One of the best known and most popular citizens of Dickinson county, Iowa, is George L. Paulsen, who is now serving his second term as sheriff of that county. His official career has been characterized by faithful and conscientious attention to the duties of his office, while his private life has been such as to gain for him the respect and good will of his fellow citizens to an eminent degree. Mr. Paulsen was born in Scott county, Iowa, on the 18th of September, 1870, and is a son of John F. and Achristine (Paulsone) Paulsen, who, though of the same family name, were not related. Both were natives of Germany, whence they came to the United State in early life, he in 1865 and she in the following year. They had been sweethearts in the old country and on coming to the new world they both settled in Davenport, Iowa, where they were married shortly after her arrival there. They then went to Wolcott, Scott county, Iowa, where the father engaged in teaming for a time but later turned his attention to farming, which vocation he followed during the remainder of his active life. The mother died in 1890 and the father on Thanksgiving day, 1921, at the age of eighty-one years.
George L. Paulsen was educated in the public schools at Walnut, Iowa, and then learned the butchering business. He opened a meat market at Manning, Iowa, which he conducted for a number of years, or until 1900, when he began traveling for the International Harvester Company, which he represented throughout the state of Iowa for about six years. Later he engaged in farming in Dickinson county, following that occupation until 1922, when he was elected county sheriff. As an evidence of his personal popularity throughout this county it is worthy of note that, though he ran on the democratic ticket and though the vote is normally four to one republican, he was elected by a majority of fourteen votes. In 1923 he was reelected to that office by a handsome majority and is the present incumbent of the position.
In 1898 Mr. Paulsen was united in marriage to Miss Christiana Becker, of Manning, Iowa, and they became the parents of two children, a daughter who died infancy, and Herbert B., who took his preparatory course of two years in Iowa State University, and is now a student in the medical school of Creighton University, at Omaha, Nebraska. Mr. Paulsen is an earnest member of the Lutheran church, to which he gives generous support. He is a man of fine social qualities, easily makes friends, and is true and loyal in all the relations of life. He is a most competent official and the prestige which he enjoys among the voters of Dickinson county is well merited.