The Lein Families of Otter Tail County, Minnesota

few men 111 the community life of Oscar township, this county, have taken a more active part in the civic affairs of that community than has Casper Lein, a well-known and prosperous retired farmer of that section of the county, who since 1871 has been a resident of Otter Tail county. Successful in hi- Farming ventures, Mr. Lein also has been prominently connected with other enterprises of a profitable character and is regarded as one of the most substantial men in his community. Eor some years he has been living a life of retirement from the active duties of the farm, his broad acres long ago having been turned over to his sturdy sons and he is now "taking life easy."

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Reared and educated in hinative country, Casper Lein did not.-me to America until he was twenty-six years of age. It was in [868 that he lam led in Quebec, shortly thereafter entering the United States, proceeding to Iowa, where for about two years he remained in Winneshiek county, engaged as a farm laborer. At the end of that time he decided to homestead a farm in Minnesota and with that end in view came to Otter Tail count\. the long journey being made by ox-team. Arriving in this county, he pre-empted one hundred and sixty-three acres in ( )scar township and proceeded to make a home for himself and his wife, he having married in Iowa, in [869, Christine Moe, who also was born in Norway, and who through all their years of activity in this county has proved a competent and valuable helpmate to him. From the very start, Casper Lein prospered and as he became financially able added from time to tune to his land holdings until at one time he was the owner of four hundred acres of choice land surrounding his home. As he retired from the active life of the farm. however, he. disposed of a part of this and turned the remainder over to his children, who are now managing the estate, he making his home with his son, Oscar, on the old home place.

To Casper and Christine (Moe) I. em nine children have been horn, Olaf, John. Nicoline, Bernard, Sophia. Carl, Oscar. Matilda and Attin. Mr. and Mr>. Lein are active and prominent members of the Lutheran church m their neighbors 1, of which Mr. Lein has been the treasurer for the past thirty-four years, and their children were brought up to the faithful observance of the tenets of that faith. Active in all neighborhood good works. Mr. and Mrs. Lein long have been held in the warmest esteem throughout that pari of the county and no one thereabout has more friends than have they.

For years Casper Lein has served the public faithfully and well as a justice of the peace in Oscar township and since 1885 has been clerk of the school district. From [873 to [906 he served as clerk of the township and for thirty-eight years was the township assessor. He was postmaster from [900 to [906, at Oscar. During several decades Ikserved the government as a collector of census statistics and also assisted several times in taking the census of the state of Minnesota. For twelve years he was the secretary-treasurer of the Oscar Township Farmers Mutual Insurance Association and is still serving as one of the directors of that excellent organization. lie also is a stockholder 111 the Carlisle Elevator Company and owns a goodsized block of stock 111 the Carlisle Hank as well as in the Scandinavian Bank of Fergus Falls. The civic distinctions which have come to Mr. Lein during his long and busy life in this county are ample evidences of the regard in which he is held generally in the community and his friends very properly are proud of the honors which have been bestowed upon him.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

One who has made a record of large and numerous accomplishment in connection with the practical affairs of life is Peter Lein, who is recognized as one of the most enterprising, resourceful and influential business men of his community. I lis life has been such as to entitle him to a place of distinction and unqualified public esteem. Through his own ability and efforts he has won success and has given his share to community development and prosperity.

Peter Lein was born in 1856, in Trondhjem, Norway, and is the son ii Peter and Barrel (Peterson) Lein. both of whom are deceased Bis father died in 1005 and her mother in iNoj. When the subject of this sketch was just twenty-four years old he came to America, in.March. t88o. He landed at Halifax and went by train to Montreal, w beta he remained a month. From there he went to Winnipeg, where he was employed for two years by a railroad company during its period of construction. His business career was initiated in [882, when he came to Fergus Falls and. with his brother, operated a butcher shop for a year. I lis next held of business activity was in the grocery store owned by Xels Elden, where for live Nearhe was employed as an assistant. During his engagement in business there he was married to.Mary Ann Sten, a native of Norway, and a woman of much persona] charm.

In the fall of 1888 Mr. Lein began an independent career as manager of the grocery which he now owns. A man of distinctive initiative and progressive ideas, he is a valued member of the community in which he lives, lie is extremely popular with all of his customers, whom he endeavors to please to the best of his ability. His diligence in business is equaled only by his devotion to Ins family, which includes his wife and four children. His eldest son, Bennie, is assistant cashier of the Scandia Bank. The other children are Emil, who is married and living in Minneapolis; Conrad, a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and Laura.

Aside from his business interests. Mr. Lein has always been interested ii! societies that promote good fellowship. He is a member of the Sons of Norway and of the Odd Fellows.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

< )lat Lein, a farmer living on the outskirts of Underwood, Otter Tail county Minnesota, is a native of the state of Iowa, born in Winneshiek county, June i_\ 1872, son of John and Marit (Randahl) Lein. John Lein- parents both lived and died in their native Norway, and while the parents of Marit Randahl were also Norwegians by birth, they in [870 or 1871 emigrated to America with their daughter and her husband. They all lived for a time in Iowa and after a few years the Randahl grandparents came to Otter Tail county, where they bought a farm located just west of where the village of Underwood now stands. There the grandparents spent the remainder of their days.

Both of Mr. Lein's parents were born in Norway and were there married and in the early seventies, as before stated, came to this country. At their home in Iowa he worked for a time on the railroad and then rented a fruit farm, where he spent some four years. About 1878 or 1870 he moved to Wilkin county, this state, when he purchased a farm of one hundred and. sixty acres, thirteen miles west of Fergus halls. The land wagood, but the buildings very poor indeed, and he gradually improved them until lie brought them up to good condition. He later sold out and moved to Fork, located in the northwest portion of this state, and there operated a small general store and was appointed postmaster, which position he held for a great many years. The mother's death occurred at that place in 1912 and the father then disposed of his little store to a son-in-law and moved to Warren, this state, where he entered into partnership with a friend and they are now doing a real-estate business. Both John Lein and his wife were members of the Lutheran church from childhood and in that faith have reared their family. There were originally eleven children in their family, six of whom grew to maturity. Inga was the wife of Theodore Sjordal, and died at her home in Underwood: Nicolena married 1. Ornis and lives at Fork, this state: Carl was from his boyhood a wanderer and his whereabouts at the present time are unknown; John lives at Warren, this state, where he is engaged in farming, and Christena is the wife of G. H. Gunheim.

Olaf Lein was the fourth child in the order of birth, and at the age of two years was taken into the home of his Grandfather Randahl, who reared him. He attended the public schools of Underwood and was taught practical farming on the grandfather's home place just west of Underwood, which is now Mr. Lein's home. On the death of the grandfather, Mr. Lein came into possession of the home. This at first had.contained eighty acres, but the grandfather had sold some three acres into town lots and Mr. Lein has platted and sold five additional acres, so his farm now consists of seventy-two acres. This is all in good condition, well improved and with good buildings, and he conducts a general farming business in addition to raising considerable live stock.

On November 15, 1893, Mr. Lein was united in marriage with Berit Sands, daughter of Thore and Guri (Holt) Sands, both natives of Trondhjem, Norway. They lived there several years after marriage, or until the time of the mother's death, in [881, when the father, with his four children emigrated to America. They settled in Sverdrup township, this county where be followed the carpenter trade and later took up farming. He lived for a time at Underwood but now resides in North Dakota, having retired from active duties. Mrs. Lein is the second child of the family, the eldest being Peter, who was an engineer and farmer in Oregon, where be died; Ragna is the wife of Gus Wanstedt and lives at White Deer, South Dakota, while Olaf. the youngest of the family, is a farmer in Canada.

Mr. and Mrs. Lein have a family of six children, namely: Florence, born on March 26, 1895; Thoralf, July 18, 1896; Jarl, September 16. [898; Leonard. April 6, 1902; Thelma, June 2. 1903, and Goodwin. February 19, 1910. Mr. Lein takes a commendable interest in all that affects the life of the community and is independent so far as politics are concerned. voting for the man of his choice. His life has been such that he stands high in the regard of those who know him.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.