Leonard Moeller Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1056, 1059 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


				LEONARD MOELLER. 

	Leonard Moeller is a resident farmer of Lake county, his home 
being on section 34, Chester township. His residence in the state 
covers a comparatively brief period, but in the five years in which he 
has made his home within the borders of South Dakota he has become well 
established as a representative agriculturist and reliable business 
man. He was born on the 22d of April, 1861, in Dixon, Illinois, a son 
of Augustus and Johanna Moeller. The father was a farmer and devoted 
his entire attention to that occupation until about four years prior to 
his death, which occurred on the 12th of July, 1903. His wife has also 
passed away. 

	Leonard Moeller was educated in the public schools and to his 
father gave the benefit of his services in the work of the fields upon 
the home place until he reached the age of twenty two years, when he 
started out in life independently For one year he engaged in farming in 
Illinois and then removed to Benton county, Iowa, where he carried on 
farming from 1887 until 1890. At the latter date he removed to 
Larchwood, Iowa, and still later went to Lyon county, Iowa, whence he 
came to South Dakota in 1910. He then purchased his place of six 
hundred and thirty acres, which he now cultivates with the aid of his 
sons, and his farm is one of the attractive and valuable properties of 
the county. The work is systematically carried on in tilling the fields 
and in cultivating the crops and he also engages in raising fancy 
stock, having now on hand one hundred and twenty head of high grade 
cattle and one hundred and twenty hogs. The annual sale of his stock 
adds not a little to his income. In addition to his other interests he 
is a stockholder in the elevator at Larchwood and he owns land in 
Montana, Texas, Illinois and Indiana. 

	In February, 1886, Mr. Moeller was married to Miss Margaret 
Coughlin, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Coughlin of Illinois, both 
now deceased. The children of this marriage are: Frances, now the wife 
of B. Tracy, a farmer; Elizabeth, the wife of B. Conley, who also 
follows farming; Florence, the wife of M. Huntimer; John, at home; Mary 
and Mabel, twins; Josie; Alvin; August; Clifford, Wilbur and Katy. The 
last named is now attending normal school. 

	In his political views Mr. Moeller is a democrat and while living 
in Lyon county, Iowa, served as township clerk but has never been 
ambitious for office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his 
well directed business affairs. Though deeply interested in other 
states, his home is in South Dakota and hers his activities center, so 
that he puts forth earnest effort to advance the welfare and progress 
of his community. He is a descendant of a very old Lutheran family and 
he has in his home pictures of his ancestors back through three hundred 
years. He possesses many of the sterling characteristics of the 
ancestral line from which he springs. His success in business has 
brought him to a position among the substantial residents of the county 
and his record proves what can be accomplished when energy and 
determination point out the way.