Sparboe, Hartvig M.

SPARBOE, KAROLUSON, LOGAN

Posted By: Janelle Martin (email)
Date: 5/17/2009 at 21:57:22

History of Hamilton County Iowa, Vol. II, 1912, p.8

HARTVIG M. SPARBOE.

Webster City has conferred upon Hartvig M. Sparboe the highest honor within her gift, having called him to the office of mayor for the second term. He has been actively and helpfully interested in municipal affairs for a number of years and looks at vital questions relative to the city's upbuilding and the management of its business interests in a practical yet progressive way. His own life history serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others, for Mr. Sparboe is a self-educated and self-made man whose advancement is due to the wise use he has made of his time and opportunities and not to any fortunate combination of circumstances. He was born in Norway, March 5, 1867, and was only three years of age at the time of the death of his father, Anthony Sparboe, who passed away in 1870, three days before the birth of his youngest son, leaving the widowed mother, who in her maidenhood bore the name of Bergitte Karoluson, with four sons. In 1873, with her little family, the eldest being then ten years of age and the youngest a little more than two years, she came to the United States and was also accompanied by her mother. After landing on the eastern coast they made their way direct to Hamilton County, Iowa, and settled in Scott township, where Mrs. Sparboe still makes her home upon the farm which was purchased for her by her sons, who display the most filial love and devotion to the mother who made every possible sacrifice during their childhood for their benefit. She has now reached the advanced age of eighty-three years. Her surviving sons are: H.M.; John H., who is living at Ellsworth, Hamilton County, and is a farmer owning four hundred and eighty acres of productive land: and Carl, who owns two hundred and forty acres near Ellsworth, whereon he is engaged in breeding shorthorn cattle.

The financial condition in which the family was left compelled Hartvig M. Sparboe to work whenever it was possible for him to do so, and thus his educational opportunities were somewhat limited. He pursued his studies during the winter terms of school in Hamilton County but was not satisfied with the education there acquired and bent his effort toward the attainment of means which would enable him to continue his studies. At length he entered St. Olaf's College at Northfield, Minnesota, and afterward the Dexter Normal School at Dexter, Iowa. He thus qualified himself for the profession of teaching, which he followed during the winter months after he reached the age of seventeen years, while the summer seasons were devoted to farm work. The money thus acquired enabled him later to enter Calanan College at Des Moines and he afterward became a student in the Iowa Business College of that city, from which he was graduated in the class of 1890. Later he taught stenography in the Iowa Business College for one year, after which he joined his brother, O. A. B. Sparboe, in opening and conducting a business college in Story City, Iowa, known as the Story City Business College, in 1891. Two years later because of the ill health of the brothers they sold the school and O. A. B. Sparboe traveled for his health but finally passed away in Europe in 1898. Hartvig M. Sparboe went to Minneapolis for hospital treatment and after a two years' residence in that city returned to the home farm in Hamilton County, devoting his attention to general agricultural pursuits until he was appointed deputy county treasurer under P. Mathre. He filled that position from January 1, 1898 until January 1, 1900, but continued to work in the county treasurer's office in collecting delinquent taxes for the county until January 1, 1901. He was then appointed bookkeeper for the First National Bank of Webster City and after two years was made cashier of the Webster City Savings Bank. He acted in the latter capacity for two years and since that time has been continuously engaged in the life insurance business, in which connection he has secured a large clientage.

Mr. Sparboe has made an excellent record in public office. He has not only served as deputy county treasurer but in the fall of 1907 was appointed to fill a vacancy in the city council for the term ending April 1, 1909, when, having been elected mayor, he entered upon that position and at the close of his first term was reelected in 1911. He is therefore the chief executive of the city at the present time. His reelection came to him as the indorsement of the work of his first term, which was characterized by various needed reforms and improvements, with a careful businesslike administration of municipal affairs. He does not bar progress with useless conservatism and yet he carefully safeguards the interests of the city in the matter of public expenditures. He has made an excellent record as president of the Iowa State Drainage Association and is deeply interested in matters relating to the waterways and the conservation interests of the commonwealth.

Mr. Sparboe was married June 3, 1893, in Webster City, to Miss Gertrude Logan, a daughter of Christian Logan, of Roland, Hamilton County, who was one of the pioneers of this part of the state and is still living on the old home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Sparboe had been friends from childhood. They became the parents of four children but their first born, Bergitte, whose birth occurred March 26, 1894, died at the age of four months. The others are: Ole Anthony, born December 26, 1898; Thelma, born May 31, 1901; and Jerome, born January 21, 1904. The family live at No. 1000 Boone street. They attend the Christian Science church, of which Mr. Sparboe is a member, and he furthermore has membership relations with the Country Club and also with the Webster City Commercial League, of which he is the secretary. He is actuated in all that he does by a spirit of enterprise and it is well known that his cooperation can be counted upon to further any movement for the general good. The consensus of public opinion places him in an enviable position in the regard of his fellow townsmen both in his business relations and in his citizenship. He was elected President of Iowa State Drainage Association in 1911, and reelected in 1912.