John Lien

As printed in 1916

JOHN LIEN.

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 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.