C. E. Olson

As printed in 1916

C. E. OLSON.

C. E. Olson, a prosperous farmer and business man and a popular citizen of Tordenskjold township, was born on the farm where he now lives and which he now owns. August 27, 1874, and is the son of Esten Olson Norgaard and Ingeborg (Olson) Olson, the oldest living settlers in Tordenskjold township.

The paternal grandparents of Mr. Olson were Ole Narjord and Sigrid 1 Estensdatter) Narjord, the former of whom was a laborer and the latter a daughter of a soldier in the War of 1814. They- were the parents of six children, all of whom remained in Norway except Mr. Olson's father and his father's sister. Mrs. Johanna Peterson, who now resides at Waterloo Ridge, luw.'i. Mr. Olson's maternal grandparents. Ole Rosthakken and Kirsti (Sandmor) Rostbakken, never came to America. They died in their native land.

Mr. Olson's parents wire born at Roraas, Norway, the father on Jannary J4, [827, and the mother on October 6, 183 1. They grew up near Roraas and were married in their native land. In 1869, with three children. they came to America, settling at Waterloo Ridge. Winneshiek county, near Spring Grove, Iowa, and, until 1870. worked on a farm. In 1870 the family emigrated to Minnesota and were able to travel by rail over to St.

Cloud. From St. Cloud the trip was made to Otter Tail county with an ox team. In the same year Esten Olson Norgaard homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Tordenskjold township, which at that time was not only a wilderness, but a very tangled wilderness. Shortly afterward he built a dugout and there spent the first summer. Later, however, he built a log house where the present modern buildings stand. The family has lived on this farm ever since. The father has prospered and has added to his land until he now owns three hundred and twenty acres. Both he and his wife are still hale and hearty at very advanced ages. They are devout members of the Lutheran church and were associated with other citizens of the township in founding the church. Mr. Olson's father is a devoted Republican. Mr. Olson is the youngest of five children, the others being: Oliver, who is a former probate judge and also probate clerk of Otter Tail county, is engaged in the insurance business at Fergus Falls; Christine, who married J. X. Langsjoen, lives at Norman, Washington; the third child died in infancy, and O. F., who is a farmer at Berg, North Dakota.

C. E. Olson was educated in the public schools of Otter Tail county, in the Fergus Falls high school and in the Park Region Lutheran College at Fergus Falls. He graduated from the commercial department of the college in 1894, and, during the next five or six years, taught school in Otter Tail county After his marriage, Mr. Olson returned to the old homestead, where he has lived ever since. In 191 1 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, a part of the old homestead, and now operates not only his own land, but the land owned by his father. He is engaged in diversified farming.

Mr. Olson is president of the Underwood creamery and was one of the organizers of this association. He is also secretary of the Park Region Telephone Company and treasurer of the Underwood Grain Association, which was organized several years ago,.but which has recently taken on added importance owing to the erection of a new elevator in 1913 and 1914. The elevator has a capacity of thirty thousand bushels of grain and is owned by forty-four shareholders. It does an annual business of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars.

On March 18, 1800, Mr. Olson was married to Hannah Holbeck, the daughter of P. N. Holbeck. whose family history is contained elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Olson have two children, Alvin E., born on May 5, 1000, and Herman P., born on March 23, 1902.

C. E. Olson is identified with the Republican party. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. and Mr-. Olson are members of the Lutheran church and they not only attend services regularly, bul contribute liberally 10 the support of the church in this township.

As printed in History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota : its people, industries, and institutions : with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (1916). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.