the most beautiful farms in his section. He makes a specialty of breeding thoroughbred shorthorn cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs and has succeeded in raising some of the choicest animals of the kinds named that have yet been bred in this county.
On the 20th of February, 1895, Mr. Olson was united in marriage to Miss Martha S. Kalsem, a daughter of John V. Kalsem, a record of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Six children have been born to this union, five of whom are now living, namely : Elmer J., who is now attending the Huxley high school ; John F., also a student in the high school ; Mollie S. and Ollie M., twins; and Milford S.
Mr. Olson and wife are members of the Lutheran church, of which he is secretary and one of its liberal supporters. Ever since arriving at voting age he has adhered to the republican party, believing that in so doing he is best advancing the interests of the entire country. A sincere friend of education, he is a member of the school board, upon which he has served for several years past. The life of Mr. Olson is one of great activity and the success he has attained is the result of his own unwavering and well directed industry.
WILLIAM DODDS.
William Dodds, living on section 33, Franklin township, general farming interests claiming his attention, was born in Boone county, Iowa, December 29, 1863, and was not yet two years of age when his parents, James and Catharine (Kegley) Dodds, came with their family to Story county. The father was a native of Ohio and the mother of Pennsylvania. She came to Boone county, Iowa, with her parents in her girlhood days, while James Dodds arrived when a young man of about twenty-one years. They were married on the farm where the birth of their son William occurred, and they spent their last years in Colorado, where the death of Mr. Dodds occurred in 1905, when he was seventy-two years of age, while his wife passed away in 1906 at the age of seventy years. Throughout his active life he devoted his energies to farming and carpentering and was the owner of four hundred and forty acres of valuable Iowa land which he sold ere his removal to Colorado. His family numbered eight children: Martha M., the wife of Ed Gilbert, of Salina, Kansas; William; Guy, a resident of Washington township, this county ; Thomas, of Colorado ; James, also living in Washington township; Belle, the wife of James Reynolds, of Gilbert, Iowa ; Fannie, of Lamar, Colorado ; and Gertrude, the wife of Alfred Downer, also of Lamar.
Brought by his parents to Story county when less than two years of age, William Dodds has since lived in Franklin township, where he was reared to the occupation of farming, remaining at home with his parents until