Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/346

 286 HISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY graduates from the preparatory department is 237. Of these seventy-two have become pastors, twenty-eight have taken up school work as teachers, professors or superintendents, twenty- two are in business, there are twenty physicians, eleven lawyers, four editors, three publishers, four dentists, three farmers, two bankers, two engineers, thirty-one students at various institutions. Rev. Martin Gustav Hanson. — To a college man there is always one distinction which in his heart of hearts is more precious than all else that he may achieve in life, and that one thing is the honor of being called to a chair of his alma mater, in the halls of which his own young manhood has received the stamp which marks it in after life. Immeasurably greater, however, is the privilege of some time attaining the presidency of that institu- tion, and thus having an important share not only in its progress and work, but also in its policies and discipline. Among the men to whom the felicity of such a lot has fallen is the subject of this sketch. Born at Wanamingo. this county, July 11, 1859, he is the son of Oesten and Maria (Christopherson) Hanson, both natives of Norway. The father came to America at the age of fifteen years and located at Lewiston. Wis., later removing to AVanamingo. where he was one of the pioneers. For thirty-seven years he was a preacher of the gospel, working against fearful odds, preaching the ideals of Christianity to a people who were wrestling with the problem of existence, and to whom the reali- ties of life were necessarily presented in their daily toil in the most materialistic aspects. A pioneer preacher in those days must needs be a man of strong inward faith and also rugged physique, a man who could preach to the hearts of the people the true word, and at the same time be able to meet with unfail- ing courage the almost unnumbered pioneer discomforts. His wife, gifted in all motherly and wifely finalities, was an able support in all his undertakings. It is pleasing to record that Oesten Hanson lived to see the seed he planted bear fruit in abun- dant measure, and to see a pioneer people develop into a com- munity of prosperous and God-fearing agriculturists. For a long period he served the churches at Aspelund, Kenyon and Roseoe, his death occurring August 4, 1898, he having many years sur- vived his wife, who died in 1866. The following account of his services was published shortly before his death: : 'Pastor Han- son has been a member of the synodical council of the Hague Synod since 1863, has served as president or vice president of the synod for more than a quarter of a century; has been presi- dent of the Red Wing Seminary and of the synod's mission com- mittee, and has been prominently identified with the synod in other ways for more than three decades. He has three sons who are ministers of the gospel — Rev. M. G. Hanson, Rev. H. A.