Henry Helvig Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1020, 1023 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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				HENRY HELVIG.  

	Henry Helvig is the efficient cashier of the Citizens National 
Bank of Sisseton, the largest banking institution in Roberts county. He 
is a young man, possessing marked enterprise, laudable ambition and 
unfaltering determination, and the success which he has achieved is 
attributable entirely to his own efforts. He was born in Norway on the 
25th of April, 1881, and is a son of Charles and Hannah (Twedt) 
Overland, who spent their entire lives in Norway.  

	Their son Henry was left an orphan when an infant and was reared 
by a family of the name of Helvig and hence has always been known by 
that name. He went to Story City, Iowa, with his foster father, A. S. 
Helvig, in the year 1884 and remained with him until 1903, when he came 
to South Dakota. He attended the public schools of Story City, and was 
graduated from the high school at Roland, Iowa, with the class of 1897. 
He afterward attended Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, for three years 
and thus liberal educational training well qualified him for life's 
practical and responsible duties. His initial step in the business 
world was made as a clerk in a general store at Roland, Iowa, where he 
remained for five years, and on the expiration of that period he went 
to Sisseton, South Dakota, where he accepted a position as clerk in a 
bank. In 1902 the Citizens Bank was organized and in January, 1910, he 
was made its cashier, in which connection he is contributing in no 
small measure to its success and continued growth. His fellow officers 
in the institution are: S. O. Hegland, president; J. W. Barrington, 
vice president; and Leo J. Lukanitsch, assistant cashier. The bank is 
capitalized for fifty thousand dollars, has a surplus and profits of 
fifteen thousand dollars, has in circulation forty thousand dollars and 
its deposits amount to over six hundred and ten thousand dollars. The 
bank has enjoyed a steady and substantial growth and has eclipsed every 
other banking institution of the county. Mr. Helvig is also president 
of the Eden State Bank at Eden, South Dakota, and of the Claire City 
Bank at Claire City. Both of these banks have been but recently 
organized and are having a wonderful growth. He is also a director of 
the First State Bank of Peever.  

	On the 28th of May, 1903, Mr. Helvig was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary O. Hegland, who was born in Roland, Iowa, and they have three 
children, Hazel, Esther and Sarah. The parents are members of the 
Norwegian Lutheran Synod and Mr. Helvig is a republican in politics, 
but he does not seek nor wish for public office, preferring to devote 
his entire attention to his banking interests. He is a very busy man 
and has succeeded even beyond his expectations. In addition to his bank 
stock he owns fourteen hundred acres of land in Roberts county and 
ranks among the foremost business men of the town.