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



One of the efficient and popular public officials of Watonwan county is Berton F. Clement, the present incumbent of the office of city justice of St. James. He was born in Canada, October 1, 1848, and is a son of John B, and Clarissa (Clifford) Clement. The father was born in Woodstock, Vermont, in 1813, and the mother was born in New Hampshire in 1815. They were married in the last named state, and soon thereafter went to Canada, where Mr. Clement engaged in contracting. In 1856 they went to Dodge county, Wisconsin, and in 1874 came to Mower county, Minnesota, and took up a homestead, later moved to St. James and lived with their son, Berton F., about six months, and here the father died, March 8, 1910, at the age of ninety-six years. The mother died in St. Louis Park, Minneapolis, in 1901.

Berton F. Clement was eight years old when his parents took him to Dodge county, Wisconsin. He received his education in the public schools and when but a boy began railroad service as brakeman on the Chicago, St. Paul & Milwaukee railroad, in 1866, and when twenty years old was promoted to conductor. He continued railroading with success until 1900. In 1871 he was conductor for the old St. Paul & Sioux City railroad, and remained with that company until 1883, then went with the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Company, with which he remained until 1900, then went to Watertown, South Dakota, and engaged in the real-estate business until 1907, when he came to St. James, Minnesota, and was proprietor of the Boston hotel for two and one-half years. In the spring of 1911 he was elected city justice, which office he has since held to the satisfaction of all concerned. Politically, he is a Republican. He is a member of the Episcopal church, although his parents were Seventh-Day Adventists. He was made a Mason on April 18, 1874, in Libanus Lodge No. 96, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He is also a member of Concordia Chapter No. 28, Royal Arch Masons; also belongs to Commandery No. 25, Knights Templar, at Sioux City, Iowa. He is at present master of the local lodge, and is one of the prominent Masons of this part of the state. He built a modern home in St. James, where he now resides.

Berton F. Clement was married, in 1879, to Frances A. Cook, who was born in Green Lake county, Wisconsin, in 1860, and is a daughter of W. A. and Jane E. (Munn) Cook, who removed to Windom, Minnesota, in an early day, where they both died. Mr. Cook was a wagon-maker by trade. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Clement, namely: Earle died in infancy; Anna W. is the wife of W. H. Dooly, of Esterville, Iowa; Burton L. died in 1907, at the age of twenty years; Florence N. is the wife of Charles V. Corliss, of Watonwan county.



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