1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 807
Commissioners of St. Louis county. He and his wife, who is yet
Hving, were earnest and consistent communicants of the CathoHc
Church, and for many years he was president of the St. John the
Baptist Society in the city of Duluth.
As a young man Mr. Poirier wedded Miss Margaret Lytle, and
they became the parents of eight children, all of whom are living.
Otto A. Poirier is not only a native son of St. Louis county and a
representative of one of the honored pioneer families of this section
of the state of Minnesota, but he has also gained secure vantage
ground as one of the representative members of the bar of his native
county and is established in successful general practice in the thriving
city of Virginia, where also he is serving as United States commissioner
and where he is known and honored as a loyal, progressive and
public-spirited citizen.
Mr. Poirier was born in the city of Duluth, Minnesota, on the 12th
of December, 1879, and is a son of the late Camille Poirier, to whom
a memorial tribute is dedicated on other pages of this work, so that
further review of the family history is not here demanded. In the
public and parochial schools of his native city Mr. Poirier continued
his studies until his graduation in the high school as a member of the
class of 1898. That year marked the inception of the Spanish-American
war, and he forthwith manifested his youthful patriotism by enlisting
in Company L, Fifteenth Minnesota \'olunteer Infantry, with
which he continued in service one year, the command having not,
however, been called to the stage of active conflict. Soon after receiving
his honorable discharge from the army, Mr. Poirier entered the
law dejjartment of the University of Minnesota, and in this institution
was graduated as a member of the class of 1902. His reception of
the degree of Bachelor of Laws was practically concomitant with his
admission to the bar of his native state, and for the hrst year after
his graduation he was in the law office of Frank \V. Sullivan, a representative
member of the bar of the city of Duluth. He then established
himself in the independent practice of his profession at Virginia,
where the intervening years have been marked by his association
with important cases in the courts of this section of the state
and by his gaining high standing as a vigorous and resourceful trial
lawyer and discriminating counsellor. He served two terms as city
attorney, and for two terms was assistant attorney of St. Louis
county, in each of which positions he added materially to his professional
prestige. He has served since 1904 as United States commissioner
for the district of Minnesota.
During the nation's participation in the World war. Mr. Poirier
was a member of the Loyal Advisory Board of St. Louis county,
which organization gave effective service in connection with registration
of young men for military service, besides which he provided
legal aid in connection with local war activities. He was also chairman
of the War Savings Stamp committee for the northern half of
St. Louis county. The political allegiance of Mr. F^oirier is given to
the Republican party, and he is an active member of the local Kiwanis
Club and the Virginia Curling Club.
On the 20th of April. 1910. was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
Poirier to Miss Leslie Mitchell, daughter of William R. Mitchell, of
St. Cloud. Minnesota, her father having achieved distinction as one
of the representative news])aper editors and ])ublishcrs of this state
and having also been the .luthor of a two-volume history of Stearns