Marcus H. Wangsness Biography

	This biography appears on pages 965-966 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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MARCUS H. WANGSNESS, merchant and leading citizen of Garretson, 
is a native of Norway, the son of Herman and Bertha ( Tviedt ) 
Wangsness, and dates his birth from September 8, 1846. When 
about eight years of age he was brought to America by his 
parents and during the ensuing two years lived in Dane county, 
Wisconsin, at the expiration of that time removing with the 
family to Winneshiek county, Iowa, and settling at the town of 
Calmer. After spending about four years at the latter place, the 
family residence was transferred to Burr Oak Springs, in the 
same county, and there the subject grew to maturity, the 
meanwhile receiving a good practical education in the public 
schools, also turning his hands to various kinds of employment. 
Mr. Wangsness spent about fifteen years at Burr Oak Springs, and 
at the end of that time removed to Worth county, where he 
followed agricultural pursuits until 1870, in connection with 
which vocation he also devoted considerable attention to the 
handling of farm machinery, in the sale of which he met with en-
couraging success financially. In the above year he left the 
parental roof and in the spring of the same year united in 
marriage with Miss Olena Olsen, a native of Chicago, but of Nor-
wegian descent, and immediately thereafter settled at Northwood, 
Iowa, where during the ten years following he did a flourishing 
business in the handling of all kinds of agricultural implements 
and farm machinery. Discontinuing that line of trade at the 
expiration of the time noted, he resumed the pursuit of 
agriculture and followed the same in Worth county until 1877, 
when he came to South Dakota and took up a homestead and timber 
claim in the county of Moody, improving the former and living 
thereon for a period of seven years. Returning to Iowa in 1884, 
he became associated with his brother Thomas in the mercantile 
business, the firm thus constituted lasting about four years, at 
the end of which time they sold their stock, the subject shortly 
thereafter coming to South Dakota and locating at Palisades, 
Minnehaha county, where in due season he engaged in general 
merchandising. At the end of two years he removed his stock to 
Garretson, where he has since conducted a large and lucrative 
business, being at this time one of the leading merchants of the 
city with a patronage which is constantly growing in magnitude 
and importance.

Mr. Wangsness served as treasurer of Palisades township and 
since moving to Garretson has held the office of city treasurer, 
school treasurer and for several years has been a member of the 
board of education, in all of which positions he exhibited 
marked devotion to duty and a high order of business talent. He 
has been quite successful in the prosecution of his various 
interests, owning, in addition to his store and valuable city 
property, three hundred and twenty acres of fine land in Moody 
county, this state, and a quarter section in Palisades township, 
Minnehaha county.

Mr. and Mrs. Wangsness have eight children, the following of 
whom are living: Bertha, Ole, Helen, Ida, Perry and Milven; the 
two deceased are Ellen, who died in infancy, and another 
daughter, also named Ellen, who departed this life when a young 
lady of sixteen.