Bio: Laveen, Nels H. (1864)

Contact: Stan (Tue, 13 Feb 2001)

Surnames: Laveen, Pearson

----Source: 1918 History of Clark Co., WI, by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

Nels H. Laveen, 1864

NELS H. LAVEEN, an enterprising and scientific dairy farmer of Mayville Township, proprietor of Westover Dairy Farm in section 16, is one of the leaders in this line of industry in this part of Clark County. He was born in Sweden, April 2, 1864, son of Hakon and Helen (Pearson) Lavetz.  His father, who was a dairy farmer, never came to America, but died in Sweden, in 1914, at the age of 86 years.

His wife died in 1894 at the age of 68. They had eight children, Nels H., however, being the only members of the family to come to this country, which he did at the age of 17 years in 1881. Locating first in Pierce County, Wis., where he worked for others, he came in 1897 to Clark County and bought his present place—a farm of eighty acres. In 1901 he built the residence and other buildings, the house having eight rooms, besides closets and pantries. It is also provided with running water and bath, and it is Mr. Laveen's intention soon to put in a private electric lighting plant.

In 1913 he built a barn, 34 by 70 in size, with ten stalls, the height being twenty-seven feet and which was brick-veneered inside. It has concrete flooring, with automatic water system, arranged for flushing. When he first moved onto the place it was covered with brush, which he cleared off with oxen and it is now one of the best farms in Mayville Township. Mr. Laveen does nothing at hap-hazard or by rule of thumb, but carries on his dairying operations on a strict scientific basis. He has a full-blooded, registered Guernsey bull, which he breeds to full-blooded cows. Of the latter he milks ten and is gradually increasing the number. The feed and milk of each cow is regularly weighed and recorded, the highest record of any of his cows being $168.00 worth of butter fat a year, the average record of his ten cows amounting to $134.00. If any one of his cows produces less than 300 pounds of butter fat a year he disposes of her. He is regarded as the leading dairy farmer in Mayville Township and he took the most active part in inducing the creameries in this vicinity to pay for cream by test instead of by weight. He was also the first man on his road to install a water trough and water heater. His principal crops are clover, hay and oats, he harvesting about forty tons of hay a year.

Mr. Laveen was married Sept. 3, 1899, to Jennie Thompson, who was born in Norway, June 7, 1860, and came to America with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Thompson, a record of whom may be found elsewhere in this volume. He and his wife have two children: Walter, born Mar. 18, 1901; and Elizabeth, born Sept. 8, 1902. In 1911 Mr. Laveen was elected as a member of the board of school district No. 7, and is still serving as such. In 1909 he ran for the office of clerk of the township board but lost by four votes. In 1917 he was elected town clerk and served one year. He is a member of the Evangelical Church of Dorchester.