Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1143

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 99] Creek township and engaged in farming until the death of the lather in 1904. The mother still lives on the farm. John received his education in Norway, and came to America with his parents, where he hired out to work on the Ames farm for five years, after which he rented the farm, remaining ten years. Then he purchased forty-eight acres in Section 36, which he improved in every way, both the land and buildings, and has carried on dairying principally. He also has 240 acres in Belvidere town- ship which he rents. He was married July 6, 1882, to Julia Johnson, daughter of Tollef and Karin (Anrandson) Johnson. They have one child, Hiram, who is employed by the express company at Red Wing. Mr. Olson is a Republican in his political views, and was at one time chairman of Wacouta tow r nship for three years. He is also director for school district No. 2. The family attend the St. Peter's Norwegian Lutheran church. William F. Koester, farmer of Hay Creek township, is the son of Bernard and Annie (Becker) Koester, natives of Westphalia, where he was born in 1872. The family came to America in 1884, and while looking about for a suitable location lived for one year in Red Wing, where William F., then a boy of twelve, attended the public schools and began to learn the English lan- guage, he having previously attended school in Germany. In 1885 the father purchased a farm of 200 acres on Section 2, Hay Creek township, the place being the one now occupied by the subject of this sketch. Father and son at once set about improv- ing and developing the homestead, which is now well kept and about half under the plow. Upon the place general farming and stock raising is now carried on, and dairying is conducted on a somewhat extensive scale. In politics Mr. Koester is a Repub- lican, but he has never sought public office, although his interest in education has caused him to accept the position of clerk of his school district. He was married in 1892 to Annie Sweney, daughter of Michael Sweney, of St. Johns, New Brunswick, Canada. Her father, an early settler of Minnesota, went to Cali- fornia in the early days, and upon his return farmed in Goodhue and Wabasha counties, remaining Until his death in Wabasha county in 1899. To Mr. and Mrs. Koester have been born three children, George, Angeline and Roland. Bernard Koester, father of William F., served several years in the German army before coming to this country. Christian F. Kalass, of Minneola township, a native born son of this state, comes of sturdy old pioneer stock, his parents being Christian and Sophia (Grindwald) Kalass, who came to America from Germany in 1856. After a year in Illinois, they came to Scott county, Minnesota, farmed for nine years, and then moved to Minneola township in 1866. To a quarter section which he