Richland County North Dakota Biographies

North Dakota History and People
S. J. Clarke Publishing Company Chicago, Ill. 1917

L. N. ABBOTT, the efficient manager of the real estate business of Crandall, Flynn & Tuttle, of Fairmount, is a man of marked public spirit and takes a great interest in everything tending to promote the community welfare. He was born in West Cambridge, New York, June 11, 1873, a son of E. B. and Elizabeth D. (Dennis) Abbott, natives respectively of Saratoga county, New York, and of Washington county, that state. The father, who was born in 1843, is still living but has retired, making his home in New York. The mother, whose birth occurred in 1830, died in 1900. They were married in the Empire state and continued to live there until 1879, when they removed to Michigan. The father met with gratifying success as a stockman and farmer. In politics, he is a republican and has held a number of town offices, and he belongs to the Presbyterian church, as did his wife. To them were born four children, of whom two are living, the brother of our subject being Clarence, who is engaged in the automobile business in Breedsville, Michigan.

L. N. Abbott received his education in the public schools of Breedsville, Michigan, and on beginning his independent career went to Kalamazoo, where he became connected with the Michigan State Hospital. He remained there for six years and rose from an attendant to assistant supervisor. He. has resided in North Dakota since 1901 and in the intervening fifteen years has gained a reputation in Fairmount and Richland county as an excellent business man. Not long after his arrival in Fairmount he became connected with the real estate business conducted by Charles A. Tuttle and now is manager of the Crandall, Flynn & Tuttle Land Company, which buys and sells land in North and South Dakota. He is an excellent judge of land values and as he keeps in close touch with the real estate market his operations in that field have been very profitable.

In 1902 occurred the marriage of Mr. Abbott and Miss Pearl K. Tuttle, a daughter of Albert H. Tuttle, a prominent attorney of Hartford, Michigan. To this union have been born three children; Maxine, eight years of age; and Dale and Donald, twins, five years old.  Mr. Abbott is a stanch republican and is active in party work, he is at present serving as mayor and has made an excellent record in that capacity, conducting municipal affairs in a business-like manner, he is also of the school board, he was identified with the National Guard for several years and during the Spanish-American war, was a member of the Thirty-second Michigan Infantry, his military experience covering in all six years. During the war he was in Shatter’s brigade, but saw no active service. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, in the state organization of which he is now grand outer guard, and to the Masonic blue lodge, in which he is junior warden. He is always willing to give of his time, energy and thought to the development of Fairmount and has done a great deal to promote the community advancement not only as an individual but also as a member of the commercial Club.

AUGUST BERGMAN, of Wahpeton, who has made such an excellent record as clerk of the courts that he has been three times re-elected to that office, in which he is now serving, was born on the 31st of December, 1874. His parents, Herman and Anna (Hoeffken) Bergman, were both natives of Germany, the former born in 1831 and the latter in 1830. The paternal grandfather died when his son Herman was but a small boy, but the maternal grandfather, Gerhard Hoeffken, also a native of Germany, came to the United States and located at Norwood, Minnesota, where he engaged in farming. The parents of our subject were married in Germany and in the same month emigrated to the United States, making their way to Norwood, Minnesota, where they lived until called to their final rest. The father homesteaded land, which he farmed for many years, but eventually, having accumulated a competence, he retired. In early manhood he voted the republican ticket, but later became a democrat. His religious faith was that of the Evangelical church. When he came to this country he had no capital, but his energy and sound judgment enabled him to win success, he passed away in 1911 and was survived by his wife for but a year. They were the parents of eight children: Herman, who conducts a lumberyard in Kulm, North Dakota; Gerhard, a grain buyer at Hankinson, North Dakota; Henry, who is a flour, feed and grain buyer at Norwood. Minnesota; Fred, who is foreman in a linseed oil mill of Minneapolis; William, a truck farmer living near Minneapolis; Jacob, of Glencoe, Minnesota, who is now serving as county treasurer: Lizzie, the wife of Peter Plankers, who is foreman in the Ornamental Iron Works at Minneapolis; and August.

The last named was reared at home and attended the public schools of Norwood and Glencoe. Minnesnota. During the summer months he worked upon the home farm and after leaving school continued to follow agricultural pursuits until he was sixteen years of age, when he removed to Stiles, North Dakota, and found employment as clerk in a store, he remained connected with mercantile pursuits for many years, but in 1910 was elected clerk of the courts, in which office he is still serving by re-election. He is systematic and accurate in his work and his record is one of which he has just cause to be proud.

On the 22d of November, 1894, Mr. Bergman was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jerszek. a native of Winona, Minnesota, by whom he has two children, William Edward and Lillian Anna, both of whom are teaching.

Mr. Bergman holds membership in the Catholic church and in the Woodmen of the World and in Fergus Falls Lodge, No. 1093, B. O. P. E.  of Fergus Falls, he is an adherent of the democratic party and since becoming of age has taken an active part in politics. He is widely known and highly respected throughout the county.

A. F. BONZER, of the firm of Bonzer & Mathews of Lidgerwood, is not only a factor in the business development of his town and county but is also very active in politics and in public affairs generally. He was born in Clayton county, Iowa, November 20, 1862, of the marriage of Joseph and Catherine (Blaha) Bonzer, both natives of Bohemia. The father was born in 1813 and although Bohemian by birth spent thirteen years in Vienna, where he received an excellent education. He was able to speak and write German, Bohemian and English and was well informed on all subjects of general interest. In his youth he came to the United States with his parents, both of whom died in this country. Following his marriage he located in Clayton county, Iowa, where he purchased land from the government, which he cultivated until 1883. In that year he became a resident of Brown county, South Dakota, and at once took up a homestead, upon which he resided for twelve years. He then again removed westward, making his way to Oregon, where he remained for a year, after which he located in Idaho. Still later he came to North Dakota and passed away in this state in 1903. He was a democrat in politics, and his religious faith was that of the Catholic church. He was successful financially and also gained the warm regard and the sincere respect of all who came in contact with him, for his life measured up to high standards. To him and his wife were born six children, five of whom are still living, namely: Mrs. Lizzie Johnson, a resident of Cresco, Iowa; John, a retired farmer residing in Heela, South Dakota; Henry, who is engaged in the hardware business in Hettinger, North Dakota; A. F.; and 0. W., who is manager of a hardware store in Lidgerwood.

A. F. Bonzer received his education in the common schools of Iowa and during his boyhood and youth devoted much time to assisting his father with the farm work. He engaged in farming independently in Iowa and South Dakota but in 1893 he removed to Lidgerwood, North Dakota, and established a meat market. For ten years following this he also bought and shipped cattle, becoming one of the large stock dealers of the county, but at the end of that time he sold out and erected a large brick building, in which he engaged in the mercantile business, conducting a general store successfully for five years. On disposing of that business he entered the real-estate field but for six years divided his attention between a number of business interests. Since 1908, however, he has devoted practically his entire time to the land and loan business as a member of the firm of Bonzer & Mathews. They buy and sell land outright, operating chiefly in the southern part of North Dakota, and they have gained a gratifying measure of success. Mr. Bonzer owns a great deal of valuable farm and city property and is also a director in the Farmers National Bank of Lidgerwood and the Farmers State Bank of Mantador, this state.

Mr. Bonzer was married in 1887 to Miss Hannah Dinger, who was born in Indiana and is a daughter of Polycarp Dinger, who removed his family to South Dakota in 1882. For a number of years he was actively engaged in farming but is now living in Lidgerwood. Mr.  and Mrs. Bonzer have five children : Cora, the wife of Walter Truax, cashier of the Genesee State Bank of Genesee, this state; Clarence, who is assisting his father; Mamie, the wife of Adolph Kotchan, cashier of the State Bank of Kermit, North Dakota; Arthur, residing in Genesee; and Archie, who is attending St. John’s school at Collegeville, Minnesota.  The parents attend the Baptist church, but the children are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Bonzer is well known fraternally, belonging to Lodge No. 1093, B. P.  O. E., at Fergus Falls; the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has passed through all of the chairs; and to the Masons. In politics he is a stalwart democrat and is recognized as one of the leaders of his party in southeastern North Dakota. He has been called to a number of positions of trust and honor and has at all times discharged his official duties with ability and conscientiousness. For seventeen years he served on the school board and for eighteen years he has been a member of the city council, of which he is now president, and for six years, beginning with 1901, he was county commissioner. Still higher honor came to him when in 1912 he was elected to the state senate, defeating a strong republican candidate, although the republican majority is normally three or four hundred. His has been a life of intense activity, and his achievements are the more commendable in that he has depended solely upon his own resources since boyhood.

FREDERICK A. BURTON, of Wahpeton, who is serving in his fourth continuous term as county auditor, was born in Cranston, Rhode Island, on the 1st of June, 1851. His parents, William and Marcella (Nicholas) Burton, were likewise natives of that state, where they were reared and married. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, removed westward in 1854 and settled on a farm in Allamakee county, Iowa. He resided there for a number of years and passed away at Waukon, that state. He was a republican in politics and took a keen interest in public affairs. To him and his wife were born four children, two of whom are living. The brother of our subject, Lewis Burton, resides at McNeal, Arizona. He homesteaded land there a few years ago and is now engaged in farming and in merchandising. The paternal Grandfather, George Burton, was also born in Rhode Island and the great-grandfather served in the Revolutionary war and eventually died from the effects of the hardships which he endured while at the front. The Burton family was established in America long before that conflict by two brothers, who emigrated to the new world from Wales. The maternal grandfather, William Nicholas, was likewise a native of Rhode Island.

Frederick A. Burton was but three years of age when taken by his parents to Allamakee county, Iowa, and there he grew to manhood. After attending the common schools he entered the Waukon high school and upon finishing his education he engaged in teaching for three years. He then became a grain buyer in Iowa, continuing in that occupation there until his removal to Preston, Minnesota. In 1888 he became a resident of Wild Rice, Cass county. North Dakota, where he engaged in the grain business for a number of years, but at length removed to Abercrombie in 1895. In 1901 he was appointed deputy county auditor of Richland county and removed to Wahpeton, the county seat, where he served in that capacity for six years. In 1908 he was elected auditor. He has since been re-elected three times and is still serving in that office. He is systematic and accurate in carrying on his work and is recognized as one of the best officials that the county has had.

On the 27th of August, 1884 Mr. Burton was married to Miss Ida Bigelow, a native of Ohio, who removed to Iowa with her mother but subsequently went to Preston, Minnesota.  Six children have been born of this union, of whom five are living, namely: Edwin W., a resident of Wahpeton; Victor E., who works for the Ottertail Power Company; Blanche E., a trained nurse living in Fargo; and Cora E. and Gertrude M. M., both at home.  Mr. Burton is a republican in politics and in addition to the offices which he has held in Richland county he served as alderman at Preston, Minnesota. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic Blue lodge and with the Modern Woodmen. He is highly esteemed not only because of his ability but also because of his integrity and his agreeable personal qualities.

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