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PETER N. LAURIDSEN.

Among the successful farmers of Hamlin township, Audubon county, Iowa, is Peter N. Lauridsen, who was born on March 25, 1866, in Jylland, Denmark, the son of Neils and Dorothy (Bogard) Lauridsen, farmers in Denmark, who never came to this country.

After attending school until fifteen years of age, Peter N. Lauridsen worked out as a farm hand until 1893, when he came to the United States, and after landing at New York city, came to Minton, Nebraska. After living there only eight or nine months, he came to Marne, Iowa, where he lived for one year, and in 1895 came to Audubon county. Here he worked for the West Hamlin Creamery Company for about four years, after which he purchased forty acres of land in Sharon township, Audubon county, where he lived for three years. After disposing of this farm he bought eighty acres of land in Hamlin township, where he lived for three years, or until the spring of 1904, when he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in section 21, of Hamlin township, where he now lives; in the meantime Mr. Lauridsen had sold his other land.

On November 5, 1888, Peter N. Lauridsen was married to Marguerite Petersen, a sister of Hans Petersen, of Exira. She is a daughter of K. S. and Carrie (Sorensen) Petersen, both natives of Denmark, the former of whom was a veteran of the Danish-Prussian War of 1864, and a farmer in his native land. At the time this war broke out, he was living on the Danish-Prussian border, and served throughout the war. He died in 1886, while his wife passed away several years previously, in 1879. They were the parents of ten children, seven of whom are now living: Peter K., Christina, Marguerite, Soren, Hans P., Minnie and Chris. All of these children, except Christina and Minnie, are living in America.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter N. Lauridsen are the parents of twelve children, ten of whom are still living: Charles, born on January 14, 1890; Dorothy, May 14, 1891, is the wife of Chris Johnson, and they have two children, Violet and Milo; Nels, November 9, 1893; Harry, October 28, 1894; Carrie, December 28, 1897; Henry, December 7, 1898; Rosa, January 5, 1902; Anna, December 1, 1904; Dagmar, November 1, 1906, and Edna, January 29, 1910.

In addition to his farming interests, Mr. Lauridsen also works a part of the time in the creamery at Elkhorn, in Shelby county, Iowa. He milks about ten cows and is engaged in general farming and stock raising.

The Lauridsen family are active and devoted members of the Danish Lutheran church. Mr. Lauridsen is a Republican, but has never held any offices, nor has he aspired to office. He is an enterprising and industrious citizen and entitled to the confidence and respect which are extended to him in unusual degree by his neighbors. He is a worthy representative of the great body of Danish farmers living in Audubon county, Iowa, who have helped to develop this county into one of the foremost agricultural counties of the state..



Transcribed from History of Audubon County, Iowa Its People, Industries and Institutions With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, by H. F. Andrews, editor, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Company, 1915, pp. 494-495.