BIOGRAPHIES:  Sigvald A. QVALE, Eau Claire,  Eau Claire County, WI

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**Posted for informational purposes only -- Poster is not related to the
subject of this biography and has no further information.

SIGVALD A. QVALE (deceased) was born July 18, 1852, in Haugesund, Norway, 
and died May 17, 1890, of consumption, in Eau Claire.  Gauth E. Qvale, his 
grandfather, was a descendant of the famous Erick Brockman, of Germany, who 
was captain in command of one of the war vessels in 1814.  He owned many 
ships in later life and considerable real estate.  He had four sons and one 
daughter, of whom Asbjorn J., a merchant, came to Iowa in 1870, moved to 
Minnesota in 1872, and in 1881 to Eau Claire, Wis., where he died.  His wife, 
Regina Tonneson, is yet living.  The children born to Gauth E. Qvale were 
Carl (born of a former marriage), Mrs. Anna Anderson, Sigvald A., George A., 
Mrs. Bergithe Swan, Mrs. Regina Stavrum and Victor.  Of these Sigvald A. was 
educated  at the high school at Haugesund, Norway.  He came to Rochester, 
inn., in 1868, with his brother Carl, and was employed as a clerk there one 
year.  He worked in a Minneapolis dry goods house a short time, and was then 
employed in the land office of the Omaha railroad company at Hudson, where he 
acquired an insight into the working and manipulations of real estate, 
especially in regard to the vast forests on railroad lands, which eventually 
laid the foundation to his fortune, and assisted in the accumulation of 
nearly 300,000 acres of land.  He rendered valuable services to the railroad 
company by his wonderful memory, which enabled him to recall at a moment's 
notice any piece of property he had ever seen or heard spoken of in the vast 
domain.  This remarkable knowledge also extended to people whom he had seen 
only once.  This fact alone caused him to be known far and wide, and made 
him a host of friends.  He was a phenomenon in this respect.  For many years 
in his extensive dealings with his fellow men he hardly kept a memorandum, 
much less a set of books.  When a boy he gave no indications of this remarkable 
gift, being rather slow to learn, yet in later life he was called the Norwegian 
lexicon.  He was generous and open hearted, and of a sunny, cheerful disposition.  
In January 1889, he married Mrs. Anna Selmer, daughter of Niels Nielson.  She 
was the mother of three children:  Elise, Augusta and Jacob Selmer.  One child 
was born to Mr. and Mrs. Qvale, Sigvald A. Jr.

Mr. Qvale took up his residence at Eau Claire, having previously engaged in 
real estate business at Minneapolis for nearly two years.  After coming here 
he gave his attention chiefly to the care and increase of his holdings, with 
the purpose of founding a large hospital at some point in Wisconsin.  With 
this end in view he deeded his entire estate, before his death, to three trusted 
friends -- George A. Qvale, Alfred Cypreansen and Lewis Larson, who are taking 
measures to carry out this noble design.  The following tribute to the character 
of Mr. Qvale is from the pen of a Madison acquaintance, published in the Madison 
"Democrat":  "A noteworthy trait in his character was that he never spoke ill of 
any one.  I never once heard an unfavorable criticism from him on any person.  
He had his opinions, which he would advance in the greatest good nature.  He was, 
however, not an impressive conversationalist.  It was his honesty, his good nature, 
his candor, that attracted.  His philanthropy was not the result of eccentricity, 
but of an innate nobleness of soul.  He lived wholly for others, yet so quietly 
and unobtrusively that he attracted little attention.  When I once hinted that, 
should he be willing to accept some preferment, he had friends who would be more 
than glad to do what they could for him, he declined in such a manner that such 
a suggestion was not likely to be renewed."

George A. Qvale, a brother of S. A. Qvale, was born November 30, 1856.  He came 
to America in 1870, and has since that time farmed near New Ulm, Minn., with the 
exception of the years from 1882 to 1884, when he was with his brother.  Since 
his brother's death he has been employed in the office of the Ideal Land & Loan 
Company, which was organized by his brother to facilitate settling up his vast 
estate.  He was married January 10, 1880, to Miss Sigred Iverson, of Decorah, Iowa.  
She died in February, 1889.  Three children blessed this union, namely:  Lulu, 
Sigvald and Hilda Qvale.

--Transcribed from "Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley
Wisconsin" Including A General Historical Sketch of the Chippewa Valley;
Ancestral Records of Leading Families; Biographies of Representative 
Citizens, Past and Present; and Portraits of Prominent Men.  Edited by
George Forrester.  Chicago, Illinois: A. Warner, Publisher.  1891-92
Page 428-431