House 1901-06 (District 55); Senate 1915-22 (District 25)
Party when first elected: Republican
Counties Served:
Kandiyohi, Swift
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
4/27/1868
Birth Place:
Wheeling, Minnesota
Birth County:
Rice
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
9/30/1935
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
P.A., Peder, Peter Andrew
City of Residence (when first elected):
Sunburg
Occupation (when first elected):
Merchant, General Mercantile, Sunburg/Formerly Taught School, Pope County, 2 Years
EDUCATION
Pope County Common Schools; Elementary School;
Glenwood High School; Secondary;
Carleton College; Attended College; 1 year
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Municipal Board/Commission:
Sunburg, Minnesota (Town Clerk);
1890 to 1892
[Elected]
Judge:
Norway Lake Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (Justice of the Peace);
1893 to 1???
[Elected]
Municipal Board/Commission:
Norway Lake Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (Town Board of Supervisors, Chair);
1895 to 1???
[Elected]
Postmaster:
Sunburg, Minnesota;
1897 to 1904
[Appointed]
School Board/Administration:
Sunburg, Minnesota (Board of Education, Clerk);
1897 to 1914
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Anna Marie Gronseth (married on June 18, 1896; she died on March 16, 1931)
Children:
Four children: Arnold (he was an Assistant Minnesota Secretary of State, appointed April 1, 1953; also served in the Minnesota Secretary of State's Motor Vehicle Division starting in January 2, 1924, then assigned to the Corporation Division in October 1927 [see Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1953, p. 103]); Samuel "Sam" (Minnesota 12th, 6th and 8th Judicial District Court Judge [the 12th Judicial District, was combined with the 16th
Judicial District, to become the 6th Judicial District, then the 8th Judicial District], Litchfield City Attorney, Meeker County Attorney); Edmund Longworth, and Kermit L. (sons)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
Mary A. Olson
- Great Great Granddaughter
GENERAL NOTES
He was of Norwegian ancestry.
He was born on a farm in Wheeling Township near Northfield, Minnesota. He was the oldest of ten children.
He moved to a homestead near Glenwood, Pope County, Minnesota in 1868 with his parents when he was 3 months old. He settled in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota in 1892.
His middle name, Anners, was Americanized to Andrew. In his life he always went by his initials, P.A.
He was hit by a speeding driver in the Village of Sunburg, Minnesota. Although he was not killed, he did not recover from his injuries and died a short time later at the General Hospital in Willmar, Minnesota.
Birth date, birth place, middle name, death date, death location, death cause, and family data provided by his grandson.