Otto Olson

Otto Olson was born on a homestead southeast of Crookston in Onstad township near the town of Melvin to Johan and Regine Olson. He came to Helgeland Township at two years of age. and attended school to about the fifth grade. School was only two or three months of the year. He and his brother had to do the farm work at home while their father worked out. The boys would take turns plowing. One held the plow in the ground while the other led the horse. Otto was interested in mechanical things and read manuals on the steam engine. It is thought he owned the first car in the community. For a while he worked in the lumber mills near Bagley, Minnesota. He served in World War I and was awarded the Victory Medal. After the war, Otto worked in the mines at Bovy, Minnesota where he was hit by a big iron scoop and left for dead. His sister found him and brought him to a hospital where he lay in a coma for months. He suffered a blind eye, a deaf ear and had a silver plate installed in his skull; but his glass eye and the skull plate were never obvious to anyone, nor did he permit them to bother him. Otto married Pearl Drake of Bagley, Minnesota in 1925. They lived in Helgeland township. Otto was a good well driller and traveled miles in this profession. Many farms today are still using "Otto's Well". He also was a salesman for Singer Sewing Machines and Story and Clark pianos. Two children were born to his marriage, Doris (now married and living in California) and Ernest (married and teaching in Ukiah, California). Otto and Pearl were divorced about 1931. In 1937 Otto married Claire Nelson in Crookston. She is the daughter of Francis and Celeste Nelson. Claire was born in 1902 near Kinbrae, Minnesota and attended rural school district

1. 279 in Helgeland township, graduated from the Northwest School of Agriculture in 1929 and from Hughes Business College in Crookston in 1928. During the depression times she worked at an overall factory in Illinois. Most of their married life, Otto and Claire lived on their farm in Helgeland township. They had three children ; Edna (a graduate of St. Olaf College and teacher of private piano and voice - married to Howard Laymon of Radium - three children - living in Bloomington, Minnesota. Frank (married to Marlyne Kleven of Alvarado - three children), John is Lutheran pastor in Fredonia, North Dakota, married Alvina Pederson - two children. Otto died in 1958. Claire died in 1972. They are buried at Melo Lutheran Church cemetery

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