Thomas Larson

As printed in 1916

THOMAS LARSON.

The late Thomas Larson, who was a well-known citizen of Dane Prairie township, Otter Tail county, Minnesota, and who was prominent in the civic and political life of his community during his life time, was torn at Chicago, Illinois, August 18, 1857.

Mr. Larson was the son of Peter and Christine Larson, who were natives of Norway and who grew to manhood and womanhood in that country. Peter Larson was thrice married. After coming to America he was married in Chicago, Illinois, to Christine Larson. Shortly after his marriage, he moved to Goodhue county, Minnesota, where he lived for a Eew years. In 1872 he moved to Otter Tail county, homesteading one hundred and sixty acres in the southern part of Dane Prairie township, which at that time was a wilderness. During the next few years, he improved the farm and erected modern buildings, living on the farm until his death in [905 His widow is still living and makes her home with her son. Christian. They were the parents of ten children, of whom Louis is a farmer in one of the western states; John lives one and one-half miles east of the Thomas Larson farm; Thomas F. was the third child; Carrie, who married Jens Peterson, is deceased; Christian lives on his father's homestead farm; Anna, who is a resident of Fergus Falls, has been twice married, the first time to Christian Dahl and the second time to Sorren Larson; Henrietta, who is deceased, was the wife of John McGrath, who is also deceased; Martin is a farmer in Tumuli township; Ludwig is a dentist at Finley. North Dakota; and Emma, who married Andrew Eollingmoe, lives in Fergus Falls.

Thomas Larson was educated in the common schools of Fergus Falls and in the high school. He was reared on the farm and in 1892 purchased about two hundred acres of land in Dane Prairie township, immediately thereafter erecting a new barn and a new house. lie lived upon the farm until his death and was always engaged in general farming. Some years before Mr. Larson's marriage, he operated a threshing machine and a well-drilling outfit, and drilled many wells in Otter Tail county, but at the time of his marriage he sold his threshing machine and well-drilling outfit.

On March 26, 1892, Thomas Larson was married to Mary Thompson, a native of near Trondhjem, Norway, where she was born on December 25, [862. Mrs. Larson is the daughter of Bernt and Inger (Guldseth) Thompson, who came to America in a sailing vessel in 1864. After living in Hudson county for two years, they moved to St. Olaf township. Otter Tail county, in 1866. After living there for one year, they moved to Dane Prairie township, and homesteaded a quarter section of land in section 21. There they lived for some years and then sold out to their son, Nels B., purchasing one hundred acres of land across the lake, where Mrs. Larson's father died on August 16, 1002. The mother lived with her daughter, Mrs. Larson, until her death on July 3, TQ.04. They were the parents of twelve children, six of whom are living. Mrs. Larson's father was a man of retiring disposition. When he came to Otter Tail county, he traveled from Hudson county to St. Paul by rail and then up the Mississippi by boat to St. Cloud. From St. Cloud, he traveled by ox team to Otter Tail county. spending two weeks on the way. He was an ardent Republican.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Larson were the parents of two children. 1..r.i, born on March 3, 1894, who was graduated from the Park Region Luther College in iqo and, after attending the St. Cloud normal, has been engaged in teaching; and Bernhard, January 6, 1807. who was educated in the public schools. The father of these children, the late Thomas Larson, died on March 15. 1908.

Mr. Larson was an ardent Republican and served in many positions of trust and responsibility. He tilled the office of township clerk for fifteen years and was also a member of the school board from the time he was twenty-one years old until his death. He could always be found at Republican conventions and was extremely popular in politics. Had he lived, he would have been a candidate for the Legislature. Mr. Larson was a member of the Swan Lake Lutheran church and his widow is an active worker in this church today.

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.