Roland Christian Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 1094-1097

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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ROLAND CHRISTIAN. Brown county, South Dakota, has many pleasant homes 
in her famous agricultural districts and one of the noticeable places 
is that occupied by the gentleman above named. He is engaged in general 
farming and gardening on the northwest quarter of section 1, in Warner 
township, and by dint of his own efforts he has acquired a comfortable 
competence and a fine estate. In addition to his farming he cultivates 
a very fine garden, which has added materially to his income. 

Mr. Christian was born in Ohio, May 23, 1845, and was the fifth in 
order of birth in a family of seven children born to John L. and 
Catherine (Krider) Christian. He remained at home and assisted his 
father on the farm and attended school until twenty years of age, at 
which time he learned the broom maker's trade. This he followed about 
ten years in connection with farming, raising the broomcorn on his land 
and making it into brooms for market. He moved to Michigan in 1875, 
where he was engaged in farming until the spring of 1882, when he moved 
to South Dakota and settled on the farm where he now resides. He 
homesteaded his present farm in Warner township and also purchased a 
relinquishment on a timber claim north of Aberdeen, which he afterward 
sold, and purchased the southwest quarter of section 1, Warner 
township. This tract he sold to his brother-in-law, and about six years 
ago purchased the northeast quarter of section 1, which joins his 
homestead on the east, thus giving him the ownership of the north half 
of that section. 

Our subject was married in Ohio, April 28, 1870, to Miss Matilda J. 
Durr, a native of Ohio, and the daughter of Daniel and Mahala (Moss) 
Durr. Mr. and Mrs. Christian have been the parents of ten children, 
nine of whom are living, named as follows: Anna, now Mrs. U. S. Perry; 
William H., Marion, John, Lewis, Clyde M., Lorenzo, Irvin and Ulysses 
S. The three youngest are residing at home. The family worship in the 
Christian church, of which Mrs. Christian is a member. They are well 
known and en joy the esteem of those among whom they reside. Our 
subject is a man who is interested in present topics, and although he 
lives a quiet life in his pleasant country home, he is ever ready to 
support any plan which is for the benefit of his community. His home in 
South Dakota is all that could be desired, and he has every reason to 
be proud of the success which he has brought about by the exercise of 
earnest effort and an indomitable will. He is one of the substantial 
men of Warner township, and those around him have found him an honest 
neighbor and friend. He exercised the best of judgment in the selection 
of his farm and it is safe to conclude that the same good sense in 
other matters has been an important factor in his success. A portrait 
of Mr. and Mrs. Christian appears on another page of this work.