J. Elmer Twito

TWITO, HALVERSON, SPONEM, KOBBERVIG

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 9/12/2005 at 19:28:53

J. Elmer Twito, of Lake Mills, has built up a large clientage as a real estate dealer and has handled many valuable properties, especially local lands. He was born in Forest City, May 30, 1878, a son of Jacob and Carrie (Halverson) Twito, natives respectively of Wisconsin and Norway. The mother removed with her parents to Forest City at a very early period in the development of Winnebago county and the father also came here in pioneer time. He was well known and highly respected and for fourteen years held the office of county sheriff. On removing to Lake Mills he became an employee of the Lake Mills Lumber Company, with which concern he was connected until his death in July, 1904. He is buried in the North Side cemetery. The mother still survives.

J. Elmer Twito attended the public schools of his native town until he was eleven years old, when the family removed to Lake Mills, where he has since continuously resided. He was in school here until he was fifteen years old, when he began working as clerk, and was so employed in various stores until 1901. In that year he engaged in the real estate business in partnership with his father and after the latter's demise was alone for a year. Subsequently he was associated in business with Daniel Lunoe, but in the early part of 1917 that partnership was dissolved and he is now in business alone. He makes a specialty of handling lands and is recognized as an authority upon land values in this section of the state. His business returns him a good profit and he is in very comfortable financial circumstances.

In 1906 Mr. Twito was married to Miss Regina Sponem, a daughter of Tosten and Isabel (Kobbervig) Sponen, natives of Norway, who on emigrating to the Unites States located in Dane county, Wisconsin. There the father passed away and is buried and the mother is now located in Mount Vernon, Wisconsin. To Mr. and Mrs. Twito have been born eight children: James T., Irving C., Earl R., Bernice R., Gladys Viola, George Harold, Royden W. and Levona F.

Mr. Twito exercises his right of franchise in support of the candidates and measures of the republican party where national issues are at stake, but otherwise votes for the man. He belongs to the United Lutheran Church and gives his support of its work for the moral up building of the community. He has made all that he has himself and possesses the self-reliance and initiative characteristic of the self-made man.

Source: History of Winnebago and Hancock Counties, Iowa, Vol. II, 1917, page 75.