Ole Tortenson

TORTENSON

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 10/1/2005 at 22:50:00

Among those who have found the opportunity for the achievement of success in the agricultural conditions of Worth county is Ole Tortenson, who is now a retired farmer living at Kensett. He is still the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, from which he derives a gratifying annual income, and for many years he was actively engaged in the cultivation and development of his fields.

A native of Norway, he was born at Valders on the 13th of January, 1842. The parents were also natives of Valders and were there reared and married. The father followed the occupation of farming in Norway until the late '60s, when he bade adieu to friends and native land and with his family crossed the Atlantic to the new world, settling in Winneshiek county, Iowa, at Decorah. There he spent his remaining days, closely identified with the farming interests of that locality, and later his wife passed away at the home of her son.

Ole Tortenson passed his youthful days in his native country and pursued his education in its public schools. In 1861, when a youth of nineteen years, he crossed the Atlantic on one of the old-time sailing vessels, making the voyage in four weeks. He then continued his journey across the country to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and soon afterward he responded to the call of his adopted country for military aid, enlisting for service in the Union army as a member of Company F, Fifteenth Wisconsin Infantry, with which he served for three years. He was in the battle of Stone River and afterward became ill at Tullahoma, Tennessee. He was then sent to Nashville, where he remained until the expiration of his term of service.

Mr. Tortenson then returned to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where he was employed at the tailor's trade for a number of years. In 1879 he arrived in Worth county, Iowa, establishing his home in Danville township, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land which he carefully improved in every way, leading to modern farm development. He continued to cultivate his place until about three years ago, when he took up his abode in Kensett and retired from active farm work. He retains the ownership of three hundred and twenty acres of land, which returns to him a gratifying annual income. His business affairs have been carefully directed and whatever he has undertaken he has carried forward to successful completion. He has always devoted his attention to tailoring and to farming and as the years have passed he has prospered as the result of his persistency of purpose and indefatigable energy.

In 1866 Mr. Tortenson was united in marriage to Miss Anna Dorothy Anderson, a daughter of Andrew and Catharine Anderson. Mrs. Tortenson was born in Norway and came with her parents to the United States in the early '50s, the voyage being made in a sailing vessel. They took tip their abode in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and it was there that Mr. and Mrs. Tortenson were married. They became the parents of six children, namely: Lucy, who died at Colorado Springs; Oscar; Clara; Tilda; Ella; and Reuben, who lives on the home farm.

In religious faith the parents are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and in political belief Mr. Tortenson is a republican. He has never sought or desired office, however, as a reward for party fealty, but has preferred to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business interests, which, carefully directed, have brought to him the success that now enables him to live retired, enjoying all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life without recourse to further labor.

Source: History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, 1918, Vol. II, page 404.