Gustaf Larson 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. Page 502

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

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GUSTAF LARSON, a prominent citizen of McCook county, South Dakota, who 
is lending his influence for the advancement of his community, is a 
native of Sweden. His present home is on the northwest quarter of 
section fifteen, in Sun Prairie township.   

Our subject was born in Orebro, Sweden, June 27, 1847, the son of Lars 
and Breta (Jonsdatter) Anderson, and was the seventh of a family of ten 
children. His father's death occurred when our subject was but nine 
years of age, and he assisted his mother on the farm, and at thirteen 
years of age was apprenticed for three years to learn the trade of 
shoemaker, at the end of which time he returned to the farm. In 1875 he 
rented land for himself, but did not prosper, and decided to seek his 
fortune in the New World. He disposed of his personal property, 
borrowed about two hundred dollars, and with his family embarked on the 
"Richmond," and after a voyage of ten days, landed at New York, 
November 12, 1880, and at once proceeded to Alta, Iowa, where a 
brother-in-law resided. Here they remained four months, during which 
time sickness visited his children, and our subject was obliged to hire 
out on a farm to keep his family from want. The first of April he moved 
his family to Sioux Falls, and went alone to McCook county, and 
homesteaded his present farm, returning to Iowa for the summer. In the 
spring of 1882 the family moved to the new home. Their first house was 
a ten by twelve sod shanty with a hay roof, which our subject had built 
the fall before. It was indeed a humble place, but they went to it as a 
welcome home after the struggles with which they had been obliged to 
contend, since their arrival in the western land. In June a frame house 
was built, and the family were comfortably located and became permanent 
citizens of Sun Prairie township.  

In 1875 our subject was married to Emma M. Olson, who was born January 
26, 1850. Mr. and Mrs. Larson are the parents of ten children, named as 
follows: Gustaf R.; Gerhard G.; Emma E., deceased; Emma M.; Fannie; 
Arthur E.; Anna 0.; Oscar T.; Ethel S.; and George A.  

Mr. Larson is active in educational matters, and has been a school 
director for several terms. He has also served as chairman of the 
township board for seven years. He is politically a Populist and 
Prohibitionist. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church.