The Lien Families of Otter Tail County, Minnesota

In the financial history of (titer fail county. Minnesota, particular mention is but the just right of the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. Mr. Lien is one of the self-made men of this county, having won his way to achievements to which many aspire, but few reach, lie has set an example of industry and thrift that could well be followed to advantage by the rising generation.

John Lien, farmer. Battle Lake. Amor township, < (tter fail county, was burn 011 July 28, [864, in Faribault county, Minnesota, and is a son of J. J. and Sigri (Nordskog) Lien. Ilis education was obtained at the public schools of the district, after which he took a normal course at Maukato. Minnesota, graduating it the end of three and one-half years. After completing his education. Mr. Lieu taught school lor five years in (liter fail county, and one year at Battle Fake, where he occupied the position of principal, and had entire charge of all the classes. After he took charge of the work, the school was rebuilt, and three teachers added to the educational staff. After his marriage, he located on a farm of eighty acres, which he had bought in the fall of [889, where he has since resided, and to which he has continued to add, -until he now owns a fine tract of five hundred and twenty-four acres of good agricultural land, all situated in Amor township. He has put extensive and valuable improvements on his place, including a substantial modern house and a new barn, erected in 1915.

The land at the time of purchase was mostly covered with timber, which Mr. Lien has cleared, and nut in good agricultural condition. Politically, he has long been a loyal Republican, and has been active in local politics for many years, having held the office of town clerk for twenty-six years, and a member of the school board for twenty-one years. Religiously, he belongs to the Swedish Lutheran church of Amor township, while his fraternal alliance is with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a director in the Sverdrup Insurance Company, with which he has been associated for the past nineteen years, and has held the office of president in the Otter Tail Co-operative Company for six years. He is president of the Telephone Compan) of Amor township. His particular interest on the farm is confined to the breeding and raising of Shorthorn cattle, of which he sells a great many each year.

J. J. Lien was born in Norway, and was united in marriage with Sigri Nordskog. He was educated in the old country, and came to America when about twenty-one years of age. landing at New York City, and moving direct to Iowa, where he was engaged as a day laborer at Spirit Lake, after which he squatted some land and did trapping and hunting until driven away by the Indians, after which he took up a homestead of one hundred and forty-three acres on the border of Lake Lura, near Delavan, Minnesota, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in June, 1889. Mis wife still lives on the home place, which is under the management of her son, Thomas J. Lien. The children born to J. J. and Sigri ( Nordskog) Lien are as follow: John, Ole, Thomas J., Elias, Elizabeth (who died at the age of twenty-seven years), Peter, Alfred, Halvor. Eva, Caroline and Arnold. Of these children, Alfred and Halvor are in Canada: Arnold is teaching at Boulder, Colorado, in the State University. J. I Lien was a member of the Lutheran church, in which he was a leader, always taking an active part in church work.

Joseph Lien, the paternal grandfather, was a farmer in Norway, where Inlived and died.

lohn Lien was united in marriage, March _>_'. [890, with Hannah Johnson, daughter of [bhn Johnson. She was born on August 2, 1867, in

Sweden, and came with her parents to America, locating in Amor township. Otter Tail county, Minnesota. Eleven children have been born to this union: Clarence T., Sarah, Mabel, Bert, Anton, Arne, Halvor, Marvin. Rhoda, Kenneth and Forest. Of this family of children, those married are: Sarah, who became the wife of Andrew Larson, and Mabel, who was married to Gilbert Murk and lives in Amor township.

Mr Lien occupies a position of prominence in Amor township, where he has trained his children to become honored and useful citizens and where he has many warm and admiring friends.

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

Few men in Otter Tail county have a wider acquaintance than former Justice of the Peace Peder Lien, of Amor township, who is one of the best-known citizens of the Richville neighborhood and who held in very high esteem throughout that entire section of the county.

Peder Lien, who was born on April 21, 1873. is a brother of Joint Lien, whose biographical sketch, presented elsewhere in this volume of biography, carries further details of the genealogy of the well-known Lien family, to which the reader is referred for additional information regarding that phase of the biography of the subject of this sketch. Reared on the home farm. receiving a common-school education, Peder Lien early became a farmer on his own account, having bought the farm on which he now lives in [899. This is a tine farm of eight) acres and is under excellent cultivation, all the improvements on the same having been made by the present owner, who built the barn in iooi and his present house in 1903.

On May 3. [906, Peder Lieu was united in marriage to Hannah Hult, who was born in other Tail county, daughter of John Hult, and to this union three children have been horn. Julia, llihna and Melvin. Mr. Lien for years has taken an active interest in civic affairs in Amor township and in the county at large and much concerned in matters relating to good government.

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

TOBIAS SIMONSON LIEN.

Of those men who of earlier days were an important part of the community life, citizens who supported all things for public good, and men who were willing to give of their time and energies, even to the point of sacrifice, that conditions might be better for those who follow, the name of Tobias Simonson Lien, who has gone to his reward, stands out conspicuously as one whose unselfishness and public-spirited nature accomplished great things for Otter Tail county and for Tumuli township.

Tobias Simonson Lien was born in Norway on March 26, 1857. the sun of Simon Lien, who was born in Norway and lived in that country during his entire life, Simon Lien being a farmer.

Tobias Simonson Lien received his education in the public schools of his native land, after which he worked as a farmer for some time and then marrying, he came with his wife to America, in the year 1882, and located in Aastad township, this county, where for a time he rented a farm and then later bought the place where he lived for the remainder of his life and there his widow now lives. The farm of Tobias Simonson Lien was well improved by this worthy farmer and citizen, who left no thing undone that his home place might be attractive and convenient for residence and for agricultural purposes.

The wife of Tobias S. Lien was Ann Burg, daughter of well-known and highly-respected people in Norway, who are now deceased. To the marriage of Tobias and Ann Lien were born the following children: Amund, Mary, Martha. Thea, Sophia, Sigvert, Thoralf, Alfred, Adolph, Emma, Emilia, Oscar, Amanda and Edwin.

Tobias Simonson Lien was an active member of the Norwegian Lutheran church at Dalton, Minnesota, a congregation in which his death has caused much of the sense of the loss of a good and worthy man.

Tobias Simonson Lien did not aspire to public office but was a man of quiet and retiring disposition, one who preferred to serve well and conscientiously from the ranks of common citizenship.

Tobias Simonson Lien died on July 13, 1913, mourned by many friends and fellow citizens.

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