Biography of M. D. Alexander 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, 1898. Pages 409-410 Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved. M. D. ALEXANDER. - The citizens of Watertown and vicinity will recognize the above name as that of one of the prominent citizens and leading business men of that thriving city, who is engaged in the furniture business. He was born in Cass county, Michigan, August 11, 1853. His father, Ephram Alexander, was born in Wayne county, Indiana, in 1819. He settled in Cass county, Michigan, on a farm, in about 1830, and moved from thence to Red Wing, Minnesota, in 1867, and was there engaged in the mercantile business until 1876, when he returned to his old farm in Michigan. In T 879 he moved to Watertown, South Dakota, where he died in 1885. His father, John Alexander, was a native of one of the Southern states, and it is thought that he was born in North Carolina. He was of Scotch descent. The mother of our subject, Mrs. Anna Jones, was born in Butler county, Ohio. Her father, George Jones, was of Welsh descent. Mr. and Mrs. Ephram Alexander were the parents of three sons. Melvin D. was reared in Cass county, Michigan, until thirteen years of age, and then removed with his parents to Red Wing, Minnesota, where he attended school. He returned to Michigan in 1876, and was married, in June, of the same year, to Miss Mary Odell, also a native of Michigan, and a daughter of John and Sophronia (Norton) Odell, who were early settlers in Cass county, Michigan. Mrs. Alexander was the second child of a large family. Mr. Alexander was engaged in farming in Cass county, Michigan, until the spring of T 879, when he moved to Watertown, South Dakota, and erected the first grain elevator in the town, and operated a grain business until 1885, when he sold out the elevator and bought wheat for other grain companies. In 1886, in company with his brother, who was his partner in the elevator business, he started a furniture store and continued thus until 1891. Our subject then bought the interest of his brother and now enjoys a large patronage and is doing an extensive and prosperous business. He also owns four farms of one hundred and sixty acres each, besides one forty-acre farm which he looks after in connection with his business in the city. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander are the parents of a family of four children, viz: Errett M., a student at Drake university; George Ray, now attending school at Watertown; Edith, deceased; and Mabel, who is also attending school. Politically, Mr. Alexander is a stanch and enthusiastic Prohibitionist. He was for a number of years president of the board of education and has always been one of the foremost and most zealous workers in the cause of education. He was also a member of the council before Watertown became a city. The family are members of the Christian church, of which Mr. Alexander is one of the elders. He also is a member of the Maccabee order.