P. M. Venner Biography


	This biography appears on pages 644-647 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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				P. M. VENNER. 

	P. M. Venner, engaged in general farming on section 23, Orland 
township, was born in Wisconsin, on the 7th of September, 1859, his 
parents being Jacob and Nellie (Vassen) Venner. The father was a 
pioneer resident of Wisconsin, settling there in 1854. He continues to 
make his home in that state and has devoted the greater part of his 
life to general agricultural pursuits. The mother has passed away. 

	When a little lad of six summers P. M. Venner began attending the 
public schools and there he mastered the common branches of learning, 
being thus qualified for later responsibilities and activities of 
business life. He was early trained to farm work and continued to 
assist his father until he reached the age of nineteen years, after 
which he worked by the month as a farm hand for seven years in 
Wisconsin. Removing to northern Iowa, he there engaged in farming until 
he came to South Dakota in 1899. In December of the previous year he 
purchased his present place, becoming originally the owner of one 
hundred and sixty acres on section 23, Orland township. He has been 
ambitious to advance in a business way and, further investing in farm 
property, has now an excellent tract of land of three hundred and 
twenty acres, which he has capably and profitably cultivated. He is 
well known as a breeder of Ayrshire cattle, having a fine herd of fifty 
head. He keeps thirteen head of horses for the farm work and 
intelligently manages his business interests along progressive lines, 
so that he now has one of the fine farms of South Dakota, conducted 
according to modern ideas. He has erected all of the buildings and made 
all of the improvements upon the place and has established a gas plant 
to furnish lighting. He is not content to do what others have done but 
pushes forward along the lines of improvement and progress and has won 
a place among the substantial agriculturists of his adopted county. 

	Mr. Venner was married February 3, 1886, to Miss Theresa 
Hoppenjan, a daughter of John Hoppenjan, who was a native of Germany, 
and their children are: Walter, Evaline, Mrs. William Byrne, Harry, 
Arthur, Jessie, Irene, Lawrence and Theresa. 

	The family are Catholics in religious faith and Mr. Venner is 
connected fraternally with the Modern Woodmen of America and the 
Fraternal Order of Eagles. In politics he is a progressive republican 
and has twice been a delegate to the state conventions of his party, 
while in its local councils his opinions carry weight. His fellow 
citizens, appreciative of his worth and ability, have many times called 
him to public office, so that he has served for thirteen years as 
township assessor, while for twelve years he has been a member of the 
school board. He endorses the good roads movement and was a contributor 
to the building of the Meridian road. He is vice president of the 
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, is a stockholder in the Farmers 
Elevator Company at Madison, is president of the Orland Telephone 
Company, a rural telephone line, is a stockholder in the Morley Twine 
plant at Sioux City and in the Lewis Electric line. It will thus be 
seen that his interests are broad and varied and that he has been and 
is an active cooperant in various enterprises which have had to do with 
the material development of the community. He believes strongly in 
progress in public affairs as well as in private business, and his aid 
and influence can always be depended upon to further any measure for 
the general good.