BIOGRAPHIES: HANS A. FROGNER Town of Elk Mound, Dunn Co., WI ********************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Submitted by: Laura Abood 3/19/2006 ********************************************************************* HANS A. FROGNER, proprietor of the Frogner Farm situated in Section 3, town of Elk Mound, was born at Frogner, Christiania, Norway, Dec. 29, 1857, son of Andreas Hokenson and Randina (Hanson) Frogner. The parents were natives of the same country, the father born at Gudbransdalen and the mother in Barrum. The former died in 1866 and the later in 1874. Their family consisted of four children: Hans A., subject of this sketch; Martin, who died in Norway; Axel, who is now living in that country, and Nels R. A., of the town of Elk Mound, Dunn County, Wis. Hans A. Frogner as a youth attended school and was confirmed in the Lutheran church at Gronland. In 1873, at the age of 16 years, he came to America, locating first in Pittsfield, Mass., where he was a servant for one year in the home of Captain Morris Shaff. Then coming west to Eau Claire, Wis., he became connected with the lumber industry, working in the mills in summer and at logging in the winter until 1883. After that he was night watchman for three years at the plant of the Rust-Owen Lumber Co. of Eau Claire. During that period he bought 80 acres of land in Section 3, town of Elk Mound, Dunn County, on to which he moved in 1886. This was all railroad land and in a raw or wild condition. No clearing had been made and there were no buildings. After clearing a space Mr. Frogner built a small frame house as a dwelling for himself and family, and, buying a log house from a neighbor, he moved it to his farm to serve the purposes of a barn. Thus he began his career as a farmer in this town, and thenceforth for years his time was spent in grubbing, clearing and breaking the land, to which he added 40 acres more, in the meanwhile improving, or adding to his buildings until he found himself the possessor of the resent fine set. These include a hay barn of 24 x 52 feet, with a lean-to cow barn on the south side of 15 x 62 feet, and a lean-to horse barn 28 x 52 feet; also a garage, machine shop, granary, a stone milk house, a tobacco stripping shop of 16 x 20 feet, a tobacco drying barn 28 x 52 feet, and a chicken-house 16 x 32 feet. He has also drilled a well 82 feet deep. His buildings are so placed as to leave ample yard room,and a part of the available space has been utilized in laying out lawns and planting trees and shrubbery. For many years he has raised about two acres of tobacco each year, and this has always been a successful crop. The cattle on his farm are grade Durhams, the herd having a pure bred sire. Mr. Frogner carried on the farm personally until 1917, when he had the misfortune to break his ankle, since which the place has been successively managed by his different sons on shares, the son now conducting it being Alfred. Mr. Frogner is a stockholder in the Colfax Cooperative Creamery. Hans A. Frogner was married Oct. 6, 1883, to Bertha Isakson, who was born in Krodshered, Norway, Feb. 4, 1854, and came to this country in 1873, settling first in Minnesota and in 1882 in Dunn County. Mr. and Mrs. Frogner have been the parents of eight children, namely, Ruth, Mary, Olga, Alfred, Henry, Emil, Isak and Eilert, whose respective records are in brief as follows. Ruth, born Dec. 4, 1884, is now Mrs. Fred Brunn of Elk Mound township and has four children, Barnetta, Suella, Eilert and Marget. Mary, born July 17, 1886, died March 16, 1918. Olga, born Aug. 11, 1888, is now Mrs. Arthur Stobb of the town of Elk Mound and her children are Raymond, Marget, Clifford and Edwin. Alfred, born Nov. 4, 1890, and now operating the home farm is as yet unmarried. Henry, born Nov. 6, 1892, is a farmer in the town of Elk Mound and was in the U. S. military service in the war with Germany; he married Mabel Hulm. Emil, born Oct. 7, 1894, who was a farmer in the town of Elk Mound, died March 19, 1925; he married Alma Lee and had two children, Edwin and Elvina. Isak was born Oct. 8, 1896. Eilert, born Sept. 24, 1899, died Oct. 2, 1899. The Frogner family are members of the Lutheran church.