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

920 DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY
industry, and in his steady progress toward the goal of independence and
the pubHc spirit which has animated all his relations with the community.
Mr. Sovde was born in Norway January 14, 1869, son of a Norway
farmer, Christopher Sovde. Ole C. grew up on his father's farm and his
early advantages were limited to the country schools. He was twenty-two
years of age when he came to America with a brother, and he never returned
to his native land.
The business at Tower of which he is now proprietor was established
many years ago by J. C. and C. C. Sovde, later a cousin, J. M. Sovde,
being associated wath the firm. Ole C. Sovde and Andrew Talle bought
the business, and in 1904 Mr. Sovde became sole proprietor. In 1918 he
bought the building in which his large and well selected stock is now
housed, and the improvements he has made from time to time in facilities
and service give him an immense patronage in this section of the Range
country.
Mr. Sovde is a former alderman of Tower. He is an enthusiastic
Republican and for years was one of the staunch admirers of Theodore
Roosevelt. He is affiliated with the Masonic Order, the Woodmen of the
World and is a member of the Episcopal Church. In 1898 he married
Lottie Enquist, a native of Sweden. They have seven children. Ester,
Waldemar, who was anxiously awaiting the call to service when the
armistice was signed ; Elsie, Adelaide, Gertrude, Emily and Kermit R.
Peter Schaefer is a veteran editor and publisher in the Iron Range
country, having established more than a quarter of a century ago the
Ely Miner, of which he is still editor and proprietor.
Mr. Schaefer was born in Germany June 27, 1867, son of Nicholas and
Mary (Schaf ) Schaefer. His father was a German soldier in the Franco-
Prussian war in 1870-71. Military duty was extremely distasteful to
him, and after that war he left Germany with his family and from New-
York came west, first to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and then to Medford.
While in the German military he had something to do with supplying
shoes for the army, and that experience led him to engage in the shoe
business at Medford, where he was a merchant for many years. He died
in 1913, at the age of seventy-three, and his wife died in 1890, at the age
of forty-six.
Peter Schaefer was one of four children and he was reared and educated
at Medford. When only twelve years of age he went to work as a
"devil" in the offices of the Taylor County Star and Neius, and while
there acquired a practical training as a printer and newspaper man. He
first came to the Iron Range in 1888 and was employed on the Vermillion
Iron Journal at Tower for Dr. Barrett, and in 1890 came to Ely to take
^ charge of Dr. Barrett's publication interests there. He returned to the
Journal at Tower in 1891, and in 1895 established the Ely Miner, one of
the oldest and most influential journals in the Range district.
Mr. Schaefer in 1890 married Lillian M. Childers, of Soudan. They
are the parents of three sons and one daughter. The oldest of the sons is
Leroy Paul, who now has charge of the Manual Training Department at
Glenwood, and during the World war was in the Ambulance Service
Medical Corps. Alvin C, the second son, was trained at Camp Cody,
New Mexico, with the 125th Field Artillery. The youngest son is
Stuart P.
During all the years of his residence Mr. Schaefer has shown a very
active interest in everything affecting the welfare of Ely and the surrounding
district. He was city clerk, for nine years was postmaster under
Roosevelt and Taft, and is now president of the Ely Commercial Club.