The Islands: Biographies:JAMES ALMOND GILFILLAN FAMILY

JAMES ALMOND GILFILLAN FAMILY

Submitted by Dean Snider

1. From: Robert Porrest’s Early Western Murray County History, Page 155

The James Almond Gilfillan family (born in 1838 in Canada)

James Almond Gilfillan was married to Martha Whitmore in 1862 in Canada. He came to Chanarambie Township in 1876. They had four children: Nelson, 1864; James Almond, 1866, Louie, 1868; a girl died in infancy.

MY NOTE: James Almond Gilfillan is listed on the US 1870 Census in LeRay township, Blue Earth county, Minnesota. He is again listed on the US 1880 Census in Chanarabie Township, Murray county and the only other person listed with him is Nelson, his son..

Nelson Lives in Flin Flon, Canada.

James Almond came here with his parents. He was married to Miss Alma Mae Adams in 1899. They spent three years in Washington, returning to Minnesota in 1910. They have eight children: Alberta, Lee, Clover, Arlo, Durwood, Dorothy, James Almond and Rosebud.

Alberta was married to Von Price at Chicago, Ill., in 1945. She was a nurse at the Municipal Hospital in Chicago.

Lee was married to Margaret Krock 1923. They have two children: Marion and Marjorie.

Clover married Frank Swanson in 1925. They have three children: Joy, Alma, and Barbara. Joy married Lester Rupp in 1945 and has a daughter, Joyce.

Arlo married Frieda Grunewald in 1935. They have two children: Janice and Arlo Vee.

Durwood Married Genevieve Berreau in 1940. They live in Racine, Wis.

Dorothy was married to Niemar Harstad in 1930. They have two children: Niemar Roy and Bertie Vee.

James Almond was married to Helen Vitrock in 1938. They have two children: Billie Lee and James Almond.

Rosebud married Nerl Ballweg in 1937. They have four children: Keith, Patricia, Darlo Dee, and Zoneene. They live at Lennox, S. Dak.

James Almond Gilfillan took an active part in the development of this section, He worked and worked hard. In the spring and summer digging wells, in the fall he threshed and baled hay during the winter months: No man worked more steadily than “Ally” Gilfillan. There wasn’t a still bone in His body.

2. Calling The roll of Early Pioneers

from Pipestone County Star, Aug 1933

Chanarambie Township Organized Aug 25, 1879

Fifty four years ago a petition signed by E.W. Powell and twenty two other voters was presented to the board of county commissioners of Murray county asking that township 106-43 be established and that it be named limestone. The petition was granted and the first meeting for the election of officers was held on Aug 25, 1879 at the Wm. Luce Home (where M. Flannery now lives). Several years afterwards the name of the new township was changed from Limestone to Chamarambie after the creek which flows near its southern border.

This section of the county was about the last to be established into townships, Fenton being the last un-organized territory.

The first census of the county was taken in the year 1875, but as Chanarambie was then unorganized and no places of residence were named in the census it was hard to determine just who resided in Chanarambie at that time.

The next census of Murray County was taken in 1880, but as the census taker of that date grouped the three townships of Cameron, Chanarambie and Lowville together, it was impossible to separate the settlers into the townships in which they lived. At that time Chanarambie had a population of 131, Lowville 71, and Cameron 124.

The first census of record of Chanarambie was taken in 1885 by S. Barrows, now living in Chandler and the township had a population of 185 which included the new village of Lake Wilson. In the township and village in 1885 were 33 families listed. Here is a list of the heads of families given to the census taker, who by the way is the only representative left of this list of settlers who came here in the early days of the settlement of this township:

J. Bissett E. Bragdon C. Annis O. Thompson

M. Webster D. McMahon A. Dahl Ole Olson

Mary Olson O. Barrows J.P. Ryan J. Shields

A. N. Snider C. Sargent E. Morgan M. Gunderson

H. Stanley Caspar Lang J. Bragdon J.G. Rumet

R. F. Morley Eric Peterson John Conway J. Gilfillan

M. Nelson W. Luce W. Barrows. J.K. Howe

C. Dudley S.N.Phelps W.T. Warren Ben Warren

H. Ueberzetzig Hans Johnson L. Anthonson

One of the historic spots in the township is Buffalo Ridge which received its name from a buffalo which was made out of stone by the Indians back in the early part of the century. The buffalo and a number of other figures made out of stone were on the highest point of the ridge which is the dividing water shed between the Mississippi and the Missouri.

3. News from the Border

MY NOTE: This is a little tongue in cheek reporting of a Threshing Bee. Items in parentheses are for clarification.

By the way, I think ye editor took an unwarrantable liberty when you put the above heading over my last article.

On the night of the 27^th inst., a little past midnight, one of the most formidable raids ever known on the Border, was made in township 106-43. Although in strong force, the raiders failed to accomplish their object and fell back across the border to Woodstock, from whence, after refreshments, they returned to Hadley in somewhat of a demoralized condition..

Recently Messrs Shields, Gilfillan, Sargent and Brevere, did a bit of threshing on the farm of S. Phelps, which the Chanarambians challenge(d) Pipe Stone (county), Murray county or “any other man” to beat. they set three times, threshing twelve good-sized stacks which yielded wheat 192 bushels, barley 219, and oats 609, making a total of 1020 bus(bushels)., doing the whole work in nine and one half hours.

Not long ago the same machine threshed one bushel of flax per minute on a farm in Pipe Stone Co., G.W. Nash timing them with his R.R. (railroad) time piece. It was not a very good day for flax either.

Sister towns, trot out your threshing figures. Farmer

Chanarambie, Oct 27^th, 1882

4. OBITUARY: Freda Gilfillan, 75, Ruthton died Wednesday, Aug 27, at the Murray county Memorial Hospital, Slayton.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Aug 10, at St. James Lutheran church, Holland, with Rev. Evan G. Schiller officiating. Music was provided by Lana Alderson, organist.

Pallbearers were Gay Ness, Lyle Reimer, Darwin Johnson, Duane Carlson, Roger Carlson, and Ralph Jacobsen.

Interment was in the Ruthton Cemetary, Ruthton.

Freda Gilfillan was born Aug 23, 1915 on a farm east of Holland, to Victoria and Fred Grunewald. On March 7, 1935, she married Arlo Vee Gilfillan. The couple farmed in the Holland and Woodstock area for about 35 years until they retired and moved into Ruthton. She was active in St. James Lutheran church.

Survivors include her husband, Arlo; a daughter, Janice Sorenson, Marshall; a son, Arlo Vee Gilfillan, Jr., Marshall; four grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; a sister, Violet Grunewald, Woodstock; and two brothers, William Grunewald, Junction city, Ore, and George Grunewald, Tucson, Ariz. She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Jessie; and a brother, Edward.

MY NOTE: All Towns not given a state are in Minnesota. Arlo Vee is the son of James Almond Gilfillan, born 1866 in Minnesota, son of James A. Gilfillan born in Ontario Canada in 1838.

5. Brother of local Woman Dies: Word was received by Mrs. Myrtle Lynn, Pipestone, of the death of her brother, James A. Gilfillan, 78 of Kellogg, Idaho, on Friday , July 4. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 8.

MY NOTE: from Pipestone county Star in 1975. James A. Gilfillan, B; 1897

6. Pipestone County Star, Sep 21, 1995

Obit: Arlo Gilfillan, 85, died at Minneota Manor, Saturday, Sep 16, 1995. He was a long time resident of the Woodstock, Holland and Ruthton area.

Services were today, Wednesday, at St. James Lutheran Church in Holland. Rev. Evan G. Schiller officiated. Burial was in the Ruthton Cemetary.

Mr. Gilfillan was born Jan 27, 1910 in Washington (state) to Alma Mae and (James) Almond Gilfillan. He married Freda W. Grunewald March 7, 1936.

They farmed in the Holland and Woodstock area for 35 years. After his retirement in 1976 they moved into Ruthton.

He is survived by a daughter, Janice Baier, Marshall; one son, Arlo Vee Gilfillan, Jr. Marshall; four grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and two sisters.

He was preceded in death by his wife, two sisters and three brothers.

(Colonial)

7. Pipestone county Star, 10 Sep 1998, Pg 11A

OBIT: Arlo Gilfillan Jr.. Arlo Vee “BZ” Gilfillan Jr. 55, Marshall, died Wednesday, Sept 2, 1998, at Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls. S.D.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Sept 5 at First Lutheran Church, Marshall. Interment was in the Ruthton City Cemetary.

He was born to Arlo and Freda (Grunewald) Gilfillan Sr. He was baptized and confirmed at St. James Lutheran church, Holland. He attended school in Ruthton and worked on the family farm until he entered the U.S.Army on Nov 30, 1967 and served in Vietnam. On Jan. 22, 1970 he was honorably discharged from the army, after which he went back to farming. He then went to work for Appleton Silo company in Marshall and from there to Heartland Foods in Marshall.

On April 3,1988 he married Roxie Hibma at First Lutheran Church in Marshall.

His wife survives Him, as does stepdaughter Shannon of Marshall; a sister, Janice Richard Baier, Tucson, AZ; and two nieces and a nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents and grand-parents.

(Hamilton-Birk, Marshall)

The Islands: Biographies: Wolfe Island: James Almond Gilfillan