Resident of the Fortnight

Louie Torgerson

The Resident of the Fortnight for this week is Louie Torgerson. Louie was born December 28, 1882 on a farm northeast of Lyle, Minn. His parents were Amond and Hansene Torgerson. Louie had three brothers and two sisters. He attended Gregg school north of Lyle.

On June 14, 1905 he married Emma Nelson in DeSmet, S. D, where he homesteaded and was an apprentice barber.

Louie has three daughters Mrs. Glen (Clara) Nelson in Austin, Mrs. Hamlin (Alice) Ashley, near Lyle, and Mrs. Ben (Hazel) Bondank of Florida. He has three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

In visiting with Louie, I find he loves to do woodworking. He told me the lamp by his bed is one he made himself. He also has bird feeders and bird houses all over the United States.

Louie loves to garden. Two years ago his picture was in the Austin Herald for growing the tallest sunflower in the area, it was 12 feet tall. Louie loves to fish. He went to the Canadian border to fish each spring and fall.

Louie had many jobs of interest. He farmed, was owner and operator of the Austin Beauty and Barber Shop, he had apartments he rented out, and he sold real estate as well.

He attended the Six Mile Grove Lutheran church near Lyle. Louie is a man of many interests and to get to share it is a wealth of history. Above is Louie's picture here at the Good Samaritan Center.