Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Bratager, Ollis B. 
************************************************

Copyright.  All rights reserved.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm

************************************************



File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 24, 2006, 11:01 pm

Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908)

  OLLIS B. BRATAGER, postmaster of Lismore and proprietor of that village's

leading merchantile establishment, is a native of Jackson county, Minnesota, and

the son of the late Lars I. and Bertha Bratager.



  The father of our subject was born in Norway in 1833, came to the United

States in 1863, and located in Wisconsin. In 1865 he moved to Jackson county,

Minnesota, becoming one of the pioneer settlers of our neighboring county. His

home was in Jackson county until his death in 1905. Mrs. Bratager died in

Jackson county when her son was twelve years of age. Ollis is the youngest of a

family of six children, all living.



  Until he was eighteen years of age Mr. Bratager lived in his native county. He

was educated in the public schools, finishing his schooling with a course in the

Sioux Falls Business college. In 1894, in partnership with George Chisholm, he

engaged in the merchantile business at Beaver Creek, Minn. The partners

conducted the store until 1898, when Mr. Bratager sold out to his partner and

moved to Sherman, S. D. There he opened a general merchandise store, which he

conducted a year and a half, serving as postmaster of Sherman during the greater

part of the time.



  When the new town of Lismore started in the spring of 1900 Mr. Batager was one

of the first business men to come to the site of the new town, arriving there in

the month of April. When he bought the lot where his store was erected the site

of the town was a plowed field, and when he erected his store building it was

the second one in the village. He opened his store on July 6, 1900, and has

conducted it ever since. He carries a stock of general merchandise valued at

from $8,000 to $10,000. Mr. Bratager received the appointment of postmaster of

the village when the office was established, opened the office on September 22,

1900, and has served ever since.



  In the city of Minneapolis, on Dec. 18, 1891, Mr. Bratager was married to Miss

Bertha Welliver, a native of Independence, Iowa, and a daughter of Francis

Welliver. They are the parents of the following named children: Grace Beatrice,

born Oct. 2, 1892; Lillian Fedora, born May 12, 1898; Gladys Wenefred, born

March 24, 1901; Orlando Burdett, born Jan. 5, 1906.



  Mr. Bratager was one of those who in the summer of 1900 brought about the

organization of the Lismore school district, and he was chosen a member of the

board, serving three years. He served three years as a member of the city

council. Mr. Bratager is a member of the Odd Fellows, Woodmen and Workmen

lodges, having been a member of the last named order for the last fifteen years.



  Mr. Bratager assisted in the work of incorporating the village at a time when

the place was so small that it was necessary to take in five square miles of the

surrounding farming country in order to get sufficient population to

incorporate. The farmers consented to this movement on the promise that the

town's limits would be cut down and reincorporated as soon as the population

would justify such a course. In just one year this promise was fulfilled, and

the limits of the village were reduced to less than one-half section.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:



AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY

MINNESOTA

BY

ARTHUR P. ROSE



NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY 



WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA 

PUBLISHERS

1908



File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/bratager178gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/

File size: 3.9 Kb