John M. Lidman

LIDMAN, JOHNSON, STRAND, PETERSON

Posted By: Clay County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 11/21/2010 at 14:08:36

To be seven times successively elected to the same public office indicates that a man must possess more than ordinary capacity for administration and that his discharge of his official duties has been characterized by faithfulness and fidelity that have commended him to the favor of his fellowmen.

John M. Lidman has served as sheriff of Clay county since 1912 and it is the consensus of public opinion that the county never had a more capable or efficient sheriff than he. A native of Sweden, he was born on the 27th of May, 1869, and is a son of Magnus and Carolina (Johnson) Lidman, who also were natives of Sweden, where they spent their lives.

John M. Lidman is the eldest of their four children, three of whom are living. He was reared and educated in his native land, remaining at home until twenty years of age, and in 1891 he came to the United States, at once locating in Spencer, Iowa. For four years he was employed on a farm in Lincoln township. He was then married and soon afterwards went to work for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, with which company he remained two years. He was then appointed janitor of the high school building, which position he held for eight years, and during that period gave serious attention to securing an English education. Then for about a year he was employed in a bridge timber yard, after which for about one nd a half years he was employed in the freight offices of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. In 1909, he was appointed deputy sheriff of Clay county, serving for four years, when he was elected sheriff. So eminently satisfactory was his administration of the office in his first term that he was re-elected and has been chosen continuously since, being the present incumbent.

In 1894 Mr. Lidman was united in marriage to Miss Ila A. Johnson, who also was born in Sweden, a daughter of John and Gustana Anderson, and they ow have six children: Anna, who is a graduate of the Spencer high school, is the wife of John Strand; Hilda, also a graduate of the high school, is the wife of James H. Peterson; Edna L., Adelia and Aurces T., who have graduated from the high school, and John H., Jr., who is now in high school, are all at home.

Mr. Lidman has wisely invested his surplus means in real estate, owning a fine residence in Spencer, eighty acre of good farm land in Lone Tree township and one hundred and sixty acres of land, including a lake frontage of a half mile, in Minnesota. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran church, to which they give liberal support. Mr. Lidman has proven a substantial citizen in every respect, giving his support to every measure calculated to advance the best interests of the community, and discharging his official duties in a manner to win the commendation of the best people of the county. His record may well serve as an example of faithful citizenship and if followed by others would soon settle many crime conditions.

Contributed by: Debbie Clough Gerischer. Source: Iowa, Its History and Tradition, Volume III, 1804 - 1926.