Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/997

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 859 family has been highly esteemed, and its members all occupy an honorable place in the community. David A. Larson was horn in Belvidere township, August 4, 1859, son of Amnion E. and Bertha (Davidson) Larson, natives of Norway, who came to America and located in Iowa in 1855. July. 1856, they came to Goodhue county and started as new beginners on the farm that their son. Rev. L. A. Larson, bought about ten years ago. Ammond Larson was born February 20, 1823, and was drafted to serve in the Civil war. He was mustered .May 27, 1864, in Company 1), Second Minnesota Volunteer Infan- try, and was discharged for disability May 22, 1865. He was taken ill and came home, where he died a month later, September 2, 1865, and was buried beside the Methodist Episcopal church in Belvidere. His wife, Bertha, who is still living, was also born in Norway, July 24, 1827. They had seven children, of whom only two are living. David, and John A. of Tennessee. David received his education in the public school of Belvidere and worked on the farm until 1880, when he rented eighty acres, and five years later purchased eighty. In 1886 he bought his present farm in Belvidere township and has since sold his eighty acres. He now carries on general farming and dairying. He was married November 10, 1886, to Helena Olsen, of Gilman, Pierce county, Wisconsin. She was born in Norway, December 27, 1859, daughter of Christopher Olsen, born in Norway, August 3, 1825, and Anna Maria (Peterson) Olsen, born April 5, 1823, also a native of Norway. They came to America in 1865, and located in Racine, Wis., where they lived for five years, the father a carpenter by trade, being employed at woodwork. In 1870 they moved to Gilman, Pieree county, Wisconsin,, and purchased eighty acres of land and farmed until 1886, after which they removed to Hutchinson, Minn., where the father had charge of the Norwegian Methodist Episcopal church for two years. Then they returned to the farm, where the father died November 17, 189CL and was buried in Martell, Pierce county, Wisconsin. The mother died in St. Paul, Minn., May 7, 1899, and was buried at Forest Home cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Larson had four children : Clarence Alyin, born August 12, 1887, now an eleetrical student, of St. Paul; Alison Bernard, born November 3, 1889; Edwin Fletcher, born July 2, 1894, and Lilly Ruth Delia, born June 10, 1898, all of whom are at home. Mr. Larson is a Republican in his politics. He has served as township supervisor for the past three years, road master for four years, and clerk of school dis- trict 32 for the past twelve years. The family attend the Meth- odist Episcopal church in Belvidere. William H. Labbitt, proprietor of Maple Lawn farm, Belvidere township, was born in Wabasha county, Minnesota, July 21, 1865,