"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



Albert L. Thompson, a well-known and prosperous farmer of Amo township, Cottonwood county, proprietor, in partnership with his brother, Theodore Thompson, of a fine farm of two hundred and eighty acres situated on rural route 2, out of Windom, is a native of Wisconsin, born in Marquette county, that state, December 17, 1873, son of Ole and Martha Thompson, both natives of the kingdom of Norway, whose last days were spent in Faribault county, Minnesota.

Ole Thompson was reared in his native land and became a soldier in the Norwegian army. It was during his period of service that the differences between the two branches of the dual government of Norway and Sweden, which years afterward resulted in an amicable separation of the two states, reached such an acute stage that the armies of the twin states were placed on a war footing with a view to resorting to the final arbitrament of arms, but, happily, these differences were adjusted without war and Mr. Thompson thus saw no active service. When he was twenty-six years of age he came to the United States and settled in Wisconsin, where he presently married a Norwegian girl who had come to this country with her parents when she was four years of age and had grown to womanhood in Wisconsin. After his marriage Ole Thompson settled on a farm in Marquette county, Wisconsin, where he lived until 1884, in which year he and his family came to Minnesota and settled in Faribault county, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, Henry, Theodore, Albert L., Randolph, Bennie, Joseph, Rose, Anna, Lizzie and Alvina, who are still living, and Orin and Lizzie, who died in infancy. Ole Thompson and wife were members of the Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith.

Albert L. Thompson was about twelve years old when his parents moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota and his schooling therefore was obtained in the schools of the former state and of Faribault county, this state. He remained on the home farm until his marriage in 1901, when he went to Polk county, where he was engaged in farming for two years, at the end of which time he and his elder brother, Theodore, bought the farm in Amo township, Cottonwood county, where Albert L. Thompson now lives, and the latter remained there for a couple of years, farming the same, after which he returned to Faribault county and was there, at Bricelyn, engaged in the livery business and retail meat trade for two years, at the end of which time he moved to Doland, South Dakota, and in the latter place was engaged in the same form of business for six years in partnership with his brother, Theodore. In 1911 Albert L. Thompson returned to Cottonwood county and resumed his place on the home farm, which he and his brother had continued and still continue to hold, the brother remaining in charge of the business at Doland, and he has ever since made his home on the farm, where he and his family are very pleasantly and comfortably situated. Mr. Thompson is an excellent farmer and in addition to his general farming has given considerable attention to stock raising and is looked upon as one of the substantial and progressive farmers of that neighborhood.

It was in 1901 that Albert L. Thompson was united in marriage to Grace Foster, and to this union three children have been born, Viola, Gerald and Madge. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take a proper interest in the general good works and social activities of the neighborhood in which they live. Mr. Thompson is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and in the affairs of that organization takes a warm interest.