ERICKSON, CLAUS A.

ERICKSON, LARSON, GOLDEN, CARLSON, TERFING

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 4/27/2004 at 07:32:22

Biography reproduced from page 315 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

Thrown on his own resources without friends or money when he arrived on American shores, the subsequent history of Claus A. Erickson is one to inspire hope and courage in the heart of every young man in this country, whether he be native or foreign born. The birth of Mr. Erickson occurred in Sweden, October 2, 1850, and he is a son of Erick and Johanna (Larson) Erickson, both of whom were natives of Sweden. The father was by trade a carpenter and was also engaged in farming. He emigrated to America in 1872 and located in New York, where he continued to follow the trade of carpenter for a livelihood and where he continued to live during the remaining days of his life, which closed in 1893, the mother having died in 1884. They were the parents of nine children, seven of whom are living, namely: Lars, a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey; Claus A., of this review; Frank, living in Brooklyn, New York; Carl J., of Galesburg, Illinois; Alfred, also residing in Jersey City; Tillie, the wife of Jacob Golden, of that city; and Hannah, who married F. Larson, of Jersey City.

Clause A. Erickson was reared at home and received his early education in the schools of Sweden, where he also learned the carpenter’s trade from his father. In 1871 he emigrated to America, locating first at Waterloo in Sullivan county, New York. On reaching American shores his earthly possessions consisted of one suit of light clothing and ten cents in good American money. He had no friends or acquaintances in the new world and was unable to speak a single word of the English language. On reaching Waterloo he at once secured work as a common laborer in digging a railroad tunnel at that place and continued in that occupation for one year, after which he removed to Delaware county, where he was engaged in the same kind of work for a more extended period of time. In those days no arbitrary rules of labor determined the number of hours he was privileged to work and, being a young man of powerful physique and strong will, determined to win by his own energy, he worked for sixteen hours continuously each day and the pay he received for over-time in addition to his daily wage amounted in all to about five dollars per day, which was nearly twenty crowns in Swedish money. One year from the time he reached America he was able to send money home with which his father and brother, Frank, were enabled to emigrate from their native land and join him in America, where large opportunities awaited the willing and industrious. Three years after his first arrival in this country he returned to Sweden and at that time brought back with him his mother and the remaining children of his father’s family, which numbered eight in all. On his return to America he located in Jersey City, New York, where he continued to live for sometime, and there followed the carpenter’s trade for a livelihood. He then moved to Mount Hope, New Jersey, and was there engaged in mining iron ore for two and a half years, after which time he returned to Jersey City and for about two years devoted himself to the pursuit of his trade, finding employment with the Delaware Railroad Company. On April 1, 1879, he came to Kossuth county, Iowa, where he purchased forty acres of land located on section 9, Swea township. There he established his permanent home and has since continued to reside. During the years which have passed since first settling in Kossuth county he has continued to meet with gratifying success as a farmer. He owns five hundred and sixty acres of highly improved land, all of which is under cultivation. As a farmer he makes a specialty of raising thoroughbred stock for his own use and for sale in the market, and in addition to the increase of his own herd he also is a heavy buyer of stock which he feeds and prepared for sale.

Mr. Erickson was united in marriage in 1873, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Miss Carrie Carlson, a daughter of Carl and Anna Terfing, both of whom were natives of Sweden. The father was a soldier in the king’s army and he and his wife continued to reside in their native land during all their lives. Their earthly pilgrimages closed in 1876 and there was but one day between the death of the father and the mother, and both were buried in one grave. They had a family of seven children, five of whom are still living, and all of whom remained in Sweden with the exception of Mrs. Erickson. To Mr. and Mrs. Erickson ten children have been born. Charles W., the eldest, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, August 24, 1874, and yet makes his home with his parents. He attended Hyland Park School, at Des Moines, Iowa, and later graduated from the International Correspondence School at Scranton, Pennsylvania. He is a steam engineer by trade and is at present engaged in tile draining. August E., the second in order of birth, was born in Stanhope, New York, February 12, 1878, and also attended Hyland Park School at Des Moines. He is still at home and assists his father in the work of the farm. John, born on the farm in Swea township, April 13, 1884, pursued a commercial course at the Hyland Park School and clerked for several years in stores at Armstrong and Swea City. He is now, however, living at home. Anna C., who was born on the 20th of October, 1885, on the home farm, still resides with her parents. George is the next in order of birth, of whom extended mention is made on another page of this work. Joseph E. was born on the home farm on the 17th of June, 1890, and received his education in the schools of Swea township. He resides at home with his parents, as does his brother Axel Roy, the youngest member of the family, whose birth occurred on the 16th of July, 1892, and who is yet pursuing his education in the township schools. The deceased members of the family are: Hilda, who died when one year old; John Elmer, whose death occurred at the age of one and a half years; and Emma Theodora, who was seventeen years of age at the time of her death.

Mr. Erickson is affiliated with the republican party and has for twenty-nine years served as director or treasurer in school district No. 2, Swea township, and was one of the first trustees of Swea township when it was organized, continuing in that office for six years. For thirteen years he was constable of his township and road supervisor for four terms and since the organization of Swea township he has also served as central committeeman and is now the incumbent of that office. He and his wife are members of the Swedish Lutheran church of Swea township and Mrs. Erickson is a charter member of the Ladies’ Aid Society of that church. Mr. Erickson is one of the members of the board of trustees of the church, in which capacity he has served since the organization of that society. He has won a decided victory in the battle of life. As a young mean he reached the shores of a new world, entirely unacquainted with the language and the ways of the strange people with whom necessity compelled him to associate, but he was a man made of the fiber which is stimulated by adversity and recks not of the difficulties encountered, but rather uses every disadvantage as a stepping stone from which to lift himself to wider fields of action. With indefatigable industry he has continued in his purpose to acquire an independence for life and in that he has met most gratifying success. He has not neglected, withal, the cultivation of civic pride in his adopted state and country and is by public opinion today placed among the most influential business men and public-spirited citizens of his part of the state of Iowa.