Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Joul, Ole B. 1861 - ************************************************ 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 21, 2006, 11:01 pm Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) OLE B. JOUL is one of the pioneer residents of Little Rock township, where he has made his home thirty-five years. He is a Norwegian by birth, having been born near the city of Christiana on Oct. 4, 1861. His parents were Nicholas and Bertha (Ulwin) Joul, both of whom died at the Little Rock home. The father of our subject was born in Norway May 24, 1835. He left his native country with his family April 22, 1867, and arrived in Iowa county, Wisconsin, June 28, of the same year. There he continued to make his home until 1873, when the family moved to Nobles county. He died in Little Rock township Jan. 21, 1886. Our subject's mother was born in Norway Oct. 11, 1834, was married there to Mr. Joul Dec. 26, 1859, and died in Little Rock township Nov. 19, 1889. It was as a boy twelve years of age that Ole Joul first came to Nobles county. Gunder Joul, a brother of Nicholas Joul, had come to Nobles county and settled in Indian Lake township in 1871, and it was acting upon his advice that the family moved from Wisconsin to the new country of Nobles county. The trip was made overland with a team of oxen. The father, after looking the country over, decided to take his homestead in Little Rock township and filed upon the northeast quarter of section 14. Sore were the trials and great were the hardships during the first few years. The family was the possessor of only about 75 cents in money, a team of oxen and three cows. They were without means to erect even a sod shanty during the first summer and lived under the canvass covering which had afforded shelter for the prairie schooner. The father went to the harvest fields in the eastern part of the state, walking most of the way, and earned sixty dollars. With this a shanty was built and the family lived through the first winter. The terrible grasshopper scourge came and for many years the family lived a precarious existence. For six years they lived in the sod shanty which did not boast a floor. Without the means to leave the country, the family continued to reside on the claim, and in time brighter days arrived. Ole Joul secured an education in the district schools of Little Rock township and grew to manhood on his father's farm. After his father's death, which occurred in 1886, he and his brother, Gust, farmed the home place until 1897. That year he moved onto his present place which had been purchased some time before. He erected the buildings and otherwise improved the farm. His present place is on the southeast quarter of section 11. Besides a fine house he has an excellent grove and quite an orchard of apple and other fruit trees. Mr. Joul was married in Humbolt county, Iowa, July 2, 1891, to Miss Tina Stensby, a daughter of John and Mary Stensby, who are now residents of Iowa. Mrs. Joul was born in Norway April 14, 1887. They are the parents of the following children: Joseph, born April 18, 1892; Minnie, born April 10, 1894; Harry, born June 19, 1896; Pearl, born July 31, 1898; Viola, born Oct. 20, 1900; Oscar, born Nov. 24, 1902; Millard, born Aug. 26, 1906. Both Mr. and Mrs. Joul are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church of Little Rock township, Mr. Joul being one of the charter members of the church. Mr. Joul is clerk of the school board of district No. 11, and he has held the office twelve years. 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/joul110gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb