HENRY THOMPSON

THOMPSON, LAKEVOLD, MENZI, THOE, MARTIN, TIEDMANSON

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 8/17/2007 at 09:57:23

For forty-eight years Henry Thompson has resided upon his present farm on section 24, Center township, and the history of Winnebago county is to him largely a matter of personal experience. He was born in Norway on the 7th of May, 1856, a son of Gunder and Nellie Thompson, who were also born in Norway, where they resided until 1867, when they brought their family to the United States. After two years' residence in Chicago they came to Winnebago county, Iowa, and the father purchased forty acres in Center township, which he improved and operated until his demise in June, 1886. Three years later the mother also passed away.

Henry Thompson began his education in Norway and continued it in the public schools of Chicago and Winnebago county, being but eleven years of age at the time of the emigration of the family to the United States. He remained at home until he had attained his majority and then purchased two hundred and twenty acres on section 24, Center township, which still remains his home. He has made it one of the most highly developed farms in the county, and it bears little resemblance to the tract of raw land which he bought in 1877, for before he could place it under cultivation it was even necessary to clear the greater part of timber. Since seventeen years old he has raised bees and has been engaged in that business longer than any other man in the county. He now has thirty swarms and finds this side line a source of both pleasure and profit.

Mr. Thompson was married in March, 1879, to Miss Betsy Lakevold, a daughter of Ole and Carrie Lakevold, who came to the United States in 1869 and settled in Iowa. Both are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have been born nine children, namely: Alice, the wife of E. L. Thoe, a farmer residing in North Dakota; George, who is also farming in that state; Bertha, the wife of Henry Martin of Minnesota; Lottie, who married Carl Tiedmanson, now operating Mr. Thompson's farm; Mary, the wife of Ed Menzi, of Mason City, Iowa; Hans and Henry, both at home; and two who died in infancy.

Mr. Thompson is trustee of Center township, in which capacity he has served for three years, and he has also been clerk, assessor, road superintendent, member of the board of county supervisors, which office he has held at two different times, and member of the school board, in which connection he has served continuously for eighteen years. He was one of the organizers of the Lake Mills Lumber Company, of which he was a director and president for twenty years, and he also assisted in organizing the Lake Mills Creamery Company, of which he was secretary for thirteen years. He is a republican in politics and fraternally is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. His wife is a communicant of the Lutheran church, and he was formerly a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Although he still resides upon his farm, he leaves its operation largely to his son-in-law, having through many years of arduous and well planned work gained the right to a period of leisure.

Source: History of Winnebago and Hancock Counties, Iowa, 1917, Vol. II, pages 435 & 436.