Jacob Fergen Biography


	This biography appears on page 835 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JACOB FERGEN. 

	Jacob Fergen, the period of whose residence in South Dakota 
covers more than a third of a century, is actively engaged in the real-
estate business at Parkston and has won well merited success in that 
connection. His birth occurred in Madison, Wisconsin, on the 11th of 
May, 1862, his parents being Carl and Margaret (Klein) Fergen, the 
former one of the first white settlers of the Badger state. The family 
came to South Dakota in 1879, and Carl Fergen passed away in Parkston 
thirteen years later. His widow is still living at the age of eighty-
two years and enjoys an extensive acquaintance in her home community. 

	Jacob Fergen, who was a youth of seventeen when he came to South 
Dakota with his parents, acquired a public-school education and 
subsequently followed the profession of teaching in this state for five 
years. On the expiration of that period he accepted a. position with 
the Huntington Elevator Company and at the same time was engaged in the 
machinery business, while later he bought grain on his own account and 
also continued in the machinery business. He was appointed postmaster 
at Parkston under the Cleveland administration and served for five 
years, discharging the duties devolving upon him in a most commendable 
and satisfactory manner. In 1910 he disposed of his former interests 
and embarked in his present business, handling real estate and also 
dealing in seeds. In the spring of 1914, however, he sold his seed 
store and has since devoted his attention exclusively to the real-
estate business, in which he has won a gratifying measure of success, 
for he keeps well informed on realty values and has negotiated many 
property transfers to the complete satisfaction of those concerned. He 
is likewise a stockholder in the canning factory and has long been 
numbered among the substantial and representative citizens of his town. 

	On the 19th of January, 1897, Mr. Fergen was united in marriage 
to Miss Eva J. Schmidtz, a daughter of Mathias Schmidtz. They have two 
children, Genevieve Josephine and Celestine Elizabeth. Mr. Fergen is a 
democrat and a prominent figure in state politics, having been the 
candidate of his party for state senator. His religious faith is that 
of the Catholic church and fraternally he is identified with the 
Knights of Columbus, belonging to Maher Council at Mitchell. He is 
known as a man of high character, of marked business ability and 
enterprise, whose sterling qualities have won for him the confidence of 
a large circle of friends and acquaintances in the community.