Gunder Olson (September 8, 1852 – December 11, 1948) was a
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
public servant and politician with the
Republican Party.
Biography
Gunder Olson was born in the county of
Telemark
Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. He came to America with his parents when he was only one year old, and his family located in
Winneshiek County, Iowa
Winneshiek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,070. The county seat is Decorah.
History
A largely rural and agricultural county, Winneshiek County has a rich cultural history from ...
. He came to North Dakota in 1881 and worked as a merchant. He served as the sheriff of
Walsh County, North Dakota
Walsh County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,563. Its county seat is Grafton.
History
The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on May 2, 1881, with areas partitioned from ...
from 1884 to 1888. He also served as the president of the North Dakota Board of the Blind Asylum in
Bathgate
Bathgate ( sco, Bathket or , gd, Both Chèit) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Armadale, Blackburn, Linlithgow, Livingston, West Calder and Whitburn. Situated sout ...
, now th
North Dakota School for the Blind in
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
.
Olson was elected as the
North Dakota State Treasurer
The North Dakota State Treasurer is a political office in North Dakota. The treasurer's duty is to assure sound financial oversight and absolute safety of all public funds collected, managed, and disbursed. The Office of the State Treasurer is sepa ...
in 1910 and served until 1914. He did not seek re-election to another term since Treasurers were not permitted to serve more than two consecutive terms.
Personal life
Gunder Olson was married and had two daughters. Olson died at the age of 96 in 1948. He is buried in the Grafton Lutheran Cemetery in
Grafton, North Dakota
Grafton is a city in the State of North Dakota and is the county seat of Walsh County. As of the 2020 Census, the city of Grafton had a population of 4,170, making it the fifteenth largest city in North Dakota. Grafton was founded in 1881.
Hi ...
.
See also
*
North Dakota State Treasurer
The North Dakota State Treasurer is a political office in North Dakota. The treasurer's duty is to assure sound financial oversight and absolute safety of all public funds collected, managed, and disbursed. The Office of the State Treasurer is sepa ...
*
List of North Dakota State Treasurers
The following is a list of North Dakota State Treasurers. The office has always been on a party affiliated ballot, and was a two-year term office until 1964. Since then, State Treasurers have been elected to four-year terms. The State Treasurer w ...
References
1852 births
1948 deaths
People from Telemark
Norwegian emigrants to the United States
North Dakota Republicans
State treasurers of North Dakota
Gunder Olson
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