Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1109

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 96] 1880 the family moved to Red Wood county, Minn., and lived five years, breaking and improving 160 acres and owning in addition forty acres of timber claim, lie disposed of his Red Wood property in L885 and returned to the home place in Belle Creek township, where he 1ms since remained. He was mar- ried in the fall of 1861 to Anna Larson, by whom he has had twelve children, Ole, Mary, [ngeborg, Lizzie, Salvina E., Elling, John, Andrew, Laura, Lars 0., Reinert J. and Elling. Lars 0. Odden, son of Ole 0. and Anna (Larson) Odden, was born in Belle Creek township and received his education in the schools of his neighborhood. He also had the advantages of a course in the Red Wing Business College. While the greater part of his life has been devoted to farming and thresh- ing, he has, nevertheless, found time to take an interest in public affairs. He was assessor in 1905. In 1900 he took the govern- ment census and in 1901 was elected justice of the peace of Belle Creek township, which office he held for four years. He has been chairman of the Republican town committee for the past five years. He is a member of the Sons of Norway and of the Red Men. Lars O. Odden was married April 21, 1906, to Ingerborg Stormoe. daughter of Rollang and Jonnetta Stormoe, natives of Norway. Two children have blessed this union, Ralph O., born March 31, 1907, and Alf J., born February 22, 1908. James O'Neill, Jr., of Belle Creek township, was born in New York state December 22, 1852, and was brought to this county by his parents while still an infant. He received his educa- tion in the public schools of his neighborhood and took up farm- ing with his father until 1871, when he purchased eighty acres of land and carried on general farming until 1908, when he took a vacation and made an extended visit to the West, taking in the principal points in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and the Dakotas. Since that time he has rented his farm and now lives with his brother. He is a Democrat in politics and has served on the school board a number of years. Fraternally he associates with the Modern AVoodmen. James O'Neill, Sr., one of the earliest settlers of Belle Creek, was born in County Wexford, Ireland, and married Margaret Edwards. He came to America in 1848 and lived in New York state three or four years. Subsequently he resided a few years in Illinois, and in July, 1854, came to Belle Creek and purchased 160 acres of land, which he broke and improved. Later he purchased 160 acres more, and upon this large farm carried on general agricultural pursuits until his retirement, in 1894. Mr. O'Neill is still living, at the honored old age of eighty-eight years, being one of the very few actual pioneers of the county now alive. When he arrived many of the townships were still