Lars Nesheim Biography


	This biography appears on page 692 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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				LARS NESHEIM. 

	Lars Nesheim, an honored pioneer of Minnehaha county, is now 
living practically retired upon his farm on section 35, Logan township. 
He was born in Norway on the 13th of January, 1850, and is a son of 
Sjur and Ingeburg Nesheim, who brought their family to the United 
States in 1867 and located in Iowa, where both spent their remaining 
days. 

	Lars Nesheim passed his boyhood in his native land, being 
seventeen years of age on the emigration of the family to America, and 
for seven years he made his home in Iowa. In 1874, however, he came to 
South Dakota and homesteaded a tract on section 35, Logan township, 
where he now owns three-quarters of a section. He experienced all the 
difficulties and trials that come to one who locates on the frontier, 
his crops being almost destroyed by grasshoppers and drought. He has 
made all of the improvements on his farm including the erection of good 
and substantial buildings, and the place is one of the most attractive 
in the locality. For many years he labored untiringly in the 
cultivation of his land, but now leaves the more arduous duties of the 
farm to younger hands, while he enjoys a well earned rest. 

	In January, 1873, Mr. Nesheim was united in marriage to Miss 
Betsy Hanson, a daughter of George and Martha Hanson, of Iowa. Her 
father is still living at the ripe old age of eighty seven years. The 
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Nesheim are as follows: Bertha, now the 
wife of Seivert Dahl, of North Dakota; George, who is engaged in 
farming in Canada; Ida, the wife of B. Hillstad; Mina, at home; 
Severina, the wife of L. Njos; Mary, the wife of Walter W. Downey, of 
New York city; Selma, who married O. Hillstad. Nettie, the wife of A. 
Larson; Eleanora, who is a graduate of Valder College of Decorah, Iowa; 
and Leonard, Seivert and Melvin, at home. There are now seventeen 
grandchildren. 

	In religious faith Mr. Nesheim is a Lutheran and in politics he 
is an ardent republican, taking quite an active interest in public 
affairs. He has acceptably served as a member of the school board and 
as road overseer, but has always given the greater part of his time and 
attention to his business affairs, in which he has steadily prospered 
until today he is one of the well-to-do citizens of his community. 
Besides his fine farm he owns stock in the Sherman Elevator. It is to 
such men that South Dakota owes her prosperity at the present time.