Joseph Persig

Joseph Persig was born in Hay Creek township, where he still resides, May 5, 1871, son of Gottleib and Catherine (Bauleg) Persig, natives of Germany, who came to America in 1858 and settled in Hay Creek township, where they took up a homestead of 160 acres of land, which they broke and improved, and carried on general farming. AVlien the Avar broke out the father enlisted and served three years. After the Avar he returned home and took up farming, having erected a home and outbuildings as Avell as making general improvements. He died in 1895, and the mother in 1897. Joseph Avas one of six children: Julia and Annie, who were both victims of the Sea AVing disaster; Lena, now of Noble county; AVilliam of AVacoota township; and Fred (deceased). Joseph attended the common schools of the township and worked on the farm with his father, later coming into possession of the home place. In 1901 he was married to Freda Jones, by whom he has two children: Benjamin and Irene. Mr. Persig is Republican in his politics, but has never sought or held public office.

P. J. Frenn, an estimable and well-known citizen and farmer of Featherstone township, was born in Sweden, June 5, 1843, son of Lars and Christina (SAvanson) Frenn, who upon coming to America in 1852 settled in St. Charles, Ill., where the father worked as a farm and stone mason about ten years. It was about 1864 when they came to Featherstone township and purchased the place which has since been the Frenn homestead. Here they lived for the remainder of their years, the father dying in November, 1880, and the mother in September, 1874. P. J. Frenn received his education in the common schools and then took up farming on the home place, adding to the improvements which his father had started. He has brought the land to a high state of cultivation, and, aside from the commodious buildings for his stock, he has a comfortable residence for himself and family. The farm consists of 220 acres, all of which is tillable, and upon which he carries on general farming and dairying, selling cream in considerable quantities. Five acres of the farm constitutes a fine orchard, and there are also on the place many trees which Mr. Frenn has planted for shade. Aside from his land in this township, he also owns eighty acres in Wisconsin and 166 acres in Texas. In addition to being a good farmer, Mr. Frenn is a good carpenter, an occupation which he followed for ten years during his younger life. Although not an office seeker, he has consented to serve two terms on the town board, being elected on the Republican-ticket, to which party he pays allegiance. Mr. Frenn was married July 26, 1872, to Christina M. Swanson, daughter of Carl and Inga C. Swanson, who lived and died in the old country. To this union were born eight children: Hilda M. Bruber lives in Hay Creek; Hanna C. lives in California; Esther A. also lives in the same state; Carl S. married Wilhelmena Zignego and lives in Hay Creek township; Martin L. lives at home and helps on the farm; Albert E., Elmer A. and Lilly W. are also at home. The family attends the Swedish Lutheran church.

A. H. Hardy, of Featherstone township, was born in Janesville, Wis., July 22, 1845, son of Samuel and Mary (Carlton) Hardy, natives of Massachusetts. The father spent his early life in the east coming west to Rock county, AYiseonsin, when thirty-five years of age. He remained a few years, then went to Green county, and in 1854 came to Minnesota, where he took up a homestead in Burnside township and built a log cabin which still stands. Later he removed to Pine Island township and carried on general farming until he retired from active live and moved to Red Wing, where he died in 1888. The mother passed away in October, 1887. They had a family of fourteen children, of whom only three are living: A. IT. Hardy received his education in the common schools, and worked with his father. He enlisted in Company A, Hatch’s Independent Cavalry, July 20, 1863, and served three years, being discharged June 6, 1866. During this time he was in the Dakotas. Mr. Hardy was married in 1874 to Melissa (Benham), daughter of Isaac and Harriet (Heliker) Benham, natives of New York state. They emigrated west in the early days, and came to Wisconsin, and later removed to Minnesota, remaining but a short time, when they went still farther west to Montana, where the father died, on May 30, 1906, having spent forty years in Montana. Mr. and Mrs. Hardy are the parents are thirteen children: Harriet (deceased); Edith, of Minneapolis; Flora, now Mrs. Hennings, of North Dakota; Matilda

J., married to Gust Anderson, of Featlierstone; William (deceased); Ethel, of Minneapolis; Albert, Jr., living at home; Edward, of Minneapolis; Mabel, at home; Helen, at home; Arthur, at home; and Cyrus and George (deceased). Mr. Hardy has been in Goodhue county for twenty-five years. Eleven years he spent in Douglass county. He lias a farm of forty-seven acres in Featlierstone township and rents 200 acres, where he carries on general farming and dairying, keeping from fifteen to twenty cows for the purpose. He is a member of the G. A. R. Post of Red Wing and is a Republican in politics. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

J. A. Edstrom, whose father was the second man to take up land in Leon township, has been town clerk twenty-three years, county commissioner six years, assessor four years, and has held school office since nineteen years of age. He carries on general farming as he has for many years past, owning 485 acres, 135 of which is in Leon township. The subject of this sketch was born in the province of Smaland, Sweden, July 12, 1848, son of M. A. and Mary E. (Jackson) Edstrom, who first located in Illinois, and one year later came up the Mississippi by boat to Red Wing, May 11, 1855, at that time a pioneer village. There they lived on the levee in tents for some weeks, and then came to Leon township and pre-empted 160 acres on Section 21, where they erected a cabin and started bringing the wilderness undercultivation. The Edstroms were true pioneers, and had many thrilling experiences. In the winter of 1856, 200 Sioux camped near the farm, and though carefully watched stole hay and provisions, and even helped themselves to seed corn which the family was carefully hoarding for planting the following spring. During the first years of their residence in Leon the Edstroms hauled grain to Red AYing by ox team, and on one occasion, when the family provisions were running low, the father shouldered fifty pounds of flour and carried it all the way from Red Wing to the homestead, a distance of twenty-two miles. M. A. Edstrom did some carpenter and blacksmith work, but devoted the greater part of his life to farming. He died January 18, 1890, and his wife preceded him to her grave, September 12, 1887. J. A. was educated in the primitive public schools, was brought up on the farm, and has always made farming his business. He was married in 1872 to Matilda Magnusson, daughter of C. M. and Ellen Magnusson, natives of Sweden, who located in Goodhue county in 1865, and in Leon township in 1867. Her father died in 1908, at the advanced age of ninety years, and the mother passed away in 1904. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. Edstrom are: A. M., who has been a merchant, but now is farming at Randolph; Agnes, who for some time attended the Red AVing

Seminary, now married to Theodore G. Hultgreen, a Chicago railroad man, and Frances, a school teacher who has received the advantages of an education in the Cannon Palls high school. The family faith is that of the Swedish Lutheran church.

As printed in History of Dakota and Goodhue counties, Minnesota / (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.