BIOGRAPHIES:   John Halvorson, Sumner Township, Barron County, WI

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Victor Gulickson <vic@indy.net>  14 March 2000	
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John Halvorson, an industrious and successful farmer of Section 5, Sumner
Township, was born in the pioneer log cabin of his parents on the section 
where he now resides, April 18, 1877, the son of Olaus and Ellen (Jorgenson)
Halvorson, the early settlers. He grew to manhood on the home place, attended
the neighborhood school, and learned farming from his father and brothers. He
was not yet of age when he bought 80 acres in the home section. This he
started developing with the assistance of his brothers. He put up a house, a
barn 38 by 74 feet, a silo of glazed tile 14 by 42 feet, and other buildings. 
In 1909 he moved there with his bride. He has added to the place until he 
owns 280 acres of good land, and has continued the improvements and 
developments. The house and barn are equipped with electricity and other 
modern machinery, and the appliances, tools, implements and machinery are of 
the best. Mr. Halvorson is a man of influence and importance in the community 
and has worthily won prosperity and success. He has been an official of the 
Farmers' Telephone Co. and Farmers' Co-operative Store Co. at Canton, and is 
a stockholder in the Barron Creamery Co. He is also an active member of the 
Guernsey Breeders Association. Mr. Halvorson was married June 23, 1909, to 
Gunda Manstad, who was born in Gulbransdalen, Norway, the daughter of 
Guldbran and Helena (Sather) Manstad, the former of whom was a veterinary 
surgeon, and a man of high standing in his community. In the Manstad family 
there were nine children: Otto, Julius, Clara, Eliza, Oleana (deceased), 
Pleana (deceased), Helga (deceased), Gunda, Petra and Edward. Clara is still 
in Norway, and the rest of those living are in the United States. Mrs. 
Halvorson  came to the United States in 1902, alone, remained in New York two 
years, in Duluth one year, and then came to Barron County. Mr. and Mrs.
Halvorson have three children: Ethel Helen, born June 12, 1910; Clara Olive 
born Oct. 19, 1912, and Frank William, born June 5, 1916. The family attends 
the Methodist Episcopal Church at Cameron, in which Mr. Halvorson is an
official.

--Taken from: History of Barron Co., Wisconsin, H. C. Cooper, Jr., &
Co., 1922, pp. 406-407.