Ole Hanson

As printed in 1916

OLE HANSON.

Ole Hanson was born in Elmo township, this county. May 1, 1884, the son of Ole and Ronog (Bradley) Hanson, both of whom were born in Northfron, Norway, where they grew up and were married.

( lie Hanson, Sr., was the son of Hans P. and Marit (Olson) Ronning, natives of Norway. Hans P. Ronning was a farmer and lived all his life in Norway, where he died at the age of eighty-one years. His wife came to America and spent her last days with Ole Hanson, Sr. She died in 1908, at 1 lie aye of eighty-four.

Ronog Bradley is the daughter of Nicholas and Martha Bradley, who were also natives of Norway. Mr. Bradley died in Norway, and Mrs. Bradley came to America and made her home with her daughter in Elmo township, until her death.

Two years after their marriage. Air. and Mrs. Ole Hanson emigrated to the United States, leaving their home in Norway on May 31, 1874. They came west to Menomonie, Wisconsin, where they arrived on June 30, the same year. There.Mr. Hanson worked on a farm for three months, after which he secured employment in a lumber camp, at which work he remained that following winter. In the fall of 1874 Mrs. Ronog Hanson, with her children, traveled by rail to Wadena and from there to Otter Tail county on a freight wagon arriving in Elmo township on October 15. 1874. where she stated with her brother during the winter. The following spring Ole Hanson came to this county, traveling on foot from Wadena to Elma township, where he took up a homestead claim of eighty acres in section 32. They began to acquire what in later years became a well-equipped farm, although it was raw prairie at the time of purchase. Their first home was a crude log cabin built within two rods of their present modern residence. There they lived until 1882, when ground was broken for a more commodious dwelling, this also being constructed of logs, which was later remodeled and became the present family home which stands today. About 1892 Mr. Hanson added eighty acres to his land, this being across the road in Parkers Prairie township. This land was unimproved. Later he purchased forty acres of timber in section 26, Elmo township. He is considered an expert farmer and dairyman, having equipped his farm with modern improvements, including a silo. He keeps about sixteen cows.

Mr. Hanson. Sr., is independent in politics and has served as supervisor in Elmo township as well as a member of the school board. Roth he and his wife belong to the Lutheran church. To them six children have been born: Hans O. lives in Dakota, where he is a prosperous farmer; Martha is the wife of Peter Severson, of Elmo township; Mary is the widow of Henry Peterson and lives in Montana, where she owns a claim, and also has a claim at Medora. North Dakota; Xels is a farmer of Elmo township; Oscar lives in Montana, where he has taken up a claim; the youngest son is Ole, the subject of this review.

With only a meager education, Ole Hanson has been able to acquire the means to own his splendid farm and to become prominent in local business and agricultural circles. He was educated in the local schools and spent all of his spare time in his boyhood working on the farm and learning from his father the principles of successful agriculture. Since his purchase of part of the home place in iqoq. he has operated it on the same lines as those followed by his father, adding perhaps more extensive dairying methods.

In 1909 Ole Hanson was married to Rosa Simonson. a native of Elmo township, and a daughter of Simon Simonson, a pioneer settler whose biography is presented elsewhere in this publication. To Mr. and Mrs. Hanson have been born three children. Gladys, Orvey and Maynard.

Mr. Hanson has served as president and clerk of school district No. 99, and takes a good citizen's interest in politics. He is an independent voter.

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.