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One of the successful merchants of Clitherall, Otter Tail county, Minnesota, is John H. Loken, who is a native of Norway, where he was born on July 30, 1868.
John H. Loken is the son of Hagen J. and Gura (Helseth) Loken, both of whom were born in Norway. Mr. Loken's father was born in October 13, 1833, and his mother on June 6, 1830. After their marriage in Norway, they immigrated to Ameria and settled in Wisconsin in 1870. On July 10, 1871, they settled in Otter Tail county, taking a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in section 8, of Nidaros township. Hagen J. Loken improved his farm in many ways. He erected good buildings on the farm and lived upon this old homestead until March 16, 1909. His wife died on December 5, 1905. They were members of the United Lutheran church. They had a family of five children, of whom Gunder, the youngest, died in infancy. The living children are Johanna, John H., Josephine and Jens.
John H. Loken was reared on his father's farm and educated in the public schools of Nidaros township. For a number of years he was engaged in farming. When he was twenty-one years old, in 1889, Mr. Loken purchased his father's farm. In 1909 he moved to Clitherall and engaged in the hardware and furniture business. Since that time he has built up a large and prosperous patronage in Clitherall and vicinity. Mr. Loken owns his own place of business as well as his residence in Clitherall. He owns stock in the Clitherall Grain Association and also in the Co-operative Creamery Association and the Farmers' Elevator Company at Vining, Minnesota.
In 1893 John H. Loken was married to Johanna Johnson, who was born in Sweden, April 21, 1873, and who is the daughter of Andrew and Frederika Johnson. They came from Sweden to America in 1889 and settled in Leaf Mountain township, where Mrs. Loken's father died in 1904, at the age of about seventy-three years. His widow is still living and is now seventy-eight years old.
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Loken have four children: Mabel, born on July 13, 1897, who was educated at the Park Region Luther College, of Fergus Falls; Henry, October 31, 1900; Gordon, April 8, 1905; and Lawrence, August 28, 1907.
Mr. Loken has served as president of the village of Clitherall for two years and is now a member of the Clitherall council. He was clerk of the school board of district No. 53, for twelve years and served as supervisor of the township for three years. Altogether, John H. Loken is one of the most prominent citizens of Clitherall township and one of its most highly respected citizens and business men.
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