Bio of PROVO, Thomas (b.1852), Wright Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Hanson Submitted: November 2006 ========================================================================= 521 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY Thomas Provo, a retired farmer living in Maple Lake, was born near Montreal, Canada, October 15, 1852, son of David and Fleneys (Javen) Provo, both natives of eastern Canada. The other children in the family were: Joseph, Oliver, Unphery, John, an unnamed infant, Amelia, Rose, Emma, Margaret and Flemima. Of this family Joseph was the first to come to Minnesota. In 1876 came Margaret and Thomas. Thomas secured forty acres in Albion township, this county, and cleared off enough timber to build a shanty twelve feet square. He lived alone the first winter and a part of the next summer. Living thus in the wilderness, he endured many hardships. He had to go to Albrecht's mill in Middleville township when he wanted flour. He hauled wood out with the aid of an ox team. In the summer of 1878 he started working out as a farm hand and sold his place. Two years later he returned to Canada. After remaining there three years he brought his father and mother and sister Emma to the United States, and he and his father secured 120 acres together in French Lake township. Two shacks were standing on the place. The father and mother stayed seven or eight years, and then went back to Canada, living in Alberta the remainder of their lives. Thomas Provo remained on his farm for eighteen years. He did much breaking and developing, and finally had a splendid farm. Eighty acres lay in French Lake and eighty in Albion. The splendid buildings which he erected stood on the French Lake half. In 1901 he sold this place and moved to Corinna township, where he lived in section 36 for some twelve years. In 1913 he retired and moved to Maple Lake village and built him a home, where he has since resided. His farm is now conducted by his sons, John and Jule. Mr. Provo was married, January 24, 1885, to Lotene Logiaar, born in St. Martin, France, 522 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY in October 16, 1866, daughter of Eugene and Harriett (Chevalier) Logiaar. Mr. and Mrs. Logiaar brought their children to America in the early seventies, spending six weeks aboard the old sailing vessel that brought them over. They located on the homestead of Mrs. Logiaar's father, John Chevalier, in section 8, Albion township, this county. John Chevalier had come from France some years before and secured this location. Later he returned to his native country, where he died. Mr. and Mrs. Provo have had ten children: John, born November 14, 1885; Jule, born February 26, 1887; Mary, born August 17, 1888; Jennie, born March 24, 1890; Rose, born January 21, 1892; Emma, born February 13, 1897; Napoleon, born February 20, 1900; Margaret and Joseph, twins, born July 7, 1904; Willfred, April 6, 1906. Joseph and Willfred both died in infancy.