Scotland - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of Wellington J. Andrews

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

Wellington J. Andrews, born April 14, 1865, near Ottawa, Canada, moved with his family to Bon Homme County, South Dakota, in 1874. After completing his education at Scotland Academy in 1886, Andrews pursued business ventures in Parkston and Scotland before establishing a successful grocery store in Sioux Falls in 1898. A dedicated Democrat, he actively participated in state and county politics but avoided seeking major office. Andrews was a member of several fraternal organizations, including the Masons and Elks. He married Persis U. Tyler in 1899, and they had one daughter, Edith Alice.

Biography of Christian Rempfer

Christian Rempfer (b. 1859, southern Russia) was a successful businessman and state legislator from Parkston, South Dakota. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1880, he settled in Hutchinson County in 1885, initially focusing on farming before transitioning to business. In 1895, Rempfer established a thriving agricultural implement business in Parkston, later shifting to grain trading and co-founding the South Dakota Grain Company. An active Republican, he served two terms in the state legislature, starting in 1900. Rempfer married Christina Krin in 1883, and they raised four children, with the family playing a prominent role in local Baptist church activities.

Biography of John S. Mueller

John S. Mueller, a prominent businessman in Parkston, Hutchinson County, was born in southern Russia on March 24, 1870. His parents, Johann and Wilhelmina (Hass) Mueller, emigrated to America in May 1881, settling in South Dakota. Johann, a homesteader and pre-emption claimant, lived there until his death in 1898. John S. Mueller attended public schools and an academy in Scotland, South Dakota. After various employments, he served as deputy county treasurer and county auditor. In 1901, he became assistant cashier of Hutchinson County Bank, later co-founding Parkston Land and Implement Company. A Republican and Lutheran elder, he married Elizabeth C. Gall in 1892, and they had six children.

Biography of Rev. Harlan Page Carson, D. D.

Rev. Harlan Page Carson, D.D., was born on January 3, 1845, near Medora, Macoupin County, Illinois, to James M. and Eliza (Jane) Carson. His father, a farmer and abolitionist, lived in Illinois before moving to Kansas in 1887, where he died in 1891. Dr. Carson’s early education was in local schools, and he graduated from Blackburn University in 1870, later earning a Doctor of Divinity in 1889. Ordained in 1872, he served in various pastoral roles before moving to South Dakota in 1880. Active in church and mission work, he was also a Civil War veteran and deeply involved in educational and temperance efforts. Dr. Carson was married twice and had several children from both marriages.

Biography of Joseph Williams Whiting

Joseph W. Whiting, born September 4, 1864, in Springvale, Wisconsin, was a respected educator at the Springfield Normal School in Springfield, Bon Homme County, South Dakota. He graduated from the Wisconsin State Normal School at Oshkosh in 1887 and began his teaching career in Oconto, Wisconsin. Moving to South Dakota in 1888, Whiting served as principal of public schools in Springfield and Scotland. In 1897, he joined the faculty of the Springfield Normal School, where he earned recognition for his dedication and effective teaching methods. He married Luna B. Monfore in 1890, and they had one daughter, Madge Monfore Whiting, born in 1894.

Biography of John Reich

John Reich, born February 16, 1863, in Russia, is a prominent figure in Scotland, Bon Homme County, South Dakota. He is a successful merchant and postmaster, as well as one of the town’s pioneers. Reich’s family emigrated to the United States in 1873, settling in Bon Homme County. Following his father’s death in 1879, Reich began his independent career at seventeen. He apprenticed as a tinner and later opened his own shop, eventually partnering with his brothers Jacob and Christian in a hardware business. Appointed postmaster in 1902, Reich is a respected Republican and active community member. He married Otillie Nieland in 1886, and they have three children: Robert W., Helen, and Delia.