Biography of George Stoddard

	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 389-390

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


GEORGE STODDARD, farmer, living on the southeast quarter of section 22, 
township 120, range 52, Grant county, South Dakota, was born in Goodhue 
county, Minnesota, May 20, 1859.

	Mr. Stoddard's father, Albin Stoddard, who also lives in Grant 
county, was born in Chenango county, New York, February 14, 1826. The 
history of the Stoddard family in America dates back to the early 
colonial times, the name appearing in documents dated 1642 or 1643, and 
is connected with the early history of Connecticut. Legend traces the 
name "Stoddard" to England and to the time of William the Conqueror, 
the ancestor of that time being a nobleman and a standardbearer of the 
monarch, William. Our subject's mother, Mary E. (Cross) Stoddard, is 
still living. She was united in marriage to Albin Stoddard in 1846 and 
to this union have been born eight children, viz: Charles A., Eliza J., 
Eugene, Zetto B., George, Curtis, Mary E. and Ida M.

	George, the fifth in the order of birth of the above-named family, 
of whose life this is a brief history, passed most of his youth in 
Minnesota, where he was engaged in farm work. When twenty years of age 
he went to Appleton, Minnesota, and there worked in the Rosetta mill. In 
1881  he went to Grant county, South Dakota, and filed a claim to the 
southwest quarter of section 30, township 120, range 51, where he lived 
for six months in a shanty 12  x 16 feet. The following year he filed a 
homestead claim to the place where he now resides, erected a sod shanty, 
10 x 12 feet, with a board roof, which, however, soon gave place to a 
more comfortable and attractive home, and has since claimed his 
residence there. Since his settlement in the county he has given most of 
his attention to farming, but in connection with same has devoted 
considerable time to work in the schoolroom. Politically, he affiliates 
with the Republican party and is a firm advocate of prohibition. He is a 
member of the central committee of Grant county, has been township 
clerk, a member of the board of supervisors, and county commissioner for 
the Third congressional district of Grant county, and to the lastnamed 
office he has been recently reelected.

	Mr. Stoddard was married March 26, 1886, to Miss Elisie Fransen, 
daughter of Mrs. Catherine Fransen, a widow, now living in Mezeppa 
township, Grant county. Mrs. Stoddard died July 3, 1892, leaving to 
mourn her loss the husband and family of three children, who, named in 
the order of their birth, are as follows: Albin, Katie M. and Mary E.