Henry Olson

As printed in 1916

HENRY OLSON.

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1870 they moved to Otter Tail county and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Clitherall township. The land was prairie and the nearest railroad was at St < 'loud, sixty miles away. Christian Olson built a dugout about forty rods from the present house and began to cultivate the prairie. After two years he built a log house. He prospered and, in tune, came to own two hundred and forty acres, including some timber land. Finally, he built a frame house, where he lived until the spring of 1907, when he sold the farm and retired to a home in Battle Lake, where he and his wife are now living, the former at the age of seventy-one and the latter three years his junior. Christian Olson has filled many township and local offices. Formerly he was identified with the Republican party, but lately has been voting the Prohibition ticket. Both he and his wife are members of the Free Lutheran church.

Christian and Louise (Hanson) Olson were the parents of nine children, the first-born died in infancy; Marvin R., who lives at Dwight, North Dakota, is manager of the Dwight Farm and Land Company and manager of the Farmers' Flevator Company; Henry is the subject of this sketch; Thorvald died at the age of eight years; Hans also died at the age of eight; Louis Cornelius is referred to elsewhere in this volume; Thea married Charles Peterson, a farmer living near McCluskey, North Dakota: Mary, who is unmarried, is the assistant postmaster at Battle Lake and lives at home with her parents; Hattie is a teacher and lives at home. She taught for some years in the Battle Lake schools and later in 'Wadena, but on account of ill health had to lay down the work.

Henrv < wilson was educated in the public schools of Clitherall township and at Battle Lake. He was reared on a farm and began life as a clerk for < )rris Albertson at Battle Lake in 1891. After working for Mr. Albertson for three years, he was employed for three years as a traveling salesman for a wholesale fruit company. In 1897. in partnership with Christ Leithe, Mr. Olson, under the firm name of Olson & Leithe, engaged in the mercantile business in the building now occupied by P. J. Elseth. After being engaged in business for three years, Mr. Olson was appointed postmaster on March 21, 1901, and has served continuously as postmaster ever since.

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In August, 1896. Henry Olson was married to Lizzie Olson, the daughter of Hans Olson Ekeberg, an old settler of Henning, Minnesota. Mis. Olson was born near Faribault, Minnesota, and died on April 15, 1900, leaving two children, Ilarlev Luman, horn on September 8. 1898, and Ethel

Lizzie Isola, April 1, 1900. Mr. Olson was married, secondly, on June 18, 1901, to Julia Herness, a native of Eagle Lake township and the daughter of Lars Herness, an old settler of Otter Tail county, who came here in 1868. To the second marriage, there have been born two children, [name withheld], born on October 7, 1908, and Reuben Joseph, May 25, 1910.

Mr. Olson has served a year as a member of the village council. He and his wife and the members of the Olson family belong to the United Lutheran church and are active in the work of the church. Henry Olson is a good man and a good citizen. He has been conscientious in the performance of every public duty and has prospered in his own private affairs.

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.