Ole Juulson Kvale (February 6, 1869 – September 11, 1929) was a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

Minister and

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Background

Ole Juulson Kvale was born near

Decorah, Iowa Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest commun ...

. He was one of six children born to Jule Qvale (1836-1918) and Gro Qvale (1833-1910), both of whom were immigrants from

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 inherited his family name from the farm Kvåle in

Vestre Slidre Vestre Slidre is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Slidre. Other villages in Vestre Slidre include Lomen and Røn. ...

in the

Valdres Valdres () is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between the districts of Gudbrandsdalen and Hallingdal. The region of Valdres consists of the six municipalities of Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre ...

valley district.“Kongresmand Kvale omkommer i Ildebrand”, ''Nordisk Tidende'' (published in New York), 19 September 1929, p. 1–2. He attended rural schools 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 was graduated from Luther College in Decorah in 1890, from

Luther Theological Seminary Luther Seminary is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is the largest seminary of the ELCA. It also accepts and educates students of 41 other denominations and traditions. It is accredited ...

, in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, in 1893 and from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

in 1914. He was ordained to the

ministry in 1894 serving parishes in

Orfordville, Wisconsin Orfordville is a village in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States, at the intersection of Highway 11, Highway 213, and the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad. The population was 1,442 at the 2010 census. History The origin of its name came when a ...

, from 1894 to 1917 and in

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

, Swift County, Minnesota. In 1917, he became the secretary of the

Norwegian Synod The Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, commonly called the Norwegian Synod, was founded in 1853. It included churches in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. History In February 1853, several Lutheran ministers in ...

Career

Kvale had been an unsuccessful candidate as an Independent Republican for election in 1920 to the 67th congress. He was elected as a Farmer-Labor candidate to the 68th, 69th, 70th, and 71st congresses and served from March 4, 1923, until his death.

Personal life

He was married to Ida Tonette (Simley) Kvale (1876-1926). They had six children including United States Representative

Paul John Kvale Paul John Kvale (; March 27, 1896 – June 14, 1960) was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota. Early life Kvale who was born in Orfordville, Wisconsin as the son of Ole J. Kvale. He attended the Orfordville school and the University of Illin ...

. Ole Kvale died in a fire in his summer house near

Otter Tail Lake Otter Tail Lake is a lake in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the largest lake in Otter Tail County. Geography Adjoining the city of Ottertail, it is a part of the Otter Tail River chain of lakes. Upstream from ...

, Minnesota, on September 11, 1929. His interment was in Benson Cemetery,

Swift County, Minnesota Swift County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,838. Its county seat is Benson. History Swift County is in west central Minnesota and consists of with three tiers of seven townships each. ...

Primary Source

References

External links