Hans P. Berg

As printed in 1916

HANS P. BERG.

Of the citizens of Vining engaged in business, Hans P. Berg is one of the best known. A man who has taken an active interest in the development of the county and the promotion and advancement of the town of his residence, he is among those men who for their part in community affairs are given a conspicuous rank in the roll of citizenship of Otter Tail county.

Hans P. Berg was born in Trondhjem, Norway, July 13, 1849, the son of Haldor Haldorson and Guriana Ivorson, who were born at the same place, the father in the year 1822 and the mother in the year 1819. Haldor Haldorson was a shoemaker in his native land, a trade which he followed for some time and then engaged in the business of a contractor and builder until his death in 1894, he and his wife being drowned in a flood which overswept their small farm in that year. To Haldor Haldorson and Guriana Ivorson were born two children: Hans P., the subject of this sketch, and Gunirius H., who was a merchant at Surrey, North Dakota, where he died during the winter of 1915, his remains being brought to Vining, Minnesota, in February 22, for interment.

Hans P. Berg was educated in a public school which moved from farm to farm, in Norway, stopping for two days in each week where students were brought together. After his school days Hans P. Berg worked for a time on a farm, and in 1871 went to the city of I trondhjem, where lie learned the trade of a horse-shoes and blacksmith, later following his trade for sewn years with the cavalry of Norway, and then after a short time he came to America, in 1881, and located at the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where for the next two months he was employed at a saw-mill. Later Hans P Berk went to Underwood where he took a position with the Kellogg ( hair Company, where he remained for one and one-half years and then came to the town of Vining and established a. blacksmith shop which he conducted for about five years. He then went to the Pacific coal ami located in British Columbia and then in the state of Washington, later returning to ( i;ter Tail county and settling on a farm of eighty acres which he had hometeaded in the year [883. Mr. Berk lived on his farm for about two years and then became a wheat buyer for tinfanner-' Elevator Company, a business which lie followed for sixteen years. In [895 I Ian- P. Berg entered into partnership with the linn of Nyhus & Berg, a business in which Mr. vas interested for eleven years when he disposed of his holdings and

OTTER TAIL Oil'XTV. MINNESOTA. IO returned to the business of buying wheat until the year 1911, when he established a store for the sale of flour, feed and grain, together with farm implements, a business in which he is now successfully engaged. Hans P. Berg has erected a splendid building fur his business and among other improvements has built a modern home, where he lives.

Not only in business pursuits but in public life, has Hans P. Berg been an important element of the citizenship of Yining and of ( >tter Tail county. Mr. Berg has served well as a member of the village council and at the present time is the occupant of the important office of assessor. In politics.Mr. Berg is an ardent Republican. Hans P. Berg is a member of the United Lutheran church and he is affiliated with the society of the Sons of Norway.

During the year 1873 Hans P. Berg was married to Marit Anderson, who was born in Norway, in which country she and Mr. Berg were married and a year after the marriage she came to America to join her husband who had preceded her. and about five years later she died. Hans P. and Marit Berg were the parents of one daughter, who married Ole Anderson, an insurance man.

Hans 1'. Berg was married, secondly, during the year 1905, to Martha Berg, who was the daughter of Olaus Berg and wife. Olaus Berg was a farmer who lived near Battle Lake. He died about the year 1898. To the second marriage of Hans P. Berg no children were born.

Hans P. Berg is one of the men of Otter Tail county who have done much for the progress and advancement of living conditions and for the promotion of business prosperity in the locality, and is a man who, with his wife, are esteemed and highly respected residents of the town of Vining.

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.