 SIGURDT B. QVALE. When he arrived in this country at the age of
fourteen years, in 1878, Sigurdt B. Qvale was a poor Norwegian emigrant boy, without friends or means,
his only assets being an earnest ambition, a sterling integrity, and a willingness to perform any task set before him.
During the early years of his life in Wisconsin and Minnesota, he had innumerable difficulties to overcome, but
he kept sturdily at it, accepting such honorable employment as came his way, and finally, when he secured a foothold,
began to rise in fortune and continued to prosper until today he is one of the leading business men of Kandiyohi County
and a man of influence and importance throughout the surrounding country adjacent to Willmar, which city he makes
his headquarters. His career should prove encouraging to the youth of any land who enters life supposedly handicapped
by the lack of influence or finances.
Sigurdt B. Qvale was born in Norway, December 18, 1868, and is a
son of O. G. and Gurine (Tenneson) Qvale, natives of Haugesund, Norway. His grandfather, Gauth Qvale,
passed his entire life in Norway, where he was the owner of the Custom House at Haugesund, was a well-to-do shipowner,
and was also engaged extensively in farming. O. G. Qvale, on arriving at man's estate, followed in the
footsteps of his father, and as an agriculturist and owner of vessles acquired a comfortable income. He died at
sea in the wreck of one of his ships, in May, 1875. Mr. Qvale was a member of the Lutheran Church and was a
prominent man of his community, being a member of the board of conciliation and the board of equalization, and also
serving in the capacity of overseer of the poor. He was married in 1857 to Gurine Tenneson, who was born
February 17, 1832, and they became the parents of eight children, of whom four are living: Judge G. E.,
judge of the District Court for the counties of Meeker, Kandiyohi, Swift, Renville, Yellow Medicine, Chippewa and Lac qui Parle;
Alexander, who is residing on a farm near Willmar; Sigurdt B., of this notice; and
Bertha K., who owns one of the finest farms in Kandiyohi County, and is the wife of Mr. Olson, who is the
proprietor of a confectionery store at Bird Island, Minnesota. In October, 1878, the mother of these children came with
her family to the United States, and first settled at Hudson, Wisconsin, but later moved to Minnesota, and in her
declining years made her home with her son, Judge Qvale, at Willmar, where she passed away February 6, 1913.
Sigurdt B. Qvale was fourteen years of age
when he came to American, and prior to this time had received educational training in the public schools of his native
land, this later being supplemented by attendance at the Washington School, Minneapolis, which was located on the present site of
the courthouse. For one year he was employed as a hand on a farm near Hudson, Wisconsin, and he then secured a position as
clerk in a grocery at Hudson, remaining 1-1/2 years in that capacity. Mr. Qvale next went to Minneapolis,
where he worked at odd jobs offered him until becoming office boy for the law firm of Ueland, Shores & Holt.
After a period thus spent he first came to Willmar and for 1-1/2 years worked in a law office here, following which he
went to Benson, and was employed with a general merchandise concern, thus continuing until he felt himself ready to
enter business on his own account, when he bought an interest in the firm, which became Dale, Royse & Qvale. His
next venture was in the same business at Madison, Minnesota, under the firm style of Qvale & Swams, but
after three or four years he again returned to Willmar and entred upon a career which brought him to a foremost
place among Minnesota business men. In partnership with a Mr. Tallman he entered the lumber business, and this
industry grew and developed phenomenally, having lumber yards at various places in Minnesota and North Dakota. Mr. Qvale
became vice president and secretary of the Farmers Lumber Company, the Tallman Investment Company and the Dakota
Development Company, and in all these ventures attained great success. From the year 1905 until 1912 the Tallman Company organized forty-two banks through the
Dakotas and Montana, and Mr. Qvale acted in the capacity of vice president and secretary of each of these institutions,
organizing them personally. He retired from the greater number of these in 1912, selling his interests and settling at
Willmar, where he is acting as vice president of the Bank of Willmar in addition to looking after his extensive financial
interests, and is also interested in the lumber business at Willmar with Mr. H. Peterson. Through his career,
Mr. Qvale's affairs having been handled with such integrity and so high an order of business fidelity that he has earned an enviable
reputation in business circles through this and other states.
Mr. Qvale was married October 18, 1899, to Miss Mayme Nockels,
daughter of Jacob Nockels, of Iowa, who later settled at St. Paul, Minnesota, and was there engaged for some years in a general
merchandise business. To this union there has come one son: Richard, born
December 8, 1910. Mrs. Qvale is a member of the Catholic Church and has taken an interest in religious work
at Willmar, where she also has numerous friends in social circles.
Fraternally, Mr. Qvale is affiliated with the Blue Lodge, Royal Arch Chapter and Knights
Templar of Masonry, in which he has served as junior warden, and with Lodge No. 952, of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
He has for a number of years been one of the influential members of the republican party at Willmar, having served
two years as a member of the congressional committee. In the spring of 1902 he was elected adlerman from his ward, but in 1903
resigned that office to take up the reins of office in the mayoralty chair, to which he had been sent by a large
majority. He continued to act in the capacity of chief executive for four successive terms, giving Willmar a clean,
efficient and business-like administration, in which were instituted numerous needed reforms. At the time of his retirement the
citizens of Willmar, as a mark of appreciation of his services, presented him with a handsome gold-headed cane.
Mr. Qvale today is one of his community's representative business citizens, and is appreciated by his fellowmen
for his many stable and reliable traits of character, for his unceasing devotion to the best interests of his
community, and for the example which he offers of ability, perseverance and ultimate success.
-- From Minnesota: Its History and Biography, Vol. 3 by Henry A. Castle, Lewis Publishing (1915), pp. 1539-1540 |
