Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-06-28
PIONEER PINE
CITY man DIES
A. Nj. Challeen SuCCumbS
After Several Weeks
Illness.
Was Merchant in County
Seat for 25 Years; Fun
eral Today.

Andrew Magnus Challeen, promi-
nent merchant of Pine City, passed
away at his home last Monday morn
ing, following an illness of several
months. Death came at 2 a. m. as
a result of paralysis from which he
suffered since the first part of March.
With him at his death were his four
sons, Arthur, George, William and
Edward.
A. NJ. Challeen was born at Dals
Ed, Sweden, on July 20, 1863. When
a young man of seventeen, he started
for America, arriving here about the
middle of the year 1880. He came
direct to Minnesota and settled first
near Rush Lake in the community
known as Danewood. In that COM
munity he started a small store and
from a small beginning built up an
illustrious business career. He was
postmaster at Braham before the
railroad had been built through that
community and also operated store
west of the present village. Later,
at Rush City, he built the Grant house
for a hotel and this building still
stands and serves the village as a
hotel. He was also postmaster at
Rush City for number of years.
Came to Rock Greek.
After selling his business interests
at Rush City he came to Rock Creek
where he started a store and Oper-
ated it successfully. The Rock Creek
hn To
erative while Mr.. Challeen came to
Pine City % years ago and purchased
the cooperative store. His first store
in Pine City was a modest sized bus
mess in part of the same build
ing the present Challeen store is To-
Gated. However, Mr.. Challeen was
instrumental in getting the Pine City
Cooperative creamery established in
its present location, and as this sue
ceeded to grow his store naturally
grew with it. The prosperous growth
of his mercantile business in Pine
CITY was due to the fact that Mr..
Challeen studied and understood his
customers needs and supplied with
necessities and rendered high grade
of service in the way of purchasing
from the farmers what they had to
sell.
Married Second Time.
In 1888, he was married to Tena
Johnson at Braham. His wife passed
away in 1894, and Mr.. Challeen was
remarked to Matte Sharpe of Rush
City on June ~, 1895. To them four
A
George, William and Edward. All the
sons survive their father and George
and William took over the store in
February of this year and they will
operate it under the name of Chal-
leen Brothers. Besides the four sons
there was one daughter who passed
away at the early age of three and
one-half years in 1902. Mrs. Challeen
also survives her husband.
Mr.. Challeen was prominent in his
business affairs and maintained a
wide acquaintance among his fellow
business men. He was also Mason,
having joined the order at Rush City
in the year 1901. He attained the
32nd degree of Masonry and was also
a knight templar in the Shrine.
While still in good health Mr.. Chal-
leen together with his son, George,
made a trip to Sweden in 1929. They
also visited Norway, Denmark, Ger
many, Belgium, France, Switzerland,
Austria and Czechoslovakia. Mr..
Challeen again made the same trip
in 1880 with another son, William,
when England was also visited.
Funeral Today.
Funeral services will be held at
the Armory in Pine City on Thurs
day, June %, at 2:30 p. m. with en-
ployes of the store acting as pail
bearers. The pallbearers will be
William Steiner, Frank Bartos, Jess
Greenley, Chester Swedlund, Robert
Carpenter and Rudy Skalicky. Rev.
Thompson of the Presbyterian church,
will conduct the services and the
Masons will have a part in the serv-
ice. Interment will be made in the
Brentwood cemetery at Pine City.
Mr.. Challeen leaves a host of
friends who will miss him. He knew
always when a neighbor was in
to those stricken with misfortune.
Many instances might be told of how
he would help anyone whom he knew
to have suffered a loss through fire
or otherwise. At the time of the
Moose Lake fire, for instance, before
organized relief could act, a load of
clothing and food was taken from his
store to the stricken area. He was
also a liberal contributor to churches
and made no distinction as to creeds.
Within the past five years, Mr.
Challeen had developed large potato
farm near Pine City, from which