Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Winquist, John A. 1858 - 
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Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

JOHN A. WINQUIST.

    John A. Winquist, one of Marshall county's pioneers, a large landowner in
Lincoln township, and who claims the distinction of being the head of the
largest family in Marshall county, is a native of Sweden, but has been a
resident of Marshall county since 1875, he having come here with his father in
that year, and has thus been a witness to and a participant in the development
of this county since pioneer days. He was born on February 19, 1855, son of Nels
and Olina B. Winquist, natives of the same county, the former born on August 15,
1817, and the latter, March 5, 1821, who became pioneers of Marshall county and
here spent their last days.

    In 1870 Nels Winquist and his two sons, John A. and Severin, then mere boys,
the former being but fifteen years of age, came to the United States with a view
to making a new home on this side of the wrater. Upon his arrival here Mr.
Winquist located in Connecticut, where he began working in a stone quarry. The
next year he and his two elder sons were joined by the mother and the other
three children and the family remained in Connecticut until 1875, when they came
to Kansas and located in this county, where they established their home. Upon
coming here Nels Winquist homesteaded a tract of forty acres in what is now
Lincoln township, the nucleus of the large farm now owned by the subject of this
sketch. There he constructed a dug-out, sixteen by fourteen feet in dimensions,
with a dirt floor, boarded sides and a sod roof, and in that humble abode the
family lived for three years, at the end of which time they were able to erect a
modest frame house, fourteen by twenty. There Nels Winquist spent his last days,
his death occurring on January 17, 1889. His widow survived him about seven
years, her death occurring in 1896. They were the parents of five children,
those besides the subject of this sketch, the second in order of birth, being as
follows: Mrs. Augusta Benson, now deceased; Severin, who died in 1904, after
having been engaged in farming in partnership with his brother John; Malcolm,
who died in 1872, the year after he came to this country, and Hannah, also now
deceased.

    John A. Winquist was fifteen years of age when he came to this country and
was twenty when he came out to Kansas with the family in 1875. From the
beginning of his residence here he worked hard, not only he and his brother
laboring with their father in the task of developing the homestead tract upon
which the family settled, John A. Winquist taking extra employment as a
corn-husker at ninety cents a day during the winters. His brother Severin herded
cattle during the summers, at a wage of twelve dollars a month and with the
extra money thus earned the brothers bought a horse. For the greater part of the
time after he came here until his death Nels Winquist was an invalid and upon
the two brothers devolved the task of working the farm, the eldest brother
taking care of his parents until their 4eath. After his father "proved up" the
homestead he took charge of it and proved not only a capable manager but a good
farmer. He and his brother, Severin ever worked in partnership, an excellent
arrangement, for they worked harmoniously and to good effect and made money,
John A. Winquist becoming sole owner of their joint holdings upon the death of
his brother in 1904. Mr. Winquist is now -the owner of eight hundred and forty
acres of excellent land in Lincoln township, the same having on it two sets of
improvements, the home place comprising a half section of land in section 14. In
addition to his general farming he does a good bit in the way of raising live
stock and markets about one hundred head of hogs annually.

    On July 20, 1890, John A. Winquist was united in marriage to Hannah P.
Sanquist, who also was born in Sweden, July 19, 1873, a daughter of A. P. and
Johanna Sanquist, who came to Kansas in 1887 and located in Lincoln township,
but later moved to Beattie, where they are now living. To Mr. and Mrs. Winquist
seventeen children have been born, namely: Martin W., born on August 4, 1891;
Elsie O. N., September 21, 1892; Frank R., November 15, 1893; Mabel V., November
27, 1895, who married Edward Doering, a farmer living west of Axtell, in Murray
township, and has one child, a son, Ralph Willard; Lillie A., January 27, 1897;
Mildred E., March 29, 1898; Albert S., January 13, 1900; Aaron Leroy, March 6,
1901, who died on September 25, 1901; John Leroy, June 21, 1903; Lila B., July
14, 1904; Clifford R., August 21, 1905; Carl E., September 10, 1906; Hobart D.
and Hannah (twins), January 14, 1909, the latter of whom died in infancy:
Winifred V. and Wilfred H. (twins) April 26, 1911, the latter dying at the age
of one year, and Doris L., August 9, 1913. The Win-quists are members of the
Swedish Lutheran church and Mr. Winquist was a former member of the board of
trustees of the same. He is a Republican and for some time served as clerk of
Lincoln township.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions
by
Emma E. Forter

Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917)


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