Chris Callesen Biography


	This biography appears on pages 785-786 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	CHRIS CALLESEN. - Among the citizens of foreign birth residing in 
Yankton county is numbered Chris Callesen, who is a worthy 
representative of the fatherland, his career having been,a credit alike 
to Germany and to America. He was born June 18, 1854, in Schleswig 
Holstein, and was educated in the schools there. When seventeen years 
of age he came to this country, his parents being George and Annie 
(Peterson) Callesen, in whose family were thirteen children, two of 
whom passed away in infancy. The others are Weis, Helena, Yep, 
Catherine, Annie, Christ, George, Tillie, Margaret, Thomas and 
Christina. Three of the number are now in this country, while the 
others are in Germany. The father died in his native country two years 
ago at the advanced age of eighty-four years and the mother died there 
in 1860 at the age of forty-four years.  

	Crossing the Atlantic to the new world when a young man of 
seventeen, Chris Callesen at once came to Yankton county and when he 
had attained his majority he entered land from the government. 
Throughout his entire life he has followed farming. Like most young men 
starting out in life on their own account, he desired a companion and 
helpmate for the journey and on the 12th of February, 1880, he wedded 
Christina Nelson, who was born in Denmark in 1860, there remaining 
until fourteen years of age, when she came to America in company with 
her parents, Olsen and Juliana (Hengen) Nelson, the family home being 
established in Yankton county in 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were the 
parents of nine children, namely: Ole, John, Dorothy, Christina, 
Cecelia, Fred, Christ, Andrew and Helena, all of whom are residents of 
South Dakota with the exception of Andrew, who is now deceased. The 
others live in Yankton and Turner counties. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson also 
make their home in Yankton county and the father, having retired from 
active business life, is now enjoying the fruits of his former toil, 
having amassed a very comfortable fortune. He has reached the age of 
seventy-four years and his wife is now seventy-one years of age.  

	Mr. and Mrs. Callesen have had no children of their own, but have 
reared an adopted son, Nels Anderson. He is now a young man of 
seventeen years, splendidly developed both physically and mentally. At 
the time of his marriage Mr. Callesen took his bride to a farm and he 
has throughout his business career been engaged in agricultural 
pursuits. In 1881 the big flood destroyed his home, this being but a 
year after his marriage. He then removed to Yankton, where he was 
engaged in the dairy business for three years, and on the expiration of 
that period he took up a homestead and was for ten years engaged in 
ranching. He was very successful in that work and when the decade was 
passed he came to Yankton county, where he purchased one hundred and 
sixty acres of land, on which he is now living. His labors have been 
attended with a gratifying degree of prosperity and he is now one of 
the well-to-do residents of his adopted county. Politically Mr. 
Callesen has no party ties, supporting the candidate whom he thinks 
best qualified for office, although perhaps his allegiance has been 
more largely given to the Democracy. He is a member of the Modern 
Woodmen of America and also of the Lutheran church and his life has 
been passed in consistent harmony with the tenets of one and the faith 
of the other.