Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/991

 IUSTOKY OF GOODHUE COl n 853 still living in Wanamingo a1 the age of ninety- three. .Mr. and Mrs Thoreson have a tamily of seven children: Gurina, mar- ried to John A. Johnson, of Zumbrota; Engeborganna, married to T. 0. Sundry, of Roscoe; Theodore, married to Emma Starz, living a1 Zumbrota; Jonette, married to Henry Hoven; Othelia, married to Charles Olson, of Roscoe; George and Leonard B.. living at home. Mr. Thoreson is a Republican, and lias served on the town hoard and school hoard for a number of years. The family attend the Luthern church. Axel Ahlgren, of Belvidere township, was born in Sweden. September 3, 1867, son of John and Annie Ahlgren, natives of Sweden, who came to America in 1869 and located in Red Wing, where the father worked in a lumber yard for twelve years, after which lie rented a farm in Featherstone township for aboul ten years, carrying on general farming. He then removed to Todd county, and later to Adams county. North Dakota, where he look a homestead of 160 acres, and where the mother died August 17. 1908. The father died July 1, 1909. Axel received his education in the public schools of Red Wing, after which he worked on a farm and clerked in a grocery store in Red Wing until 1897, when he entered into business with H. J. Bang, of Belvidere, the firm being known as II. J. Bang & Co. This firm has since continued successfully, enjoying a large trade. Mr. Ahlgren was married July 24. 189:1 to Mary A. Nelson, daughter of Erick and Anna (Johnson) Nelson, natives of Sweden, who came to Amer- ica in 1869, settling in Red AVing. wdiere he is employed in the Red Wing Furniture Factory. Mr. and Mrs. Ahlgren have three children: Hazel Marie, born July 15, 1894; Raymond A., born April 3. 1897 ; and Bernard H. E.. born May 26. 1903. Mr. Ahl- gren served for two years in Company G. at Red Wing, as private. He is justice of the peace of Belvidere and a member of the Modern W T oodmen. The family attends the English Lutheran church. Carl P. Benrud, of Belvidere township, was horn in Norway, September 3, 1858, son of Peter and Sophia (Johnson) Benrud, natives of Norway, who came to America June 24, 1875. and located in Monroe county, Wisconsin, where they purchased ninety acres of land, remaining two years, after which they sold and purchased forty acres and farmed for five years. He then sold this land to his son, with whom the father now makes his home. The mother died in 1903, aged eighty-six years. Carl P. received his education in the public schools of Norway and came to Amer- ica with his parents, remaining with them until 1880, when he bought eighty acres in Monroe county, Wisconsin, of which he cleared sixty-five acres and built a house and other buildings. He remained until 1884, when he returned to Minnesota and pur-