Abraham Frank Chaussee Biography


	This biography appears on pages 527-528 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				ABRAHAM FRANK CHAUSSEE. 

	Abraham Frank Chaussee is now living retired in Vermillion but 
was for many years actively engaged in farming. A native of Montreal, 
Canada, he was born in October, 1844, a son of Michel and Alice (King) 
Chaussee, both natives of the Dominion. The father was a harness maker 
by trade and when our subject was two years of age removed with his 
family to Dubuque, Iowa, where he resided for sixteen years. The family 
was next established in Union county, this state, where the father 
farmed for eight years. He passed away in 1894 and his widow died in 
1900. They were the parents of twelve children, as follows: Alice, 
deceased; Abraham F., of this review; Alphonse, deceased; William, a 
farmer of Jefferson, Union county, this state; Michel, an agriculturist 
of Union county; Fred, who is farming in North Dakota; Emmie, the wife 
of Jerry Rogers, a hotel man of Long Island; Adolph, deceased; Emily, 
the wife of John Cyr, of Missoula, Montana; Albert, a sketch of whom 
appears elsewhere in this work; Theophile, a farmer of Clay county, 
this state; and John, who died in childhood. 

	Abraham F. Chaussee received most of his schooling in Dubuque, 
but his educational advantages were limited, as he was compelled to 
devote most of his time to work even as a boy, as there was a large 
family and in straightened circumstances. As soon as he was old enough 
he began work on the home farm and so continued until he was twenty-one 
years of age. He then took up a homestead and a year later was married. 
After six years he sold his first farm and bought a place near his 
father in-law's home in Clay county, where he lived for many years. He 
purchased additional land from time to time and eventually owned and 
operated a farm of five hundred acres in one body and also held title 
to five hundred acres more. He has given all of his sons homes and 
still owns five hundred and twenty acres, which his youngest son rents. 
He and his wife are now living in a comfortable home in Vermillion and 
are enjoying the fruits of their former toil. 

	Mr. Chaussee was married March 3, 1867, to Miss Rosa Bruyer, a 
native of France and a daughter of August and Josephine (Seaman) 
Bruyer, who were also natives of that country. The father emigrated 
with his family to the United States in 1852, and settled in Chicago, 
where he followed his trade, that of a tailor. A removal was 
subsequently made to Dubuque, Iowa, and while living in the Hawkeye 
state he operated a rented farm. At the end of three years they came to 
South Dakota and settled in Clay county, four miles east of Vermillion, 
the father taking up a homestead, upon which he lived until his death, 
April 17, 1907. The mother died March 17, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Chaussee 
have four children: Philip A., who is farming in Clay county and is 
supervisor of Fairview township; John, also an agriculturist of Clay 
county; Rose, the wife of Willard Huyck, the efficient postmaster of 
Vermillion; and Louis, a Farmer of Clay county, who lives upon the 
homestead. 

	Mr. Chaussee is a republican and has always taken an active 
interest in local affairs, especially in everything pertaining to the 
public schools. For several years he served as a member of the township 
school board. His religious allegiance is given to the Roman Catholic 
church. He has done his share in the development of his county and his 
declining years are lightened and made pleasant by the consciousness 
that he has lived a useful and upright life and that he holds to the 
fullest extent the esteem and goodwill of his fellow citizens. _