Oliver O. Refsell, 1854-1943
REFSELL, OLSON
Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/10/2011 at 19:02:47
The sons of Norway in Iowa constitute a valuable asset in the citizenship of the state. Of this number Oliver O. Refsell is a representative. He was born in the land of the midnight sun October 8, 1854, and is a brother of James Refsell, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. He was but twelve years of age when brought by his parents to the new world, the family home being established in Emmet county, Iowa, where he was reared and educated, pursuing his studies in the public schools. He worked with his father upon the home farm until he reached the age of thirty-five years and then purchased the old homestead property, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 28, High Lake township. He has since bent his energies to the further development and improvement of his farm, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation, the fields bringing forth bounteous harvests of those crops which are best adapted to soil and climatic conditions here. In addition to cultivating grain he is engaged quite extensively ad successfully in stock raising, both branches of his business proving profitable. He is a very progressive and enterprising business man and owns in addition to his farm property an excellent residence in Wallingford, Iowa. He is also one of the directors of the Farmers Savings Bank at Wallingford, is a stockholder of the elevator and is secretary of the creamery there. Whatever he undertakes he accomplishes, for in his vocabulary there is no such word as fail. He is determined and energetic and his plans are carefully thought out and then promptly executed.
On July 18, 1889, Mr. Refsell was married to Miss Betsy Olson, a native of Norway, and to them have been born five children: Conrad O.; Morris S., who has departed this life; Lloyd G.; Martin K.; and Olga Beatrice. The parents are consistent members of the Lutheran church, in the work of which they take an active and helpful part, and Mr. Refsell is serving now as one of the elders. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and in 1894 was elected to the officer of county treasurer, which position he has filled for four terms. He has held nearly all of the township offices and has made an excellent record as a public official, being at all loyal to the trust reposed in him, while his skill and efficiency in charging the duties of his positions have won for him high regard. During the long period of his residence in this part of the sate he has become widely and favorable known and everywhere is spoken in terms of admiration and respect.
Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.
Interment in Wallingford Lutheran cemetery
Emmet Biographies maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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