the father of two children. The mother having departed this life in 1881, Mr. King was united in marriage in 1889 to Mrs. Elizabeth (Severns) Coggshall, the widow of M. Coggshall. Mrs. King was the mother of one son by her first husband, Fred M., now a theatrical manager. She is a member of the Presbyterian church and a leader in the social circles of the community.
Mr. King is identified with the various Masonic bodies, including the Shrine, and also with the Knights of Pythias. He is a member of Jason D. Ferguson Post, G. A. R. and in politics gives his support to the republican party, having cast his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States. He has served most acceptably, as member of the city council several times, as member of the board of trustees of the public library and also as president of the board of education. As a public officer he has been conscientious, efficient and thoroughly reliable, setting an example in the discharge of his duties well worthy of emulation. He has never sought to advance himself at the expense of others and as a generous, liberal-minded and progressive citizen he has fairly earned the honorable place he occupies in the community.
OLE B. Olson.
The stock-breeders have been of inestimable benefit to farmers and indirectly to the whole country, adding vastly to the value of domestic animals and making the business of the farmer, when properly conducted, highly profitable. Ole B. Olson of Story county should be named in the class that is accomplishing this good work, being a successful stock-breeder whose opinions are an authority on shorthorn cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs. He was born in Union township, Story county, June 17, 1872, son of Brit and Sarah (Sandeno) Olson, both of whom were born in Norway. They were married in their native country and after their emigration to the United States became residents of Union township, Story county, Iowa, where the father engaged in farming. He departed this life in 1882, but the mother is now living with her daughter, Mrs. E. H. Sheldahl, in Story county.
Ole B. Olson was the youngest member of the family and was ten years of age when his father died. The mother, however, bravely kept her children together until they were grown up. The subject of this review attended the district schools and assisted in the support of the family until after arriving at twenty-one years of age, when he began farming on his own account on rented land. At the age of twenty-four he purchased one hundred and thirty acres on section 2, Palestine township, which he cultivated for seven years and then sold, buying his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 26 in 1902. He has made many improvements, rebuilding the residence, setting out trees, etc., so that he now has one of