Peter O. Rasmusson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1541-1542 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	PETER 0. RASMUSSON was born in Vernon county, Wisconsin, on the 30th 
of April, 1859, and is a son of Ole Rasmusson, who was born and reared in 
Norway, whence he emigrated to the United States as a young man and 
became one of the pioneer settlers of Vernon county, Wisconsin, where he 
developed and improved a valuable farm. In that county {he subject of 
this review was reared to maturity, having duly availed himself of the 
advantages afforded by the public schools and thereafter continuing to 
be there identified with agricultural pursuits until 1887, in the autumn 
of which year he came to what is now the state of South Dakota, where he 
took up a claim of government land in Clark county. In 1888 he returned 
to his home in Wisconsin for a short sojourn and then came again to his 
farm in Clark county, developing the same and making excellent 
improvements on the property, which he still owns, having now one 
hundred and sixty acres of most arable land. He continued to give his 
attention to the operating of his farm until 1900, when he was made the 
candidate on the Republican ticket for the office of register of deeds 
of Clark county, being elected by a gratifying majority and giving so 
excellent an administration that he was the natural choice of his party 
for the office at the expiration of his first term, having been re-
elected in the autumn of 1902 and thus being incumbent of the office at 
the time of this writing, while he has the unqualified confidence and 
good will of the people of the county. He is a zealous worker in the 
local ranks of the "grand old party," and takes a lively interest in all 
that concerns the general welfare and progress of his home town, county 
and state. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran church. 

	On the 28th of December, 1888, Mr. Rasmusson was united in 
marriage to Miss Oliana M. Kolbo, who likewise was born in Vernon 
county, Wisconsin being a daughter of Hans A. and Ingeborg Kolbo. Mr. 
and Mrs. Rasmusson have six children, namely: Henry Otto, Irina 
Mathilda, Olga Paula, John Magnus, Marvin Julian and Roland Albin. 

	It is worthy of note that, as the result of a severe attack of 
fever when three years old, the subject lost the use of his right leg, 
being compelled ever afterward to use crutches. Nevertheless, while in 
Wisconsin, he ran a horse-power threshing machine for eight years, and 
ran a steam thresher in South Dakota for six years, while during 1900 he 
acted as salesman and expert for the Deering Harvester Company.