Soren B. Gotaas 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 566-567

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

	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


SOREN B. GOTAAS. Among the better class of agriculturists of Mellette 
township, in Spink county, whose intelligent labors and industry, 
supplemented by the strictest honesty, have placed them on the 
desirable plane of substantial farmers, none should be mentioned 
without including the name of this gentleman. He is a man of scholarly 
attainments, possessed of a mind capable of grasping the best ideas, 
and a constant student of various themes, and makes use of his 
knowledge in the proper season. His home, on the southwest quarter of 
section 15, although humble in its exterior appearance, is one of 
refinement and comfort, and is the dwelling place of as intelligent and 
active a worker for the welfare of the people of that region as can be 
found within the boundaries of the state. 

Our subject was born in the parish of Skogn, Norway, January 21, 1846. 
He was the eldest of eleven children born to Bonsak and Karen (Falstad) 
Gotaas. The father still lives at the advanced age of eighty-fouryears, 
and is passing the evening of his life in his native land. 

After his confirmation our subject attended the Central Agricultural 
College at Aas, taking a two years' course. He had previously become 
acquainted somewhat with the German language. Completing his studies he 
hired as overseer of a large farm near the old home for one year. He 
came to America in 1869, landing at Portland, and made his way via 
Chicago, to Highland Prairie, Fillmore county, Minnesota. He soon began 
the study of English at home, and attended the common school, afterward 
attending Rushford high school. Aided by the professor he rapidly 
acquired a knowledge of the language and soon could read and write the 
English language. He paid his way through this course by caring for the 
school rooms, six in number, and the following spring passed the 
teachers' examination, and for the following eight years was a teacher. 
He went to Watertown, South Dakota, in the spring of 1880, and made 
filings on a tree claim, and the following year went to look at the 
land and took a homestead adjoining. He erected a sod house on his 
homestead and made his residence permanently in 1882, and the following 
year secured oxen and began farming. He is now the possessor of four 
hundred and eighty acres of well-improved land. 

Mr. Gotaas lives the life of a bachelor in his little shanty, 
surrounded by a fine collection of books and reading matter of every 
description, is a diligent student, and finds contentment in the labors 
of his farm and his books. He takes great interest in educational 
matters and has been director of schools. He has been a member of the 
township board of supervisors, and is thoroughly awake to the needs of 
his community.