Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-05-28
HOUSE MEMBER
IS LAID TO REST
Representative A. c. Knudsen, StOr'
den, Was Prominent In Mutual
Insurance Field.

A. C.. Knudsen of Storden, Cotton
wood county, member of the Mime
sofa legislature as representative
since 1923-five terms-passed away
at his home on Wednesday, May goth,
at the age of Sc, following a paralytic
stroke The funeral was held at Stor-
den Sunday afternoon. attended by
about 1000 people including several
members of the legislature. Hjalmar
Petersen of Askov, a fellow member
of the legislature, and his father,
Lauritz Petersen, attended the fun
eral.
Born in Denmark Mr.. Knudsen emf
grated to America at the age of 16
and worked at various occupations,
serving also for a time in the Amer
lean army while he was in the twen-
ties. He came to Storden in 1898
where he took up farming and was
occupied at that much of the time
since. He was elected secretary of
the Westbrook Mutual Fire Insurance
Co. thirty years ago when the COM
pany was in it's infancy and was
struggling along with half million
dollars of insurance in force. Through
his guidance and efforts the insur-
ance company developed to be one of
the strongest mutuals in the state
with insurance in force now of $9,OO0,-
900. With his many years of insur-
ance experience he was looked upon
as an authority in that line in the
legislature and other members would
frequently seek his advice on those
matters. He was amongst the few
Danish members of the legislature
and was popularity known as Tony. A
man of good judgment and of far more
ability than person might judge
from first acquaintance, Mr.. Knudsen
was also a very kind-hearted man.
Surviving are wife and three chill
dren. Besides three local pastors who
took part in the funeral services short
talks were also given by Senator o. j.
Finstad of Window; Speaker of the
House Oscar A. Swenson, Nicollet;
and Congressman Frank Clague from
the Second district. The body was
laid to rest in the Storden cemetery
with military honors by the local
American Legion Post. Members of
the Minnesota House of Representa-
tives from the Second Congressional
district of which Cottonwood county
is part, were honorary pallbearers.
The Rev. VIM. ]. Lowrie of Window,
wrote the following verses in men,
DRY of Representative Knudsen:
A man Of the common folk was he,
Building his life for the common good,
Moulded so squarely of the common
| clay.
So ruggedly, SO rounded in the old
That many were glad to stand by his
| side
To stand as friend by friend
And forget little envieS and for friend
ship contend.
Ills a commonplace tree in common
That gives shade to the bird or the
In the friendliest way doing it's good
Unthanked nd unfriended it bows down
IT'S the commonest stalk in the COM
| monest field 4
That makes our bins golden with wheat,
| And the commoneSt ear on the COM
| moneSt stalk
Yields food for our cattle and sheep.
We honor the man of the prominent
| part
Who stands Dove his fellows by worth
Contending for right with all his might
| Nor seeks not the favors of birth;
The man of the school we honor him
| too
| And honor his choice of a way,
| The rod and the rule are his measures
| to do
What he can in the work Of the day.
| heart
Who has fought his way with a will
Through the tangled paths of the
| frontier day