The Olson Families of Lyon County, Minnesota

(1872) is the owner of the south half of section 30, Monroe township, a well-improved farm. She resides on the farm and is assisted in its management by three of her sons, Emil, Edward and John, who own land adjoining and are successfully conducting the home place. They have large herds of Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey swine and a number of fine Percheron horses.

Mrs. Olson was born in Holand, Norway, November 27, 1844. She was married to John Matteson in 1866 and came to America in 1869 and located in Fillmore county, Minnesota, where a few weeks after their arrival her husband died. Two sons were born to this union, Emil, who was born in 1867, and Martin J., who was born in 1869.

In 1871 our subject was married to Gunerius Olson, and the next year they moved from Fillmore county to Lyon county. They took as a homestead claim the southwest quarter of section 30, Monroe township, and later they bought the southeast quarter of the same section. Mr. Olson, who was born in Norway in 1840, died in 1903. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Olson, as follows: Hilda A.. born 1872; Ragna S., born 1875; Olaf C, born 1878; Edward G., born 1881; John A., born 1884; Elma M., born 1889.

Mis. Olson is a member of Holand Lutheran Church, which is situated on her farm.

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

PETER H. OLSON (1879) is a furniture dealer of Tracy. He was born in the land of the midnight sun on June 22, 1860, a son of Ole and Belle Olson. The father died in Norway. The mother came to the United States with her son, Peter, in 1879 and died in Tracy July 10, 1900. Peter is one of a family of six children, as follows: Gilbert Iverson, a half-brother; Alice, Tora, Henry and Belle Olson.

Peter resided in the land of his birth until 1879, when he came to America and to Lyon county. He located at Tracy and learned the carpenter's trade, which occupation he followed twenty years. He was then engaged for ten years as clerk and as cabinetmaker for J. W. Campbell, the furniture man, at Tracy. In August, 1911, Mr. Olson purchased a stock of furniture and opened a store in the city in which he has lived so long. He also does repairing and upholstering. Our subject is a member of the Sons of Norway lodge.

On October 12, 1883, occurred the marriage at Tracy of Mr. Olson to Julia Larson, a native of Iowa. Mrs. Olson died March 23, 1901. They were the parents of the following children: Oluf G., Clara B., Ludwig A., Clarence B., Lillian M. and Gilbert H. The last named died August 8, 1901, aged four years.

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

OLUF G. OLSON (1901) is the manager and buyer for the grocery, shoe and furnishing goods departments of the L. Abrahamson store at Cottonwood. He was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, October 14, 1866. He is a son of Nels B. Olson, who homesteaded land in Monona county, Iowa, in 1861. The latter served in a Wisconsin company during the Civil War. After the war he returned home and later moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where he resided ten years and died in 1906. The mother died in 1903.

Oluf accompanied his parents to the West when he was but one year old and resided with them on the farm until eighteen years of age. Then he went to Beloit, Iowa, and attended Augustana College, after which he went to Sioux City, Iowa, and took a course in the Sioux City Business College. For the next seven years Mr. Olson was connected with the United States Clothing Company and then spent eight years as salesman for the Browning-King Clothing Company.

In the spring of 1901 our subject came to Lyon county and located at Cottonwood. In company with William B. Olson and A. O. Anderson, he opened a mercantile business under the firm name of the Anderson-Olson Company. They conducted the business three years and then reorganized and established the Cottonwood Mercantile Company, A. O. Anderson selling his interest and the new firm being composed of A. B. Anderson, O. G. and W. B. Olson. Mr. Olson was a member of that firm two years, when he sold his interest to Anderson Brothers. He then went to Normania, Yellow Medicine county, where, in company with M. S. Runsold, he opened a mercantile store and conducted it until 1908. They sold the business and our subject returned to Cottonwood and has since been associated with L. Abrahamson as buyer and manager.

Mr. Olson was president of the Cottonwood Commercial Club two and one-half years. He is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church and the Norden Mandskor, a vocal organization, of which he was secretary.

At Sloan, Iowa, June 4, 1887, occurred the marriage of Mr. Olson to Matilda S. Strand, a native of La Crosse county, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Olson are the parents of the following children: Ella M., Harry N., Ruth and Herbert. Their oldest child, Mabel, died at the age of four years.

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

ANDREW OLSON (1909), a Coon Creek township farmer, was born in Skanna, Sweden, June 27, 1878, and is a son of Ole and Christina (Enbon) Anderson, of Krageholm, Skanna, Sweden. Andrew attended school in his native land until fourteen years of age. He also attended the Pullman School in Chicago after coming to the United States.

May 21, 1901, Mr. Olson came to America, locating at Chicago, where he worked in Johnson's chair factory for a short time. He then secured employment from the Pullman Car Company as a carpenter, working eight years. In 1908 he purchased the farm he now owns and operates, the southeast quarter of section 16, Coon Creek township, and moved to the place in the spring of 1909. He has made a great many improvements upon the place. He raises' some stock, including grade cattle, Poland China hogs and Plymouth Rock chickens. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church. Mr. Olson has been very successful since coming to Lyon county.

Mr. Olson was married on June 1, 1903, to Elna Nelson, a daughter of Nels and Elna (Anderson) Martinson, of Skanna, Sweden. She was born November 26, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Olson have two children: Edith Caroline, born February 24, 1904, and Roy Herbert, born April 28,

Mrs. Olson has two brothers and one sister, namely: John Nelson, of St. Louis, Missouri; Martin Nelson, of Skanna, Sweden; Mrs. Nels Hallen, of Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Olson has one sister, Mrs. Andrew Olson, of Skanna, Sweden.

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