Biography of Erick E. Distad

	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. Page 259.

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved. 




ERICK E. DISTAD is treasurer of Deuel county and one of its prominent 
and popular citizens. Mr. Distad, who cultivates a large farm in 
section 27, township 113, range 48, was born near Bergen, Norway, 
February 11, 1845, and is a son of Erick T. and Solvi Distad, both 
Norwegians also. His father was born in 1797, and was a farmer by 
occupation. He died in Wisconsin in 1856. Our subject's mother was born 
in 1809 and died in Fillmore county, Minnesota, in 1887. 

The family came to this country in 1848, settling in Dane county, 
Wisconsin, where our subject attended school for a short time. After 
the death of his father he went with the family to Fillmore county, 
Minnesota, where another farm was purchased. He completed his education 
there and until 1879 managed this property with great success. 

In the year last mentioned he removed to Deuel county, Dakota, 
and there settled upon his present farm, which comprised originally 160 
acres, and this he purchased outright. He now owns altogether l,000 
acres of excellent land, four hundred of which are at present under the 
plow, making this one of the largest and finest farms in that section 
of the state. The following is the result of the harvest of 1897, which 
was about half of an average crop: wheat, 2,000 bushels; flax, 450 
bushels; barley, 250 bushels; timothy, 200 bushels; and corn, 300 
bushels. 

The improvements upon this farm are modern and attractive, and 
the whole presents an appearance of prosperity and thrift which its 
owner may justly contemplate with pride. Mr. Distad is a Republican in 
politics, and has taken a leading part in both local and county affairs 
for years. In the fall of 1896 he was elected treasurer of Deuel 
county, and now occupies that office. 

On the 30th of October, 1859 he was married in Fillmore county, 
Minnesota, to Miss Elizabeth 0. Nishum. Mrs. Distad was born April 13, 
1849, in Norway. Her {ether and mother, both natives of Norway, were 
born respectively in 1814 and 1808; the former died in his native 
county in 1 855, while the latter came to this country in 1865, going 
to live with her daughter in Minnesota. She died in 1895, in Deuel 
county, South Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Distad are the parents of twelve 
children: Serena; Andrew, who is married and lives on a farm near 
Toronto, South Dakota; Sarah, Ole, Edward, Julius, Marie, Emma, Millie, 
Willie, Josie and Arthur. Mr. Distad and family are members of the 
Lutheran church.