1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa
Page Index:
Hansen |
Custer |
M Christiansen |
Dickinson |
M Olesen |
S Olesen |
Nelson |
E Christiansen |
Quinn
The richness of the soil of Iowa has attracted people from every corner of the globe and in many places in the state may be found communities of citizens all of whom have come from some European country. Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden are well represented in Shelby county, although the Germans predominate. The historian in compiling these biographies has been surprised at the large number of people who have come from Schleswig, Germany, and has noted that, without exception, they and their children have become prosperous since settling in this county. One of the many citizens whose fathers came from Schleswig is Mads Hansen, a prominent farmer and stockman of Jackson township. Although he was born in this country, yet his parents were both born in Germany and came to
this country early in life.
Mads Hansen, the son of Hans and Bertha (Brehmer) Hansen, was born August 24, 1875, in Davenport, Iowa. His father was born in Schleswig in 1848 and came to this country when he was twenty years of age. He went directly to Davenport, Iowa, and worked there by the day until 1877. In the meantime (1874) he had married Bertha Brehmer, who was born in 1853 in Davenport, the daughter of German parents, and with the help of his frugal wife he accumulated enough money by 1877 to buy a farm. In that year they came to Shelby county and bought eighty acres of land in Jackson township. The land was without improvements of any kind, but with characteristic determination they started to work and in the course of a few years had accumulated a farm of four hundred acres. Hans Hansen died
February 28, 1912. His widow remarried and is now living in Jacksonville, Iowa. They were the parents of four children: Mads, Gustav M., Anna Main (deceased), and Harvie.
Mads Hansen was only three years of age when his parents moved to this county and, consequently, received all of his education in the schools of Jackson township, where they located. He started to work for himself when he was eighteen years old, working by the day on farms in Shelby and Scott counties. In 1897 he rented land from his father and upon his marriage in 1899 continued to rent from his father until 1910. In the latter year he bought a farm of one hundred and forty-one acres in Center township, but three years afterward sold a half interest in the farm and bought two hundred acres of his father's estate. His farm, known as the "Little
Knoll Stock Farm," is one of the finest farms in the county. He has built a beautiful country home which has all the latest conveniences and is one of the handsomest homes of the county. Mr. Hansen is an active, wide-awake and thoroughly progressive farmer who keeps abreast of the latest methods in scientific agriculture. He is making a specialty of Shorthorn cattle and has been very successful in handling them.
Mr. Hansen was married August 23, 1899, to Mary Petersen. She is the daughter of Jens Petersen and was born June 12, 1879, in Shelby county. To this union there have been four children born: Hans, Jens, James and Anna. Jens and James are deceased and the other two children are still living with their parents.
Politically, Mr. Hansen is identified with the Democratic party, and although interested in good government, has never taken an active part in political matters. He is an independent voter when it comes to local elections. He and his family are loyal members of the Danish Lutheran church.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 896 - 897.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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It seems that there is no start in life which so well prepares a man for his future career, no matter what he may choose to follow, as the boyhood years spent on the farm. This is not strange to the contemplative mind, for in the first place the boy reared next to nature, to~ the fresh soil, surrounded by the clear air and amidst the growing, blooming vegetation, will be stronger physically and mentally than his city bred brother. All will agree that health is the first requisite in the pursuit of success in this world, and the fact that a large majority of our most successful business men were reared on the farm bears silent witness to the sturdy constitution of the farmer boy. Many a man has been handicapped, submerged and defeated because of the lack of good health. The farmer boy who uses his energy in wrestling with the plow, the unbroken colt, the stubborn calf and the quick growing weeds, has no time to get into trouble. Endowed by nature with keen, practical intelligence, force of character and the courage of his convictions Mr. Custer has risen to a place of prominence in the affairs of his community, and today stands as one of the leaders in his county.
Benton C. Custer, the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Burkett) Custer, was born February 14, 1852, in Fountain county, Indiana. Henry Custer was born in the western part of North Carolina, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Custer. Emanuel Custer and wife were the parents of the following children, John, Elizabeth, Mary and Henry. Henry Custer went to Ohio from North Carolina when he was thirteen years of age and lived there until he was twenty-two years old, when he went to Indiana, where he followed farming until the spring of 1852, at which time he removed to Mills county, Iowa.
He arrived in Shelby county, April 15, 1853, bought a half section of land and later an additional forty acres, and farmed this tract until his death in 1885. His wife died in 1888. Henry Custer and wife reared a large family of children: John, who died in infancy; Rudy, who married James Abernethy and has three children, Cynthia, Arthur and Alice; Elizabeth, who married Leander Hack and has the following children, William, Lydia, Louis, Nevada, Jonathan, Adolph, Roselle, Annie, Hattie and Oscar; Jonathan, who served in the Union army during the Civil War as a member of Company A, Twenty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and died in the service in 1862; Benjamin, who first married Sarah Tague, and later Catherine Moore, has four children, George and Elizabeth by his first marriage and Harry and Nellie by his second marriage; Catharine, who married Louis Waterbury, has five children, Grant, Elizabeth, Alma, Elmer and Charles; Caroline, who married Louis Shaffer and has had eight children, Elizabeth, Henry, Ruth, Emma, Elsie, Fannie, Emanuel and John, the oldest, who died when young; Benton C., whose history is here delineated.
The Custer family of Shelby county are descendants of the same family of which General George A. Custer is a member. The Custers were related to George Washington by intermarriage. Augustine Washington, the father of George Washington married a Mrs. Ball, and the Custers and Balls were related by intermarriage.
Benton C. Custer was educated in the common schools and from earliest boyhood worked upon the farm. His father was a prosperous farmer and one of the most successful tillers of the soil in his county, and accordingly Benton C. had the advantage of good training in his youth. When he was twenty-one years of age he went to farming for himself on a fine farm in Fairview township, and to this he has gradually added until he is now the owner of four hundred acres of as fine land as can be found in the county. No other farmer in the county raises better crops or a better grade of cattle. He has been especially interested in the raising of Shorthorn cattle, and has had remarkable success in handling this particular breed. In 1912 Mr. Custer retired from active work and moved to Harlan, where he and his wife
are living surrounded by all the comforts and conveniences of modern life.
Mr. Custer was married January 1, 1879, to Lora McGee, the daughter of William and Edith (Huff) McGee, and to this union have been born seven children, Grace, Gertrude, Eva, Inez, Hazel, Glen and Clara, who died in infancy. Grace married M. A. Lewis and has three children, Joy, Lawrence and Margaret. Gertrude married John Burroughs, who died in 1909, leaving her with three children, Mary F., Zetta and Lloyd. Eva married D. M. Darling and has one child, Marvin. Inez married Alfred Plumb and has three children, Lotus, Veta and Iva. Hazel married Jesse Carlsen and has three sons, Homer, Howard and Ivan. Glen married Opal Goodner.
Mr. Custer has always taken a deep interest in political affairs, but has never been a candidate for any public office, preferring to devote all his time and energies to his agricultural pursuits. His wife and children are members of the Christian church and Mr. and Mrs. Custer are generous contributors to its support. Mr. Custer would be appreciated as a citizen any where, for he is a believer in hard, persistent work and honorable dealings with his fellow men. At the same time he is patriotic, public-spirited and has done much for the general improvement of his community, where he has made his home for so many years.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 899 - 901.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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An enumeration of the representative citizens of Shelby county, Iowa, would be incomplete without specific mention of the well known and popular farmer, Marinus Christiansen, now living a retired life at Harlan. A member of one of the old and highly esteemed families of this locality and for many years a public-spirited man of affairs, he has stamped the impress of his individuality upon the community and added luster to the honorable name which he bears. He has always been actuated by a spirit of fairness in his dealings with the world in general, and left no stone unturned whereby he might benefit his own condition as well as that of his friends and the favored section of the great commonwealth in which he has been content to spend his life. Straightforward and unassuming, genial and obliging, Mr. Christiansen enjoys the good will and respect of a wide circle of friends throughout this part of the state.
Marinus Christiansen, the son of Christian Christiansen, was born January 2, 1858. in Brown county, Wisconsin. His father was born in Denmark, May 31, 1833, and lived in that country until 1853, when he came to the United States, and purchased land in Brown county, Wisconsin. He was married at Two Rivers, Wisconsin, in 1855 and continued to reside in that state until 1865, at which time he removed to Iowa with his family and purchased one hundred acres of land in Shelby county, being the first members of the Danish Baptist church to become residents of the county. He sold his first farm and then bought two hundred acres in Monroe township, where he is still living with his youngest son. His wife died February 6, 1914. He is a Republican in politics and served as trustee of his township at one time. Christian Christiansen and wife were the parents of nine children: Marinus, whose history is here narrated; Charles, who died young; Charles, who married Ann Rold and has one child, Ralph; Minnie, who married Edward Christiansen and has five children; Mary, who married William Jensen, and has eight children, Myrtle, Elva, Arnold, Grant, Raymond, Hattie, William and Ernest; Anna, the wife of D. J. Carmichael, and the mother of two children, Donald and Lilliah; Martin, who married Anna Tobias, and has five children, Ivy, Grace, and three others; Martha, who married Chris Rold, and has two children; Andrew, who married Esther
Tobias. and has two children, Sheldon and Linden; Charles married Anna Rold, and has one son, Ralph; three who are deceased. Mr. Christiansen now has twenty-nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Marinus Christiansen was seven years of age when his parents moved from Brown county, Wisconsin, to Shelby county, Iowa, and consequently all of his education has been received within this county. From his earliest boyhood he has worked on the farm, and upon his marriage located in Center township, rented land four years and then bought eighty acres and added to it until he has his present farm of two hundred and forty acres in Center township. While raising all of the grains common to this particular locality, he has paid a great deal of attention to the raising of Duroc Jersey hogs and Shorthorn cattle and has been very successful in handling these two standard breeds of live stock. In 1907 he felt that he had laid by a sufficient competency for his declining years and retired from. active farming. He moved to
Harlan where he is now residing. He also owns ninety-three acres in Monroe township. He has a beautiful home on Sixth street, where he and his wife dispense hospitality to their many friends and acquaintances.
Mr. Christiansen was married July 5, 1878, to Anna C. Nasby, the daughter of Christian J. and Anna (Nelson) Nasby. Christian J. Nasby was born in Denmark and came to the United States in 1869, locating in Shelby county, Iowa. He became a prosperous farmer and at the time of his death in 1903 was classed among the most substantial men of his township. His wife died in 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Christiansen are the parents of four children: Anna, who married Morris Fredericksen and has one child, Bernardine; Christina, who married Elmer Johnson, and has five children, Gerald, Melvin, Cecil, Elsie and Everett; Leroy, who married Minnie Fredericksen, and has one son, Elliott; and Alvin R., who is still unmarried and residing with his parents in Harlan.
Mr. Christiansen has always been active in the interests of the Republican party, but has never been particularly active in its councils. He served as school director while living in Center township and since moving to Harlan has served as city councilman for two years. The family are earnest members of the Danish Baptist church of Harlan and have always been interested in its various activities. Mr. Christiansen is at the present time the treasurer of his church. He is a man of high character and sterling honesty and has won a wide circle of friends throughout the locality with which this history deals.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 902 - 904.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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It will be interesting to return to Iowa one hundred years from now and note the conditions under which the farmers are living. Undoubtedly there will be as many changes in the next century as there have been in the past century, and we can begin to see wherein the changes will be most marked. Just as the horse took the place of the ox and the steam engine took the place of the horse, so will gasoline and electricity take the place of the steam engine. The farmer of today does not have to work as hard as his father before him and the farmer of 2014 will work less than half as hard as the easy-going farmer of today. One hundred years from now the children of Shelby county will be reading of the trials of their forefathers in this very volume and it will be hard for them to understand about the grasshopper
wars, the dugouts and the sod houses. Shelby county has many excellent farmers whose histories will be handed down through the coming centuries in this volume and among those is Norris W. Dickinson, a farmer and stockman of Center township, whose father was one of the earliest pioneers of the county.
Norris W. Dickinson, the son of Norris M. and Harriet (Ashman) Dickinson, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 13, 1867. His father was born in Ludlow, Vermont, September 9, 1839, and learned the silver smoothing trade in Rutland of that state. He was engaged in that trade when the Civil War opened and President Lincoln issued his first call for troops to quell the Rebellion of the Southern states. Norris M. Dickinson enlisted twice in the Union Army. On April 9, 1862, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Sixtieth Regiment of New York State Volunteers and in the same year, August 4, he was commissioned first lieutenant of Company A, Sixtieth Regiment of New York Volunteers. He served in the Army of the Potomac and he resigned his commission February 9, 1863, and
was honorably discharged February 17, 1863. He then returned to his home in Ludlow, Vermont. He re-enlisted again in the spring of 1863 for the remainder of the war and was finally discharged at Baltimore, March 1, 1865. He was engaged in the first and second battles of Bull Run and made a commendable record as a soldier and officer during the time of his service in behalf of the Union. He fought under McClellan in the Peninsular campaign and participated in many important engagements to his credit.
Immediately after the war he set out for the West in order to make his fortune, and reached Omaha, where he bought some property which is now located in the heart of the city. Here he became a member of the firm of Dickinson and Smith, transportation agents, and entered into a contract to convey a train load of goods from Omaha to Salt Lake City. This venture was to have a far-reaching effect upon his future life and was definitely destined to affect his fortunes to a marked degree, as the following paragraphs will disclose. This important contract was made on July 10, 1865, and the trip was undertaken by ox teams, as that was the day of ox team transportation. The troubles and vicissitudes which beset the train in the westward journey through the wilderness were many and at Fort Laramie, Colorado, the entire train and another one which had joined them at Fort Collins, Nebraska, was snowed in during the winter and they lost ninety-six head of
oxen. Because of this misfortune it became necessary to return to Fort Collins and secure a number of mules sufficient to transport the train and complete the remaining link of the long journey. The long and arduous trip was not ended until March of 1866.
The journey was not without its compensations to Mr. Dickinson in other ways than monetary gain, however. A statement above records that another train joined the Dickinson outfit at Fort Collins, Nebraska, and that the two trains kept company all the way to their mutual destination. This second emigrant train was a Mormon contingent recruited in England, and had traveled across the great ocean and taken the long journey across the prairies and mountains to reach the promised land. A winsome English girl was a member of this Mormon recruiting expedition. Mr. Dickinson met her and fell in love with the girl, who was Harriet Ashman. She had
left her family behind her and come alone to make a home in the great west. The courtship continued and when they had arrived safely in Salt Lake City, the twain were made one. For a time, Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson made their home in Salt Lake City and here Norris W. was born to them. They returned to Omaha in due time and Mr. Dickinson became a mail clerk on the Union Pacific railroad. He continued on the road until 1871 when the longing for a permanent home and a farm of his own induced him to resign and remove with his family to Shelby county, where he purchased three hundred and sixty acres of land in Center township. This land he improved and transformed from a prairie wilderness into a highly productive farm which is now owned by his only surviving son.
Mr. Dickinson was a breeder of and a great lover of fine horses. He owned a number of excellent running horses during his lifetime and thoroughly enjoyed the sport of kings. He lived on his fine farm until his death in Omaha, March 4, 1874. His wife, Harriet Ashman, was born in Dover, England, September 13, 1844, and died March 5, 1899. Norris M. Dickinson and wife were the parents of three children: Leona, George and Norris W., the only one now living. Norris W. Dickinson received a good common school education in the~ schools of this county and when only fourteen years old began to work out on farms by the day. He worked by the day for eight years and then moved on his father's farm and farmed for himself until 1898. He then moved to Harlan and resided for the next eight years after which he returned to agricultural pursuits and settled on the family estate of two hundred and eighty acres in Center township, which came into his possession by inheritance. On this farm are ten acres of natural timber. It is one of the most productive farms of the neighborhood and is kept in a high state of cultivation. Mr. Dickinson is a large stock man and prefers the Hereford breed of cattle and finds a ready sale for all that he has to dispose of during the year.
Mr. Dickinson was married on August 19, 1891, to Elma Waterbury, daughter of Louis and Catharine (Custer) Waterbury. To this union have been born seven children: Benjamin, Grace, Herman, Walter, Robert, George and one who died in infancy. George is also deceased. All the rest of the children are living with their father.
The mother of these children was born in this county August 21, 1879. and died on March 16, 1914. Her parents, Louis and Catharine (Custer) Waterbury were natives of New York state and migrated to the west in an early day. They first settled in Indiana, from which state they went westward to Jones county, Iowa, and from there came to Shelby county and were early pioneer settlers in this county.
Politically, Mr. Dickinson is a Republican but has never taken an active part in political matters. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Woodmen of the World and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He is devoted to his family and is one of the best citizens of his township and county, being universally respected by all who know him.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 904 - 907.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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The history of Sweden furnishes some of the most striking characters who have ever adorned the pages of history. It was the people of this country who sailed across the North Sea in the eighth century, captured England and set up a king of their own in London, and King Canute has always been accorded an honored place in the annals of English history. Then, in the year moo, it was a native of Sweden who led a band of his countrymen to the coast of North America, and if history is to be believed, it is Lief the Lucky who has the honor of first discovering America. Coming farther down the pages of Swedish history, we find one of the greatest men
of his time, Gustavus Adolphus, one of the greatest kings Sweden ever produced, and one of the greatest men in history. Such a country with such men has produced a body of citizens who are known for their independence, for their integrity and for their high ideals of citizenship. Thousands of them have come to America and wherever they have settled, they have become prosperous citizens. Shelby county, Iowa, is fortunate to number some of them among her citizenry, and of this number is Martin Olesen, one of the substantial farmers of Monroe township.
Martin Olesen was born in Sweden, January 25, 1849, and is the son of Ole and Anna Olesen. He was educated in his native land and early in life was apprenticed to the blacksmith trade. He soon mastered it and worked at this trade for several years in Sweden. In 1874, having arrived at the age of twenty-five years, he decided to come to America, where many of his countrymen had settled. Upon reaching this country he immediately went to Shelby county, Iowa, and rented a farm and began farming for himself. He rented land until 1903, when he purchased his present farm of one hundred and forty-one acres in Monroe township. He has improved his farm in various ways and brought it to a high state of cultivation by a process of scientific crop rotation. He has erected a large barn, new outbuildings and made other improvements which enable him to farm in a more efficient manner. He enjoys the distinction of being one of his township's most prosperous farmers, and is recognized as a man who is thoroughly abreast of the times in the latest agricultural methods.
Mr. Olesen was married in 1882 to Hannah Madsen, who was also a native of Sweden, and to this union have been born six children, Otto, Abstena, Emma, Ida, Alma and one child who died in infancy. Abstena married Christopher Powlson and has one daughter, Sylva; Emma is the wife of Fred Anderson and has one child, Gaylan; Ida married Ralph Larsen.
Mr. Olesen and his family are earnest and loyal members of the Lutheran church and to its support they contribute generously of their means. Politically, he is a Republican but has never had the inclination to take an active part in politics. Mr. Olesen is devoted to his adopted country and is a citizen in all that the term implies, being a representative type of that strong, virile citizenship which demands respect by reason of inherent merit and correct principles of life.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 907 - 908.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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No foreign country has furnished worthier or more progressive citizens to the United States than Denmark, and of the vast number of this splendid citizenship who have come to our shores and been assimilated into our civilization, resulting in good to both, is Soren Olesen, one of the most extensive farmers of Shelby county, Iowa. Coming to this country when a mere youth of seventeen, with no knowledge of the English language and with no assets except a willingness to work, he has accumulated a fortune which makes his career read like that of Aladdin with his wonderful lamp. Little did he dream when he landed in this country in 1869 that the day would come when he would be the possessor of more than one thousand acres of fine farming land, and yet with that wonderful ability which characterizes
the Danish people, he has surmounted all obstacles and stands today as one of the finest types of American citizens in his county. Notwithstanding his accumulation of wealth he has not forgotten his duty to his fellow men, and his friendship is prized most by those who know him best, showing that his character will bear the scrutiny of close acquaintance and that his life has been fraught with great good to those among whom his lot has been cast.
Soren Olesen, the son of Ole and Anna (Sorensen) Olesen, was born December 29, 1852, in the little kingdom of Denmark. He received a limited education in the schools of his native land and when seventeen years of age came to this country and located in Omaha, Nebraska. He had learned the cooper's trade in his native land and after coming to this country worked for the first four years at, his trade in connection with farming. From Omaha he went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he pursued his trade for two years, after which he returned to Iowa City, Iowa, and worked at coopering. His next change found him in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he again followed his trade. He had now been in this country ten years, had married in the meantime and had been saving his money with the intention of investing it
in land.
In 1879 he forsook the cooper's trade and launched out as a farmer by buying a farm in Nebraska. That he was successful in that state is shown by the fact that he still owns eight hundred and forty acres of land there, from which he realizes very handsome returns each year. He first came to Shelby county, Iowa, in 1900, when he purchased the nine hundred and sixty acres of land on which he now lives in Monroe township. He is one of the most extensive farmers in the county and one of the heaviest stock raisers. He often raises as many as one thousand head of cattle annually, while he also markets several hundred head of hogs each year. He thoroughly understands every phase of stock raising and the success which has attended his efforts shows that he is an expert in this particular line of farming.
Mr. Olesen was married June 26, 1876, to Joanna Morgansen, who was born in Sweden, and to this union was born one daughter, Johanna C. His first wife died November 1, 1895, and a few years later he married Mary Terkelsen, and to this second marriage have been born five children, Anna, Cora, Edna, Ethel and Raymond, who died in infancy. He and his family are loyal members of the Danish Lutheran church, to which denomination he contributes generously of his means. He is also a member of the Danish Association, of Omaha, Nebraska, and the Danish Brotherhood of America.
Fraternally, Mr. Olesen is one of the most active Masons of this section of the state. He is a member of the Blue Lodge, the Chapter, the Council, the Commandery and the Shriners, and has passed all of the chairs in the Blue Lodge. He has always taken an active interest in the history of Masonry and is accounted one of the closest students of this fraternity in the state. He is a member of the American Protective Association and holds a life membership in the Farmers National Congress of the United States. This, in brief, is the history of the penniless seventeen-year-old lad who landed in this country in 1869 and today is the owner of eighteen hun-
dred acres of fine farming land in Iowa and Nebraska. Such men are a credit to any community and Shelby county honors itself in classing him among its most representative citizens.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 908 - 910.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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The United States is indebted to Denmark for many of its best citizens, and Shelby county, Iowa, has been fortunate to attract many of them to its borders. The Danish people are among the most industrious nations of Europe and the industry which made them successful in their own country with its limited resources has made them exceedingly prosperous in this country. A good example of the success which follows the Danish farmer in this country is shown in the history of Nels Nelson, one of the most substantial farmers of Monroe township. He has always been actively interested in everything which tended to promote the development of his county, and has always been depended upon to endorse progressive measures and uphold every effort to advance the best interests of his community. A career
of more than forty years in this county has enabled his fellow citizens to appreciate his worth as a man, and the high esteem in which he is universally held by those who know shows that he is well worthy of representation in the history of his county.
Nels Nelson, the son of Kjeld and Christiana Nelson, was born in Denmark, November 15, 1858. His father was a farmer in Denmark and came to the United States in 1872, and immediately went west and settled in Shelby county, Iowa, where he bought a farm of forty acres in Monroe township. He resided on this farm until his death in 1899, his wife having passed away several years previously. They were members of the Adventist church and took an active interest in the work of their favorite denomination. Kjeld Nelson and his wife were the parents of three children, Inger, Nels and Christ.
Nels Nelson received most of his education in the schools of his native land, although he attended school in Monroe township for a short time after his parents moved to this county. He was fourteen years of age when his parents moved here and from the first worked upon the farm. Mr. Nelson purchased his first farm of eighty acres in 1880 and has added to this tract year after year. He lets part of the land to tenants. He raises a large number of cattle on his farm each year and at present has about seventy-three head of cattle on the place. He recently erected a fine modern residence on his place.
He has been remarkably successful along agricultural lines and is now the owner of six hundred and eighty acres of fine land in Monroe township. He has done this by close application and the practice of those habits of thrift and industry which characterized his ancestors. He is one of the most highly respected and honored citizens of the county and takes an active interest in all public-spirited movements. In politics he has always adhered to the Republican party, but has never had any inclination to participate in
political matters.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 910 - 911.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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The state of Iowa today owes its position very largely to its farmers and without them the state could not exist. It is the farmer who furnishes the products which make it possible for the railroad to exist; the factories to run; the bankers to operate and the professional man to have his existence. Eliminate the farmer from this state, stop the importation of food stuffs and the state would be starved within a week. It is a fact that cannot be denied that the farmer is the very bulwark of the state, and the man whose labor makes it possible for men in every other occupation to live. One of the farmers of Shelby county who is doing his share toward making Iowa one of the greatest states in the Union, is Edward Christiansen, one of the most thrifty farmers of Monroe township.
Edward Christiansen, the son of Celius and Inger (Rasmussen) Christiansen, was born October 14, 1859, in Brown county, Wisconsin. His parents were both natives of Denmark and came to this country in 1853, and settled in Brown county, Wisconsin, where they lived until 1880. In that year Celius Christiansen and his family moved to Shelby county, Iowa, and located in Monroe township, where they resided until 1894 when Celius returned to Denmark. His wife died in 1892. Celius Christiansen was a soldier in the Civil War and made an honorable record in that memorable conflict.
Edward Christiansen was educated in the common schools of Brown county, Wisconsin, and worked on the home farm until he was twenty years of age. His father then moving to Iowa, he accompanied the family to this county and remained with his father until he was twenty-three years old. He then left home and went to South Dakota, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land and a tree claim of one hundred and sixty acres. He lived in South Dakota seven years, then sold his holdings and returned to Shelby county, where he rented a farm. Two years after, returning to this county, he purchased his present farm of one hundred acres in Monroe township, and by judicious management and close application, he has improved the farm in such a way as to secure gratifying returns. He
has built a beautiful country residence, erected good barns and outbuildings, with the result that his farm today presents a very attractive appearance. While raising all of the crops common to this section of the state, he gives particular attention to the raising of Holstein cattle, and has found this to be a very profitable adjunct to his regular farming.
Mr. Christiansen was married January 14, 1884, to Minnie Christiansen, daughter of Crist Christiansen and wife, natives of Denmark, and early settlers of this state, and to this union have been born six children, Lulu, Mamie, Bessie, Frank, Fern and Floyd, who died in infancy. Mr. Christiansen and his family are all earnest and loyal members of the Seventh Day Adventist church, to whose support they contribute generously of their means. Mr. Christiansen is essentially a self-made man, starting in empty-handed and by his own efforts having attained to a comfortable position in life. He has done this and at the same time won the esteem of his fellow
citizens.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 911 - 912.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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Holding eminent prestige among the successful business men of his community, Ed. Quinn has had much to do in advancing the material interests of Irwin, Shelby county, Iowa, and making it one of the important commercial centers of this section of the state. In addition to the demands his ever-growing business has made on his time, Mr. Quinn has still been able to find time to fulfill various duties of a public nature and no citizen of Irwin has been more ready and anxious to advance in every possible way the best interests of the town. The study of such a life cannot fail of interest and incentive, for he has been not only distinctly representative in his spheres of endeavor, but has established a reputation for integrity and honor. He is, therefore, numbered among the substantial and worthy citizens of his com-
munity and none more than he deserves representation in a work of the character of the one in hand.
Ed. Quinn was born on March 13, 1861, in Lyndon, Whiteside county, Illinois, the son of John and Anna (Collins) Quinn, both of whom were natives of Ireland, the former a native of County Limerick and the latter born in County Galway. Both were young when they emigrated to America, their marriage taking place in this country. The elder Quinn during the first years of his life in this country was engaged in the contracting business, but in 1877 he decided to devote the rest of his life to the vocation of farming and with this decision in mind, he came to Iowa in the spring of 1877. From that time on until his death, August 25, 1885, he continued a resident of this state and devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits. His widow survived him a number of years, passing from this life on April 23, 1902. They
were the parents of four children, the immediate subject being the third child in order of birth and the only surviving member of the family. The others were Daniel T., John and Mary Etta.
Mr. Quinn passed the earlier years of his life under the parental roof, attending the schools of the district, and when fourteen years of age, fired with a consuming ambition to see the world and battle with life on his own account, he ran away from home and remained a year. At the end of that time he had not only gained in stature but considerably in wisdom also and was glad to return to his father's home and again enter school. There he remained for almost a year, when again tiring of school life, his father employed him for a time. He next secured a position on a large stock farm, the owner of which was a baseball enthusiast and hired Mr. Quinn so that he might be relieved of responsibilities and could play on some of the teams of local fame. This connection held for two years, and in 1879 he came to Shelby county, his father and mother moving here two years later, and in this county their remaining days were passed. His brother, Daniel, who died in 1885, was quite a prominent man of this section, although still a young man in years at the time of his death. He was a graduate of the law department of the Iowa State College and first came to Shelby county in 1880, locating at Kirkman, where he taught school and practiced law. He also served the township as justice of the peace. In 1883 he took up his residence in Irwin, where he was practicing law at the time of his death, two years later.
Upon coming to this county, Ed. Quinn purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 8 of Jefferson township. There he lived for two years and then rented and farmed a tract of three hundred and twenty acres, where he remained until 1893, when he moved to Irwin, having received the appointment as postmaster of that town. He filled this office for five years, at the same time operating the Granger Furniture and Undertaking establishment, which he had purchased. After vacating the office of postmaster, he devoted his entire time and energies to his business and during the years that have elapsed it has grown to such an extent that thrice he has had to seek larger quarters. In 1907 he built the large brick building which his business now occupies. This has a floor space of twenty-three by
sixty feet, with a basement ten feet and five inches deep, a full-size second story and a balcony on the first floor, all of which is occupied by his business, making it one of the largest furniture stores in the county. In addition to this building and stock, Mr. Quinn owns the old home place, his residence property in Irwin, as well as some smaller rental properties, and he has also been a quite heavy investor in North Dakota lands. That he has succeeded well in his business venture is not surprising, when the various qualities of the man are taken into consideration. He has brought to bear on his enterprise keen discrimination, an excellent judgment and a tireless energy. These, coupled with his personal likeable qualities, have won for him the success he so richly deserves.
In 1883 Mr. Quinn was united in marriage with Alice Clark, who was born in Montour, Iowa, on Christmas Day, 1860. She is the daughter of Lawrence and Amy Clark, who came originally from Indiana. They have an interesting family of four children, the fifth having died in early life. Mary Etta was born on January 2, 1884, and remains with the parents, as does also Ed., Jr., the youngest child of the family, Tessie was born on the 21st of June, 1885, and is the wife of Roy Wollen, making their home at Lake City, Iowa They are the parents of three children: Kenneth, Alice and Mary. Agnes was born May 7, 1890, became the wife of Robert Brand and lives at Lanesboro, Iowa, where she fills the position of postmistress.
Mr. Quinn has always been identified with the Democratic party and has given considerable time to the demands of the party. In 1889 he was elected county supervisor, carrying the east district by nearly one hundred votes, when it ordinarily went to the opposition by about three hundred majority. This incident very clearly illustrates the regard in which he is held by friends and neighbors. He filled the position for six years, being elected chairman three times during that period. The new court house was in course of construction while he was the incumbent of the office. For ten years he was school treasurer of the Independent district and for fourteen
years served Irwin as councilman on the town board. He has unselfishly sought the best things for his town and community and few citizens of Irwin possess greater civic pride than he. In early manhood, Mr. Quinn became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was later more actively identified with the Modern Woodmen of the World, serving this latter order as venerable counsel for fourteen years. Mr. Quinn has met with financial success commensurate with the energy and judgment displayed in his business transactions and occupies a commanding position among his fellow citizens. Having faith in the town of his residence, and believing that the past is but an earnest of still greater growth and more extensive business development, he has contributed his influence and material assistance to all laudable enterprises, at the same time endeavoring to realize within himself the highest ideal of earnest manhood and progressive citizenship.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 912 - 915.
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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