Gunder Gunderson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 757-758 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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				GUNDER GUNDERSON. 

	Gunder Gunderson, an honored pioneer agriculturist of South 
Dakota, is now living retired in Burk township, Minnehaha county, where 
he took up a homestead about four decades ago. His birth occurred in 
Norway on the 8th of September, 1846, his parents being Gund and 
Ingaborg Jaastad, both of whom are deceased. The father was a gardener 
by occupation. 

	Gunder Gunderson acquired his education in the common schools of 
his native land and after putting aside his textbooks learned the 
shoemaker's trade, at which he worked for three years. In 1869, 
desiring to take advantage of the opportunities which the new world 
afforded, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, locating first 
in Illinois and subsequently in Iowa, where he remained for five years 
and engaged in farming for a short time. Leaving the Hawkeye state, he 
made his way to South Dakota in a covered wagon drawn by oxen and took 
up his abode in Burk township, Minnehaha county, where he homesteaded 
and also preempted land. He sold the preemption claim later but still 
retains the old homestead, on which he is now living retired, having 
won a comfortable competence in the able management of his agricultural 
interests in former years. 

	On the 20th of April, 1869, Mr. Gunderson was united-in marriage 
to Miss Margaret Blye, a daughter of Haldo and Martha Blye. To them 
were born the following children: Ingaborg, who is Mrs. A. F. White, of 
Sioux Falls; Henry and Gilbert, who are at home; Martha, who died in 
infancy; and Martin L., also deceased. Our subject and his wife have 
five grandchildren. 

	In politics Mr. Gunderson is a stanch republican, while his 
religious faith is that of the Lutheran church. He has never had 
occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in the new world, 
for here he found the opportunities which he sought and in their 
utilization has won both prosperity and an honored name.