Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1920-04-23


in Minnesota and were engaged in
missionary work. Constant association
with the Indians enabled the Lad to
learn the language of the Indians and
he spoke the Chippewa language per-
fectly. As a mere lad, he assisted his
parents in missionary work and at the
age of five years, he acted as an inter
prefer for the ministers doing mission
ary work among the Indians.
When Lyman Aver was child,
schools were practically unheard of in
this part of the country and he never
had the opportunity Of acquiring a
school education. He was great
student, however, and with his great
love for books, he acquired an educa-
tion- which was equal to, if not super
ior to that of college graduate of
the present day.. He considered that a
man was never too old to learn and not
over three years ago, he attended school
at the university farm, St. Paul.
The work of the Aver family as mis-
sionaries finally took them to the
northern part Of the state, in the vi
cinity of Red Lake. In l847, they
came to Morrison county and settled
in Belle Prairie, five miles north of
Little Falls. Lyman was then IA years
old. At Belle Prairie, the family es-
tablished settlement and started a
saw mil, store, blacksmith shop, the
first Congregational church in the coun-
tF and a private boarding school. In
the meantime Lyman went to Red
River, where he established a saw
mill. It was there that he operated the
first harvesting machine used in this
state. He came back from there and
taught in the school at Belle Prairie.
It was at this school that; he met the
woman who later became his wife. She
was Laura A. Hill, who came to Belle
vue township from Maine with her
parents. Mr.. Aver was married to
Miss Hill on July "a, 1852. at the
home of her parents in Bellevue town
ship, Rev. John Cooper, resident pas
tor, performing the ceremony.
Soon after their marriage, Mr.. and
Mrs. Aver went to Leech Lake, where
Mr.. Aver operated saw mill for two
years. They then moved to St. Cloud,
where he taught school until the out
break of the Civil war. He enlisted in
the Second Minnesota Battery, Light
Artillery, Of which Captain Hotchkiss
was commander. Duriag four and one
half years of service in the army, he
never lost a day and never once an
swered sick call. He was promoted un-
til when discharged, he was a first
lieutenant. After the war was over, he
was given commission as captain in
the regular army but he chose not to
continue his military career and with
his wife went to Philadelphia, East
Tennessee, where they taught school.
Two years later, they moved to Atlanta,
Ga., where Mr.. Ayers parents were
then residing and doing missionary
work among the colored people. Here
both Mr.. and Mrs. Aver taught in a
private school which was conducted for
the education of the children of veal
thy Northerners. Mrs. Aver became
lonesome for home, however, and she
returned to Bellevue, this county, to
visit her parents. Mr.. Aver returned
the following spring, bringing his moth
or along. His father died at Atlanta,
the previous winter. After a short visit
with Mrs. Ayers parents, they went
to St. Cloud, where Mr.. Aver taught in
q district school for time. He later
secured q position as deputy county
auditor under Mr.. Vossberg. At st.
Cloud their first child, Ina F., now
Mrs. Ina Sims, was born.
E. G. and Henry s. Hill, brothers of
Mrs. Aver, established general store
in Little Falls in 1869 or 20 and Mr..
Aver came here to run the store for
them. He was here for about year
and the family then moved to the old
homestead in Belle Prairie, which has
been their home up to about three years
ago, when they moved to Little Falls.
Mr.. Aver did not farm in Belle Prairie
but was engaged in cruising in the
northern part Of the state. He worked
for the Northern Pacific. Backus &
Brooks, pioneer lumbermen Of the
state; for several mining companies,
including the Merritts, which were the
first to open up the iron business in
this state. His continual work in cruis-
ing, surveying, ETC., took him over
nearly every foot Of land in the north
ern part Of the state and it was often
said that no other man knew that
country as we'll as he.
Mr.. Aver was hale and hearty up to
last winter and up to that time, he has
been doing cruising up north. Some
weeks ago, he was taken i'll with infu-
enza and his condition for a time was
critical but he rallied and for time
his health again seemed good. His
heart was affected, however, and this
finally caused his death Tuesday after
noon. So. s.. 49, =.
He leaves q widow, who is so years
old and one daughter, Mrs.. Ina Sims,