Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1126

 976 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 28, 1905. Mr. Eoe is a Republican, and belongs to the I. 0. 0. F., at Kenyon. The family worships at the Lutheran church. Rev. Gunder S. Froiland, pastor of Lands' and Minneola con- gregations of the United Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church, is an ideal village pastor in every particular, the father of his people, eloquent in the pulpit, comforting and encouraging in family life, and an insipration at all times toward those things for which the church stands. He was born in Stavanger, Norway, January 13, 1867, son of the pioneers, Sven and Rachel Froiland, natives of Norway, who came to America in 1869, and remained in Fillmore county. Minnesota, until 1873, when they went to Brookings county, in what was then Dakota territory, being among the first settlers there. "With true pioneer vigor and energy they homesteaded 160 acres, which they at once brought under cultivation. The father remained on this homestead and farmed until his death. December 1, 1896. The mother is still living on the home farm. Gunder S. was brought to this country by his parents in 18(i!) and lias consequently spent almost his entire life in this country. He received his preliminary train- ing in the schools of his native county and in 1883 entered the Augustana College, at Beloit, Iowa. He wenl with this college when it was removed to Canton, S. D., and graduated in 1891. Thus equipped with a thorough classical education, he took up his theological training at Minneapolis, studying two years in the Augsburg Seminary and one year in the United Church Sem- inary. He graduated in 1894, and was ordained June 17 of the same year. His fust charges were in Chippewa county, Minne- sota, where he faithfully and satisfactorily served the Milan and Watson congregations until 1908, when he received a call to the pastorate of his present churches. These churches have a com- bined membership of about 1.150 souls, making a very busy life indeed for the pastor. In addition to his pastoral duties, Rev. Froiland served for several years as elder of the Montevidio circuit. The Froiland home is filled with a goodly number of bright-faced children. Sven, born March 24, 1895, and Martinus, born April 11, 1897, are the children of Molla Teterud, whom Rev. Froiland married July 6, 1894, and who died April 19, 1897. He w r as married the second time May 3, 1899, at Milan, Minn., to Alma Gorder, by whom he has five children: Marius, born February 26, 1900; Gerhard, born January 9, 1902; Rudolph, born March 1, 1904; Margaret, born June 13, 1906, and Alfred, born August 14, 1908. John Banks conducts the family homestead in Leon township, which has not changed hands since it was first pre-empted in 1858. He was born in Sweden May 3, 1843, son of Bengt Ander- son and Anna Anderson, who came to America in the early days