Martin Hovland
Martin Hovland is a resident farmer of Fertile township, Worth county, living on section 32. He was born on the old family homestead on section 33 of the same township, October 12, 1876, and is a son of Hans and Mary (Walhuse) Hovland. The father was a native of Norway, while the mother was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, her parents, however, coming to this country from the land of the midnight sun and casting in their lot with the early pioneers of Winneshiek county. Hans Hovland, upon his arrival in America, took up his abode in Worth county and purchased what became known as the old Hovland home farm in Fertile township. This was about 1870. He made his home thereon up to the time of his death, which occurred February 7, 1916, when he had reached the age of seventy-three years. His wife is still living and resides upon the old home place at the age of sixty-three years.
Martin Hovland, whose name introduces this review, spent the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old home farm, dividing his time between the work of the fields in the summer months and the acquirement of a district school education in the winter seasons. In 1899 he took charge of the home farm, which he rented and cultivated for two years. On the 8th of September, 1900, he was united in marriage to Miss Elsie Levad, of Winnebago county, and in the following spring he removed to his present home place on section 32, which he had purchased the fall of his marriage. In the spring of 1907 he rented his farm and removed to Hettinger county. North Dakota, where he took up a homestead. He proved up on that property and in the spring of 1908 returned to his Iowa farm, where he has since resided. He now owns one hundred and sixty acres of rich, arable and productive land, constituting one of the best farms in Fertile township. He has brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and everything about the place indicates his careful supervision and practical and progressive methods.
To Mr. and Mrs. Hovland have been born seven children, five of whom are yet living, namely: Homer, Beulah, Junior, Guyda and Marvin. All are still under the parental roof, the eldest being seventeen years of age. In his political views Mr. Hovland is a republican and he and his wife are of the Norwegian Lutheran faith. He is a public-spirited citizen, progressive in business and prosperous by reason of well directed effort and energy, the intelligent direction of his labors bringing to him a very substantial measure of success.
SOURCE: HISTORY OF MITCHELL AND WORTH COUNTIES, IOWA, 1918, VOL. II; Page 638
Transcription by Gordon Felland, 8/14/2006