Ole Olsson Reinert, II

Reinert, Ole Page 303-304 Ole Reinert, one of the pioneer residents of this section of Minnesota, was born in Lom Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, on May 7, 1838, a son of Ole R. and Ingre Staurustdgaard, both natives of Norway. Mr. Reinert spent the first fifteen years of .his life at home, after which he was employed in various ways, and while still in Norway, learned the tailor trade. He received only a limited education, the average school term being but three months of the year, and the teacher would go from one farm to another, teaching one day to a week at each place. In 1859 he started for America. A trip across the ocean at that time was an undertaking, nothing but sail- ships being employed. After five weeks and two days, they arrived at Quebec, Canada, and were inspected by a doctor, who found all in a healthy condition. Mr. Reinert then proceeded on his journey, but stopped off at Madison, Dane county, Wisconsin, where he resided for five years. From there he went to California, and, after one year's stay there, purchased a small farm, where he made his home for four years, after which he returned to Wisconsin. In 1869 Mr. Reinert started for Minnesota, going to Goodhue county, where he spent one year. From there he came to Mountain Lake township, Cottonwood county, took a timber claim in 1870 and built a home. Through this section there was nothing but sod shacks and sod cellars, which were the only safe shelter from the terrible prairie fires that frequently swept the country. In 1873 the grasshoppers made their appearance, and during four years in succession, they took clean down to the ground what little crops there were. The next hardships were the blizzards, when people were snowed in for three days at a time, so that they did not see daylight, nor could they get to the barns to feed their stock. The air was so thick with snow and dirt, driven by the strong wind, that a person could not see his hand two feet away. Contrast the meager crops of those days with the bountiful harvests of today. Forty years ago there was nothing but oxen, and a distance of forty miles to mill to get wheat ground into flour was nothing unusual ; and furthermore, there were no roads nor bridges, so a trip of this kind with oxen was indeed no pleasure trip. Today the average farmer drives an automobile, with which he accomplishes much at a minimum loss of time. Mr. Reinert speaks of one of these trips to mill in particular, when four of his neighbors, Thorsten Kjestad, Paul Daingen, Peter Hun- stad and Halvor Byre, went to Winnebago mill. As the roads were almost impassable, it took about a week to make the trip. They were obliged to unload several times and carry the sacks of grain across to where the wagon would carry the load. On their return, when within sight of their homes, they came to a creek which it was impossible to cross on account of high water, so they were obliged to camp out. Mr. Reinert was one of the leaders of the community at that time, and carries the honor of presenting the first road petition in Mountain Lake township. In 1880 Mr. Reinert moved to Odin township, Cotton wood county, where he farmed a quarter section of land for a number of years. Later he sold that and bought an eighty-acre farm, where he resided until 1915, when he moved to the village of Odin. In 1873 Ole Reinert was married to Lena Odden, daughter of Errick Odden and wife, and to this union have been born seven children, William, Torger, Inga, Anna, Charles, Edward and Richard, the last named being deceased. Mr. Reinert has always been a member of the St. Olaf Norwegian Lutheran church. The first church of this denomination in this community was situated on the southeast quarter of section 20, Odin township, and was scarcely completed when a tornado swept it out of existence. Mr. Reinert has always been a booster for his community and a fighter for all kinds of improvements. One element he has always fought is the liquor business. He has held various minor township offices.