Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/963

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE ( 01 TV township, where they purchased forty acres <»!' hind and engaged in farming the remainder of their Lives. The lather died April 17, L889, and the mother January 25, L896. Gunder received his education in Norway and America, after which h<' took up farm ing with his father until the latter's death, when he came into possession of the property. On this, together with an adjoining eighty-acre farm, which he rents, In- carries on general farming Mr. Gunderson was married March 14. L896, to Ragnheld, daugh- ter of Andrew and Berel Anderson, of Norway. Three children blessed this anion Eerman, born September It). 1897: liorghild. born September 21, 1899; Alma, born Augusl 17. 1902; all Living at home. Although he has never soughl public office, Mr. Gun- derson is prominent as a Republican voter. The family wor- ship at i he Lu1 heran ( !hurch. Swen 0. Swenson, of Minneola, was hum in Minneola town- ship, November 3, 1862, son of Ole Swenson Sumbreen, and his wife, Julia Rude, natives of Norway. Ole came to America in 1852, and settled in Illinois, where he and his brother Erick worked for two years, alter which they went to the pinery for one year. In the spring of 1855 they Located in Minnesota township, where they pre-empted 160 acres of timber land. This they later t raded for prairie land, which they broke, cleared and improved, erect- ing suitable buildings. They were bachelors for three years, after which Ole was married in 1858. He then continued general farming until his death in .March. 1896. The mother still lives at the age of eighty years. Swen received his education in the Minneola public schools and attended St. Olaf's College at North- field for one year. After leaving school he worked with his father until 1898. when he purchased a farm of 160 acres in sec- tion 29. He erected a new house and remodeled the barn, and has since followed general farming. Mr. Swenson was married June 27, 1891, to Mina Steberg, who was born in Minneola town- ship, January 26, 1871, daughter of Amund and Charlotte (Seljord) Steberg, natives of Norway, who came to America in 1861 and located in Minneola township, where they engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Swenson have six children — Clara, born July 4. 1894; Mabel. August 29, 1896; Oscar. November 12, 1898; Lillian. .June 8. 1901; Alton. May 31. 1904; Selma, July 30. 1908. Mr. Swenson is an independent voter, and is now director of school district No. 160, which office he has held for ten years. He and his family are communicants of the Lutheran Church. Nels Thornberg, a veteran of the Civil "War, and of the In- dian expedition, is now a farmer of Wacouta township, where, upon a place of 108 acres, he does general farming combined with dairying. He was born in Sweden, May 25, 1845, and came to this county in 1857 with his father, Francis, who died about three