John I. Kinden

KINDEN, BUTLER, ERICKSON, BERGESON

Posted By: Peter Gausmann (email)
Date: 2/1/2010 at 04:58:46

JOHN I. KINDEN

John I. Kinden, who is living on section 10, Norway township, Winnebago county, is cultivating about two hundred acres of land which he and his wife own. His farm interests are carefully managed and intelligently directed, and that he is leading a life of energy and thrift is indicated in the excellent appearance of his place. He was born in Norway, May 21, 1860, a son of Ingebrit and Nickolai Kinden, who were farming people and had a family of seven children, of whom John is the youngest. The parents never came to the United States and only two of the children crossed the Atlantic, these being John and his sister Syneve, now the wife of John Forde, of Worth county, Iowa. The death of the mother occurred on the 21st of April, 1881, while the father passed away on the 2d of July, 1885.

John I. Kinden was at that time a young man of about twenty-five years. His boyhood and youth had been spent in his native country and its public school system had afforded him his educational opportunities. Following his father's death he came alone to the United States, and the fact that there were many of the sons of Norway living in Winnebago county, Iowa, attracted him to this section of the state. For a time he taught a Norwegian school at Norman but afterward turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits and upon his farm established his family. He now owns the west half of the northwest quarter of section 14, Norway township, while his wife owns one hundred and twenty acres of the southeast quarter of section 10. He carefully tills his fields in the production of those crops best adapted to soil and climate, and the result of his labors is seen in the excellent harvests which he annually gathers.

In 1892 Mr. Kinden was united in marriage to Mrs. Emma Butler, the widow of John Butler, who was one of the early settlers of Norway township but passed away August 27, 1887, and was laid to rest in Lime Creek cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Butler had four children, namely: Bernard, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Worth county; Albert, who follows farming in Center township, Winnebago county; Sarah, the wife of Martin Erickson, of Brown county, Minnesota; and Marie, who gave her hand in marriage to Edward Bergeson, of Freeborn county, Minnesota. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Kinden have been born five children, as follows: Nickolai, Ingebrigt, Selma, Anna and Sarah, all at home. They are also rearing Mrs. Kinden's grandson, Alfred, who is a son of Albert J. and Anna (Peterson) Butler, his mother having died March 24, 1911.

In his political views Mr. Kinden is a republican, but the honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him. He belongs to the Synod Lutheran church and has long guided his life by its teachings. He came to America imbued with the hope of finding better opportunities than he believed he could secure in his native land, and having elected to cast in his fortunes with the American people, he has ever been loyal to the interests of the country.

Source: History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II. Pioneer Publishing Company (Chicago), 1917. pp. 526-527.