BIOGRAPHIES:   Arne TILLESON, Elk Mound Township, Dunn Co., WI

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Submitted by:  Laura Abood <lauraabood@yahoo.com>  13 January 2004
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ARNE TILLESON, a retired farmer residing on his farm on Section 28,
town of Elk Mound, is a pioneer of this town in a very full sense of
the word, as he has made his home here for 64 years, a longer time
than any other living pioneer. He was born at Barum, near
Christiania, Norway, Sept. 4, 1850, son of Ludwig and Marie (Arneson)
Tilleson, and with his parents came to this country in 1854. For six
years the family resided in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, where
Ludwig Tilleson operated farms under rental. In June, 1860 a party of
four families set out for Dunn County with ox teams--the families of
Ludwig Tilleson, Lars Anderson, Christian Christopherson and Martin
Howe--bringing with them cows, sheep and other young stock. They
arrived here in the same month and Ludwig Tilleson took 160 acres of
raw land in Section 21, town of Elk Mound and began operations by
putting up some log buildings. That first summer he broke six acres
of land, which was a good performance for the first year's work. The
development of the farm occupied him for many years, and a full half
century, very nearly, from the time he had settled on it he died
there, on Feb. 15, 1910. His wife had died not very long before, on
June 12, 1908. They were 83 and 89 years old respectively, he having
been born May 19, 1826, and she on Oct. 8, 1818. They were the
parents of seven children: Anne, born June 15, 1846, who died in
infancy; Anne E., born Oct. 4, 1848, who married Tille Nelson and
died Oct. 20, 1879, leaving five children now living, namely,
Hendrick, Ludwig, Rudolph, Petronelle and Martha; Arne, subject of
this sketch; Tilla, born Feb. 5, 1853, who died in 1854; Tille, born
May 10, 1856, who died in the fall of 1860; Petronelle, born Dec. 9,
1858, who is now Mrs. John Hanson of Elk Mound, and Emma, born Jan.
10, 1862, who died May 26, 1865. Arne Tilleson was in his tenth year
when he accompanied his parents to Dunn County, and doubtless the
leisurely journey from Fond du Lac County, made in wagons drawn by
oxen in the beautiful month of June was an enjoyable experience to
him. He had attended school in Fond du Lac County and continued to do
so for some time in the town of Elk Mound, Dunn County. But his whole
time was not spent in study for even as a young boy he drove a
breaking team on the farm and in other ways assisted his parents,
becoming used to hard work and self denial, and also acquired a good
practical knowledge of agriculture. In 1870 he took the first step
toward utilizing this knowledge on his own account, buying 80 acres
of land lying in Sections 21 and 28, the development of which he
commenced while still residing at home with his parents. Later he
bought a homestead of 40 acres adjoining. The first building was a
small barn, after which he put up a frame house, and in 1875 he moved
on to the land with his family, for he had married on Dec. 31, 1870,
to Mrs. Bertha Tilleson, widow of Ludwig G. Tilleson, and whose
maiden name was Bertha Anderson. It is unnecessary to describe in
detail the various steps which Mr. Tilleson took in the development
of his farm, but a few words in regard to its present condition will
show what he has accomplished. He has a good barn of 28 x 80 feet,
with full basement and with patent equipment; also a fine set of
other out-buildings, and he uses a milking machine operated by a gas
engine. He also bought additional land until he owned 240 acres,
aside from other tracts which he bought and sold. After operating
that farm until 1914, he rented it to his son Carl M., and in the
following year he moved the house that his father had built over to
his farm and remodeled it, and he and his wife now occupy it, the
other farm house being occupied by his son and family. During his
active career Mr. Tilleson was one of the stirring citizens in the
town of Elk Mound, and though now 75 years old is still active
physically and may be seen out in the fields almost every day helping
his son. He is stockholder in the Elk Mound Cooperative Creamery,
and formerly rendered good service as a member of the town board and
as clerk of his school district. He is an active and helpful member
of the Barum Norwegian Lutheran Church, in the town of Elk Mound, to
which the members of his family also belong, and in which he holds
the important office of deacon. Mr. and Mrs. Arne Tilleson have been
the parents of ten children, Ludwig, Nels, Martha, Emma, Alfred,
Matilda L., Alba B., Ella A, Carl M. and Mabel A. Ludwig, born June
7, 1872, married Bertha Walstad and has three children, Ernest,
Lawrence and Julia. Nels, a farmer in the town of Red Cedar, married
Edith Owens and has one child, Jay. Martha, born Oct. 5, 1875, first
married Herman Anderson, by whom she had three children, Alfred,
Barnhart and Hazel. After Mr. Anderson's death, she married Harry
Olson of the town of Colfax. Emma, born Feb. 3, 1878, died Feb. 17,
1895. Alfred, born March 6, 1880, died June 6, 1891. Matilda L., born
Feb. 15, 1882, died October 2, that year. Alba A., born Sept. 20,
1885, is Mrs. Herman Hanson of Elk Mound and they have one child,
Lucille. Carl M., born March 7, 1889, now conducting the home farm,
married Hilda Braaten, and has five children, Borghild, James, Norma,
Kenneth and Ervin. Mabel A., born May 18, 1890, is Mrs. Hans Solberg
of Elk Mound and her children are Arnold, Blanche, Ruby, Gordon,
Victor and Betty. By her first husband Ludwig G. Tilleson, Mrs
Tilleson had a daughter, Karen, who is now deceased.

-Transcribed from the "History of Dunn County Wisconsin, 1925," pages 476-477

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