Anton V. Vetter Biography This biography appears on page 1694 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. ANTON V. VETTER, a member of the well-known firm of Vetter, Stoller & Hepperle, of Artas, Campbell county, and also president of the Artas State Bank, was born near the city of Odessa, Russia, on the 19th of January, 1868, and is a son of Valentine and Franciska Vetter, both of whom were born and reared in that same locality, being of German lineage. The subject received superior educational advantages in the excellent national schools of his native land, and was there engaged in teaching for several years prior to coming to America, in 1892. His parents had immigrated to the United States in 1888 and located in Emmons county, North Dakota, where they still reside, the father being a prosperous farmer and stock grower and a man of influence in his community. Upon coming to South Dakota the subject of this sketch located in Eureka, McPherson county, where he secured a clerical position in the general store of John Pietz, in whose employ he continued four years, at the expiration of which he removed across the line into North Dakota and engaged in the mercantile business at Selz, North Dakota, where he remained six years, meeting with excellent success and laying the foundations for his present exceptional prestige as a business man. In 1901, upon the completion of the Missouri River branch of the "Soo" Railroad through Altas, he removed to this village and here associated himself with Messrs. John Stoller and Fred Hepperle, in the establishing of the firm mentioned in the opening paragraph of this article, and they have built up a large and prosperous general merchandise business, having a well-equipped store, forty-six by one hundred and twelve feet in dimensions, besides an annex, twenty-six by eighty feet, in which is carried their stock of furniture and stoves, while in addition they have a large warehouse for general storage purposes. They carry a complete stock of all kinds of merchandise and have a first-class store and one which has gained popularity and a large supporting patronage from a wide radius of country normally tributary to the town. In 1903 Mr. Vetter entered into partnership with Ludwig Schmalz and opened a general store at Hague, North Dakota, under the firm name of Schmalz & Vetter, and this establishment also is doing a prosperous business. On the 1st of August, 1903, Mr. Vetter was elected president of the Artas State Bank, in which connection he is proving a most capable executive officer. In politics he gives his support to the Democratic party, and he is a thoroughly loyal, progressive and public- spirited citizen. On the 6th of August, 1889, Mr. Vetter was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Wingerter, of Odessa, Russia. and they have five children, Martin, Frances, Elizabeth, Peter and Mary.