David A. Olsen 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 1103

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

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DAVID A. OLSEN, a prosperous farmer of Lake township, Clark county, has 
been a resident of that region for over fifteen years. He was born in 
Iowa county, Wisconsin, October 1, 1860, and was the sixth of a family 
of eight children born to Andrew and Caroline (Pedersen) Olsen. 

The parents of our subject were natives of Norway, and in their early 
married life came to the United States. They are both living, aged over 
eighty years. 

Our subject was raised on his father's farm and assisted him until 
about twenty four years of age. In the fall of 1884 he came to Clark 
county, South Dakota, and purchased land and returned to his home for 
the winter. In April of the year following he went again to Dakota and 
began farming, and has met with marked success. His farm comprises 
three hundred and fifteen acres of land and he makes his home on the 
southeast quarter of section 34, in Lake township. He engages in 
general farming, and has nine cows and fifteen horses of the Percheron 
breed. The location of his farm is excellent, being about one mile from 
the village of Willow Lakes, and the buildings upon the place are of 
the most substantial and convenient character. 

Our subject was married, in 1885, to Miss Delia Larson, a native of 
Wisconsin. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Olsen, as 
follows: Jessie C., Freddie A., Lloyd and Levenia. Mr. Olsen is a 
member of the Lutheran church and the Modern Woodmen of America. He has 
served in numerous township offices, including chairman of the township 
board and treasurer, and has been active in educational affairs. He was 
elected county commissioner for the fifth district in 1896. He is a 
Populist in political sentiment.