From HISTORY OF MITCHELL AND WORTH COUNTIES, IOWA, 1918
PAGES 374-376
Arne O. Rye, who has recently become cashier
of the Worth County Bank of Northwood and is vice president of the Citizens
Savings Bank of Hanlontown, Worth County, was born in Dane County, Wisconsin,
on the 18th of November 1869, his parents being Ole and Christina (Methus)
Rye. The father was born in Valdris, Norway, in 1844, and there the mother's
birth also occurred in 1846.
In the early '50's; however, Ole Rye left
Norway with his parents and crossed the Atlantic on one of the old-time
sailing vessels, which bore them safely to American shores, whence they
crossed the country to Dane County, Wisconsin. There the grandfather
purchased a farm, which he cultivated and improved, and the family lived in
that locality until 1876, when a removal was made to Fertile township, Worth
county, Iowa. Again a farm was purchased, Ole Rye securing a tract of good
land of one hundred and sixty acres, to the development and cultivation of
which he directed his energies until his death, which occurred in 1886.
His father a year later removed to Fertile
Township and purchased land, upon which he resided until called to his final
rest. It was in 1868, in Dane county, Wisconsin, that Ole Rye was united
in marriage to Miss Christina Methus, who still survives him and is now
living in Hanlontown at the age of seventy-two years. She is a member of
the Norwegian Lutheran church, to which Mr. Rye also belonged, consistently
supporting its principles. His political belief was that of the Republican
Party and he was called upon to fill a number of local offices.
Mrs. Rye came to the new world when
nineteen years of age, the Methus family establishing their home in Dane
county, Wisconsin, where her father followed agricultural pursuits, but in
1883 he removed to Fertile township, Worth county, Iowa, where he purchased
land west of what is now Hanlontown. His remaining days were devoted to
general agricultural pursuits in this district. 'When Mr. and Mrs. Ole Rye
arrived in Worth county it was largely a tract of wild and undeveloped
prairie and the father lived to see a wonderful transformation here,
including the substantial growth of the township in which he lived. He bore
his full part in the work of agricultural development and progress and was
a respected citizen of the community.
Arne 0. Rye spent the first seven years of
his life in his native county and was then brought by his parents to Iowa.
He supplemented his district school education by study in the Cedar Valley
Seminary at Osage and afterward attended a business college at Cedar Rapids.
He later taught school in Worth county and in the village of Fertile, where
he was made principal of the schools, serving in 1898 and.1899. In the fall
of the latter year the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was built through
this locality and Mr. Rye established a general merchandise store and became
the first postmaster of Hanlontown. He was associated in business with his
brother, Thomas 0. Rye, until 1905, when he withdrew from active connection
with mercantile pursuits to accept the position of cashier of the Citizens
Savings Bank. He. however, retained his interest in the store until 1910,
the business being conducted under the style of Rye Brothers.
On the 25th of October 1917, he was elected
vice president of the bank and still continues in that position, giving his
attention to the administration of the bank's affairs. The business has
grown steadily and the bank is now in a most substantial condition. In
January, 1918, Mr. Rye was also mad cashier and one of the directors of the
Worth, County Bank and on the 1st of May, 1918, assumed active part in the
conduct of the business of the bank as its cashier, at which time he removed
to Northwood, while his brother Clarence S. became his successor in the
active management of the bank in Hanlontown. Arne 0. Rye is also interested
in farmlands in Worth county and his investments have been most judiciously
placed.
On December 25, 1904, Mr. Rye was united in
marriage to Miss Clara Benson, a daughter of Ole and Guri (Mellem) Benson.
Mrs. Rye was born in Danville township, Worth county, while her parents were
natives of Norway but became early pioneer residents of Worth county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Rye have been born two children: Glen, five years of age;
and Arthur, three years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Rye hold membership in the
Norwegian Lutheran church and he votes with the Republican Party. His
business career has been marked by steady advancement and the steps in
his orderly progression are easily discernible, for each forward step has
brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities. He has now become
well established as a factor in financial circles and is entering upon a
still broader field, giving him greater influence in business life in this
section of the state.
Some additional information that does not appear in the biography:
Ole A. Rye's parents were Arne T. Rye
(b. 1816) and Mary Rye (b. 1813).
They emigrated to America in 1849. Arne T. Rye was married three times.
From the first marriage, there was only one son, Tory. In the second
marriage to Mary, there were 5 children, Ole, Carrie, Nels, Andre and G.
A.(b. 1856). There were no children in the third marriage.
Arne O. Rye siblings were Nels M. Rye
(b. 1872), Hannah Rye (b. 1876),
Thomas Rye (b. 1879) and Clarence Rye (b. 1884). -- Gordon Felland
Transcribed by Gordon Felland. 8/2001
HTMLization by Kermit Kittleson
HTMLization revision by Gordon Felland on 5/2/2013