L. William Foss Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1137-1138 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	L. WILLIAM FOSS, clerk of the Roberts county courts, is a native 
of Dodge county, Minnesota, where his birth occurred on July 12, 1878. 
His parents, Anton and Emma (Folkstadt) Foss, were born in Norway and 
Minnesota, respectively, both being of Scandinavian origin. Anton Foss 
lived in Minnesota for a number of years and was a man of considerable 
prominence in his community. He came to South Dakota in 1880, took a 
leading part in the public affairs of Roberts county and from 1890 to 
1894, inclusive, held the office of register of deeds. His home at the 
present time is on a farm near Wilmot, but he is interested in the 
abstract business at Milbank, in the Grant County Abstract and Title 
Company. 

	L. William Foss was about two years old when his parents moved to 
South Dakota, and since that time the greater part of his life has been 
spent in Roberts county. He has reared on a farm near Wilmot, attended 
the public schools of that town until finishing the prescribed course of 
study and in 1896 was appointed deputy register of deeds, which office 
he held until engaging in the mercantile business at Summit in September 
of the following year. Mr. Foss sold goods until 1901, when he disposed 
of his establishment and accepted the position of committee clerk in the 
house of representatives in the session of 1901. He then came to 
Sisseton and entered the employ of the Roberts County Abstract and Title 
Company, with which he remained about one and a half years, when he was 
elected in 1902 clerk of the circuit and county courts, which office he 
has since held. Mr. Foss's previous training and experience fitted him 
to discharge acceptably the duties of the clerkship and his management 
of the office has fully justified the people in the wisdom of his 
election. He is an accomplished business man, a ready accountant, and by 
his courteous treatment of those having business to transact in the 
office, he has won a warm and permanent place in the hearts of his 
fellow citizens. A Republican in politics and zealous in upholding his 
principles, he is nevertheless popular with the people of the county, 
regardless of party ties and numbers among his warm friends many who 
hold opinions directly the opposite of his own. 

	Mr. Foss, on November 25, 1901, was united in marriage with Miss 
Angie M. Tenney, of Spring Valley, Minnesota, the accomplished daughter 
of Mr. and Mrs. D. H. Tenney, who are among the well-known and highly 
respected people of that town. Fraternally Mr. Foss is identified with 
the Modern Woodmen of America and the Improved Order of Red Men, being 
at this time chief of records in the local lodge of the latter 
organization in Sisseton. Mr. Foss is one of the rising young men of 
Roberts county, and his honorable career thus far is prophetic of a much 
wider sphere of action and greater achievements in years to come.