Silas B. Knudson

KNUDSON, BRALAND

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 2/21/2011 at 16:03:23

Silas B. Knudson owns one hundred and sixty acres of fine land in Armstrong Grove township and is concentrating his energies upon the development and improvement of that place. He was born in La Salle county, Illinois, July 10, 1872, and is a son of Henry and Martha (Knudson) Knudson, natives respectively of Illinois and Norway. When about five years old the mother was brought to America by her parents and received her education in this country. In 1881 the family removed to Humboldt county, Iowa, where the father rented land which he operated until 1887. He then purchased a farm and was engaged in its cultivation until he retired from active life, removing in Humboldt, where he lived for a decade, or until his death in September, 1915, when seventy-three years old. The mother survives.

Silas B. Knudson remained under the parental roof until he became of age and received his education in the schools of Illinois and Humboldt county, Iowa. After leaving home he rented land in Webster county, Iowa, for five years but in 1901 came to Emmet county and for ten years thereafter operated rented land here under lease. During this time he carefully saved his money and at length had accumulated sufficient capital to purchase the northwest quarter of section 10, Armstrong Grove township, which has since remained his home. The improvements upon the place compare favorably with those on other farms of the township and everything is kept in excellent condition, thus facilitating the farm work. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of Armstrong, of which he was for a time trustee.

On the 27th of December, 1899, occurred the marriage of Mr. Knudson and Miss Bertha Braland and they had five children; Angeline, Maymie, Lloyd and Arnold, all of whom survive; and one who died in infancy. Mr. Knudson gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is now serving his second term as township trustee. In religious faith he is a Lutheran and his sterling qualities of character have won him the unqualified respect of all who have come in contact with him.

Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.