The Redwood gazette., 1936-05-21
Honored BY Friends at IS,
H.M.A411e Looks Back to 10
WhenHe WasAn Immigrant
Successful Business Man
Came to Redwood From
ZumbrOta i'm 1887

A boy immigrant from Norway,
a railroad man, a lumberyard
worker and a store clerk in Red
Wing, clerk in a clothing store at
Zumbrota, a clothier in Redwood
Falls, a city councilman, mayor
and county commissioner for
many years. In those few lines is
presented a thumb-nan sketch of
Hans M. Aune, prominent Red
wood Falls merchant, who Tues
day celebrated his seventy fifth
birthday and the forty-ninth ami
versary of his arrival in Redwood
Falls.
In his honor members of the
congregation of the Episcopal
church, of which he is senior war
den and has been a vestryman for
many years, served three course
dinner that evening in the church
guild hall. A large birthday cake
decorated with his name and dates
was presented to Mr.. Aune. The
arrangements for the celebration
were made by the women of the
St. Veronica's Guild.
Next spring Mr.. Aune will have
what he terms an equally impor-
tant milestone to observe, the fif-
tieth anniversary since he opened
clothing store in Redwood Falls.
The name of Aune first entered
the business directory of Redwood
Falls, if there was one at that
time, in May 1887. Associated
with him in his first business ven
ture was p. NJ. Ringdal, who had
accompanied him from Zumbrota
where he had been depot agent
while Mr.. Aune was clerk in a
store. Ringdal disposed of his in
terest after spending a year here
and went to Crookston where he
was elected state senator and la
ter served as railroad and ware
house commissioner. He died in
California about two years ago.
G. G. Thune, who had clerked
with Mr.. Aune at Zumbrota, then
entered in partnership in business
which was located where the Kur-
schner Red and White store now
stands. Later the partners occu-
pied the present Redwood Clean
ers building and still later moved
to the present site, then called the
Francois block. In 1903 one of
the most destructive fires in Red
wood Falls history swept the
Francois block and Cleaned out
everything we had, as Mr.. Aune
puts it. The firm located in the
Masonic block on Mill street until
another structure was erected ov-
er the ashes of their former loca-
tion. The firm was Incorporated
July Is, 1913.
Early in 1927 another blaze not
as destructive as the previous one
but damaging enough to suspend
business for a short time, struck
the store. Since the death of Mr..
Thune II years ago, Mr.. Aune has
operated the business with the aid
of his son, Harold.
Born in Norway, May 10, 1861,
Mr.. Aune came to the United
States with his two brothers in
AOCU WHICH, 1S. ne WcuC 10 heO
Wing where his mother had pre-
ceded him some time before. There
he attended school during the win
ter and in the summer worked at
various jobs. He helped lay the
first steel railway tracks between
Red Wing and Winona, worked in
lumber yard and later became a
clerk for a merchant. After four
years in Red Wing he was trans
ferred to Zumbrota where the
merchant had a branch store and
remained there three years. While
at Zumbrota he became acquain-
ted with the Pease, Sampson and
Mann families living there at that
time, all of whom later came to
Redwood Falls. 1t was then that
Mr.. Aune's became Zumbrota's loss
and Redwood Falls gain and came
to open a business which for 49
years has survived all the. depre-
dations of the elements, fire and
economic conditions.