The Harris Centennial
Harris --The past 100 Years
"M" Biographies
McFarland, McNab, McNeil
Lee & Daisy McFarland Family
E.L. (Lee) McFarland, son of Mr. and
Mrs. E.E. McFarland, an early Harris auctioneer, and
Daisy Logan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Logan, Allison
Township farmers, were married September 8, 1908.
One daughter, Muriel Kathryn, was born to Lee and Daisy
in 1909. Muriel graduated from Harris Consolidated School
and in 1932, from the University of South Dakota. She
taught school in Harris, and then moved to Minneapolis,
where she lived for 40 years. Muriel’s first
husband, Harold Borraem, died in 1960, and in 1966, she
married Rev. Charles H. Bergsland.
Lee was manager of J.F. Anderson Lumber Company for many
years, beginning in the 1920’s, until mid 1940. He
also managed the Anderson Lumber Company in Fairmont,
Minnesota, during World War II.
Lee and Daisy built their home located at 117 Lawton
Avenue in 1930, and sold it to Bob and Beulah Senn in
1969.
Lee worked as bookkeeper for Granstad Lumber for four
years and Senn’s Co-op Station for several years.
During the early 1950’s for a short time, Lee and
Daisy operated a grocery store on Main Street.
Daisy was a faithful Keeping Up Club member from 1922,
until her health failed. It was her diligent keeping of
club programs which enabled the club to write an accurate
history.
Both Lee and Daisy were faithful members of the
HarrisUnited Methodist Church.
Lee passed away in 1965, Daisy in 1974, at Country View
Manor in Sibley, and Muriel Bergsland in January of 1989,
in Sequem, Washington.
James A. McNab Family
James A. (Jim) McNab was born in
Bloomington, Illinois, the son of Alexander Blaine McNab
and Maria Worrick McNab, sister of long time Harris
resident, Charlie Worrick. James McNab married Gertrude
Weiss of Blairsburg, Iowa, in 1894. In 1910, they moved
from Blairsburg to a farm west of Harris, with their
family, Margaret (Mrs. Cloid Kness), Archibald (Arch),
Belle (Mrs. Sam King), and James (Jim), Donald, Agnes,
(Mrs. Sig Grinde) and Lawrence. Arnold was born in Harris
in 1911. All are now deceased.
After a few years, the McNabs moved from their farm into
Harris, where their children attended the Harris
Consolidated School. James A. McNab served on the school
board at the time of the school consolidation.
The living descendents of Margaret McNab Kness are
Deloris Kness Anderson, a life-long resident of Harris;
her brother, Dale, of Spirit Lake; Margaret Kness
Wedeking of Spirit Lake; Harold (Bill) Kness of Apache
Junction, Arizona; and James Kness of Zion, Illinois.
Idelle Kness Clawson and Lyle Kness are deceased.
Leroy McNab, son of Arch McNab and Agnes Winter McNab,
lives in Sioux City. Luella Hass MacNab, daughter of
long-time Harris residents, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Hass, is a
widow of Malcolm McNab, the elder son of Arch. Douglas
Grinde, the only son of Agnes McNab Grinde, lives in
Burlington, Iowa, and his father, Sig, lives in
Estherville. Belle McNab King’s husband, Sam King,
and his son, Robert, live in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and
his son, Richard, lives in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
Lois McNab Sharp, only daughter of James and Elvira
McNab, lives in Audubon, Minnesota. Before marrying James
McNab, Elvira Knudsen McNab taught in the Harris school.
Kathleen McNab Ogle, only daughter of Arnold and Fern
Summers McNab, lives in Fresno, California, and Lawrence
McNab’s two children, Bonnie and Vernon, live near
their mother, Mrs. Lucille Reppert McNab, in Pamona,
California.
McNeil Family
William Etteburn McNeil was born in
Pennsylvania, June 22, 1862, and came to Toledo, Iowa,
where he grew to manhood. He attended college, taught
school and on March 16, 1892, married Margaret Rebecca
Bradley. Margaret was born at Stratford, Ontario, Canada,
and came to Cherokee County at nine years of age. She was
one of thirteen children, five of whom died in infancy.
In 1909, they moved to Hartley, Iowa, and after living
there for twelve years, came to the Harris area, farmed
and later moved into Harris. William passed away April
23, 1927. Margaret and William are buried at Cherokee.
Margaret and William are lifetime members of the
Methodist Church.
Five children were born to this union; Vinnie, Lloyd,
Luverne, Mabel (Mrs. Wilfred Woelfle), Isabell.
Mabel Woelfle of Spirit Lake is the only living
descendant of the William McNeils.