Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1100

 95S HISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Locke, for whom he worked. They treated the stranger as though he were their own son, and Mr. Hougo always looks back on their kindness with such gratitude that he feels toward them almost as he does toward his own parents. E. L. Otterness, of Leon township, was born in Norway, Sep- tember 7, 1840, son of Lars and Martha Otterness, natives of Norway. He received his education in the common schools of Norway, and came to Leon township in 1857 and joined his broth- er, who came in 1855. He remained with his brother, working on the farm for seven years, after which he purchased 160 acres of land in the township, where he built a small house and other buildings and improved the farm, carrying on general and diversi- fied farming. In 1866 he was married to Randi Bergman. Mr. and Mrs. Otterness have had seven children: Jensine (deceased) ; Lars of Minneapolis ; Bengt Lawrence, of Yellow Medicine county; Ingebor, of Leon, and Edward, living at home. Mr. Otterness has now retired from active life, and his son manages the farm and owns eighty acres of the homestead. Mr. Otterness- is a Democrat in his political views, and has been assessor, super- visor for three years, and member of the school board for thirty years, but holds no office now. The family faith is that of the Norwegian Lutheran church. John Ring, of Leon township, is a fine example of the men who as poor boys came to this country to seek their fortunes, and by honest toil and frugal habits, succeeded in achieving con- siderable property and an honorable position in the community. He was born in Norway, July 13, 1861, son of Ever and Hendreka (Vardahl) Ring, who lived and died in the old country. It was in 1883 that John Ring came to America. He stayed at Chicago with his brother for a short time and then came to Leon town- ship, where he entered the employ of Gilbert Nelson, working on the farm in the summertime and in the woods during the winter. He wooed and won the daughter of the household, Martha by name, and married her in 1887. Her parents who came to this county before the war, are now both dead. At once after his marriage, John Ring set at work with a will to become a man of means. In this he has succeeded, now owning one farm of 235 acres, known -as "Wood Lawn Stock and Grain Farm; an- other of 134 acres in this county, and one of 320 acres in Edmond county, South Dakota. Upon the farm where he lives he has erected some roomy buildings and conducts stock and general farming. He has an imported Belgian stallion, and is also a breeder of several high grades of cattle and swine. Being an intelligent farmer, he believes in a rotation of crops, and by the use of this method secures the best results from his land. Of his nine children, Hilda, the first born, is dead, while Anna, Joseph,