William Bodenner Biography


	This biography appears on pages 450-451 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) 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.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


				WILLIAM BODENNER. 

	William Bodenner is proprietor of a general mercantile store at 
Fairburn, in which he carries a line of dry goods, hardware, groceries 
and other commodities He is accounted one of the foremost business men 
of his part of the state. His birth occurred at Lancaster, Grant 
county, Wisconsin, May 31, 1861, his parents being Henry and Johanna 
(Rogers) Bodenner, both of whom were natives of Cornwall, England, and 
remained residents of that country until after their marriage. Crossing 
the Atlantic, they settled in Grant county, Wisconsin, where they made 
permanent location about the year 1855. The father engaged in mining, 
although he became a landowner, and was active in the lead mines of 
that vicinity until he met death in the mines in 1863. His widow and 
the family retained the old home in Grant county until 1880, when they 
removed to Lac qui Parle county, Minnesota, where the mother remained 
until her death about the year 1888. 

	William Bodenner is the youngest in a family of nine children. He 
attended the district schools of Grant county, Wisconsin, and when but 
eleven years of age began working for others in that county. He was 
thus employed for eleven years and then removed to Deuel county, South 
Dakota, where he served an apprenticeship at the harness maker's trade 
for three years. He was afterward employed by the L. C. Porter Company 
at carpentering for two seasons and then came to the Black Hills 
country, settling first at Buffalo Gap, where he engaged in the stock 
business, continuing there for about eight years. He then disposed of 
his holdings at that place and removed to Fairburn, where he has since 
engaged in merchandising, owning a general store, in which he carries a 
large and attractive line of dry goods, hardware, groceries and other 
things. The lower floor, sixty by fifty feet, is completely stocked 
with an attractive line of goods. There was only one store at Fairburn 
when Mr. Bodenner became connected with the business interests of that 
place He is also a landowner, having property in his section of the 
state and is a stockholder in the Dan Patch electric line at 
Minneapolis, while his wife is a stockholder in the bank at Fairburn. 
He devotes his entire time to his business interests, concentrating his 
efforts largely upon the management of his store. 

	In September, 1893, Mr. Bodenner was married to Miss Anna W. 
Smith, who was born at Elk Point, South Dakota, a daughter of Miles 
Henry and Lilly (Mitchell) Smith, both of whom were natives of 
Fredericktown, New Brunswick, Canada. They were married there and after 
coming to the United States settled in eastern South Dakota, where the 
father engaged in farming. Later he turned his attention to the 
machinery and implement business and on removing to Fairburn he 
established a flour and feed business. Subsequently he went to Buffalo 
Gap, where he engaged in general merchandising with his son W. M. as a 
partner. There he remained until his death, which occurred May 22, 
1910. He was twice elected to the state legislature and was a prominent 
and influential citizen of his community. He survived his wife for some 
time, her death occurring in 1890. Mrs. Bodenner is the youngest of 
their five children and by her marriage has become the mother of four 
children. Miles H., who occupies the position of state game warden, 
resides thirteen miles west of Fairburn. William F. assists his father 
in the store. Lyle B. and Dotha Belle are both at home. 

	Mr. Bodenner holds membership with the Odd Fellows, the Modern 
Woodmen of America and the Modern Brotherhood of America. He is loyal 
to the teachings and purposes of those organizations and his life has 
been well spent according to modern standards of manhood and 
citizenship. In business he has qualities that make him an enterprising 
and reliable merchant and wherever known he is held in high esteem.