John H. Sparboe (1863-1934)

SPARBOE, BRANJORD

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 6/7/2024 at 00:36:58

From Story City Herald February 1, 1934 (page 8)

JOHN H. SPARBOE DIED IN SCOTT TWP.

Widely Known Hamilton County Farmer Dies Suddenly of a Heart Attack

John H. Sparboe, 70, died Sunday night at 10 o'clock at his farm home in Scott township, a mile and a half south of Ellsworth. He had been in poor health for several years and died suddenly of a heart attack.

He had not been confined to his bed and Sunday evening just before retiring, he went to shut off the windmill. He did not return and his wife, becoming worried, went out to see where he was. She found him dead in the barnyard.

He leaves his wife, one son, John jr., two grandchildren and two brothers, Carl, who lives in Scott township, and H. M. of Minneapolis.

Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock this (Thursday) afternoon at the Randall Lutheran church, and burial will be made east of Randall. A service at 1:30 at the Carl Sparboe home will precede the service at the church.

Born in Norway

The Sparboe families have been prominent in Hamilton county for many years. All three of the Sparboe brothers were born in Norway, north of the Arctic circle. Their father died there in 1870. John H. Sparboe was born June 3, 1863. Three years after the death of her husband, when John was ten years old, the mother, believing that America would afford her sons better opportunities and greater advantages than the old country, resolved to emigrate to the United States and establish a home for them here.

So the mother and her four sons--the youngest of whom died some years ago--took passage for America. Upon landing in New York City, they came directly to Hamilton county in the year 1873, and settled in Scott township, then a wild prairie, where lived then as now, a group of hard working and thrifty Norwegian people.

Always Lived in Scott

Both John and Carl continued to live in the home township and during all of John's life, except for the ten years spent in Norway, had been lived in that township. Being the eldest, John early in life had to assume many of the duties and responsibilities as head of the family. His early advantages were necessarily limited, but his home training was such as to well qualify him for the duties of life. He was strong and rugged and, with the aid of his younger brothers, farmed successfully and kept the family together.

He was married June 29, 1904, to Miss Nettie Branjord, a native of Scott township. Mr. Sparboe, always a prominent leader in his township, had held many township offices. He also served several terms on the board of supervisors. His election several times to that position was a mark of the high esteem in which he was held over the county, for he was a life long democrat, while both his township and the county have always been overwhelmingly republican. For many years Mr. Sparboe cast the one democratic vote in Scott township. He was always fair minded, however, and while a democrat, was independent in thought and voted for republicans when he thought they were better qualified than the democratic nominee.

He was a man in whom his immediate community had every confidence. And as he became more widely known, this same feeling of confidence prevailed wherever he was known. He made one of the best supervisors who served Hamilton county. In his latter years he had suffered business reverses, so common among farm and business people during the past few years. But he always retained the good will of all who knew him.