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.
Born 1845
From 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)
TORKEL OLSON.
Torkel Olson is a native of Norway and his birth occurred on September 29. 1845. He is the son of Ole Torkelson and Betsey Olson, both natives of Norway, who immigrated to America in 1856. Ole Torkelson was employed as a day laborer while a resident of his native land but engaged in agricultural pursuits during his residence in the United States. For one year he was located in Houston county, Minnesota, but removed from there to Winneshiek county, Iowa, and thence to Douglas county, Minnesota, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, under the homestead law, on which he established a home where he still resides.
Torkel Olson is indebted to the schools of his native country and. also, to the schools of Iowa, for the education which he received. He was eleven years of age when he immigrated to America with his parents and only about seventeen, when he enlisted in Company D, Sixth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Tin's regiment was in many skirmishes with the Indi- (58b) ans. notable of which was the battle at White Stone hills, in South Dakota, in which he was severely injured. After the close of the Civil War, Torkel Olson purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Douglas county,.Minnesota, under the homestead law, which he held for three years and then removed to Otter Tail county..Minnesota. Soon after his arrival in this count)- he was given a farm of one hundred and seventy-six acres, by Jacob Torkelson, and he still resides on this place which he has since improved and put in the best of condition. He was united in marriage to Carrie Ingebretsoii and they are the parents of nine children, whose names follow: Ole, ingehret, Clara, Bennie, Tilda. Henry, Thelma, Sarerno and Dena. The family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church ami are active in its support. In his political faith, Torkel Olson is a stanch Republican.
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.
Named in this biography: Ole Torkelson (b. 1846)
The printed record stops around 1916. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.