Lewis Witleson. It is a
matter of no slight social and material significance
when a man can claim secure status as one of the
successful yeomen of the great state of Iowa, and
such distinction applies to Mr. Witleson, who is one
of the progressive young agriculturists and stock
growers of his native county and one of the popular
and loyal citizens of Marion township, within whose
borders he has maintained his home from the time of
his birth and in which he is effectively upholding
the prestige of a family name that has been one of
prominence in connection with the civic and
industrial activities of Clayton county since the
early pioneer days.
On the old homestead farm of
his father, in Section 26, Marion township, Lewis
Witleson was born on the 24th of May, 1887, and he is
a son of Wetley and Ambjor (Lamsgaard) Witleson, the
former of whom was born and reared in Clayton county,
and the latter of whom was born in Norway. Wetley
Witleson's parents were born and reared in Norway and
upon coming to America they became pioneer settlers
of Clayton county, to the development and uplifting
of which they contributed to the full extent of their
powers. There came to Wetley Witleson ample
opportunity for the achieving of large success and
definite prosperity as one of the farmers of his
native county, and he accumulated and improved a fine
landed estate, so that he was one of the substantial
citizens and representative farmers of the county at
the time of his death, which occurred April 27th,
1895. His widow remains with their son Lewis, of this
review, on the old homestead farm that was devised to
the latter by his grandfather, Lars Witleson, the
sterling pioneer, who outlived his son Wetley and who
was summoned to the life eternal in 1906. Of the
children of Wetley and Ambjor Witleson the firstborn,
Amelia, died young; Annie is the wife of Knute Olson,
of Wagner township, this county; Emma is the wife of
Emil Gulsvig, of Marion township; Lewis, of this
sketch, was the next in order of birth; and William
A. and Waldena remain with their brother and their
widowed mother on the old homestead.
Lewis Witleson profited
fully by the advantages afforded in the schools of
his native township and was a lad of about seven
years at the time of his father's death. He was
reared to maturity on the old homestead of his
paternal grandfather, Lars Witleson, who died in 1906
and by the provisions of whose will Lewis Witleson
came into full ownership of the present fine estate
of two hundred and sixty-six acres. Here he has since
continued his progressive and well ordered activities
along the lines of diversified agriculture and the
raising of good grades of live stock, and he is one
of the representative farmers of his native county,
liberal and public-spirited as a citizen and
commanding the high regard of the community which has
ever been his home. The attractive home receives
service on rural mail route No. 4 from the village of
Elgin. Mr. Witleson is arrayed staunchly in the ranks
of the Republican party and he and the other members
of the household are communicants of the Norwegian
Lutheran church.
source: History of
Clayton County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical
Times Down to the Present; by Realto E. Price,
Vol. II; pg. 448-449
-OCR scanned by S. Ferrall
[Wittleson]
