| Summary: | COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. quarter-sections of land, all of which is tillable, and he has met with unbounded success in general farming. Our subject was married, in 1873, to Miss Alary A. Moore, a native of Canada. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Monilaws, as foll^ows: Albert E., Alice M., Isabella, Fannie, Eva, Alamie and Robert E. Mr. Monilaws is actively interested in the welfare of his community and has served in various local offices, and is tlie president of the school board at present. He has been useful in developing and extending the farming interests of Empire township, and his name is closely linked with the growth of his locality. J'olitically he is a Dem-ocrat, and stands stanchly for the principles of his party. HAL\-ER S. HAL\ORSON, who has been identified with the development of Foster county, North Dakota, for the past twenty years, is a gen-tleman of good business qualifications, and has made a success of farming and mercantile pursuits. He is one of the most extensive implement dealers and also carries hardware and feed, and deals in live stock in McHenry, under the firm name of Halvor-son & Company. Our subject was born on a farm in Trempealeau county, Wisconsin, October 24, 1875. His father was a farmer and came from Norway about 1866 with his family and settled in Wisconsin, where he took land as a homestead. He died in North Da-kota in 1883, where he became an early settler. Halver S., when six years of age, went with his parents to the western part of Traill county, now known as Griggs county, where the father took gov-ernment land near Cooperstown. He built a small claim shanty and a sod barn and began farming with oxen. The father followed farming there two years, when he became sick and died. Mr. Halversonhad a limited amount of schooling and was early put to work, and when large enough began working for others. He spent much of his time in Cooperstown working at general merchandise, machinery and live stock business. Mr. Halvorson is in full charge of his business and was the pioneer implement and live stock dealer of McHenry. He has a good store building, with machine shed, several warehouses and storage building, barn, and so forth, and enjoys remarkable success, and kee])s from four to five men employed a good share of the time. He has exten-sive farming interests, and is interested in the gen-eral welfare of his community. He holds member-shi]) in the Ancient Order of L'nitcd Workmen and Modern Woodmen of /Vnierica. SWAIN THORWALDSON, who enjoys the distinction of being the youngest officer in the court house in Pembina county, is rapidly rising to prom-inence and carries a remarkable influence for one of his years. He is a gentleman of integrity and persistent efforts, and is serving in the capacity of deputy auditor of Pembina county. Our subject was born in Kyelduskogum, Iceland, May 25, 1875, and was a son of Thorwaldur and V'ilborg (Jonsdotter) Stigson. He was the young-est of fifteen children, and his father died while our subject was an infant. In 1881, the mother and eight children, piloted by the eldest son, crossed the water, and in September, located at St. \'mcent, iMinnesota, and soon afterward came to Akra town-ship, and there purchased land, and our subject was reared to farm life. He was deprived of school ad-vantages until his fourteenth year, and he then finished the common schools and clerked in his brother's store at Akra. He entered the Globe Business College at St. Paul, Minnesota, in 189G, and after completing the business course returned as clerk in his brother's store, and in August, 1898, purchased land in Avon township. He was ap-pointed deputy auditor of Pembina county in March, 1899, and took up his residence in the city of Pem-bina, and is now serving in that capacity and is gain-ing popularity as a public official. C)ur subject was married, in 1S9S, to Miss Krist-bjorg Johnson, also a native of Iceland. One son has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Thorwaldson, upon whom they have bestowed the name of Waldimar Stigur. Mr. Thorwaldson is a Republican in po-litical sentiment, and is a man wno keeps pace with the times and lends his influence for good govern-ment and the upbuilding of the community in which he makes liis home, and well merits his high stand-ing. WILLIAM STAPLES, the popular postmaster and merchant of Absaraka, is one of the pioneer .^el-tlers of Cass county, and is widely known as an able business man and worthy citizen. Mr. Staples was born in Stroudsburgh, Alonroe county, Pennsylvania, IMarch 28, 1856, and was a son of Nelson and Sally A. ( Albertson) Staples, both of whom were natives of Monroe county, Pennsyl-vania. His father was a lumberman and operated a saw-mill. He went to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1 85 1, where he operated a saw-mill until 1861, and then returned to Pennsylvania, and the following year went to Wabasha county, Minnesota, and after the close of the war moved to Georgia and from thence to Alabama, where he followed lumbering until 1877. and then went to St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1888 to Cass county, North Dakota. He lo-cated land in Buitalo township and opened a farm on railroad land which they had purchased some \ears before. He also became interested in mer-chantlising in Absaraka, and continued farming in addition imtil his death in 1891. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was held in the highest esteeem by his fellow men. The mother of our subject survives and makes her home in Buffalo township, Cass county. Two sons and six daughters were born to this worthy couple, and the Internet Archive
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