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



Thomas Bondhus, a well known and progressive young farmer of Amo township, Cottonwood county, proprietor of a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres, known as "Fairview Farm", south of the village of Storden, treasurer of Amo township, former assessor of that township, secretary of the Storden Grain Company and of the Storden Cooperative Company and otherwise active in the general affairs of that part of the county, is a native of Iowa, born on a farm in Clinton county, that state, February 3, 1880, son of Ole and Olena (Oyre) Bondhus, natives of the kingdom of Norway, who came to the United States in 1868 and located in Clinton county, Iowa, being thus among the pioneers of that section of the state, and remained there until 1883, in which year they moved to Ida county, same state, where they lived until coming to Minnesota in the fall of 1895.

Upon coming to this state, Ole Bondhus and his family settled in Amo township, Cottonwood county; where they established their home. There Mr. Bondhus and his wife lived until their retirement from the active labors of the farm and removal to the village of Storden, where they are now living, very comfortably situated in their declining years. They are members of the Lutheran church and their children have been reared in that faith. There were nine of these children, of whom the subject of this biographical sketch was the sixth in order of birth, the others being as follow: Thomas, who died in infancy; Lena, who married Oscar Thompson; Sella, who married A. J. Tjentland; Mary, who married Simon Olson; Hattie, Torris, John and Herman.

Thomas Bondhus was about fifteen years old when he came with his parents to Minnesota and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Amo township. When he was eighteen years old he supplemented the schooling he had received in the public schools by a course in a business college at Minneapolis and upon returning from college was employed as a bookkeeper in Johnson Brothers store at Westbrook and was thus engaged for two years and six months, during which time he also served in the capacity of assistant postmaster. Not finding a mercantile life at all to his liking, Mr. Bondhus then returned to the farm and ever since has been engaged in farming. He remained on the home farm until after his marriage 1908 and has lived on his present farm since 1911. He has a half section of land, well improved and profitably cultivated and has done very well in h s farming operations. Mr. Bondhus has not been unmindful of a good citizen's duty toward the public service and has contributed of his time and his energies in that behalf. For three years he served as assessor of Amo township and is now serving in the capacity of township treasurer. In the general business life of the community he also has displayed much activity and has long been regarded as one of the most public-spirited and progressive citizens of that township. He helped to organize the Storden Grain Company and the Storden Co-operative Company (mercantile) and ever since their organization has served as secretary of these two useful companies.

In the fall of 1908 Thomas Bondhus was united in marriage to Carrie T. Thompson, who was born in the kingdom of Norway and who came to this country with her parents in 1904, and to this union four children have been born, Agnes L., Ole H., Helma I. and Truman A. Mr. and Mrs. Bondhus take a warm interest in the general social life of the community in which they live and are regarded as among the leaders in all movements designed to advance the common interest in and about Storden and throughout the county at large.