Otto E. A. Thorson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1061 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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				OTTO E. A. THORSON. 

	Otto E. A. Thorson, cashier of the Citizens State Bank of Oacoma, 
was born in Decorah, Iowa, October 16, 1873, a son of Ole C. and 
Elizabeth (Skartvedt) Thorson, who were natives of Norway. In young 
manhood the father came to America, settling in Iowa, where he engaged 
in farming and stock-raising, but following the outbreak of the Civil 
war he displayed a spirit of patriotism by going to the defense of his 
adopted country, serving at the front with an Iowa regiment. His death 
occurred in 1873 and some time afterward his widow became the wife of 
Gabriel Anderson and is now a resident of Platte, South Dakota. By her 
first marriage she became the mother of four children, of whom Otto E. 
A. is the youngest, and by her second marriage she had five children. 

	After attending public school in Iowa, Otto E. A. Thorson became 
a student in the high school at Canton, South Dakota, and later 
attended Augustana College at that place. He began his business career 
in the office of the register of deeds at Canton, Lincoln county, where 
he remained for three or four years, and subsequently was with the 
Union Banking Company, now the Security State Bank of Beresford, 
entering the institution as a clerk and so continuing for two years. He 
was afterward for a short time with a bank at Alcester, South Dakota, 
and spent several years as a representative of the Fullerton Lumber 
Company and of the Floete Lumber Company but returned to the banking 
business as an employee of the Armour State Bank. At the founding of 
the town of Corsica he became connected with the State Bank of Corsica, 
with which he remained for a year. In 1906 he went to Oacoma as 
assistant cashier of the Citizens State Bank and in January, 1914, was 
appointed cashier and active manager of that institution, in which 
connections he still continues, its growth and success being 
attributable in large measure to his enterprising efforts, keen 
business discernment and marked ability. 

	On the 12th of May, 1906, Mr. Thorson was united in marriage to 
Miss Jessie M. Fiscus, a daughter of Joseph W. and Belle (Simpson) 
Fiscus, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In politics Mr. Thorson is a republican 
and fraternally is connected with the Odd Fellows lodge at Armour. He 
finds recreation in outdoor life, greatly enjoying camping, hunting and 
fishing, but he makes his business his chief interest and is regarded 
as one of the rising young bankers of western South Dakota as well as 
one of the highly honored citizens of his community.