In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota (1912)
LOUIS E. PETERSON (1887) is a thorough believe in the value of Lyon county farm land, and his judgment should be good, for Mr. Peterson has prospered since locating on the west half of the southeast quarter of section 31, Rock Lake township. With the additional forty which he has charge of Mr. Peterson farms 120 acres and also raises considerable stock for market. He has outside interests, being a member of the board of directors of the Western Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Balaton and of the Farmers Co-operative Elevator Company of the same village.
Sweden is Louis Peterson's native country. He came to America in 1880, locating in Knox county, Illinois, where he worked as a farm laborer seven years. In March, 1887, he was married at Prophetstown, Illinois, to Nellie Olson, a native of Sweden. She was born December 25, 1854. Immediately after their marriage Mr. Peterson and his bride departed for Lyon county and located on the farm which he had purchased in Rock Lake township from the Winona & St. Peter Railroad Company. On that place they have since made their home. For the past fourteen years a boy, Leonard Johnson, has made his home with the Petersons.
Our subject has been clerk of the township board of Rock Lake the past five years and was chairman of the board for a "number of years. He has also been school clerk and assessor several years during his Rock Lake residence. Mr. Peterson is a member, and for the past twenty-four years has been secretary and a deacon, of the Swedish Lutheran church of Scandia township, Murray county.
Louis Peterson's parents were Peter and Ellen (Johnson) Larson, both of whom are now dead. Louis Peterson was born October 3, 1857, and was educated in Sweden. When seventeen years old he commenced work in a saw mill as engineer and held the position three years, afterward holding the position of bookkeeper two years. He resigned that position to come to America.
As printed in An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1912. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.