Thore O. Ellison Biography


	This biography appears on pages 586-587 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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				THORE O. ELLISON.

	Thore O. Ellison is of Norwegian descent and manifests those 
admirable traits of independence, energy and straightforwardness 
characteristic of his Scandinavian ancestry. For a number of years he 
has carried on farming and stock-raising on his property on section 11, 
Spirit Mound township, Clay county. His birth occurred in Wisconsin on 
the 15th of November, 1866, but his parents, B. L. and Anna Ellison, 
were natives of Norway. They came to America with their respective 
parents when children and grew to manhood and womanhood in Wisconsin, 
where their marriage occurred. The father was for three years a soldier 
in the Union army during the Civil war, having enlisted when but 
eighteen years of age. In 1868 he and his wife came to South Dakota and 
settled in Clay county, where he entered a preemption claim and also a 
homestead. He continued to follow the occupation of farming until his 
death, which occurred in 1876. His widow survived him for many years, 
dying on the 21st of June, 1913. Thore O. Ellison is the eldest of the 
five children born to them, the others being: Goodman, of Pleasant 
Valley township; Albert, likewise of that township; Isaac, of Miner 
county, South Dakota; and Joseph, of Vermillion. The mother was married 
the second time, becoming the wife of Fred Knutson, by whom she had 
three children: Ingeborg, who died in infancy; Ida; and Alice. Ida is 
the wife of George Jensen, of Spirit Mound township.  

	Thore O. Ellison was but a child of two years when brought to 
this state by his parents and received his education in the country 
schools of Clay county. He remained at home until his marriage and then 
began farming for himself. In 1896 he removed to Spirit Mound township 
and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land upon which he still 
resides. He has added to his holdings and now owns six hundred and 
forty acres of finely improved land, all of which is under cultivation. 
In addition to raising grain he feeds stock extensively and finds that 
the two branches of agriculture supplement each other and thus secure 
the largest profit with the least waste. He was one of the organizers 
of the Citizens Bank and Trust Company of Vermillion, in which he still 
holds stock, and also owns shares in the Farmers Elevator Company of 
Vermillion. He has served as director of that company and in like 
capacity in the Farmers Grain Dealers Association of South Dakota. He 
is treasurer of the Farmers Tornado & Cyclone Insurance Association of 
Union and Clay counties, this state, and his duties in these various 
connections make no small demand upon his time and energy.  

	In 1895 Mr. Ellison married Miss Mary Knutson, a native of Monona 
county, Iowa, and a daughter of Thomas and Guri Knutson, both of whom 
were born in Norway. In 1844 they came to the United States and settled 
in Iowa, where the father was an active and prosperous agriculturist 
for many years. He is still living upon the homestead at the age of 
seventy-one years, but his wife died in 1896. To their union were born 
five children, of whom Mrs. Ellison is the second in order of birth, 
the others being: Mrs. J. C. Johnson, of Monona county, Iowa; Peter, 
also a resident of the Hawkeye state; Louis, at home; and Charles, of 
Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Ellison have three children: Aida Grace, a 
graduate of the Lutheran College of Canton, this state, and now a 
teacher; Mildred Leona, a high-school student at Vermillion; and Lloyd, 
at home. The family all belong to the Lutheran church.  

	Mr. Ellison is a republican and has served for five years as 
township assessor. He held the office of township clerk for a similar 
period and for four years has been county commissioner Fraternally he 
is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has gained 
unusual prosperity and has succeeded by wisely utilizing the 
opportunities that have presented themselves, and by the exercise of 
energy and initiative, and none can justly accuse him of double dealing 
or unfairness. The integrity of his life has won him the unqualified 
respect and esteem of all who know him and his personal friends are 
many.