Magnus Svendsen Tidemann Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1223-1224 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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				MAGNUS SVENDSEN TIDEMANN. 

	Magnus Svendsen Tidemann is one of the progressive agriculturists 
of Minnehaha county, owning and cultivating two hundred and eighty 
acres of rich land. He was born on the 16th of July, 1833, in Meraker, 
Norway, a son of Svend Hermandsen and Beret (Olsdatter) Tidemann, the 
former a forest overseer. The son pursued his education in a seminary 
at Klabo, Norway, and was there graduated in July, 1857, his standing 
as a student being very high, He took up the profession of teaching, 
which was his initial step in the business world. In Norway he received 
one specidaler per week for twenty-four weeks during the year. After 
some time he was paid two specidaler per week for the regular school 
term of twenty-four weeks and was given ten specidaler extra for 
excellent and continued work, so that his annual salary was then fifty-
eight specidaler. Hoping to find better opportunities on this side the 
Atlantic, he at length bade adieu to friends and native country and 
sailed for the new world, arriving in Goodhue county, Minnesota, in 
July, 1866. There he remained for about seven years, or until June, l 
873, when he came to what was then the territory of Dakota. During the 
early period of his residence in the new world he was paid seventy-five 
cents per day for his labor and ultimately his wages as a farm hand 
were advanced to a dollar and a quarter per day and board, which seemed 
to him quite a princely sum in comparison with that which he had 
received in Norway. He carefully saved his earnings and as opportunity 
offered made investment in property. As time passed he added to his 
holdings and became one of the large landowners of the state, having 
thirteen tracts of forty acres each. He has since sold six of these and 
now has seven forty acre tracts in his farm, or two hundred and eighty 
acres. 

	In May, 1861, Mr. Tidemann was married to Miss Mali Nilsdatter, 
who was born in the year 1833 and after a married life of twenty-one 
years passed away in 1882. Mr. Tidemann was again married on the 1st of 
August, 1886, his second union being with Oline Johnsdatter, who was 
born in 1855. By the first marriage there were born seven children, 
three of whom have passed away and three of the surviving four are 
married-Sven, Marit and Oline. Of these Sven has had twelve children, 
nine of whom are living, Marit has fourteen and Oline eight. To Mr. 
Tidemann and his second wife there have also been born seven children, 
four of whom survive, Bernhard, Oscar Marvin, Bertha Marie and Clara 
Elise Josephine. Of these Bertha Marie is married. 

	In addition to the farm upon which he resides Mr. Tidemann is the 
owner of two shares in the Cooperative Lumber Yard at Baltic. He holds 
membership in the Lutheran church and its teachings guide him in all 
the relations of life. His political allegiance is given to the 
republican party and, while he served as secretary of the school board 
for one term soon after coming to South Dakota, he has never sought nor 
desired political office. He feels content to give undivided attention 
to his business affairs, and in the management of his farm and its 
cultivation he has won a place among the substantial residents of 
Minnehaha county. He has now passed the eighty-second milestone on 
life's journey and is most content in the evening of his days, having 
never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new 
world, where in the improvement of the opportunities here offered he 
has won substantial success.