ple of his town and township. He and his wife are faithful members of the Norwegian Lutheran church. He is secretary of the church and also superintendent of the Sunday school, showing an ability in church and Sunday school work that has greatly assisted in promoting the best interests of the community. He is a man of fine address and superior talents, moreover, possessing the laudable desire to advance the welfare and happiness of others, and he justly ranks as a leader in his locality.
OSTEN T. MOLDE.
The agricultural interests of Milford township find a worthy representative in Osten T. Molde, who is now living on section 23. His record is that of a self-made man for he not only started out in life empty-handed but also came to America without knowledge of the language or customs of the people. It was necessary that he familiarize himself with the speech of the American' nation as well as to become acquainted with the methods of doing business here. Resolution and energy, however, have enabled him to work his way upward and he is now the owner of two hundred acres constituting one of the valuable and desirable farms of Milford township.
Mr. Molde is a native of the land of the midnight sun, his birth having occurred at Saude Ryffilke, Norway, on the 28th of November, 1854. His parents were Thormod and Rayna Molde, the latter now living at Saude at the advanced age of ninety-four years, her birth having occurred April 13, 1817. The father, who was born March 14, 1807, died in 1857. He was a farmer by occupation and thus provided for his family which numbered four sons and three daughters.
Osten T. Molde was the youngest, and the only son who came to the United States. He remained a resident of his native land until about twenty-seven years of age, when he sailed for the United States and made his way direct to Nevada, Iowa. He was not acquainted with a single person here and he could not speak the English language. He had only sixty-five dollars at the time of his arrival but he possessed what is better than capital–firm purpose, laudable ambition and unfaltering integrity. He has since resided in Story county and has spent most of the time in Milford township. He had previously learned the carpenter's trade in his native land and after coming to this county he worked for a time at his trade and also was employed at farm labor by the month. Following his marriage he began farming on his own account on rented land and so continued for five years, during which period he carefully saved his earnings until he was enabled to purchase eighty acres of his present farm which is situated on section 23, Milford township. He has added to this a tract of one hundred and twenty acres and now has an excellent farm property of two hundred acres upon which he has made good improvements, adding to it all of the