Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/948

 810 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY York state. Lorn July 6, 1848, son of Richard and Mary (Locke) Watts, who emigrated to the west in 1858, locating near Baraboo, Wis., for one year. After living in various other places they came to Zumbrota township in 1873, and engaged in general farming. The father died in 1901, while on a visit to his old home in New York state, and the mother died in Minneapolis, January, 1908. Lafayette received his education in the public schools and followed the fortunes of the family until 1886, when he went to North Dakota. There he farmed until 1896, when he returned to Zumbrota township and resumed agricultural oper- ations. From that year. until 1906 he owned and conducted the Zumbrota hotel, after which he purchased a pleasant home, sur- rounded by seven acres of land in Minneola township, just out-. side the village limits of Zumbrota. Here lie has since continued to reside. Mr. Watts is a well-known member of the Masons, the Modern Woodmen and the Modern Brotherhood. His political affiliations are with the Republican party, but he is to a large degree an independent voter. He is a thorough believer in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Watts was mar- ried August 3, 187:5. at Zumbrota, to Athelia Miller, daughter of A. J. Miller, an early settler. Five children have blessed this union — Amelia,- born September 1<>, 1874. died March 16, 1893. Edith, born July 6, 1877. is now .Mrs. Chauncy Coffman, of Port- land, Ore. Truman X.. born May 25, 1884, was the third child. Lafayette A., born in October. 1893, and Reginald R., born March 16, 1897, live ;it home and attend the public schools. Nels A. Stageberg, a well-known farmer of Minneola town- ship, was horn in Norway, June 2ii. 1850, son of Andrew and Bar- bara (Knutson) Stageberg. natives of Norway, who came to America in 1857. They located in Wisconsin for one year, then removed to Minneola township, this county, where they secured 160 acres of wild land, which they broke and improved, carry- ing on general farming until 189!). when they retired. Nels A. Stageberg came to America with his parents at seven years of age. After receiving a parochial school education he took up farming with his father, and continued to improve the home farm, erecting upon it many new and up-to-date buildings, among them a new home. Since 1879 he has followed general farming for himself. Mr. Stageberg was united in marriage the first time in March, 1869, to Guerina E. Knutson, a native of Norway. By this marriage there were two children. Bertha and Andrew, the latter of whom is a merchant at Owatonna. Mr. Stageberg was married the second time to Rosa Hesselberg, a native of Norway. This union was blessed with eight children — Gerda, now Mrs. An- derson, of Dodge Center; Lena, now Mrs. Grover, of Zumbrota; Oscar, now at Montana; Albertha, now of Washington; Manda,