. B. Wilson. John G. Rieman, G. H. Brooks, Adam Dey, Henry Schultz, Arthur Fankhanel, C. H. Cummings, Edward Sonnenberg, Herman Schattschneider, F. C. Smith, E. L. Norton, W. L. Taylor, A. H. Wilcox, Bernard Stangenes, M. Popplar, James Nesbitt, Albert Ament, John Ziegler, J. 0. Brass, Ralph Hunter. Alvin Herting, Oscar Walde, Philip Eichmiller, Edward Marks, J. E. King, William Sauer, T. J. Randall and Herman Lenke.

On Jan. 4, 1906 the first election was held, and at this time the census showed 144 people living in the village.

At an election on Nov. 6, 1906, the name of Altona was changed to Vergas, named after one of four in the "V" series used to designate Soo Line sleeping cars that traveled between Minneapolis and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The other three were Viking, a Soo Line Station west of Thief River Falls, and Venlo and Venus to become the name of two small Soo Line Railroad sidings in North Dakota. Such sleeping car names also included a "B" series and a "MC" series with the name of Bejou, Bemidji, McGrath, McGrudder, and McGee among others.

By 1906 the population had grown to 275 and the village contained a German Lutheran church, a bank, hotel, creamery, planning mill, feed mill and grain elevator.

The postmaster in 1916 was Bernard Stangenes. Village officers in that year were: President, John Bruhn; Trustees, L.E. Brooks. John G. Rieman and Phil Elchmiller: Clerk, Charles A. Peterson, Treasurer, W. F. Ladwig; Assessor, Nick Ebersviller, Justices, A. Priske and A.H. Wetmur; and Constables. H.F. Hinze and Fred Kraus.

By 1976 the population was 282 friendly people. They have been well served by fourteen Mayors: Mike Poppler, James Nesbitt. B. Stangenes, H.C. Otto, M.D., William Sauer, Peter Meyer, John Bruhn, James Nesbitt, Philip Elchmiller, Art Eversviller, O.W. Luebberman, James Mistelske, and Gordon Dahigren. C.A. Peterson served as clerk from 1905 to 1924; B. Stangenes and A.R. Ebersviller in 1924; A.H. Dey from 1931 to 1941. J. Score from 1941 to 1955; Rodney Hanson from 1955 to 1976, when he resigned, and Cal Berven was then appointed.

In 1976 Vergas boasts of 41 business firms including several construction firms and manufacturing plants.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
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340379ALTSTADT AND BOEDIGHEIMERArthur Joseph Altstadt was born August 8, 1913 in Perham to George Jr. and Elizabeth (Krekelberg) Altstadt. He graduated from Perham High School in 1932 and from St. Cloud Teachers College and Moorhead State College. He taught at the Riestenberg School from 1937 to 1939 and at St. Joe's Grade School from 1939 to 1948. He taught and was school principal in Ogema and Callaway, also teaching in Detroit Lakes.

Arthur married Mildred Marie Boedigheimer, who was born on May 7, 1918 to Clemens Ignatz and Anna Cecelia (Schomack) Boedigheimer, on Nov. 24, 1938. They had six children: David James, Carol Ann, Mary Jeannine, Thomas John, Michael Aflan and Kevin Mark.

Arthur died on January 26, 1988 and Mildred on Nov. 19, 1991.

Arthur's grandparents, George Sr. and Genevieve (Ott) were among the first settlers in Otter Tail County, coming here in 1870 from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. George Jr. was their first child born in Minnesota and the first child baptized in St. Joe Church. It is interesting to speculate that had George not left Johnstown when he did, they might all have been wiped out in the great Johnstown flood.

Mildred's grandfather, Joseph Boedigheimer, who was later married to Julia Schekall, came to Otter Tail Co. along with his parents, Bruno and Maria (Mary Bauhaus) Boedigheimer and six brothers and sisters, in 1866 from Mercer County, Ohio. Cholera had broken out there and many settlers left their homes to escape this disease. The Boedigheimers traveled to Minnesota with Father Albrecht and his followers. When reaching Minnesota, the group settled in the area along Rush Lake. Pioneer life in those days was rugged and difficult and their first year, especially, was filled with many hardships, their first winter consisted of endless cold, snowy days.





From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
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341380AMBERG, OTTO WILLIAMOtto William Amberg was born August 16, 1870 in Pihtipudas, Finland. He came to the United States in 1888. He settled in Hancock, Michigan for one year before coming to New York Mills in 1889. He was married to Olga Laukenin and they were parents of four children. Olga died in 1901 and all of the children have also passed away.

After the death of his first wife, Otto married Ida Walborg Tumberg in 1902. She was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Erick Tumberg and was born July 12, 1885 in Deer Creek Township. They were the parents of thirteen children of whom five sons and two daughters are deceased. Otto Amberg died on Nov. 7, 1922 and Ida Amberg died on April 30, 1929. Remaining children are: Mrs. Esther Juntella, Mrs. Bruno Kujaia (Hannah), Mrs. Saima Wirta, Carl and Rueben all of New York Mills, Minnesota, and Mrs. Gayler Alerud (Fannie) of Moorhead, Minnesota.

The descendants of Otto and Ida Amberg are as follows: 24 living grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren. Four grandchildren are deceased. The majority of these families are still residing in the immediate area.

The Ambergs purchased the farm in Newton Township in 1890 and it remained in the family until 1966.

Otto and Ida were life long members of the Apostolic Lutheran Church.
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342381AMENT SCHMIESINGThe Ament family came to Otter Tail County in 190 1. The Jacob and Matilda Aments had 14 children: Clara, Magie, Henry, George, Joseph, Hugo, Matilda, Helen, Fred, John Walter, AntonX, Hildegard, and Jacob.

The Schmiesings came to Otter Tail County in 1914. Bernard and Elizabeth had 5 children: Joseph, Henry, Ben, Clara, and Katy.

Henry Ament and Clara Schmiesing were married June 6, 1916, moved to the Ament farm when Jacob and Matilda retired. They had 12 children: Norbert, Raymond, Edwin, Leo, Amelia, Helen, Andrew, Theresa, Alice, George, Mary and Thomas.

Andrew bought the Ament farm when Henry and Clara retired. Andrew's son Scott, bought the farm when Andrew retired.

Henry and Clara had 67 grandchildren. Six of their sons served in the Armed Forces. Five of their children live in Otter Tail County; Raymond, Edwin, Andrew, Amelia and Thomas.




From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
29
119336AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETYMrs. Evelyn and Mrs. Dorothy Johnson had been involved in the American Cancer Society prior to 1977. Both ladies worked for Public Health and had attended meetings in Fergus Falls. However when Evelyn needed services for her husband, ill with cancer, she became aware of how large Otter Tail County was and how unavailable those services were to many people. It was then that discussion developed about dividing the county into two units, Otter Tail East and West. On February 6, 1978, 11 persons met in Perham for the purpose of forming the East Otter Tail unit of the American Cancer Society.

Officers elected were President - Tom Tomporowski, Vice-President - Heather Harvego, Secretary - Grace Schoeneberger, Treasurer - Leona Rothiger.

Committee chairs were Public Education - Teresa Rose, Prof. Ed. - Phoebe Wiebe, Service - Evelyn Krueger, Public Information - Ed Peterson, Memorials - Emma Hemmelpm, and Nominating - Dorothy Johnson.

With the mission of eliminating cancer through education, prevention and services the East Otter Tail unit continues for date serving Perham, Dent, Vergas, New York Mills, Henning, Parkers Prairie, Bluffton, Deer Creek, and Otter Tail. Monies raised has increased from $4600 to nearly $26000. Patients served has doubled. An equipment loan closet established in 1979 received an additional $600 worth of items from the Perham Lions. Memorials received in 1993 totaled nearly $3700.

East Otter Tail Unit has been recognized as an outstanding unit several times and members Delores Skaaland and Barb Helgesen received state Quality of Life awards. Member Dee Anderson serves as Volunteer District Advisor for five counties.

Many charter members remain active and it is their dedication and commitment that inspire us all.



From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
30
64281AMISH SETTLE IN 1973The Amish families began moving onto farms in the Deer Creek area in 1973, and they brought another century with them. A 69-year-old Amish man, Harry Gingerich, wears the plain clothing of the Old Order Amish. They wore dark blue trousers without a zipper, black boots, suspenders, a light blue work shirt, handmade, and a flat-brimmed straw hat, in the winter they are black felt. He wears wire-rim eyeglasses, has a dark beard resting on his chin with his upper lip shaven.

Life isn't much more complicated than that for the Amish, a religious sect derived from the 16th-century Anabaptist movement in Switzerland.

They are made constant objects of curiosity in the United States due to their simple handmade clothing, avoiding electricity and modern gadgets, the refusal to own or operate automobiles and avoidance of the military and other governmental agencies.

Minnesota has some small groupings of Mennonites and Hutterites, but the newcomers believe they are the first Old Order Amish to live in this state.

Buggy tracks etched in dirt roads are about the only sign of their presence in Otter Tail County. Occasionally, one can see a few Amish riding on horse-drawn buckboards, covered black buggies or flat bed-wagons. They milk by hand, and do their farm work with horses.

Their religious services are held every other Sunday in the home of one of the sect, on a rotating basis dictating the Amish Custom. The services are conducted in German.

The Amish pay income and property taxes as other citizens do, but will not accept Social Security benefits, public welfare, farm subsidies or outside financial aid for their sectarian schools.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
31
65282ANCESTRAL MEMORIESI have heard many interesting stories and incidents in the lives of my ancestors and wish to share a few with you.

A group of Norwegian emigrants, my ancestors among them, gathered at Hudson, Wisconsin.

Two young men, Nels Johnson and Mathous Olson, were sent as scouts to locate homestead lands. They would search for wooded land for timber to build homes and for firewood and open land to grow wheat. They headed west to the Red River Valley but found that land already occupied. They stayed with Mormans encamped near Old Clitheral, making plans to return to Wisconsin, only to discover the very lands they were seeking southwest of the small town of Vining.

They chose one hundred sixty acres, forty acres wide, of homestead land. One half-open land and one half covered with timber.

My great-grandfather was Thore Bjerketvedt, some of the relatives shared the Bjerketvedt name and others were known as Thoreson, this was not uncommon in those days.

During an Indian scare in 1872, he hid his plow in the well. Great-grandfather was a charter member of Nidaros Church. My grandmother, Agnetta Olson, came to the United States by sailing ship. Though crossing the Atlantic in a very severe storm, they arrived safely in New York harbor.

An Indian woman once visiting Agnetta wished to trade babies. Grandmother had homebaked bread to share with the woman and there was no more talk of a baby swap.

My mother, Ella Jacobson was born in 1882. She started school before her fifth birthday and began teaching in Nidaros Township at age sixteen.

She married Martin Olson in 1903. My parents homesteaded near Ryder, North Dakota and returned to Minnesota in 1913 to homestead my great-grandfathees Section 23 in Nidaros Township.

My wife and I were married in 1928. We reside in the Sunnyside Sub-division on East Battle Lake.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
32
343382ANDERSON HULTUOscar Anderson married Marie Hultu in Brainerd, They lived in Virginia, Menahga and longest in New York Mills. When in Mills he was Mayor for many years and he was called "Wolf' Anderson. He worked in the "north woods" and was also a mortician. They owned a cottage at Oak Point, Rush Lake in Otto Township.

They were the parents of thirteen children: Sehna Erdahl, Minnesota's first female mortician; Leonard; John: Fritz; Carl; Andres; August and William, who were twins; Sophia Hyry; Frances Wilander; Lempi Perala; Ina and another son.

Oscar was born in Finland and Marie was born in Sweden.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
33
344383ANDERSON, ANDREWMr. Anderson was born on January 6, 1854, in Kalvia, Finland. He came to the United States in 1872, living at Titusville and Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio, before settling in Leaf Lake Township. On June 4, 1881, he married Mary Runtti in Fergus Falls. It took 4 days to make the round trip to Fergus Falls in those days.

Mary Runtti was born on May 15, 1866, in Oulu, Finland, the daughter of Erick and Fredrika Runtti. She came to the United States in 1872 and to New York Mills in 1879.

Andrew and Mary Anderson lived in Leaf Lake Township after their marriage. They were the parents of 10 children: Maria, Andreas, Lydia, Hulda, John, Ida, Alma, George, William. and Vernon. Hulda (Mrs. Edward Blomberg) lives in Yakima, Washington and Ida (Mrs. Floyd Slingsby) lives in Sun City, Arizona. All the other children are deceased.

After leaving the farm in 1900, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson moved into New York Mills, and Mr. Anderson was a manager at the elevator.

Mrs. Anderson was educated in the Ohio schools, and was known as a translator for the people in the area who were unable to speak the English language. She also wrote letters and read newspapers for them.

Mr. Anderson died on March 25, 1924, and Mrs. Anderson died September 3, 1938
34
345384ANDERSON, OLAUS AND ANNIKA JOHNSONOlaus Anderson was born in Vestergotland, Sweden in 1835. His parents were Andreas and Maja Johnson. His grandfather was Johan Johannes. Annika Johnson was born in 1836 in Sweden. They were married in Sweden in 1860. Children born in Sweden were Mary, Alfred, Beda, Augusta, and August. In 1871 they immigrated to America and settled in Carver, Minnesota. Born in Carver were Ida, Richard, and John.

In 1878, they moved to Otter Tail County-Compton Township, Section 20-134. When they arrived at that time, more than one half of Compton was in heavy timber. There were no roads, bridges, schools, or churches. There were only seven families in Compton at the time, except for bands of Indians roaming the forests.

In 1879, Olaus had 200 acres, of which 25 was tilled. The land was worth $ 1000; machinery, $ 50; and livestock, $215. They churned 300 pounds of butter that year. His wheat averaged 19 bushels an acre.

In 1889, Olaus and Annika deeded land so a Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church could be built on the comer of the farm. A Chapel and the Cemetery are still there.

Olaus died in 1909, and Annika died in 1929.

The farm was left to their daughters, Augusta Anderson, Mary Udden, Ida Lorine, Beda Johnson, and sons Richard, John, and Alfred.

The land was in turn willed to the six children of Beda Johnson, Alfred Anderson's eight children, and Mary Udden's two step-children. Harold and Agnes (Lorine) Bendix; Agnes being the granddaughter of Olaus, purchased the farm in 1947. In 1974, the farm was purchased by their son, David.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
35
346385ANDERSON, VERNER A AND ANN HVerner and Ann Anderson - Otto Township Parents to Dennis, Carol Ann (deceased), Robert, Thomas, Scott Ann has worked since late 1960's at New York Mills Hospital, Perham Elders Home and presently sews for Elder Home in New York Mills.

Verner has served the following: Rural School District 284 Treasurer - 17 years New York Mills Coop Creamery, Board of Directors - 15 years New York Mills Farmer Elevator, Board of Directors, Secretary-Treasurer - 33 years New York Mills Coop Services, Board of Directors, Secretary- Treasurer - 40 years East Otter Tail Credit Union, Board and Audit Committee - 12 years New York Mills Coop Locker Plant, Board of Directors, Secretary-Treasurer - 35 years Northern Cooperatives Inc., Wadena, Board of Directors, Secretary-Treasurer - 17 years Northern Coop Services, Wadena, Board of Directors, Secretary-Treasurer - 7 years Minnesota Association of Cooperatives, District Director - 11 years East Otter Tail ASCS committee - 6 years Otto Township Clerk - 28 years Northern Coop Foundation, Secretary (Scholarships) since 1983 Founder-member






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
36
347386ANTONSEN, ALLENAllen Ellsworth Antonsen was born in Le Sueur County on Sept. 14. 1862. His grandfather came from Denmark and his Grandmother from Holland. He came to Otter Tail County in 1882. His wife, Lydia Amanda (Rossmiller), was born in Carver County, Sept. 9, 1870, and came to Otter Tail County in 1882. They were married at Detroit Lakes, Nov. 14, 1888 and made their home in Hobart Township, section 33, and later moved to a farm in Hobart Township, section 9, living there until they moved to Frazee in 1926. Allen died in 1936 and Lvdia in 1952. They had ten children.

Oritha (1889) taught school in Otter Tail and Becker Counties for 47 years. She never married and died in 1967.

Cora (1890) married Mac Mortenson. She lives in Minneapolis and has one son, Dale.

Edith (1891) married Arthur Janke and lived in Frazee and Detroit Lakes where Art operated Janke Transfer. Edith died in 1971.

Ellsworth (Butch) (1892) lives in Frazee. He was a heavy equipment operator in the area and overseas.

Katherine (1896) married Lenton Taylor and lives in St. Cloud. They have two sons and one daughter.

Dewey (f899) lived in Hobart Township all his life.

Bernard (Bun) (1900) married Edith Patgiem and moved to Flint, Michigan. Bun died in 1974 and Edith lives there still. They had one daughter.

Steve (1902) lives in Chicago. He was married to Mildred Paul (deceased) and he has one daughter.

Frances (1903) married Rey Vogler in Vergas and moved to Flint, Michigan where they still live.

Hazel (1904) married Vernon Sharp and they live in Seattle, Washington. They have one son.
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348387ANTONSEN, DEWEYDewey Dwight Antonsen was born May 7, 1899 in Hobart Township to Allen E. and Lydia (Rossmiller) Antonsen. Dewey married Florence Gee Swick, daughter of Erastus and Elizbeth Swick, in June 1925. Florence taught school in Becker and Otter Tail Counties before her marriage. They farmed in Hobart Township, section 9, Dewey's home place, until Florence's death 1969, when Allen, their son, took over. Dewey held barn dances in the early 30's and drove a truck for Janke Transfer in the late 30's and early 40's. Butch, his brother, helped farm in the mid-40's and Florence taught in Rose Lake District No. 76 in 1946-48. Dewey served on the Hobart Township board for many years. Their children are:

Phyllis (1927) married Roger 0. Simon, of Perham in 1952. They have a son, Craig (1954) and daughter, Shelley (1956), both in college. Roger is Commander of a Navy Base in Africa.

Olive (1935) married Rodney Hanson in 1953. They operate Hanson's Plumbing & Heating in Vergas and he was formerly a partner in Vergas Hardware Co. Their children are Robin D., married to Julie Courneya in 1975 and living in Hobart Township: Jolyn (1958), Marty (1959), and Jeffry (1963) living at home.

Allen (1937) married Marion Schepper in 1964 and they operate a dairy farm in Hobart Township. They have two sons, Scott (1965) and Jay (1975).

Jill (1940) married Allen Peterson who manages Peavey Building Center in Hawley, MN. They have two sons, Christopher (1974) and Ryan (1975).
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349388ANTONSEN, HENRYAmong the men of Hobart Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota who not only take a leading place among the farmers and stock raisers of the community, but who also are active and influential in the business and official circles, is Henry Antonsen. He was born in LeSueur county Minnesota , March 27, 1861, the son of Christian and Henrietta E. (Wassman) Antonsen. Christian was born in Denmark, the son of Peter and Sarah Antonsen. Henrietta was born in New York State.

Christian Antonsen came to America about 1859, located in LeSueur County, Minnesota and farmed 180 acres of land where he engaged in farming for the remainder of his days. Christian and Henrietta Antonsen were the parents of nine children: Henry, Allen, Walter, Fred, John, Elick, Otis, Gilbert and Sarah.

Henry Antonsen received his education in the common schools of LeSueur County, and then worked on the farms of his native community. When twenty-two years of age, Mr. Antonsen moved to Otter Tail County and located in Hobart Township in 1883. He purchased 80 acres of uncleared and unimproved land where he built the necessary buildings, and supplied his farm with the proper equipment. Fourteen years later, in 1898, he added 80 acres to the original farmstead. He engaged in general farming together with specializing in the raising of purebred Poland-China hogs and of Red Polled cattle, the choicest to be found in the community.

Henry Antonsen served as secretary of the Vergas Cooperative Creamery Company, township treasurer, school clerk, and in other township offices. He was an independent voter.

In 1887, Henry Antonsen married Sarah L. Pengra, a daughter of Rush Pengra and wife, and to this marriage were born eight children: William H., born Dec. 7, 1890, who died of Asthma in Washington in 1971; John H., born Dec. 16, 1892, who was wounded, shell shocked and gassed in World War I and died in 1927 from a brain tumor; Charles H., born Feb. 2, 1893, who died in Idaho in 1957, (all three were veterans of World War 1): Frank H., born Dec. 23, 1895, married Bertha Filbrandt and died in Minneapolis in 1967; Sarah H., born March 26. 1898, married Jess McCassiand at Dayton, Washington: Mary H., born Mar. 19, 1900, married Roy Rethwill of LeSueur. Minnesota: Margaret H., born Oct. 22, 1902, married Gerald Smith of Cordova, California; and Elnora H., married George Hilden of Underwood, Minnesota. She was a schoolteacher for 27 years in Otter Tail County. George died in 1967. All the girls were widowed, and on May 8, 1975 Elnora married Earle B. Sawyer.

Henry Antonsen died in 1934 and his wife, Sarah L., died in 1932. They are both buried at LeSueur, Minnesota.
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350389ARENDT, CHARLESThis is a picture of Charles Arendt, the baby boy left on the porch at St. James Hospital. I’m not sure of his age, but he would be around 91 years if he were still alive.

He was adopted by my Aunt Minnie and Uncle Jake Arendt. I see there is a name on the back of the photo as Charles Arend, must be by my aunt’s writing. They lived in Frazee at that time. I think he died in the 50’s. My cousin Adline Morgenroth kept in touch with him after the family moved to Aurora, IL.

The other article was in tonight’s Fergus paper. I vaguely remember hearing about that. Never heard what happened to the baby girl.

FIFTY YEARS AGO, FROM THE JOURNEL FOR DEC. 6-11, 1943

MARY JAMES CAPTURES HEARTS

In a crib at St. James Hospital in Perham an infant girl with soft eyes and long dark locks has found a place in the hearts of the nurses and sisters. This infant is the foundling abandoned in a hallway in Perham the evening of Nov. 4.

Authorities have not yet found a clue that might lead to the identity of the woman who carried the cardboard box into the hallway and then made her getaway. Hopes that the mother will return for the infant have failed. The problem is: What is going to become of her? Where does she go from St. James Hospital, which is not an orphan’s home.

Before the child is placed for adoption she must have a name, be given IQ tests, physical and mental exams. The county welfare board has given the child the name of "Mary James" for Mary Bahls who found the child and James for the St. James Hospital.





From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
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351390ARVIDSON, ELVIN AND DORISElvin Arvidson was born in Eastern Township in 1912, the son of Hans (born in Sweden in 1872-) and Sophia Anderson (born in Sweden in 1876) Arvidson. Hanson emigrated from Sweden in 1887 and Sophia in 1882. Hans and Sophia were parents of nine children: Clifford (deceased), Reuben, Gertrude (Mrs. Amil Hanson), Henry (deceased), Reynhard (deceased). Signe (Mrs. Dale Romaine), Elvin, Edna, and Norman.

Elvin, who was born during the horse and buggy days, has seen the country change from horses to cars and tractors. During the depression days, he saw beef prices at 3¢ a pound, a pair of overalls sold for 95¢. He has lived through two world wars: from the old barrel stove, skis to snowmobiles.

After attending school at Joy Dist. #55 and the consolidated Parkers Prairie District, Elvin attended North Western College in Fergus Falls in 1929. He has served as a school board member for 18 years, church board deacon for 12 years and a 4-H club leader for 18 years. He was on the committee to build the community hospital at Parkers Prairie. After farming for forty years, he is now employed by the University of Minnesota as a program assistant.

The ceremony, which made Elvin Arvidson and Doris Rambow man and wife took place on August 10, 1941. Doris was born May 6, 1921 at Raymond, Minnesota, the daughter of Clarence Rainbow and Emma Rusten Rambow. Clarence was born at Springfield, Minnesota, May 2, 1878, and Emma was born in South Dakota, May 21, 1896. They have been residents of Minnesota since 1934.

To the union of Elvin and Doris were born three children: Barbara (1943) married Robert Nelson; Janet (1945) married Randy Gilbertson: and James (1950) married Linda Murray. James and Linda are the third generation to be farming on the home place that Hans and Sophia Arvidson homesteaded in 1898.

They are members of the Esther Lutheran Church in Eastern Township. The first church was built in 1896 and the second one in 1921.

From Volume I










ELVIN AND DORIS ARVIDSON


Elvin was born on December 15, 1912 in a log cabin on a farm in Eastern Township which is now occupied by his son, James and Linda Arvidson and their three children: Cami, David, and Rachel. (4th generation.) His parents emigrated from Sweden in the early 1880's. His dad from Skane at the age of 15, and his mother from Warmland at the age of 5.

The first things he remembers is sitting eating gravel in the front yard. He was a year old when they moved from the log house into the new house, which his Dad had built in 1913 at a cost of $1600.00. This was one years crop of wheat at $ 1.00 a bushel.

He also remembers sliding down hill on barrel stoves for skis. He attended school at Joy-District #55 and could only speak Swedish when he started, as that was the only language spoken at home. There were five brothers and sisters going to school at the same time. They used syrup pails as lunch buckets. Their teacher was Jean Ireland. The Joy Store and Creamery were still there at the time when cream was brought in by horse and buggy. Many times his Dad brought them to school with horses and sled. One time a storm came up and they had to stay at the Joy Store overnight. As they grew older they skied or rode horse back to school. He would turn old "Betsy" loose and she would go back home by herself. He graduated with honors. He was the only one in eighth grade! Vera Magnuson was his teacher then.

In 1928, he attended Northwestern College in Fergus Falls, Minnesota for one year. The depression came along then and there was no more money for schooling, so it was schooling by experience from then on.

He was in 4-H with a calf at the age of 12. He went to the County Fair in a Model T Ford with Bernie Skoglund and then on to the State Fair several times. In 1938 he helped organize the Eastern Stars 4-H Club. Later his children were in 4-H also. He was a 4-H leader for a total of 18 years.

In 1935 he bought his first car - a 1929 Ford roadster with rumble seat for $67.50. He had saved that by washing dishes at the Radisson Hotel for $.27 per hour. In 1938 he bought a new Chevy. for $ 756. 00.

All during the depression years he stayed home and helped his Dad farm with horses and save the Home Place. Beef was $.03 per pound, hogs were $.03 and eggs were $. 10 per dozen. Milk was $ 3.00 per 100 pounds, butter was $.20 per pound. If your milk check was more than $ 1 00.00 per month, you got your name in the paper as a high man!

In 1940 he joined a Rural Youth group in Alexandria and it was here that he met his future wife, Doris Rambow. They were married August 10, 1941.

They farmed in cooperation with his folks for several years and after his Dad died in 1948 they bought the farm and his Mother moved to Parkers Prairie. She lived there several years before moving to Bethany Home where she passed away at the age of 90.

In the 1940's our children were born: Barbara (Lowell) Nelson, Janet (Randy) Gilbertson and James (Linda) Arvidson. They kept us busy with school activities, 4-H, etc. Elvin was on the school board at Joy School for nine years and later in Parkers Prairie for nine years.

We have been active members of Esther Lutheran Church - Elvin on Church Council and Doris with LCW.

The kids soon leave home, and we are alone. But in 1970, Jim comes home from college and wants to farm. We form a corporation and build a new barn and silo and buy more cows. In 1975 we retire. Elvin is offered a job with the Extension Service to visit young farmers in Otter Tail County. He enjoyed his work and kept on for eight years. He retired again in 1983. Now we spend our winters in Weslaco, Texas and travel with our Airstream. In 1985 he was President of the Minnesota Club and Doris was First Lady. We have many good memories of our travels.

The family farm will soon be in the Arvidson name for 100 years.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
41
352391ARVIDSON, JAMESJames was born in 1949 to Elvin and Doris Rambow Arvidson. He is the third generation to grow up on and continue to farm the farm homesteaded by grandparents who both came from Sweden in the 1880's - (Hans and Sophia Arvidson).

James' wife is Linda Murray Arvidson born in 1951 in Crookston, Minnesota. Leo Murray and Mary Benson Murray both were in the Navy during WWII. He worked on the railroad 30 years.

We farmed with my parents after marrying February 20, 1971. After a few years they retired and we purchased the farm in 1975.

This has been mainly a Dairy farm but there have been a few changes along the way going from Shorthorn cattle in 1900 to Purebred Brown Swines in 1940 to a commercial herd of Holsteins in 1970.

Another big change and important innovation was the introduction of irrigation to this area in the 1970's.

In 1987 a new venture and hobby was started with a friendly and very interesting animal- llamas. We enjoyed taking these to parades and fairs and other activities throughout the area for a few years.

Linda is also a nurse and has worked at the Long Prairie Hospital as well as retirement houses in Parkers Prairie and Clarissa. She is now at the Eagle Bend Clinic.

Jim remembers attending Country School Joy School #55 for three years before consolidation and moving on to the big school in Parkers Prairie.

He enjoyed the Church, 4-H, and FFA activities. It was a fun time to show Dairy Cattle at the East Otter Tail County fair in Perham and be able to advance to the State Fair.

He was also selected to be State FFA Vice President in 1967.

He attended the University of Minnesota at Crookston and graduated in 1969.

He was a member of the Army - National Guard for six years.

Jim became a representative of Dekalb Seed Company in 1984 taking over for my father who had done that for 30 years.

He enjoyed being a part of the Parkers Prairie Jaycees who selected me as Outstanding Young Farmer in 1984. Jim is now enjoying being a part of the Lions Club in Parkers Praire.

In 1987 he helped start the Friendship Branch of Lutheran Brotherhood for our local area. He became president for three years.

Jim was a member of our Parkers Prairie P-547 School Scholarship Committee for three years.

He has been a member of Esther Lutheran Church all his life. We enjoy our country church which celebrated it's 100th year in 1993.

We have three children who we are really proud of and keep us very busy with all their activities in school, church, and 4-H.

Carri was born in 1975 and is now attending Moorhead State University. David was born in 1977 and Rachel in 1979; they attend High School in Parkers Prairie.

Our family is proud of its heritage and feel fortunate to live in the Parkers Prairie and Otter Tail County area.





From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
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353392ARVIDSON, WALFREDWalfred Arvidson was born on October 28, 1912 in Eastern Township, Otter Tail County to Andrew and Anna (Pearson) Arvidson. Andrew Arvidson homesteaded his farm. Walfred attended school at District 172; after graduating from there he attended Northwestern College of Fergus Falls. This was a school run and supported by The Augustana Lutheran Synod.

On June 6, 1938 Walfred married Myrtle Skoglund. She was born in Minneapolis and lived there until she was twelve years old - when her parents moved to Spruce Hill Township, Douglas County, Minnesota. The wedding took place at the Spruce Hill Lutheran Church. They spent the first year of their marriage in Minneapolis where they were both employed.

They then moved to the farm adjoining his parents, where they have lived for fifty-four years. They have four children, eleven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Gary, the eldest married Sundra Sandeen and they have five children - April, Daniel, Dirk, Donavan, and Autumn. They live in Minneapolis.

Dianne married David Parnow - they live in Anchorage, Alaska.

Patricia married Roger Paavola - they have three children, Patrick, Angela and Christopher. They reside near Niagara Falls, New York.

Brian married Vicky Griesert. They have three sons Nathaniel, Jeremy and Benjamin. They have taken over the farming operation that Walfred started. They live one mile north of the home farm.

Walfred and Myrtle still live on the farm they moved to in 1939. Walfred has been active in the community - serving on the Board of Esther Lutheran Church and 4-H leader. He was the township treasurer for Eastern Township for 28 years. Myrtle is a member of the Eastemettes homemakers group. She is currently the organist of Esther Lutheran Church, a job she has held for 29 years.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
43
354393ASCHNEWITZ VERBECK, VADAVada is the only survivor of the Roy and Jessie Verbeck Family. At this time in the year 1994 Vada (Verbeck) Aschnewitz is 97 years old, still lives in her own home near Dent, Minnesota taking care of herself and her little dog. She plants a garden, cans the vegetables, and sews quilts for her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. Some of Vada's fondest memories are of her family and parents.

Vada's dad Roy had a blacksmith shop where he repaired his harnesses, farming equipment and shoeing his horses, many of his noon hours were spent helping his neighbors doing the same repairs for them. Jessie was always helping out whenever needed whenever someone was sick or having a baby in the neighborhood. A lady with a horse and buggy delivered the mail once a week. No matter what time of day when the lady with the mail arrived, Jessie would cook a hot meal for her. Vada's brothers told her that the mail lady smoked a corn cob pipe while she drove, but Vada never did get to see it, she was always too busy hiding behind her mothers skirts. Roy was very patriotic, the fourth of July was a special day, Roy would shoot off his trusty old gun and hang up the big United States flag. Then they would load the family up on a wagon and go to New York Mills to listen to the band play and usually had a picnic with some of the neighbors. Two of Vada's brothers served in the Army during World War I. One brother was in Alaska and the other brother was in Germany. During the war Vada's father sold the farm and moved up to Detroit Lakes where Vada finished her high school and teachers course. Then she taught school in Dora Township for two years until she married William Aschnewitz. Bill and Vada had two sons Earl and Archie.

Two older sisters married and lived in different parts of Minnesota. Vada's younger sister also became a teacher and taught school in Becker and Otter Tail Counties. Vada's younger brother worked for the Minnesota's fish and game department. He died at the age of 51 years old. By the way Vada is looking forward to her 100-year birthday party.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
44
355394ASCHNEWITZ, WILHELMWilhelm, his wife Caroline, their little daughter Minnie, and a son Herman, who was born on the ship on the way to America, came from Germany in the year 1891. The family first settled in Carver County in Minnesota where another son William was born on November 23, 1892. The family moved to Otter Tail County in 1894, where they settled near Dent. Wilhelm and Carolina lived on a farm and had six more children, their names are Louise, Idaz, Emma, Hanna, Freda, and Carl. As the girls grew older, they went to North Dakota to work. The girls married and lived in North Dakota. Herman married a neighbor girl and moved to a farm near by. Carl farmed with father, William (Bill) was drafted into the Army in World War I. Bill served one year in the Army and spent time over seas. When he returned home to Dent, he met the schoolteacher Vada Verbeck, who was boarding at the Aschnewitz farm and teaching at a Rural School. Bill and Vada were married later that year. Carl married a schoolteacher by the name of Ellen, they had one daughter, Lois. Carl and Ellen sold the farm and moved into Dent because of Carl's health.

Bill and Vada had two sons Earl and Archie. Bill had bought a farm, which the family lost during the Dirty Thirties Depression. After the depression his family rented another farm until they were able to buy another farm. They lived on the farm until Bill retired and built a house on part of the farm. Bill died June 14, 1981. Vada is still living in her house at the age of 97. Earl and Archie both are living in the Dent area with their wives, Earl and Bernice have one son James, and four daughters, Terry, Debra, Joan, and Wendy. Archie and Jane have three sons Daniel, Les, and Neil, and one daughter Lynn. The children are living in Minnesota and many other states. Bill and Vada Aschnewitz had two sons, nine grandchildren, 25 grandchildren and one great, great grandchild.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
45
356395ATKINSON, BERNARD OBernard 0. Atkinson was born in Gardner, N.D. just before World War I. At an early age, his family moved to New York Mills, MN. where he attended grade and high school graduating in 1932. In high school he was an outstanding athlete in both baseball and basketball and later was the scoring ace of the original Flying Finns and also 3rd baseman on the local baseball team that won several championships.

Due to his athletic ability, he was given the opportunity to attend Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. in 1936, graduating in 1939, after a fine athletic career in both basketball and baseball. He was selected the college outstanding athlete.

In 1939, he received a Fellowship to Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. where he completed studies for a Master Degree. In 1940-41, he was teacher and coach at James T. Lochewood High School in Warwick, R.I.

During the war, he attended Midshipmen Training School at Cornell University, N.Y.; commissioned an Ensign and went to the pacific area, serving as Deck and Gunnery Officer on LST 460 in the Solomon Island Campaign.

After the war, he married Ethel E. Loveless of Warwick, R.I. He joined the Veterans Administration as Asst. Chief Special Servicer of the Minneapolis VA Hospital. While in Minneapolis., two daughters, Victoria and Joyce were born to the family.

In 1953, the Atkinson family moved East and Bernard was Public Relations Director of the Boston VA Hospital for over 20 years. During this time, he also participated in the Navy Air Reserve and retired with the rank of Captain.

For his services to Veterans, he was honored by many organizations, namely-American Red Cross, Amvets, B'nai B'rith, Jewish War Veterans, National Ladies Auxillary, Disabled American Veterans, National Jewish Welfare Board and Veteran Administration Central Offices.

In 1990, his first wife passed away, he later married Edna M. Lindberg and they reside in Wakefield, R.I.






From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
46
357396ATKINSON, FRED DFred D. Atkinson, the third son of Robson C. Atkinson, was born in 1886 in Henning, MN. and grew up on a farm outside New York Mills. He became a barber and married Daisy Kindred in 1907. He lived in Wadena, Henning and Dent, Glyndon, MN. and Gardner, N.D. for several years and finally settled in New York Mills in 1925. His family of eight children all grew up and attended schools in Mills.

Lawrence, the oldest son, became a barber and ran a business in Mankato, NW. until his death in 1977. Clayton too followed his father's footsteps as a barber and also was affiliated with Paul's Tavern in Perham. Orris graduated as an honor student from Mills High, attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. where he had an outstanding career as an athlete and was inducted into College's Athletic "Hall of Fame" in 1984. He later attended Graduate School at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. During World War II, he served as an officer aboard LST 460 in the South Pacific Campaign. After the war, he joined the Veteran Administration in hospital work. He also participated in the Naval Air Reserve program and retired as a Captain. Berton, Fred's youngest son, graduated from New York Mills High School. He served with the Navy during WWII in the North Atlantic. Following the war, he attended and graduated from the University of Minn. Later he worked in a U.S. Navy weather project and for several years was Assoc. Director of Coffman Union at the U of M. In his honor, when he retired, the University set up a Special Permanent Display concerning his great work for the University.

Fred's four daughters also grew up in New York Mills. Mildred, the oldest, married Harland Johnson and lives in Sandstone, MN. Adeline married Stanley Hagen of Battle Lake, NW. and lived in Fergus Falls, MN. until her death in 1951. Violet married James Dumont of Bluffton, MN. and lives in St. Cloud, MN.. Vivian married Reuben Hepola of Mills and now lives in Butte, MT.

Fred Atkinson was a great lover of sports. He managed several baseball teams in Mills, was General Manager of the original "Flying Finns" basketball team which had a great record. He served as Mayor of Mills for several terms. Fred passed away in 1940 at the age of 51.




From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
47
358397ATKINSON, LEROY CLeRoy C. Atkinson, son of Fred and Daisy Atkinson, was born on March 6, 1910 in Glyndon, Minnesota.

Lauretta Preuss, daughter of Paul and Augusta Preuss, was born on December 12, 1908 in Perham, Minnesota. They were married on February 12, 1929. LeRoy was a barber. He learned the trade working with his father. He worked in New York Mills, Henning, Perham, and Minneapolis. Lauretta worked for her father in his grocery store and Paul's Tavern, Platts Variety Store, and baby sat for many families in Perham. They had three children.

Linette, born in 1930, married Paul Grismer and they have seven children. LeRoy R., born in 1933, married Betty Strayer and they have three children. Lowell, born in 1943, married Teri Janick; later married Carol Jones.

Leroy and Lauretta have ten grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.

LeRoy is a resident now at Memorial Home. Lauretta is residing at the Lakeland Apartments in Perham.


From East Otter Tail County History Vol II 1994
48
359398ATKINSON, WILLIAMWilliam Atkinson was married to Julia Johnson. They lived in various parts of the country before coming to New York Mills. He established a business in the Mills and lived there a number of years. He was proud owner of the first automobile in the area.

They moved to Ottertail where he founded Pleasure Park on the North side of Otter Tail Lake where the Otter Tail River joins the lake. The park became a popular recreational center of the area and flourished for many years. Many great celebrations were held there including gigantic Fourth of July celebrations, with a program of fireworks, dancing, athletic events, including baseball and horse racing. They had parades with horse drawn floats, refreshment stands decorated with bunting and tree branches. a bandstand for music and speakers plus many more activities. Each family would select a spot in the picnic area where they would eat their delightful picnic meal of such traditional items as potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, sandwiches, cake., ice cream and that coffee cooked over the open fire with the "V" crotch on each end to support the cross stick that held the pot. Never has the taste or aroma of coffee been equaled! An interesting legend still persists among those who remember it, that someone buried a case of whiskey somewhere in the general area of the park and as far as we can recall, it still has not been found.

William made his own tools to build his own fishing boat. He also knotted his own fish nets. He made cross country skis and was talented in many crafts.

There was a big launch on Otter Tail Lake. It was used for fishing at times and for excursion rides for twenty-five cents per ride.

In addition to the Hotel, William built a large kitchen and two bedrooms. A dance hall and refreshment stand were also added. They had a large ice house that had to be filled with ice every winter, so that the foods could be kept cool in the summer.

Camp Biliken was named because three fellows wanted to stay by the lake and help with camp duties and boats. They pitched a tent and therefore the spot was used for tent camping each summer. A baseball field was on the other side of the river.
49
17453AUTUMN NORTHLAND REAL ESTATE SERVICES INCAutumn Agency Real Estate was started in 1983 by Mary Lu Estlick who ran the company at 130 2nd Ave SE in Perham. Agents were Mark Lehman, Debby Hawes, Mike Adams, Linda Steinbach and Dayton Jacobson. Mark Lehman purchased the business in 1987. In 1990 he bought the old Ebeling/Strom Cafe building at 161 West Main. Northland Realty started in 1975 by Bill Parks and Joel Poulson. The two companies merged in 1993 with Lehman, Parks, Poulson as broker/owners, agents Linda Steinbach, Vern Wendt, Tom Jund and Earl Rogers. Today they still operate at 161 West Main Street.

Submitted by Mark Lehman

From the East Otter Tail County History, Volume II, published in 1994
50
360399BAAS, EINOEino Baas and Luella Dittman were married Nov. 20, 1945. They lived on the Edwin Dittman farm near New York Mills until March 4, 1946, when they moved to Parkers Prairie, Minnesota.

Here they bought a service station and garage and are still in this business.

To this happy family was added a baby girl, Linda Baas, now Mrs. Sieg Haderly of Anoka, Roy, and Robert Baas. Robert is married and lives in Alexandria and has one girl and two boys. Then along came another son, Roger, who graduated from high school in 1975.

Eino and Luella still live in Parkers Prairie and expect to retire there.


From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
51
361400BABCOCK, CHARLES ACharles A. Babcock was born in 1882 to Nathan and Clarinda Blighton Babcock. He and his wife Jo Hannah Jacobson, born in 1883, had seven children: Carma (Bullock Eckert), Marvel (Grover-Steinkrause), Lloyd, Verlie (Grover), Howard, Joseph, and Raymond. They lived in Inman Township, Otter Tail County. They lost their home by fire one winter, with a frozen pump, they had no water so used what milk they had just gotten from their cows, but it was almost like feeding the fire with oil. They lost everything. They moved to a farm in Star Lake Township in about 1922. They rented on shares, giving the owner half the profit for the use of his machinery and cattle. They then bought a home in Dead Lake Township in School District #239.

Charles was town assessor for a few years, walking his rounds most of the time. He left the county about 1933.

Charles and Clarinda were the parents of the following children: Ruben, Bertha (Clark), Lynn (Sprinkhorn), Myrtle (Langalon, Paco), Charles, George and Ethel (Lillis).

Nathan, a Civil War Veteran, later married Annie Bullock, widow of Abe Bullock, (mother of Mrs. Wm. (Laura) Smith and Lincoln Bullock) and lost two children in the terrible 1918 flu epidemic. They also raised a nephew, Wesley Eckert, father of Grace (Frantz) and James Eckert.


From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
52
362401BACHMAN, OTTO C AND ELLAC. Bachmann was born in 1883 and died in 1969. His parents were Charles (1856-1939) and Charlotte C. (1857-1944) Bachmann. In 1926 he married Ella Dorothy Falk who was born at Perham Aug. 5, 1893 and died in 1952, the daughter of Arnold and Mathilda Rossmiller Falk. They were life-long residents of the community. Otto C. Bachmann followed in the footsteps of his father and was a carpenter by trade as were his brothers Robert, Edward, and George; Gust was a schoolteacher and painter. His sisters were Bertha and Gertrude.

Otto C. and Ella were the parents of the following children: Margaret Rose O'Leary, Elsie Dorothy Hendrickson, Robert F., Charlotte May Onderick Nelson, Ruth Clara Day, Charles O., Doris Ellen Whitley, Janet Fern Swideriski, Marion Gay who died as a result of a car accident in 1954, and William E.

Robert F. Bachmann married Georgiann Ziolkowski, the daughter of George and Helen Ziolkowski, who is a carpenter in Moorhead. They are parents of Robert, Jr., and Judith.

William E. married Marilyn A. Alexander in 1959. They are parents of five children: Patricia, Charles, David, Jason, and Clinton. William is a carpenter by trade and spent his early childhood by Squaw Point on Big Pine Lake, Otter Tail County.

Charles Bachmann was born in Germany. He fought in the Civil War to get his citizenship papers. He first settled in Carver County and finally homesteaded where the town of Vergas is now situated. When he moved his family to Perham, he built his home "square with the world" on the northwest section of Perham. He told his grandchildren about the big Indian mounds at Little Pine Lake. They were about fifty feet high. He took his boys, Otto C., Robert, Edward, Gust and George out there many times and showed them that the Indians carried the dirt by the basket load and they could see where each was dumped. These big mounds were dug into and only the smaller ones are left.

Otto C., Robert, and Mike Puchala used to walk to Richville to work in the stave mill. He told them that the Fellerer family turned the last piece of prairie ground over before 1920.

At ricing time, the Indians camped near Perham. One time Robert and Otto C. pelted a papoose that was hanging on a tree limb with sling shots. The Indian buck took after them and they outran him, even though the Indian did get a hold of their suspenders several times.

As William lived on Squaw Point as a child, he had much time to explore. Once he dove into the water at the Big Pine narrows and there found a boom that had gone down when Pelton was on the big log drives. He said that the chain was still holding the logs together. Later he found a big log in Otter Tail River that must have been from these log drives, or when Clark and McClure had the sawmill there.

Three-fourths of a mile south of the dam is a wooden dam that was used in the spillways for the log floats. There was also a dam near Lindenau Park and from this area is where Schroeder took the water that was used in the Brewery.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
53
157201BALMORALBalmoral was platted in Sec. 3 1, Township 134. Range 39 of Otter Tail County.

The only mention of business is the gristmill, which was started by James G. Craigle, his wife, and daughter of Mrs. Craigie. Annie Faulkner in 1868. It was ready for serving the community by 1870, which was the first gristmill north of Alexandria.

There is also mention of a cheese factory and a post office.

Today Balmoral has an 18-hole golf course that utilizes the natural terrain of slightly rolling slopes and flat areas to create a challenging layout for pro and beginner alike.
54
363402BARBER, DONALD AND HAZEL KRUGERDonald Delos Barberwas born in Montevideo, Minnesota, September 10, 1910 to Galen Delos Barber and Cleo Garceau Barber. He had two sisters, Winifred and Mary Edna. Donald was educated in Montevedio schools and graduated with the Class of 1928. He started farming in Montevedio. Donald married Hazel Marie Kruger of Montevideo. She was born July 26, 1912 in Yellow Medicine County to William and Minnie Draeger Kruger. She has two sisters, Vera and Dorothy, and one brother, Earl William Kruger (deceased).

Donald and Hazel were married February 25, 1934 in Montevideo. They have two sons, Delos Paul born August 28, 1936, and Rolland Dwain born June 8, 1938 in Montevideo. They farmed in Yellow Medicine County until 1945 when they moved to Deer Creek. They did small grain farming and had a herd of dairy cattle, along with sheep, horses and poultry. They were active in 4-H and were members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Deer Creek. Donald and Hazel retired in 1982.

Delos graduated from Deer Creek High School in 1955. He also graduated from the University of Minnesota, St. Paul. He married Shirley Lake, Aitkin, Minnesota, daughter of Andrew and Aili Lake, May 29, 1965. They have one daughter, Linda Halie, born April 10, 1971. They live in Roseville, Minnesota.

Rolland graduated from Deer Creek High School in 1957. He was in the Army five years including two and a half years in Germany. He married Sharon Johnson, daughter of 'Clifford and Nina Johnson, Williams, Minnesota, June 5, 1965. They live in Cottage Grove, Minnesota.

Donald passed away on March 15, 1985, and is buried in terrace Lawn Memorial Gardens, Montevideo, Minnesota. Hazel lives in the Deer Creek Manor, Deer Creek, Minnesota.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
55
364403BARDANEN, JOHN HJohn Bardanen was born in Ala Tornion, Seurakumaisa, Finland, Jan. 31, 1847, the son of John Jusila, who was a horse trader in Finland. His death occurred when John was 14 years old.

John Bardanen learned the shoemaker trade, which he followed until 1872 when he came to the U.S., landing in Calumet, Mich. where he worked in the mines for five years. In 1877, he came to New York Mills where he homesteaded 80 acres in Sec. 8, in Deer Creek Township, which was a wilderness. Mr. Bardanen chopped a trail to his homestead from the St. Cloud Trail, which was about one mile. With the $200 he had in his pocket, he bought a stove, a cow and a pair of oxen. He began cutting cordwood and hauling it to New York Mills to make a living.

It was said that at one time there were over 20,000 cords of wood in New York Mills.

Mr. Bardanen walked to Fergus Falls to file on his homestead. On the east side of Otter Tail Lake, he came to a large tract of land that was covered with tall grass which made hard walking, so he set fire to the grass and in a few minutes, several hundred acres were burning. After resting an hour, he went on. When he arrived at Fergus Falls, he discovered that he had lost his citizenship papers. He started back to find his papers and found them 20 miles back where he had sat down under a tree to rest.

Mrs. Bardanen made fish nets out of carpet warp for the people in the neighborhood. She was also a midwife and assisted at many births.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
56
365404BARDENThe following was written by Edla F. Barden Kylmala Pesola sometime before her demise on Nov. 14, 1968. An older sister, Katie Barden Rankka was officially notified by letter from the courthouse in Fergus Falls that she was the first girl child to be registered born in Otter Tail County, second to John Henry Tellin who was born a month earlier. His parents arrived in the county only a month before his birth.
57
366405BARNETT, SAMUELSamuel Barnett were illustrious pioneers of Ottertail. Both were early postmasters here, and in addition to farming. Mr. Barnett operated a butcher shop, was a stock buyer, and sold farm machinery.

Samuel Bolton Barnett was born January 11, 1860, in Covington. Kentucky, the son of Isaac and Alice (Bolton) Barnett. His parents came to America in 1850 from Germany, settling in Ohio, where Isaac worked as a locomotive engineer: he ran the first passenger train from Cleveland to Columbus. They moved to Kentucky, then to Indiana, where Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Barnett died.

Sam Barnett moved to North Dakota in 1879 and worked on a farm for two years. He moved back East, and married Miss Bertha C. Schultz October 25, 1882, in Wabasha Co. Minnesota.

On April 1, 1884, they came to Otter Tail County and purchased a small farm on the north shores of Buchanan Lake where they resided for 20 years. In 1895 the stagecoach made headquarters at their farm, with the postoffice located there. The arrival of the stagecoach was the big, event of the week, and neighbors gathered at the Barnett home to await their mail. Mr. Barnett was the postmaster, and his wife was the assistant-postmaster.

They moved into the village of Ottertail in 1904. Sam was re-appointed postmaster in 1918 and held that office until his death 21 years later.

Mrs. Barnett's parents were Ferdinand August Schultz, born January 11, 1824, in Prussia, and Justine Wilheimina Fisher, (daughter of Carl and Rosina Rosenow Fisher), born October 31. 1830, in Zachertsberg, Germany. They were married in 1854 and came to America the following year. They lived on a farm at Princeton, Wisconsin from 1857 until 1865, then moved to Belvidere, Minnesota, where Ferdinand died March 11. 1894. He is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery at Belvidere. Justine came to Ottertail to live with the Barnetts. She died December 9. 1924, and is buried in St. John's Cemetery at Ottertail.

Mrs. Barnett was born May 16, 1861, at Princeton, Wisconsin. At the age of 4, she came with her parents to Goodhue County, Minnesota, near Lake City, in a prairie schooner by ox team. Bertha had two brothers, Henry Atlas Schultz and Gustave Adolph Schultz, both born at Belvidere, but later residents of Otter Tail County.

Samuel and Bertha Barnett were the parents of three children: Bolton Ferdinand, born July 18, 1883, (twins born and died July 20, 1886), Elsa Esther, born January 21, 1889, and Atlee Samuel, born March 22,1896.

Samuel died April 27, 1939. Bertha died July 24, 1935. They are buried in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery at Ottertail.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
58
17554BARREL O FUN SNACK FOODSIn the early 1970's, Ken Nelson and his father, Tuffy, sold their dog food business to Star Kist Foods, a division of Heinz Foods. After two years, Ken decided he would prefer to have a business of his own. He began to investigate the snack food business because he enjoyed the direct sales challenge.

Ken found that a high percentage of snack sales was potato chips and thus began looking at potato chip equipment, and the feasibility of putting a potato chip plant in Perham.

In his investigation he found that we were located close to one of the best areas for growing raw potatoes. The Red River Valley supplies a large portion of potatoes to the chipping industry. Being located close to the Red River Valley allows the farmer, grower, or broker to store potatoes for us, and deliver only what is needed for a couple days production run. This eliminates the necessity of us managing raw potatoes in house.

The company purchased a rebuilt fryer line with a capacity of 300 pounds per hour. Test runs were made in the summer of 1973. These runs included test on cheese puffs, popcorn, and cheesecorn.

Sales were initially made off route trucks to retail grocers, as well as to candy and tobacco jobbers, such as Young's Jobbing, in Perham, who took care of outlying areas. Ken had developed relationships with retailers during his pet food days. This, along with Tuffy's manufacturing expertise was extremely beneficial for this new company.

The product line consisted of twin pack boxes, small bags of potato chips, cheese puffs, cheesecorn, and popcorn. As sales grew, new equipment was added. New equipment required more space until the plant reached the current size of 160,000 square feet.

New items were added, such as tortilla chips, corn chips, caramel corn, crunchy cheese curls, pretzels, and most recently baked tortillas and a snack mix. In the early stages, the company sold allied products, such as candy, meat sticks, jerky, nuts, cheese dips, and beer which were purchased from brokers, manufacturers, or were sold for other companies on a commission basis.

New flavored items and additional package sizes allowed us to become more of a full line supplier. This spurred interest by specialty food distributors, vendors, wholesale grocers, and companies selling in specific interest areas, such as organic foods. All of these sales contributed to substantial sales growth. With new items came new equipment, additional building needs, and the need for more employees. Employment has grown from a few people for the new company to over three hundred today. As a snack food manufacturer, we are truly a friend of the farmer since we use many agricultural products, such as potatoes, corn, sugar, soybean, corn and canola oil, corn meal, butter, and many other products.

Since the company was started, ownership has gone form Ken and Tuffy to the G. Heileman Brewing Company and back to Ken, a group of active managers, and an outside equity holder. The people employed at Barrel O' Fun are one of the main reasons for the company's success. At all levels, concerned, loyal, hard working employees contribute. In a time when the snack food industry has seen substantial consolidation or failure, Barrel O' Fun continues to grow. Ken's attitude of "we can always do better" and his love of the "challenge to sell", along with the support of company managers, supervisors, sales force, and all employees insure a bright future.

The company has plans for additional construction this coming summer. New equipment continues to be added which allows for more efficiency. It seems that with each passing year, more and more potential customers accept Barrel O' Fun as a viable full line supplier for their snack food needs.

From the East Otter Tail County History, Volume II, published in 1994
59
53270BASEBALL PERHAMBaseball has been a part of Perham since its beginning from the days of semi-pro during the twenties to amateur baseball.

Teams over the years were Greens, Colts, Kids, Kidders, Perham Brewers, Perham Independents, Perham Pirates, Perham Cubs and Perham Panthers.

Managers were: Kick Claydon, M.B. Palzer, Bill Ryan, George Kelly, Eddie Stephenson, Al Woessner, George Bauck, Clarence Ruther, Elmer Eickschen, Ted Meinhover, Don Burgau Sr., Bob Stein, Al Bretz, Art Winjum, Raymond "Stub" Burgau, Don Meyer, Arne Luhning, Al Krueger and Ernie Kawlewski. Al Krueger was honored for all the work he has done by having the hall field named for him.

Perham has won the right to go to the State Amateur Baseball Tournament in 1949, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1981,1982, 1983, 1984, 1985. With the exception of 1967 they have won the league title when they come from being tied for fourth place to win the league title and missing by one run for the State title. In 1961 and 1966 they were Class B State Champions. In 1966 and first part of 1967 they won 32 games in a row. Crowds in the late fifties and early sixties were poor when they numbered less than four hundred.

A few of the outstanding players have been Ligh Lucking, John Schmidt, Carl John, Hank Fellerer, George Kelly, Roy Margin, Milo Wakefield, Pat and Romey Johnson, Paul Krueger, Vic Pearce, Harvey Smalley, Tuffy Nelson, Don and Stub Burgau, Al Dunn, Al Stigman and the list goes on.

Roy Martin and Harvey Smalley were the first to be named to an All State Team. Raymond "Stub" Burgau, Don Burgau Sr., and Al Stigman have been given more region and state honors than any other players. Al Stigman pitched a perfect game against Ashby, 1956.





From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
60
316202BASSWOOD STOREJohn Bowman built the Basswood Store. Owners throughout the years have been Gust Gaylord, Dave Davis, Ed Somdahl, Ray Lanstrom and A.D. Wickham. It had served the immediate area well with household supplies, during the years when the horse and buggy was used, and on until the near present time, when someone ran out of groceries and didn't want to travel all those miles to a main town.
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320206BAUCK BLOCK BUILDINGBauck Block building was built in 1903 by Fred Bauck, Jr. and his brother, Henry for $18,000. Henry sold his half to their uncle John Bauck. John died and left his shares to his wife 1/3 and his children 2/3. Fred Bauck, Jr., bought Mrs. John Bauck's share and about 1/2 of the children's shares. When George Bauck first remembers, Fred Bauck, Jr., owned 11/15 and four of John Bauck's children (Martha Young, Marie Bauck, Ted Bauck, and August Bauck) owned 4/15. When Fred Bauck, Jr died in 1931 his shares went to his wife, Elizabeth. George Bauck bought the shares from the four children of John Bauck in the 1940's. When Elizabeth Bauck died, George bought the shares from the rest of his family (around 1957 or 1958).
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17655BAUCK BUSING LTDAt the end of the 19th century Fred Bauck Jr. and his brother were in the general merchandise business in Perham. They soon divided, with Fred taking the hardware and seed business. Fred started selling farm machinery and automobiles. The first contract was to sell the KRIT automobile, dated November 26, 1913. The Chevrolet line was begun in 1917 and continued in the family for 70 years.

Upon Fred's death in 1931 his son, Ed took over the automobile business, calling it Bauck Chevrolet Company. In 1937 Ed began transporting school children from rural school districts to Perham high School with one school bus. In 1954 Ed added the Oldsmobile line of automobiles to his business.

Ed died in 1962 and his son, Bill, and his son-in-law, Marlin Zitzow, operated the business until 1982. At that time the business was divided, again, with Bill operating the school buses and Marlin the car dealership. The bus business has grown to 27 buses today (1994).

Paul and Sue Winterfeldt and Kent Zitzow represent the fourth generation of the Bauck family to have been involved in the business in Perham.

The former auto dealership building is now a small mall with ten businesses located in it.

Submitted by Bill Bauck

From the East Otter Tail County History, Volume II, published in 1994
63
367406BAUCK MATTFELD, GEORGE AND CATHERINEGeorge Martin Bauck was born in Perham on March 23, 1915. Catherine was born on February 10, 1916. They were married on June 30, 1938 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Perham. They had four children. Fred Bauck, Linda (Bauck) Boedigheimer, John Bauck and Sarah (Bauck) Hayden.
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368407BAUCK, IRMA GROVES ROSENIrma N. Groves was born in 1911 at Lakota, N.D. Her father, Harry Groves, was born in England in 1867. He immigrated to Canada and then to Lakota, N.D. with his parents at the age of nine. He farmed and was active in county government. Her mother, Henrietta (Mary) Rasmussen, was born in Decorah, Iowa in 1878. Her parents had come from Norway in a sailboat.

Irma attended school at Lakota and Valley City Teachers' College. She taught in country schools until 1936 when she married Martin F. Rosen of Perham. He was an engineer in the CCC Camp. They had three boys: James, Dale and Dennis. Martin died of polio in 1946 while visiting relatives in Perham.

In 1947, Irma married Leland H. Bauck (originally from Perham) and moved to Minneapolis where he was an electrical engineer in the University of Minnesota Audio Visual Department. She, Lee and the boys spent their summers at Little Pine Lake. Jim married Mary Johnson, St. Paul. They have two girls, Greta and Kristin. Jim lives in Wyoming. Dale lives in New York City. Denny married Karen Westpahl, Wykoff. They have four children, Jon, Fred, Tom and Gretchen. Denny lives in Rochester, NY.

In 1974, Irma and Lee retired to their lake home. Lee became interested in composing music and in genealogy during their retirement. Lee died in 1992. Irma continues to live at the lake in the summers and in Perham during the winter.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
65
369408BAUCK, WILLIAM AND SANELMABill was born in Perham on October 27, 1930, and is the fifth generation of his family to have lived here. Except for the army and college in the 50's, he has lived in Perham all of his life - for the past 32 years a block and a half from his childhood home.

Sanu was born in Helsinki, Finland, on May 21, 1931. Her mother died when Sanu was nine and her father was on the road most of the time. She spent those years living with her older sister and other relatives until she was old enough to live by herself. She and a friend worked for a year in England and, later, for six months in Switzerland.

In 1960 Sanu visited friends in the United States on the east coast. She came to Perham to visit her friend from childhood and young womanhood, Airi Davidson. Bill had been told that she was coming, but they didn't meet for a few months. They were introduced at a boat show. When they did meet things had to happen in a hurry, because Sanu's visa was expiring. For Sanu to decide to live 6000 miles from home was a very difficult decision.

They were married on August 26. 1961, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Perham. Their children - Sue, born July 17, 1962, Jaana, born July 6, 1966 and Robert, born October 28, 1970 - have each visited Finland four times, Bill six times, and Sanu eight times to date (1994), with the hope and plan that there will be many more visits. We all enjoy seeing family and friends again.

Bill has been involved in the family automobile and school bus business all of his life. Since 1982 he's been in school busing' only. Sue's husband, Paul Winterfeldt, and Bill's nephew, Kent Zitzow, are the fourth generation of the family to be operating the business.

Bill and Sanu have tried to be active in church and community affairs through the years.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
66
370409BAUCKIn 1894 two brothers, Fred Bauck, Jr. and Henry Bauck established a general merchandise store in Perham. They sold hardware, dry goods, and groceries among other things. They were at one time located in a frame building at the site of the present Gamble Store, then moved to another frame building at the former site of the Perham State Bank.

In 1903 the two brothers, who were sons of Fred Bauck, Sr., a pioneer resident, built the building known as the Bauck Block at the corner of West Main St. and Second Ave., SW.

The brothers decided to dissolve the partnership a couple of years after the building was completed, with Fred taking the hardware business and Henry the grocery and dry goods business.

Shortly thereafter Fred, whose descendants are still to be found in this area, started expanding his business. He began selling cars - Page, Reo. KRIT - and in 1917 added the Chevrolet line. He also started selling farm implements. The writer can remember as a child seeing a sign on the side of the present Villager Beauty Salon advertising Rock Island Implements. Fred also began dealing in alfalfa, clover and related seed - buying, cleaning, and selling. This operation was conducted in the present Villager Beauty Salon building.

Fred was active in community and church affairs, serving for a time as mayor. He was also a volunteer fireman from the early years onward.

Fred died on July 4. 1931. His oldest son Ed, had been working with him in the automobile business and continued after his father's death. Another son Erv, managed the hardware and seed business for two years, at which time a third son George, the youngest son, took over operation. The two became separate entities and have continued so to this day. The implement business had been discontinued during the 20’s.

George has continued in the same spot in the Bauck Block. In 1963 he changed from a hardware business to a paint and supply business. In 1970 he sold the seed operation to Perco, Inc. of Perham. In addition to his paint business George also rents six apartments on the second floor of his building. The M.J. Daly laws firm - Sr. and Jr. - has occupied space in the building continuously since it was built. George, as a student was one of the best athletes ever to attend Perham High School.

In 1935 older brother Ed added a school bus operation to his automobile business. The car and bus businesses have grown over the years and now employ 30 and more people during the school year.

Ed built a new building for his dealership in 1947 on its present location at 235 W. Main St. The Oldsmobile line was added in 1954. Ed died in 1962 at the same age as his father, 59. Ed’s son Bill and son in-law Marlin Zitzow now operates the business. These fellows have continued the volunteer firemen tradition, with Marlin currently serving as Fire Chief. Both Ed and George have been active in community and church affairs. A list of their contributions would be long. An interesting incident concerning one of the activities occurred in the early 30's. Ed was a volunteer fireman (George too). He missed three consecutive monthly fire meetings and was, according to Perham Fire Department regulations, no longer a fireman. He had legitimate reasons for missing them, one of which the writer thinks was the death of his father, but the reason didn't impress his fellow firemen. They refused to take him back into the department. Some months later they changed their mind and indicated to Ed that they would allow him back. Those of you readers who remember Ed won't have to guess at his answer!

Of other members of Fred's family, two are still alive Luella, retired, and Leland, who is now living with wife Irma on Little Pine Lake after more than 40 years with the University of Minnesota. Erv, who sold cars and trucks for Ed died in 1952 and Lenore, the youngest, died in 1968. Fred's widow, Elizabeth Martin, a daughter of pioneer settlers, died in 1957. She had lived in the same house at the corner of Third St., SW and Third Ave., SW since the early years of her marriage.

George's wife, Catherine Mattfeld, is also a native of Perham and works with him in the paint store. Ed's widow, Helen Groves, could be considered an honorary native, since she came to Perham as a teacher in 1926 and has lived here since then. Lee's wife, Irma, who is Helen's sister, came to the area to teach in rural schools in the middle 30's. She married Martin Rosen of Perham. Martin died in 1946 and in 1948 she married Lee.

The family has done no more for the community than many other families, but one can say that the first two generations, especially, contributed their share to the development of Perham into the fine community it is today.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
67
371410BAUMGART, LAUREN AND GRACEGrace, the daughter of Joe and Frances Bucholz married Lauren Baumgart on June 2, 1956. They have five children. Pamela and Paula were born on June 14, 1957, Terry on April 29, 1959, Angela on March 16, 1963, and David on December 20, 1965.

Pamela and Paula graduated with Social Work degrees from the College of St. Benedict. Pam married Tim Lanz and they live in Stillwater, Minnesota with their three children, Sammy, Grace, and Adrienne.

Paula married Robert Davis and they have three children. Phillip, Jocelyn, and Joey. They live in Watertown, South Dakota where Paula is an Adoption Specialist.

Terry works at Land O' Lakes Cheese Plant. He and his wife Sherry live near Vergas. Terry has three children, Amanda, Matthew and Thomas.

Angela attended Vocational School and works as an Activities Director in Phoenix, Arizona.

David and his wife Jennifer live in Minnetonka where he will graduate from Drafting School this year.
68
372411BEAMAN, SAMUEL AND HANNAHSamuel Zacharius Beaman, 1875 and Hannah Elizabeth Walter, 1880 were born in Iowa, migrated to Minnesota and were married at Manston (near Rothsay) on December 25, 1900. They moved to Inman township, Otter Tail County in 1902 when the first child, Ralph, was one year old.

They lived on a rented farm a short time when Hannah's father, Andrew F. Walter, a butcher in Deer Creek, gave them forty acres of timber nearby. A spot was cleared and a small house built.

Over the years, acres were added, cleared, lumber sawed and the house enlarged. In 1914 a large barn was built. Four more sons and five daughters were born They lived here, never having electricity or a tractor. In 1942 they sold and moved into Deer Creek.

Sam followed harvest to Dakota. Cut wood to sell for income.

Later years many acres of certified seed potatoes were grown and sold by carloads. One dollar per bushel was a good price. Grains were raised for feed and milk from Registered Guernsey cows, wool from flocks of sheep helped the income.

Hannah and children helped in the fields and barn and tended a large garden - canning vegetables and fruits.

Sam was very civic minded and served on the Inman Township board, Livestock Shipping and Creamery Boards in Deer Creek.

In August 1910 when there were six children, scarlet fever took the lives of three little sons. Later the whole family had small pox in 1920.

These parents worked hard to earn a living from the land to give the children an education, paying tuition to send them to school in Deer Creek. Their church was Methodist in Deer Creek - two and one fourth miles away.

Ralph and Lester decided not to go to high school, but Mae, Blanche, Bertha and Alta graduated from Deer Creek High. Helen, the youngest wasn't able to finish high school because of rheumatic fever. Bertha and Alta became teachers. Mae and Blanche studied business.

Sam died in 1944 and Hannah in 1955 at Deer Creek.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
69
373412BECKER, LAWRENCE AND NANCYLawrence and Nancy were married June 30, 1947 and lived on a farm in Newton twp. until 1983. We are dairy and grain farmers, Lawrence was a substitute mailman and became a regular carrier in 1981. Son, Thomas, bought the farm, and Lawrence retired in 1987, Lawrence was the son of Fred and Augusta (Windels) Becker of Blowers twp. and served in World War II overseas. His father came to this country from Hanover Germany. Nancy was the daughter of Christ and Louise (Tramby) Frost. Christ's folks both came from Denmark. Eight children were born to this union namely: Judith Dyhoff, Little Falls, MN; Elmor, Perham; Thomas, New York Mills; Rebecca, Glendale, AZ; Pauline Born, New York Mills, MN; Janice Oldrich, Maplewood, St. Paul, MN; Bruce, New York Mills; and Valerie Ebling, Cedar Rapids, IA.
70
374413BECKETT, WARREN AND ANNIEWarren and Annie Beckett came to Amor Township, Otter Tail County, in 1911 from Midland, South Dakota, bringing with them their children: Elmer, now deceased, Clarice, now Mrs. Ellis Whitney of Rush Lake Twp., and Louis, now of Detroit Lakes. A daughter, Mrs. Wm. Lillis, was born in Amor, and a son, Delbert, now of Barnesville, was born in Richville.

Later they moved to Richville and then to Dead Lake Twp. where they purchased a farm adjoining the school of Dist. 240. A grandson, Myron Whitney, and family now (1975) live there.

Warren passed away in 1945, and Annie lived in Richville in a small trailer, which she later had moved into the Ellis Whitney door yard. Much doctoring and extensive surgery made it advisable for her to enter the Henning Nursing Home in 1967.

On March 11, 1975 she celebrated her 95th birthday there, with a number of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren present, along with friends, her pastor and wife, and members of the Richville Women's Relief Corps, of which she has been a member since 1919. She is now a past president for over twenty years. She is (1975) the oldest living member of the Richville United Methodist Church. She now has four great great grandchildren.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
71
375414BECKMAN, AUGUST AND MARIEAugust and Marie Beckmann first came to Perham in April. 1882 and there wasn't much of a town then. In fact, when they looked out of the train window all they saw were the tents of an Indian village. They had been married in Whilheimshaven, Germany and came to America on their honeymoon. Her parents, the John Husens, had taken a homestead in Becker County and the Beckmann's first children, a pair of twins, were born there. They were the first white children born in Spruce Grove Township, but they only lived a few months and were buried on the homestead.

One time while living on the claim there was a forest fire. It traveled quickly in the thick woods - much of it pine trees. They didn't know what to do so they put their precious belongings into the well and ran. Suddenly they realized that the wild animals (deer, rabbits. etc.) were running with them. They followed the animals until they got to the river and were safe. When they returned to their claim, their buildings were still there, though the fire had come to within a few feet of them.

August Beckmann was a carpenter, not a farmer, so they left the claim and moved to Perham. When their first house there burned in 1903, he built a new home for the family near the old wagon factory. This house still stands. Other structures that he built include the dance hall at Grand View Heights and the house and barn for Ernest Koppert (Geo. Wilczek farm) in Perham Township. He also helped build the church building, which is now Zion's United Church of Christ in Perham and also the Loon Lake Lutheran Church near Vergas.

About 1910 they built a home on the south shore of Devil's Lake in Perham Township and the family lived there for many years. Their children were Emma, Louise, Bill, John, Marie, Clara. Minnie, Emil and Elsie (Mrs. Albert Flatau).




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
72
17756BECLIN FOODSBec-Lin Foods was begun in Lake Park about 1951 by Arthur Carlson, who began baking and selling lefse to surrounding area residents. It was a seasonal business, operating in the fall until Christmas. In the late sixties Tory Olsen, Norman Nelson and Ed Knutson purchased the business. It was still operated as a seasonal business and had a sales volume of about $275,000 when Bill Schoeneberger and Tuffy Nelson purchased the business in late 1982. The company consisted of two full time and seven part time employees, and was located in an old cinder block building.

Bill and Tuffy set out to develop a year around business. They expanded into the Mexican Food business while growing the lefse business. In 1984 they purchased a piece of equipment that allowed them to mass bake lefse while retaining the old fashioned recipe. Expansion into the corn and flour tortilla markets was also begun.

Tuffy was diagnosed with cancer in May, 1985, and he died in February, 1986.

Because of increased business a new, modern plant was built in Perham in October, 1987. With nineteen employees and sales of $1.5 million the Perham chapter of Bec-Line Foods had begun.

In 1991 a pressed flour tortilla line was added, requiring an expansion of the current facility.

Today, in 1994 Bec-Lin Foods has about sixty-five employees, sales of five million dollars and is the largest lefse baker in the United States. In addition, its Mexican Foods are marketed over a wide area of the United States. Our employees come from Audubon, Detroit Lakes, Dent, Otter Tail New York Mills, Vergas, Sebeka, and Deer Creek. BecLin's proud to be one of the major foods manufacturing companies located in Perham.

From the East Otter Tail County History, Volume II, published in 1994
73
376415BEIGHLEY, CHARLES F SRCharles Franklin Beighley, Sr. was a rural mail carrier for the Perham Post Office for many years, retiring from that occupation in 1956. He was born in Bluffton, June 30, 1893, the son of Frank S. and Mary Eileen Schiller Beighley. They had another son whose name was Ed. Mary was the daughter of John Peter Schiller and Mary Duffing Beighley, born April 20, 1873, at New Trier, Minn. Frank Beighley died April 10, 1901. Several years later his widow became the wife of James W. Hart. James was born July 10, 1879 at Lake Lillian, Minn., and was employed by the Northern Pacific Railway as a depot agent at Battle Lake. James and Mary had 2 children, Alex and Ellen. James died March 23,1948. Mary died August 14,1963.

Charles served in the U.S. Navy in World War I. He married Minnie Albertina Tober, daughter of Fred and Louisa Tober, November 12,1924, at Fergus Falls.

They were the parents of 4 children: Charles Franklin Alfons Beighley, Jr. He married Mary Ellen Koopman of Fountain City, Wisconsin, June 6, 1948. They were parents of 4 daughters and 2 sons: Peggy Jean, Bonita June, Cheryl Jo, Claire Marie, Charles Franklin III, Jonathan David.

Mary Eileen Beighley became the wife of Edwin Lavern Jensen on November 11, 1949, at Perham. Their children are Steven Jon, Mitchell Jay, and Mary Jana. Dorothy Louise lives in California and has a daughter, Dianne Joy.

David Henry Beighley married Marilyn Mildred Graham March 25, 1961, in Perham. They have 2 sons, David Craig and Christopher Douglas.

Charles was a member of the American Legion and the Perham Masonic Lodge, and belonged to the Rural Letter Carriers Assn. Minnie died February 22, 1951. Charles had reached the age of 82 when his life ended July 26, 1975.


From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
74
377416BEISHLINE, HAROLDOn June of 1969, Harold and Gloria Beishline and their four children moved to Blowers Township, Section 11, Otter Tail County from Milton, PA. The farm had been the Mattie Farm from 1887.

Harold grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, was in the navy from 1951 to 1955. After the service, he was a Building Contractor. He always wanted to farm, so he came to Minnesota, milking cows till January of 1993. Now they have beef cattle and also doing carpenter work.

Teresa went to Pillsbury College in the fall of 1975 and met Audie Thomas from the Philadelphia area. They married in June of 1978 and now live in Oneida, New York.

Lisa went to Bethel College in the fall of 1979 and met Steve Trampton from Iowa and they married in June of 1983. They now live in St. Paul where she is teaching.

Steve went one year to Pillsbury College in the fall of 1982 and then came back to farm with us for 5 years. In 1989, he went to Wadena Technical College to be an electrician. After completing two years in 1990, he moved to California where he now works.

David went to college in 1983 and married Kaija Taurivinen in 1986 and now lives in Phoenix, AZ. where he is manager of a cabinet shop. They have 4 children, Emerson, Ashlee, Jasmine and Johann.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994

HAROLD BEISHLINE


On June of 1969, Harold and Gloria Beishline and their four children moved to Blowers Township, Section 11, Otter Tail County from Milton, PA. The farm had been the Mattie Farm from 1887.

Harold grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, was in the navy from 1951 to 1955. After the service, he was a Building Contractor. He always wanted to farm, so he came to Minnesota, milking cows till January of 1993. Now they have beef cattle and also doing carpenter work.

Teresa went to Pillsbury College in the fall of 1975 and met Audie Thomas from the Philadelphia area. They married in June of 1978 and now live in Oneida, New York.

Lisa went to Bethel College in the fall of 1979 and met Steve Trampton from Iowa and they married in June of 1983. They now live in St. Paul where she is teaching.

Steve went one year to Pillsbury College in the fall of 1982 and then came back to farm with us for 5 years. In 1989, he went to Wadena Technical College to be an electrician. After completing two years in 1990, he moved to California where he now works.

David went to college in 1983 and married Kaija Taurivinen in 1986 and now lives in Phoenix, AZ. where he is manager of a cabinet shop. They have 4 children, Emerson, Ashlee, Jasmine and Johann.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
75
378417BEITZ, DICKKeeping weather records daily for the past 64 years would be enough of a hobby for most men but for R.A. "Dick" Beitz of Perham it's just a start.

Add to it photography, hunting and fishing and, at one time, motorcycling. Then you have a pretty fair idea of what he's been doing during his nearly 79 years besides working in local drug stores.

And, he's been successful in every venture. His weather records are carried weekly in the Enterprise-Bulletin. As a bird photographer, his pictures have won national awards and were a steady feature of a St. Paul newspaper. Hunting and fishing have kept game on the Beitz household table all his life.

Dick was only a sophomore in high school here when his parents died, forcing him to leave school and go to work. One of his first jobs, he recalls, was driving a team of horses during construction of St. Henry's Catholic Church. His job was to handle the team, which pulled up tubs of brick and mortar to the church tower.

He then began employment at the M.J. Gans drug store and he remained there for 45 years. When the business terminated, he started at Kemper Drug and worked on a full-time basis for 10 years before switching to part time work for 7 years.

When he started working for M.J. Gans, Dick also began keeping weather records. A disappointment for him was that his early records were lost when he moved his residence a few years ago.

He has accumulated a raft of equipment that he uses each evening at 6:30 o'clock to record maximum and minimum temperatures, barometric pressures and precipitation readings. Both bi-metal and mercurial thermometers are used, wind velocity and direction are recorded and humidity taken.

Outside of occasional severe winter blizzards there have been few violent storms in the Perham area, according to Beitz. Small tornadoes have destroyed some barns and other buildings but the worst probably was many years ago when the "Perham Cyclone" ripped off the roof of the old Globe Mill and sent it sailing down Main Street. Buildings in its path were damaged.

A lover of birds, Dick had built a 60-apartment house for martins at his home, at that time along U.S. Highway 10. The birdhouse was nearly completely occupied, he remembers, when a portion of the mill roof struck it and slammed it to the ground. Miraculously, only three or four of the martins were killed and about half of the colony returned the next season.

"You have to get rid of the starlings or they're going to wipe out the martins," Beitz says.

Bird photography brought Dick many prizes. He once won second prize in an Eastman Kodak national contest for a shot of some marsh hawks. He was a regular contributor to the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal photograph sections and won many prizes going back as far as 1925.

One of his better series of photos, he thinks, is a prizewinner showing orioles building a nest. He had to construct special staging to get the photos.

He has a collection of pictures of ducks and birds nesting, hunting and fishing scenes, and still life. The collection was begun when Dick and the late Harry Davies were partners in a photo-finishing laboratory. Many of the fishing scenes are along Toad River and Cat Creek (near Sebeka) where he and his son, Robert, did a lot of fine trout fishing.

"They've improved the streams and spoiled the fishing". Occasionally Dick supplies area television stations with photos of local weather phenomena.

During these years he also became a member of an informal club of motorcyclists. There were about a half dozen enthusiasts in Perham at the time, among them Leo Drahmann, Bernie Kemper, and Ed Wasche.

Beitz remembers his first machine was a belt drive, single lung Wagner. Later he owned two Indian Models. Trips in those days were not lengthy by today's standards. Main highways were nothing more than rutted roadways and it was quite an undertaking to ride as far as Duluth, Fargo or Fergus Falls.

It's been a busy life for Dick, but he says, "I'm, still on my feet." There's no doubt about that; he hasn't had time to do much of anything but keep pursuing his hobbies.

Dick Beitz was born June 7, 1891, the son of August and Ida Beitz. On Dec. 8, 1915, he married Olga Jahn who was born June 24, 1896, the daughter of Nicholas and Johanna Jahn. Both were born in Perham, Minnesota and remained there and reared their children here. Olga died in Feb. 1975, and Dick died in Sept. 25, 1976. Both are buried in the St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery at Perham, Minnesota.

Their children are: Veery (Mrs. George Ryder) born in 1918; Robert, born in 1920 and single; and JoAnn (Mrs. Eugene Adamzck who was born 1924.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
76
379418BEITZ, ROBERT EDWARDRobert's grandparents arrived in the U.S.A. from Germany moving to Perham (His parents were married in Perham). Robert's grandfather worked in the Perham Brewery.

Robert was born in the St. James hospital March 4, 1920 to Richard and Olga Beitz. Many days were spent playing with the neighborhood children. He had two sisters; Veery and Joan; being the second child in the family, he had family for playmates. Much time was spent at Little Pine Lake where they had a cottage. Fishing, swimming, etc. was his joy.

He received his education in the Perham public school in the primary grades, finishing through the eight grades in the Lutheran parochial school. He graduated from the Perham High School.

Robert's father was employed at Gans Drug Store where he worked as a pharmacist. His mother was a pianist; she played for the church. Robert enjoyed music too, playing the mouth organ. While in high school he played basketball.

Robert was in the Armed Forces for three and one half ears, 1940-1943. Normady- Czechoslovakia. In the army he was in the infantry division in the wrecker and mechanics. After he returned to the States, he worked as a carpenter; worked in a greenhouse (Paul Koennicke, in the location of John's Floral); he built cabins and a gas station along highway ten by the Greenhouse; worked in Welter's grocery store; worked a panel job trucking winter and summer.

Robert enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping, and reading "Outdoor" Magazines. He sold his cabin by Little Pine Lake which he had built and where he rented boats and acted as a guide. He bought a farm; he worked with a neighbor exchanging labor for the use of machinery.

Robert is a resident in the Perham Memorial Home.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume I I 1994
77
380419BELKA, GEORGEGeorge and Frances Belka were married in 1899 and always lived in the Perham area. George and Frances lived in Gorman Township on the north shore of Little Pine Lake. (George Belka and Ed Siebels used to own most of the north shore of the lake in the early 1940's.) They were the parents of seven children. Mary/Nick Jaroszewski; Clementine/ Herman Steffes; Andy/Ann Belka; Pauline/Lester Erdmann; Anna/Paul Steffes, Cecilia/John Lambert and Clem/Dorothy Belka.

Clem and Dorothy are the parents of seven children. Clem was born in Perham on June 13, 1920 and Dorothy (Cole) Belka born Febuary 21, 1921 and married Clem on September 27, 1939. Their seven children include Colleen (Mrs. Bill Huebsch) of Osage, Iowa—parents of nine children and twelve grand children. Richard and Barbara (Parker) Belka of Mt. Carmel, Illinois—parents of three sons and three grandsons. Darrell and Shirley (Westland) of Glyndon, MN—parents of three children (one deceased). George and Judy (Andersen) of Dilworth—parents of three sons. Sherry and Neil (Tobkin) of Perham—parents of four children. Clem and Dorothy had two girls, which died in infancy. Clem and Dorothy have been life-long members of the Perham and also St. Stanislaus Church. Clem passed away in October of 1982.

Dorothy has been an enthusiastic grandmother, and become known as the Bungi Jumping Grandma.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
78
381420BELKAAround the year 1875 - the families of Leopold Belka and his wife Magdalena Adamski both arrived in the United States from Poland. They first settled in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Leopold and Magdalena had 9 children. Leopold and Magdalena moved to Perham and settled in what was known later as the Joe Belka farm. The farm is located in Gorman Township and presently the house and barn still stand.

Leopold Belka was born in 1847 and died in 1926. Magdalena Adamski was born in 1851 and died in 1914. Both are buried in St. Stanislaus cemetery in Perham.

The children of Leopold and Magdalena were Mike Belka (born 1873 - died 1957) and married Anna Jezewski (born 1878 and died in 1971).

George Belka - born 1875 and died in 1947 - he married Frances Luschewski (born 1878 and died in 1948). George and Leopold helped build St. Stanislaus church.

Felix was the 3rd son and he was born in 1877 and died in 1945 - he married Anna Czapewski (she was born in 1902 and died in 1979). Felix lived out in California and he later married Dora Lonski.

John was their 4th son - he was born in 1880 and died in 1953. John married Martha Sczygiel -she was born in 1886 and died in 1977.

Anna Belka was the 5th child - she was born in 1881 and died in 1975 - Anna was known in the Perham area as Sister Mary Helena. She worked at the St. James Home in Perham. Anna took the name of her Sister Helena as her name after she took her vows as a nun.

Helena Belka was their 6th child - she was born in 1884 and died in 1910 - Helena married Frank Bucholz - he was born in 1878 and died in 1960. Helena died at the age of 26 - and Frank later married his wife's younger sister, Mary Belka who was the 8th child of Leopold and Magdalena. Mary was born in 1888 and died in 1945.

The seventh child was Vincent Belka (born 1886 and died in 1962). Vince married Martha Wilcowski, she was born in 1888 and died in 1983.

The ninth child was a son, Joe - he was born in 1890 and died in 1952. Joe married Hattie Paulbiski - she was born in 1896 and died in 1978.

All of the above Belka children with the exception of Sr. Helena and Felix Belka, are buried in St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Perham.

Most all of the Belka decendants remained in the Perham area.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
79
382421BENDIX HINDERS, JOHN DAVID AND MARIEDavid Bendix, son of Harold and Agnes Bendix of Deer Creek, and Marie Hinders, daughter of Christ and Mildred Hinders of Sebeka, were married on April 29, 1972 at the Sebeka Methodist Church.

At the time they were married, David was renting the family farm in Compton Township-Section 20. In 1974, David and Marie purchased the farm from his parents.

On Dec. 8, 1976, Christy Marie was born at St. Luke's in Fargo, weighing 4 lbs. 14 oz.

On July 17, 1978, Julia Ann was born at Tri-County in Wadena, weighing 7 lbs.

On Oct. 17, 1979, Melody Jo was born at Tri-County, weighing 10 lbs.

David's great grandfather moved onto this farm in 1878.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
80
383422BENDIX, HAROLD AND AGNES LORINEJohn and Anna Bendix moved into Otter Tail County near Henning in 1918, where they lived for twelve years. In 1930 they moved to Compton Township onto the Olaus Anderson estate. There were nine children: Norma, Harold, Esther, Gerhard, Doretta,

Bernice, Bernadine, Harvey and Virgil.

John and Ida Lorine left the Olaus Anderson farm and moved to their own farm. There were four children: Ellis, Agnes, Hilda and Vernon.

Harold and Agnes married in 1937. They had three children: Harris, J. David and Sandra. AU three live in Compton.

In 1947 Harold and Agnes purchased the Olaus Anderson estate. In 1954, they added the Leonard Johnson farm, making the farm a half section.

Harris married Shirley Truax. They purchased the Alfred Anderson home. Harris works in the Deer Creek bank. He has for thirty-one years. Sandra married James Maloney. They purchased the John Haglund farm. David married Marie Hinders.

In 1972 when Harold and Agnes retired, David and Marie purchased the home farm.

Harris and Shirley have two children: Mitchell and Marcia. David and Marie have three children: Christy, Julia and Melody. Sandra and Jim have two children: Rodney and Bonnie. Bonnie married Tom Ahlers and they have three children: Shana, John and Mike. Rodney married Lisa McLeod and they have three children: Casey, Jason and Chelsea.

Harold and Agnes live in the home that used to be the Leonard Johnson home.

David being the great grandson of Olaus Anderson, makes the home farm in the family over a hundred years. This makes it a Century Farm.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
81
384423BENGSTON, HENRYHenry Bengtson was born April 2, 1906 in Blowers Township. Bertha Windels, the daughter of Max and Jennie Windels, was born Aug. 16, 1905 in Homestead Township. They were married Jan. 8, 1930 in Sebeka, Minnesota, and purchased the John Kray Winkel farm in 1936. They farmed there until 1972, when they sold out and moved to Wadena.

Henry and Bertha Bengtson had two children: Leland, born Feb. 24, 1932, who married Irene Stoltz on Feb. 8, 1958 in New York Mills. They have four children: Gary, 1959; Dean, 1960; Calvin, 1961; and Kayleen, 1962. Leland passed away March 23, 1964.

Bernice was born Feb. 13, 1936 and she married Harlow Names on June 25, 1955. They had a lawn wedding at her parents' home. They have five children: Susan, 1956; Linda, 1958; Sandra, 1960, Mary, 1964; and Mitchel, 1971.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
82
385424BENGTSON, AMBER GUSTAFSONGustaf Magnuson was born in Viskafors, Sweden, June 4, 1837. He married Anna Gill in 1859. They had four children. The oldest, Frank, immigrated to Canada in 1880 to build railroads. He encouraged his father to join him in 1882. Frank homesteaded in Blowers Township in 1885. He married Hilda Lindberg in May, 1891. Hilda died in 1934 and Frank died in 1951. Gustaf returned to Sweden and brought his wife and 2 sons to America. Their son, Adolph, 19, died enroute in New York City. Carl was 6 years old. Gustaf homesteaded the farm where his granddaughter, Amber Bengtson, resides in 1885. A daughter, Christina was married and stayed in Sweden.

Gustaf passed away at 101 in 1939. Anna passed away at 92 in 1929, shortly after they had celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary.

Carl Gustafson farmed the homestead. He married Ida Moses, May 4, 1918. Ida was born in Erie Township, Becker County on August 6, 1887. She taught school for 12 years. Carl and Ida had one daughter, Amber, born January 16, 1920. Ida died September 26, 1935. Carl died April 25, 1975.

Amber married Melvin Bengtson Dec. 18, 1939. Melvin was the son of Martin and Mary Johnson Bengtson who were married Nov. 18, 1889. Melvin's grandparents Nels and Johannah Swanson Bengtson were also pioneers of Otter Tail County. Their farm in Blowers Township was homesteaded in 1882.

Melvin and Amber had four children. Melvin Chester 1942; Douglas 1950-, Constance 1951; Christine 1958.

Melvin married Shirley Schneider. They live in Rosemount, MN. and have 3 children. Sherry in Mankato, Michael and wife Cathy (Nelson) in St. Cloud and Sheila in Minneapolis.

Douglas married Kathy Hokanson. They live in Northfield and have 3 children, Heidi, Hokan and Hans.

Constance married Charley Smith and resides in Portland, Oregon. They have 2 girls, Candace and Christine. Christine married Joseph Bemstetter. They live at St. Joseph, MN. and have Aaron, Andrew and Anna.

Melvin Bengtson passed away June 1969.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
83
386425BENGTSON, MARTINMartin Bengtson was born in Skone, Sweden on Dec. 28, 1865 and came with his parents to the United States when he was 17 years of age.

They settled on a farm in Blowers Township, Section 4, which his parents homesteaded in 1882.

He worked at the sawmills in Paddock until he married Mary Johnson of Corliss, Minnesota on Nov, 18, 1889. They lived in an extra dwelling on his parents' farm and on Nov. 29, 1895, he bought the 197-acre farm for $500 and other considerations, mentioned here:

Martin’s parents were to occupy the dwelling they lived in, also six rods of land adjoining, paid house yearly support free of cost, 30 bushels of wheat, $25.00 in money, I bushel potatoes, 3 acres of land to be seeded and harvested, 1 cow, 2 sheep, and all the firewood needed.

Thirteen children were born to this union. He retired in 1937 and moved to Sebeka, where he passed away in 1953.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
84
387426BENHARDUS, BENBen Benhardus came to Star Lake Township and bought about 500 acres in sections 7 and 8. He taught school in the Gow district and Vogel district # 129 (1909-1910). He used to walk back and forth from home to school. He died in 1914.

Augustinus Benhardus came to Bens' place, after his brothers' death, from the Sandstone area. He came to prepare the home for his family. The family stayed at Ashby for a few weeks before coming to the Star Lake home. Then they stayed with some of the Star Lake neighbors, while the home was being finished. They lived in Star Lake for about seven years. The family moved to South Dakota and stayed there for five years, and came back to Star Lake to live. While in South Dakota, the children attended Wallace School (about 1925). Hubert Humphrey attended school here at one time.

Augustinus Benhardus' folks came from Norway. His dad was a doctor.

Jennie Huggets' folks came from England. From the East, they came to Ashby by covered wagon.

Augustinus and Jennie were married. To this union ten children were born, namely: Lillian, Marie, George, Gladys (Irene), Ernest, Earl, Bessie, Raymond, Marvin, and Fern. Marie lives in Star Lake.

Augustinus Benhardus, born January 11, 1884, died November 7, 1939.

Jennie Hugget Benhardus, born March 9, 1888, died September 22, 1970.

The family spent some of their time picking stones from the fields and picking berries in the woods and meadows. Families would raise wheat, thresh it, and haul it to the Maine Mill to be ground into flour. Many families made this a yearly trip for the year's supply of flour. The flour might include coarse flour, bran, shorts, white flour, and cracked wheat. Some would trade part of their flour to pay for the milling. Some would raise cane, which would be stripped and then taken to Frank Vogel's sorghum press to be made into sorghum syrup. Many used "Sulphur and Molasses" for a spring tonic. Balm of Gilead and lard were used for sores.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
85
388427BENKE, NORBERT AND CAROLNorbert Benke, son of Elmer and Emma Benke, was born in 1938 on the home farm near Dent on which he was the forth generation owner. He married Carol Bowker in 1958 who came from Stanley, North Dakota in 1954 and moved to Minnesota with her parents, Louis and Stella Bowker.
86
389428BENNISONSAfter World War Two the Bennisons and the Vogels from Fargo, N.D. started looking for Lake Property within easy driving distance from Fargo.
87
390429BENTZ, ALEXANDERMy Grandmother, Emma Celesta Joslin, was born in Cattarangus County, New York State, September 20, 1856, and came with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Artimus Joslin to LeSueur, Minnesota, in 1870. My Grandfather, William Henry West, was born in Indiana, May 14, 1854, and came with his parents to LeSueur. He and Grandmother were married April 6, 1876. My mother, Charlotte Adaline West, was born October 17, 1877, in LeSueur, and came with her parents by ox team and covered wagon to Oak Valley Township, East Otter Tail County, in 1878, where they took a homestead and built a little log cabin on the S.W. ¼-18-133N. R. 36 W. Here it stood for many years, and the other four children, Lewellyn, Arthur, Edgar, and Annie were born here. My mother was married here on Christmas Day, 1892.

Alexander Bentz, my father, was born April 11, 1870 in Ontario, Canada. He came with his parents to Winfred, South Dakota, where the family homesteaded in 1879, putting together and living in a little sod house, where they went through the long winter, 1880-1881, told about by Laura Ingalls Wilder in her book "The Long Winter". My father told of how the family existed on corn his mother ground with the coffee grinder and of which she made mush and gruel. The following year his parents and rest of family moved on to Missouri, later coming back to Omaha, Nebraska, where they lived the rest of their lives. My father stayed in South Dakota, working on ranches until coming to Oak Valley Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota. He and mother met and were married, in 1892. They went to Omaha, Nebraska, the following year, where I was born November 16, 1894. I was about a year old when they came back to Oak Valley and settled in a little log cabin on 40 acres in the NW¼-N.W.¼-20133-36, through which the delightful little Bluff Creek ran, and where my sister, Blanche Bentz-Curtis was born June 18, 1902. In later years she taught many rural schools in the county; Folden, Leaf Mountain, Spruce Lawn, East Oak Valley, and Bowman School, to name a few.

In the early days both my father and grandfather made some much needed cash by trapping raccoon, mink, weasel, and skunk, during the winter months. My father also worked on threshing machines in the autumn months in the Clitherall area, working several weeks before coming home, going and coming either by bicycle or walking the many miles, all for fifty cents a day. For a time my father got part-time work at a sawmill across the road.

There were no near neighbors until 1898 when the Arthur Chapman family came from Iowa by covered wagon and horses and settled on the land next to where we were living. Other settlers came and it was felt that there should be a permanent place of worship, so my father along with others built the church known as "Union Corners" a short distance from where we lived. It is still in good repair and open each Sunday for the purpose for which it was built.

In the Fall of 1901 my father and my mother's uncle, Charlie Joslin, purchased and operated one of the first steam threshing outfits in that immediate area. In those days it took a dozen or more men to get the threshing done. A large horse drawn tank was filled with water to be used in an engine and the Tanker, as he was called, often had to drive a mile or two to some stream or pond to fill the tank. It was a lark for the children to be at Grandma's house at threshing time for a week, or longer if it rained. There were pies, etc. by the dozens and a long table filled with good home cooked foods, and 12 or 15 hungry men doing justice to it.

In 1905 our family moved to Sec. 6 about 3 miles north of the first home, graduating from a little round log house with small lean-to to a hewn log house, lath and plastered inside, a bit larger than the first home and with a bedroom for me. In later years the folks had an addition put on and the entire house stuccoed on the outside. This is the house where my youngest sister, Opal, was born, June 8, 1910, and where she was married to Irwin H. Isakson, May 31, 1942 just before he joined the Air Force for over-seas duty in World War II. The folks lived here until Father passed away in March, 1944. He had dug many miles of ditches around the area for farmers wishing to have land drained to put into production, using a six-inch wide spade, 17 inches long, not including the handle. All digging was done by hand. He later purchased a herd of cows and went into the dairy business which he was still carrying on when he passed away.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
88
391430BEREND, WALTER AND ELAINEWalter was born the youngest of the 14 children of John and Johanna Ostroski Berend. John Berend was a German born in Poland and Johanna Ostroski was Polish born in Germany.

John and Johanna immigrated to America in the 1890's. They met in Brooklyn, New York, where they married and lived for several years. They moved to the Vergas area shortly after 1900.

Walter was born December 7. 1921, in Dora Township near Vergas.

Elaine Diederichs Berend was born December 7, 1924. Yes, the two share the same birthdate! She is the only child of Henry and Millie Diederichs of Edna Township near Dent.

Walter attended school near Vergas and Elaine went to school near Dent. She graduated from Perham High School and attended Teachers' Training classes at Park Rapids and also at Moorhead State.

The two met while Elaine was teaching at a rural school near Vergas. They were married June 1, 1947. After moving frequently they finally bought their present home in 1959.

A daughter, Rebecca, who lives with her husband Darrell Nielson and daughter Meredith in Springfield, MN, and a son, Mark, who with his wife Leah now lives in Fairfield, TX, are the family they're so proud to claim.

Elaine worked as a high school secretary for over 20 years, retiring in 1989. She now enjoys her retirement and volunteer work at the Perham Clinic, Nursing Home, and church.

Walter was a farmer, in the trenching, construction, and auctioning businesses. He still continues as an auctioneer, working at the Perham Livestock Auction and at some private sales.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
89
392431BERG, JULIANJulian Berg was born in Otter Tail County to Casper and Betsy (Moon) Berg. There were three boys and six girls born to this marriage and one adopted girl. Their names are: Christine (Rossum) and Catherine (Peterson) - twins; Bernice (Peterson), Margaret (Lerbakken), Alice (Gunderson), Lenore (Gunderson), Delores (Gamelgaard), Bennet, and Odin.

Julian's father (Casper) was born in Norway. He immigrated to America when he was seven years old. Julian's mother was born in America. Julian's mother and father settled first in Idaho. His two oldest sisters were born while in Idaho. Casper Berg came to Hubbard Co. in northern Minnesota where he worked in the logging business to build up his finances. He then moved his family from Idaho to the farming lands near Pelican Rapids, MN; this farm in Norwegian Grove, became the permanent home of Casper Berg family.

Julian was married to Ione Mickelson for twenty years and was living in Pelican Rapids.

There were hardship years, especially in the 1930's. Living on a farm during those years, we raised our own food.

Julian drove gravel trucks, working for Otter Tail Co. for two years. He got work with Rural Electric Association in Pelican Rapids - worked there for 35 years. He retired at the age of 62 years, traveled, later moved in with his brother, Bennet. He now resides in Memorial Home.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
90
393432BERG, ODINOdin Berg was born March 8, 1925 in Otter Tail County to Casper and Betsy (Moon) Berg. There were three boys and six girls born to this marriage and one adopted girl. Their names are: Christine (Rossum) and Catherine (Peterson) - twins; Bernice (Peterson), Margaret (Lerbakken), Alice (Gunderson), Lenore (Gunderson), Delores (Gamelgaard), Bennet, and Julian.

Odin's father (Casper) was born in Norway. He immigrated to America when he was seven years old. Odin's mother was born in America. Odin's mother and father settled first in Idaho. His two oldest sisters were born while in Idaho. Casper Berg came to Hubbard County in northern Minnesota where he worked in the logging business to build up his finances. He then moved his family from Idaho to the farming lands near Pelican Rapids, Minnesota; this farm in Norwegian Grove, became the permanent home of Casper Berg Family.

Odin attended school District 48, through seventh grade. He remained at home until he was sixteen at which time he left to work for a farmer near Rothsay for about four years.

In 1945, he joined the Armed Forces. He served in the army in the South Pacific until he was discharged in 1946.

He left for Grand Forks where he worked in construction for both buildings and roads for the next twenty years.

Odin lived on Big Pine Resort and worked for "Lund Boats" in New York Mills for ten years. Odin's favorite hobby is woodworking. He continues with his work at the Perham Memorial Home where he is a resident. Odin never married.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
91
394433BERGER, ALBERTAlbert D. Berger, son of Henry and Minna Berger, was a life-long (1908-1963) resident of Edna Township, living on a farm about four miles northwest of the village of Dent. He and his sister, Augusta, attended the one-room school in District 237. For many years Albert farmed in partnership with his father. He enjoyed playing baseball, swimming, fishing, hunting and trapping. Also, he strummed a banjo in an orchestra that played for dances in the area.

In 1938 Albert married Evelyn Pausch, daughter of Edmund Pausch of Hobart Township. They purchased the family farm, which had belonged to Albert's parents and before that, to his grandparents. Their three sons, Donald, Dale and Alvin, received their elementary education in the same one-room school that their father had attended. The Bergers were a close-knit family, sharing work and recreation. They all participated in 4-H, and in school and church activities. Albert served as secretary-treasurer of the Weiman Cemetery Association, as a member of the school board, was P.T.A. officer, Township ASCS Committee Chairman, Secretary of the Farmers Equity of Dent and held various offices in his church.

In 1963 the Bergers had open house in observance of their 25th wedding anniversary which was followed by a "second honeymoon" trip to the Black Hills. Shortly thereafter Albert suddenly succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage. Two years later the remaining Berger family, (Evelyn, Don, Dale and Alvin), rented out the family farm, enrolled in colleges and all attended full time for three consecutive years - Evelyn at Moorhead State; Donald at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul; Alvin at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; and Dale in graduate work at the University of California, Los Angeles. The three boys put themselves through college and lent money to their mother.

After receiving her B.S. degree in Elementary Education, Evelyn specialized in reading. Since the fall of 1967 she has been a Reading Consultant for the elementary schools in the city of Detroit Lakes and is also tutoring children in reading. Professional roles include membership in the National Education Association, Minnesota Education Association, Detroit Lakes Education Association (current treasurer), International Reading Association, Minnesota Reading Association, N.W. Minnesota Reading Council (two terms as secretary), Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority (a past chaplain, vice-president and president, and current historian of the Detroit Lakes Chapter), and the Minnesota Academy of Reading. During this school term Evelyn has participated in conducting eight reading workshops for the State Department of Education for teachers in northern and western Minnesota. She has also had training in the Laubach Method of tutoring adults in reading. In 1972 Evelyn assumed the financial responsibility of sponsoring a needy orphan in India, and at present is also sponsoring a child in Mexico and one in South Dakota.

Donald managed the family farm for several years after graduation from high school. He then entered the University of Minnesota at St. Paul where he obtained a B.S. degree and teaching certificate in Agriculture Education. After teaching high school agriculture in Fertile, Minnesota for several years, Donald served as a Peace Corps volunteer trainer, and Education Officer for the Ministry of Education in Jamaica for three years. He was accepted at the University of Florida for advanced study of tropical agriculture and is currently enrolled as a graduate student in agronomy.

Dale graduated from the University of Minnesota where he was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa key along with his B.S. degree in mathematics. Following a year of teaching high school mathematics in Torrance, California, he entered graduate school in psychology at the University of California at Los Angeles. After receiving his Ph.D., he took a six-month trip around the world, and then joined the psychology faculty at Claremont Graduate School in southern California. He teaches statistics, research methodology and cognitive psychology, and has published research in problem solving and memory.

Alvin attended the Institute of Technology at the University of Minnesota where he received his bachelor's degree as a mechanical engineer. Alvin is currently employed by Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, where he works on advanced engine design. His department is currently developing a low emission four-cylinder engine projected for production five years from now. As a hobby, Alvin has been active in racing automobiles and motorcycles.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
92
395434BERGER, HENRYHenry Berger was born in Marxlah, Rhineland, Germany on Oct. 11. 1870. As a boy, he worked for a farmer. Later when he became of age, he went to work in the coal mines.

In March, 1893, at the age of 23 years, he and his brother John emigrated to North America. Their destination was Perham. They stayed with friends in the Dent area.

His parents, Albert Diederichs and Mathilda Pollmann Berger, and all the family came to America in 1895 and settled on a farm in the Big McDonald Lake area in Edna Township.

In the early days, Henry Berger maintained himself by working for the area farmers, cutting wood, grubbing trees, clearing land and whatever work there was to be done. He spent a summer working with a telephone line crew in northeastern North Dakota, building new telephone lines. He also worked in North Dakota as a farm hand in the harvest fields and doing general farm work. He spent several summers guiding and rowing boats for fishermen who vacationed in the area.

On November 30, 1905, he was united in marriage with Minna Weimann, daughter of Herman and Augusta Hofmann Weimann of Dora Township. They settled on a small farm in Edna Township. Two children were born to this union: a daughter, Augusta (Mrs. Robert Walde, Sr.) born March 15, 1907, and a son, Albert, born Aug. 19, 1908.

In 1913 they purchased and moved onto his parents' farm near Big McDonald Lake where they successfully farmed until 1943, when their son took over the farming operations and they retired and moved to Perham, Henry Berger lived here until his death on April 17, 1952 at the age of 81 years.

Death claimed Mrs. Minna Berger on Nov. 10, 1954 at Perham. She was born Sept. 17, 1885 in Dora Township. Their burial place is on the Weimann Community Cemetery in Dora Township. They were members of Zion's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Perham.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
93
396435BERGER, THE FOUR GENERATION FARMIn June of 1897, Albert and Mathilda Diederichs (stepfather and mother of Henry Berger) purchased the present Berger farm east of Big McDonald Lake. Their first building was a log barn that served as their home until their two-room, two-story, log house was completed in 1898. The larger of the two rooms served as their kitchen, dining and living room. The smaller room was master bedroom.

A trap door opened from the living room ceiling to the loft. A rope ladder, fastened to the ceiling by day, was lowered at bedtime for the children to climb into the loft. They slept on mattresses filled with cornhusks and covered with feather filled ticking.

In 1909 a large frame addition was built over a full-size basement. The basement walls, made of large rocks perfectly fitted, with a smoothed side toward the interior, was all hand crafted and is still structurally sound today!

The 18’*24’ addition served as kitchen and dining room, and the second floor as a large bedroom. A stairway was built to replace the rope ladder and trap door. Also, wood siding then covered the entire house.

In 1913, Henry and Minna Berger purchased the farm They had two children, Augusta and Albert. A basement was dug under the log structure. The walls and floor were made o concrete. A bedroom was added onto the living room and porch onto the kitchen.

In 1926, 21 years before rural electrification was available, a 32-volt storage battery light plant was installed in the basement. A kerosene engine powered generator was used to recharge the batteries. They furnished electrical power for water pump, washing machine, cream separator, lights, radio, and electric iron. While the iron was in use, the kerosene engine had to run continuously.

The original bedroom was converted to a bathroom. Water, heated by coiled copper tubing in the firebox of the wood-burning kitchen range, was forced into a nearby pressure tank and from there to the kitchen sink faucets and to the bathroom.

In 1938 Albert married Evelyn Pausch, after which they operated the farm and later purchased. They had three sons, Donald, Dale and Alvin. A wind-powered generator mounted on top of a 50-foot tower supplemented the kerosene generator. A fuel oil furnace was installed and a kerosene-burning refrigerator was purchased. In 1940, a tractor replaced the horses for fieldwork.

In 1947, the Rural Electrification Administration provided electricity, which replaced the Berger's 32-volt system. New purchases included milking machines, an arc welder, grain-and-hay elevator, and drinking cups for the cattle, pigs, and chickens. A utility room was added to the house, and the kitchen received built-in cabinets, fluorescent lamps, and many other electrical appliances.

In 1963, Albert Berger died. Two years later Evelyn and sons rented out the farm and all continued their education.

Donald, a scientist with the University of Florida, lives with his wife Patricia, in Tallahassee. They have two children, Lee and Charles. Dale, head of the psychology department at Claremont Graduate Schools, lives with wife Peggy and children, Laura and Eric in Claremont, California. Alvin, a mechanical engineer with Ford Motor Company, lives with wife Gladys and children, Alex and Anita, near Detroit, Michigan.

Evelyn was a reading specialist in the Detroit Lakes school system until her retirement. The Berger farm is still her home. She now shares ownership with her three sons, the fourth generation owners.

The farmland has not been cultivated since 1992 when the Bergers began selling Lake-shore lots. Every summer, most of the Bergers spend some time together on the farm.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
94
397436BERGMAN, ELDON AND VIEldon and Vi Bergman moved to Frazee, Minnesota, in 1971. Eldon was born in Evansville, Minnesota and Vi was born in LaMoure, North Dakota. Eldon was high school counselor for Frazee High School for seven years and now teaches math. He also coached basketball and coaches volleyball and baseball. Vi is a Registered Nurse and is employed at the Frazee Care Center. They have two children. Scott married Roxanne Krueger of Worthington, Minnesota and they have one daughter. Joni is married to Jerry Bellefeuelle of Frazee, Minnesota and they have one son and one daughter.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
95
398437BERNS WEIS, JACOB AND KATHERINEJacob Berns, prosperous farmer, stock raiser, and businessman in Rush Lake Township, was born in Bavaria, Germany. He was the son of Jacob and Katherine Simmer Berns. Jacob grew up in Mercer County, Ohio, moved to Otter Tail County in 1870. He worked in the lumber business and, along with other men, built the first building in Perham. He was also in the blacksmith business and machinery sales. After three years he went back to Minneapolis and engaged in engineering a concrete wall forty feet below the Miss. Falls. He then went back to Ohio.

In 1875 he married Katherine Weis in Ohio. They came back to Rush Lake Township and purchased a hundred acres in Section 3 of Rush Lake Township. Later he purchased 80 acres east of Perham and 20 acres of woods in Rush Lake Township.

They farmed the Rush Lake farm for many years. When they moved to the Perham farms, their two sons, Leo and Henry, and daughter, Regina continued farming the Rush Lake farm for several years. Henry married Mary Shields and moved to Iowa. Regina married Charley Shields and moved to a farm they purchased at Richville. Leo married Agatha Siebels and continued farming there.

Jacob and Katherine raised nine children. Barney made his home in California, Jerome in Montana, Aurelia in South Dakota, Mary and Leonida in Ohio, Henry moved to Iowa and Simon to Minneapolis. Regina and Leo remained in Otter Tail County.

Jacob and Katherine were members of St. Joe church and are buried in St. Joe Parish Cemetery.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
96
399438BERNU, JOHNOne of the hardy pioneers who settled in the New York Mills community was John Bernu. He migrated from Kalvia, Vaasa, Finland as a young man to New York Mills. He homesteaded an eighty-acre piece of land in Otter Tail County, Leaf Lake Township, adjacent to his brother Leander Bernu who had previously come to America. John as a single man cleared some of the land and built a log cabin home. In 1886 he was married to Ida Loviisa Hill who had come to New York Mills from Lobtaja, Vaasa, Finland.

Ten children, six boys and four girls, were born to this early pioneer family. When the youngest child, a boy, was 1½ years old, the much-needed mother passed away. John Bernu raised his motherless family and when the youngest was 18 years old, he passed away at the age of 75 years. Two daughters, Mrs. Martha Jacobson of Bottineau, N. Dakota and Mrs. Senia Pohtilla of Minneapolis, Minnesota and five sons, Effer and Matt of New York Mills, William of Southgate, California and Chares and Ernest of Minneapolis, Minnesota are still living, the youngest being 72 years and the oldest 88 years old. One son, Waino, passed away at 8 years of age and two daughters, Mrs. Ida Bodas and Mrs. Hulda Mattson, are also deceased.



From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977
97
400439BERRY, DALEDale LaVeme Berry was born December 3,1933 in Richville, the son of Fred and Edna Berry. He entered service in 1957. He took his basic training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. Later he was stationed in California. After being discharged from the service he farmed with his brother Kenneth.

Dale was united in marriage to Marlene Malcolm March 27, 1964. They lived in Richville. Dale was employed as a mechanic and truck driver for Mark Sand and Gravel out of Fergus Falls. They now farm at Basswood.

Children: James LaVeme, born September 10, 1967. He entered the service in 1986. He was in the Service three years. On August 21, 1989, he was united in marriage to Sabine Gerkin. He is now Staff Sergeant E-6 in the National Guards. He also is 2nd Degree Black Belt-tae-Kwon Do. He teaches 75 students.

Ronald Martin Berry was born September 16, 1970. He drives a truck.

Kristi Lynn Berry was born February 14, 1975. She was united in marriage to Chad Conklin on July 30, 1993.

Dale and Marlene have one grandson, Derrick Dale.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
98
401440BERRY, FREDFred Martin Berry was born October 26, 1890 in Richville. He was the oldest son of Ludger and Annie Berry. At the time of his birth, the area around Richville was still a vast woodland. Many wild animals roamed in the woods. Fred told about a huge bear that was being hunted near Marion Lake. In its outrage after being wounded it uprooted many small trees before finally being captured. Fred also told of being chased by a lynx. After reaching safety he saw the animal on the roof of an adjacent building. As a young man he helped his father on the farm and with the operation of the sawmill and a threshing machine.

In 1913 he married Edna Fairchild, daughter of James and Lucy Gilbert Fairchild. At that time they lived in the old hotel in Richville until he could build a house on the Berry farm. Later they moved to the Fairchild farm in Basswood while Edna's parents went to Montana by covered wagon. Marjorie and Stanley were born at Basswood. When the Fairchilds returned. Fred bought forty acres of land from his father in-law. He moved the granary that he had built to the forty acres and remodeled it for a home.

Later they sold the farm in Basswood and bought property across the road from his father. Thus he was closer to help his father operate the sawmill and the threshing rig.

Kenneth, Dale and Pearl were born near Richville.

Fred had served on the Richville Village Board, the School Board and the Richville Creamery Board.

Mr. Berry continued running the threshing machine until the late forties. He also helped neighbors for miles around take care of their sick cattle and horses, especially in the early 1930's and 1940's when many horses were getting sleeping sickness.

After living for a while near Frazee they moved to a farm on Boedigheimer Lake. Fred was very interested in the youth of the community. He donated the use of an area of land for a ball diamond, and umpired many of their ball games.

Edna passed away suddenly in Oct. 1949. Fred continued farming with the assistance of Kenneth, Dale and Pearl. Fred passed away in Feb. 1953.

Marjorie Berry, daughter of Fred and Edna Berry, was born Oct. 8, 1915. She was united in marriage to George Clifford Stewart on Oct. 4, 1940 in Perham. They spent two years in the North Woods where Clifford worked in the lumber camps. They returned to Rush Lake Township near his parents to build a home and take up farming. Later, because the farm became too small, they purchased a larger farm in Dead Lake township near Dent.

Pearl Ilene Berry, daughter of Fred and Edna Berry, was born Nov. 20. 1930. She graduated from Perham High School in 1948. During 1948-49 she attended Normal School in Fergus Falls. Before attending Moorhead State College she taught in Dist. # 179 and Dist. #240. In 1952 Pearl received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Moorhead State College. She then taught elementary school at New York Mills.

In 1956 Pearl was united in marriage to Calvin Muckala of

New York Mills.

Dale Leverne Berry, son of Fred and Edna Berry, was born Dec. 3. 1933. He graduated from Perham High School in 1952. He entered service in 1957. He took his basic training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas where he trained to be a mechanic. Later he was stationed in California. After being discharged from service he farmed for awhile with his brother, Kenneth. Dale also played on the Richville baseball team. He is now employed as a mechanic for Mark Sand and Gravel of Fergus Falls.

Dale was united in marriage to Malene Malcolm March 27, 1964. They live in the Village of Richville.

James Leverne Berry was born Sept. 10, 1967, Ronald Martin Berry was born Sept. 16, 1970 and Kristi Lynn Berry was born Feb. 14,1975.

Stanley Eugene Berry was born July 3, 1920. He helped his father on the farm and with the threshing crew. He entered the Service and took his basic training at Fort Belvoir, Virginia and at Camp Butner. North Carolina. He was discharged in 1943. He returned home to help farm.

He was united in marriage to Esther Edholm. Esther was teaching in Dist. #239 and also in Dent before they bought a farm and moved to Compton Township east of Deer Creek. Esther taught in Compton and in Deer Creek before going to Finland Minnesota where she taught and later became principal of the Finland Elementary School. In 1953 they sold their farm. Stanley started work for the State Highway Department of Elgin City, MN. He also served as a part-time Deputy Sheriff of Lake County for over twenty years.

One son, Eddy, was born near Deer Creek. After attending Heavy Equipment School in Staples and the Dunwoody School of Welding, he married Diane Woolever of Finland, Minnesota. Eddy served thirty months with the Seabees, sixteen of which were in Vietnam. He settled in Minneapolis where he works on construction and welding. Diane is a Work Expediter in the Word Processing Center at the Northwestern National Bank's main office in Minneapolis.

Kenneth Dean Berry was born July 10, 1928. He graduated from Perham High School in 1946. He was inducted in the army Dec. 13. 1953. He took his basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas. He also attended Radio School at Camp Chaffe, Arkansas. Kenneth was then sent to Germany where he was stationed with the 14th A.F.A. Battalion, Battery B. 2nd Armored Division. He was discharged Dec. 13, 1956.

He was united in marriage to Kathleen Malcolm April 12, 1964 in Richville. He farmed for a while on his dad's farm near Boedigheimer Lake. Later he moved to Rush Lake. He is now employed as a supervisor with the McGowan Sodding Co. Kenneth enjoyed playing baseball and was the pitcher for the Richville team for several years. The ball diamond for the Richville team was located on the Berry farm.

Valerie Ann Berry, the oldest daughter, was born with a heart defect and lived only a few hours.

Brian Scott Berry was born Feb. 13, 1966. Colleen Marie Berry was born Feb. 21, 1968 and Shelly Lynn Berry was born Nov. 30, 1971.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977






FRED BERRY


Fred Martin Berry was born October 26,1890 in Richville. He was the oldest son of Ludger and Annie Berry. At the time of his birth, the area around Richville was still a vast woodland. As a young man he helped his father on the farm with the operation of a sawmill and a threshing machine.

In 1913 he married Edna Adela Fairchild. They lived for a while in the old hotel in Richville. They built a house on the Berry farm, later they moved to the Fairchild farm at Basswood, while Edna's parents traveled to Montana by covered wagon. Later the farm at Basswood was sold and they bought property across the road from his father. Fred continued running the threshing machine until the late forties. He also helped neighbors for miles around taking care of their sick cattle and horses, especially in the 1930's and 1940's when many horses were infected with sleeping sickness.

Fred had served on the Richville Village Board, the School Board and the Richville Creamery Board.

After living for a while near Frazee, the Berry family moved to a farm on the west-side of Boedigheimer Lake.

Marjorie Winnefred was born October 8, 1915 at Basswood. Stanley Eugene was also born at Basswood July 3, 1920. Kenneth Dean born July 10, 1928, Pearl Ilene born November 20, 1930 and Dale LeVeme Born December 3, 1933 came into the world in Richville.

Stanley entered the service and took his training at Fort Belvoir, Virginia and at Fort Butner, North Carolina. He was discharged from service in 1942. He married Esther Edholm January 22, 1944 at Wadena. He died November 5, 1989. They have one son, Eddy Gene, born December 1, 1946.

Fred died in 1953. Edna died in 1949. Both were laid to rest in the Richville Village Cemetery.

Marjorie married George Clifford Stewart October 4, 1940.

Pearl married Calvin Richard Muckala December 23, 1956.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
99
402441BERRY, KENNETHKenneth Dean Berry was born on July 10, 1928 in Richville, Minnesota, the son of Fred and Edna Berry. He was inducted into the army Decemberl3, 1953. He took his basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas. He attended Radio School at Camp Chaffie, Arkansas. Kenneth served two years as a tank commander in the United States Army in Germany.

Kenneth farmed near Richville. He liked to play ball. He was the pitcher for the Richville Ball Team. He was united in marriage to Kathleen Malcolm, April 12, 1964. Kenneth worked as a landscaper twenty years for the McGowan Construction of Otter Tail.

Children born were:

Valerie Ann who died a few days after birth.

Brian Scott, born February 13, 1966. He served in the army stationed in Garlstedt, Germany. He also served in the Gulf War.

Colleen Marie Berry was born February 21, 1968. She was united in marriage to Kurt LaPoint, June 13, 1992. She attended Detroit Lakes Technical College.

Shelly Lynn Berry was born November 30, 1971. She was united in marriage to Monte Bowman June 10, 1993. She has one son Steven Scott Day.

Kenneth died May 30, 1987 and is laid to rest in the Richville Village Cemetery.

After Kenneth passed away, Kathy went to the Wadena Technical College. She graduated from Rhema Bible College in 1991. She now lives in North Carolina.






From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994
100
403442BERRY, LUDGERLudger Berry was born at Marquette, Michigan June 21, 1859. He came to Rush Lake Township in 1883 as a surveyor. He homesteaded a half-mile west and a half-mile south of Richville, where he lived for fifty years.

He farmed and was a well-known thresher and saw mill operator. It was said that he could get more lumber out of a tree than any other sawer in this locality. He was head sawer in the stave mill in Richville in the early 1900's.

Annie Reeder came to the St. Joe Community in 1873 with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Reeder, when seven years of age, by covered wagon from Iowa. Her parents homesteaded land now owned by Thomas V. Delaney. George Reeder was captain of the volunteers who organized a militia to put down the Indian uprising at Little Pine Lake, which was settled amicably.

Mr. Berry was married to Annie Reeder, Nov. 24, 1885. Eleven children were born to them. Their oldest daughter died at the age of nineteen just before she was to be married. Two younger sons also passed away at an early age, Joe at six having been kicked by a horse, and Richard at eighteen months.

The rest of the family grew up and married in this community. Clara (Mrs. George Fiedler) settled in Saskatchewan, Canada: Angie (Mrs. Robert Bachmann); Agnes (Mrs. Harry Davies), Tillie (Mrs. Otto Paschke) lived in and around Perham; Elizabeth (Mrs. Cecil Simmons) lived in Dilworth. Fred farmed near Richville; Herbert who died in 1964 and Ed settled at Valley City, North Dakota.

Tillie and Elizabeth (Lee) now live at Perham, Minnesota. The rest have passed away.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume I 1977






LUDGER BERRY


Ludger Berry married November 24,1885 to Anna Rieder, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Rieder.

Anna Rieder was born March 9, 1886 in Iowa. She came to the St. Joe neighborhood with her parents at the age of seven. They lived on the farm that is known as the Tom Delaney farm. Her father, George Rieder, was captain of the volunteers who organized a militia to put down an Indian uprising in Pine Lake Township.

Ludger Berry was born at Marquette, Michigan, June 21, 1859. He came to Rush Lake Township in 1883 as a surveyor. He homesteaded a half-mile west and half mile south of Richville.

He farmed and was a well-known thresher and saw mill operator. It was said that he could get more lumber out of a tree than any other sawyer. He was head sawyer in the stave mill in Richville in the early 1900's.

Eleven children were born to his union.

Catherine, born September 17, 1886, died at the age of eighteen.

Clara Lena, born June 14, 1888, died in Canada.

Mrs. George Fiedler of Gravelburt, Canada.

Fred Martin, born October 20, 1889, died February 14, 1953.

Angelina Caroline, born September 14, 1891, married Robert Bachmann, January 1912.

Agnes Lavina born October 28, 1893, married Harry Davies, September 14, 1915.

Edward William, born May 1, 1896.

Mattilda Josephine, born May 1, 1899, married Otto Paschke, June 10, 1925.

Herbert Leo, born January 22, 1901, married Matred Laney.

Joseph, born March 15, 1907, was killed by being kicked by a horse.

Richard August, born December 9, 1909, died at the age of eighteen months from meningitis.

Elizabeth Margaret, born March 16, 1915, married C. W. Simons of Dilworth.




From East Otter Tail County History Volume II 1994