Alfred Abraham was born on September 14, 1856, in Chisago County, Minnesota, to Swedish immigrants Charles and Beata Abrahamson. After teaching and farming in Minnesota, he moved to South Dakota in 1882, claiming a homestead in Brown County. Abraham later transitioned to business, operating a general merchandise store and a lumber yard in Claremont, South Dakota. He served as Marshall County treasurer from 1892 to 1896. In 1900, he married Maude E. Griffith, and they had one son, Arden Louellwyn, born in 1901. Abraham was a dedicated Republican and community leader.
Alfred Abraham was born in Chisago County, Minnesota, on the 14th of September 1856, and is a son of Charles and Beata Abrahamson, both of whom were born and reared in Sweden, where their marriage was solemnized and where two of their children were born. One of the children died on the voyage to America and another shortly afterward; one son died in 1885, while those who survive are four sons and two daughters. In 1853 Charles Abrahamson immigrated with his family to the United States, first locating in La Salle, Illinois, where he remained until the spring of the following year, when he removed to Minnesota and settled in Chisago County, being one of its pioneers and there developing a valuable farm. His wife died in 1886, while he still resides in Chisago County, having attained the venerable age of eighty-four years. While he has retired from active labor, he is blessed with excellent health and is enjoying the rewards of his former toil and endeavor, being a man of sterling character and one who has ever commanded the high regard of his fellow men.
The subject of this review was reared on the homestead farm and secured his early educational training in the public schools of his native county. He continued to be identified with the work on the home farm and teaching school until 1882, when he came to the present state of South Dakota. On the 16th of February of that year, he took up a homestead claim in Riverside Township, Brown County, where he improved a valuable farm, the property now being owned by his brother, John A., who there maintains his home, at the same time being engaged in business and becoming identified with the early history of Groton, South Dakota. Mr. Abraham continued to devote his attention to farming and stock growing until 1889, when he located in Langford, Marshall County, where he engaged in the clothing and men’s furnishing-goods business, continuing operations until 1894, when he closed the business. One year later he opened his present store at Claremont, where he handles general merchandise, and here he controls a large and representative business and has a finely equipped and appointed establishment. His brother, John A., was associated with him in the business, and in 1899 they opened a lumber yard in connection with their mercantile enterprise, continuing to be associated in the carrying on of both until 1902, when the partnership was dissolved, on the 1st of January, the subject retaining the mercantile and lumber business while his brother assumed the farm previously mentioned as his share, the original claim having in the meanwhile been materially augmented in area. The subject is the owner of a section of well-improved land in the county, renting the same, while in addition to this, he has equity in six other quarter sections in the county. Through his energy and good management, he has gained noteworthy success since coming to South Dakota, and he is duly appreciative of the advantages which have been here afforded him and takes a deep interest in all that concerns the welfare and advancement of his hometown, county, and state. In politics, Mr. Abraham is a staunch adherent of the Republican party. In 1892 he was elected county treasurer and was chosen as his own successor two years later, thus serving four consecutive years and giving a most able administration of the fiscal affairs of the county.
On the 11th of November 1900, Mr. Abraham was united in marriage to Miss Maude E. Griffith, who was born in Lakeview, Michigan, and reared in South Dakota, being a daughter of E. E. Griffith, one of the honored pioneers of the state. They have one son, Arden Louellwyn, who was born on the 13th of October 1901.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.