Anton Frederick Henriksen Biography


	This biography appears on pages 62-63 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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				ANTON FREDERICK HENRIKSEN. 

	Anton Frederick Henriksen, a well known farmer of Clay county, 
was born in Denmark, January 8, 1864, a son of Christian and Carolina 
(Clausen) Henriksen, both likewise natives of Denmark. In 1874 the 
family emigrated to America, coming direct to South Dakota, where the 
father purchased a homestead from his son, Claus Matson, who had 
resided ill Garfield township, Clay county, for five years. Mr. 
Henriksen, Sr., lived upon his farm until his death in 1902. He 
survived his wife for three years, her demise occurring in 1899. They 
were the parents of ten children, namely: Claus Matson, who is a 
retired shoe merchant of Sioux City, lowa; Rika, who married Louis 
Matson, of Nebraska, and at her demise left four children; Annie, Jens 
Peter, Jane C. and Ida, all deceased; Augusta, the wife of Jens P. 
Jensen, of Vesington Springs, South Dakota; Anton Fred; and Carl H., 
who owns and operates the family homestead in Clay county; and one who 
died in infancy. 

	Anton F. Henriksen grew to manhood in Clay county and attended 
the district schools until he was seventeen years of age. After putting 
aside his textbooks he worked for others during the harvest season and 
then returned home and assisted his father. At the age of twenty he was 
married and rented a farm, which he operated for seven years. At the 
end of that time he had accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to 
buy one hundred and sixty acres and he later purchased an additional 
eighty-acre tract. All of his land is in a high state of cultivation 
and although he does general farming, his principal crop is corn. He 
also raises stock for the market, specializing in Red Polled cattle and 
Duroc Jersey hogs. His energy, industry and sound judgment are rewarded 
by abundant crops which find a ready sale on the market, and he also 
derives a good income from his stock-raising interests. He was one of 
the organizers of the A. B. & E. Telephone Company of South Dakota, for 
one term served as president of that company and for five years was a 
member of the board of directors. He was also an organizer of the 
Farmers Elevator Company of Beresford and for several years was a 
director therein. 

	Mr. Henriksen was married September 5, 1884, Miss Christina 
Jensen, a native of Schleswig and a daughter of H. P. and Magdelena 
Jensen, becoming his wife. To them have been born eight children: 
Clara, the wife of Holly Burnie, who is engaged in the meat business at 
Beresford; Mary, the wife of Chris Jensen, a farmer of Clay County; 
Christian, who is at home and is assisting his father with the farm 
work; Ida, the wife of Peter Rasmussen, a farmer of Clay county; Laura, 
who married Walter Rasmussen, a brother of Peter and a farmer of Union 
county; Hans P., who is attending school; Annie, fourteen years of age, 
also in school; and Frederick C., eleven years old and likewise a 
student in the public schools. 

	Mr. Henriksen is a democrat and has served as trustee and as 
chairman of the township board, of which he was a member for twelve 
years. His membership in the Lutheran church is an indication of his 
religious belief, which is the guiding principle of his life. 
Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic blue lodge and to the Modern 
Woodmen of America, in which he has held all of the chairs. A great 
lover of outdoor sports, he finds much enjoyment in hunting and 
fishing. He is a representative of that large body of intelligent, 
energetic, progressive farmers who constitute the greatest source of 
South Dakota's strength and to whom her development is largely due, and 
his upright life has gained him a high place in the estimation of those 
who know him.