Torkel T. Henryson (1861-1941)

HENRYSON, ERICSON, SEVEREIDE, DONHOWE

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 10/19/2024 at 17:02:41

From Story City Herald May 15, 1941 (page 4)

T. T. HENRYSON

Torkel T. Henryson was born on July 22, 1861 in Lisbon, in Kendall county, Illinois, the son of Torkel and Guri Henryson. He came from a family of ten children: Betsy, Haldor, Anna, Magrette, Randie, Henry, Torkel, Guri, Henry T. and Randie of whom only the second Henry H. T. Henryson of St. Paul survives.

Torkel came to Story City with his parents at the age of four in 1865.

He was first married to Julia Ericson in 1884. She died in 1889 and no children survived this union.

In February 14, 1893 he was united in marriage to Ingeborg Severeid of Goodhue county, Minn. From this union came three sons and three daughters: E. J. of Washington, D. C., Marie, Mrs. A. T. Donhowe of Des Moines, Thelma who died in infancy, Tryphena who died in the influenza epidemic of 1918, Ansel of Story City and Osmon of Washington, D. C.

He had four grandchildren: Robert and Helen Donhowe of Des Moines and Robert and Patricia Henryson of Washington, D. C.

His interests were varied and he was active in business, civic and church endeavors.

His business career began at the early age of 16 when he worked for John Swan in the hardware business. At 17 he sold implements and hardware on commission. In 1880 he went into the partnership of Boyd & Henryson, dealing in hardware and implements. He remained in this partnership until 1893 when he sold his interest and joined the State Bank of Story City as cashier.

He left the State Bank in 1907 to become cashier of the First Savings Bank and in 1908, when the State Bank was consolidated with the First Savings Bank he was made cashier of the new First National Bank. In 1918 he was elected president of the First National Bank.

He had also been president of the First National Bank of Roland and the First Mortgage Investment Company of this place, secretary of the First National Farm Loan Association, treasurer of the Story City Farmers Creamery Co., the Farmers Insurance Co., the Farmers Grain Co., the Business & Farmers Co., the Improvement Co. and with others active in the organization of the telephone company, the electric light company, the Northwestern Land & Trust Co., the Grand Hotel and Auditorium Co. and other enterprises.

He was interested in politics, but aside from service on the Town Council and a term as Mayor, did not seek public office.

Despite a well filled business career, he was active in many forms of civic work. He was active and energetic in assisting in the promotion of town festivals, celebrations, sports, lecture courses, business buildings, street improvements, the Greater Community Congress, parks, schools, the Hospital and Old Peoples Home, waterworks and everything, in fact, that he felt would contribute towards making the community a better place in which to live and work.

He was active in church work and his interest in his church never ceased. He was baptized by Rev. P. A. Rasmussen and was a member of the St. Petri Lutheran church for over 75 years. He had served the church in many ways. He was president of the congregation in 1927. In the old Norwegian Lutheran Synod he had been treasurer of the Iowa District. When the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America was formed, he was a member of the Church Council to 1921, and served as a member of the National Board of Charities from 1917 to 1926.