Cass County
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John Edward BREUNING born 15 Jun 1890 in Melrose, Stearns County, Minnesota, to John Geoffrey and Cora Mae (MOREHOUSE) BREUNING; married 1920 to Marie MIKELSON; died 28 Apr 1968 in Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minnesota, buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Cass Lake, Cass County, Minnesota.
Marie MIKELSON, AKA Inga Marie EMERSON, was born 8 Dec 1893 in North Dakota to Tollef and Inga Peterson (KINGSLEN) EMERSON. When her mother died shortly after her birth, Marie was raised by her uncle and aunt MIKELSON. Marie died 7 Jan 1981 in Hubbard County, Minnesota, buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Cass Lake, Cass County, Minnesota.
"I’m actually related to Marie. She was my grandpa's half-sister. I am hoping to connect with someone who knew her personally and maybe has pictures of her." --Kate K. Lystad Kirk, 2026 May 19, kkirk63@hotmail.com
Sources:
FindAGrave
FamilySearch
1917-1919 Veteran Card
1930 Census of Cass Lake, Cass County, MN
1940 Census of Cass Lake, Cass County, MN
1942 Draft Registration Card
1950 Census of Cass Lake, Cass County, MN
Compiled from FamilySearch and FindAGrave, contributed 2026 May 17 by Norma Hass.
1. John CHILDERS married Balsora GATLIFF. They had at least three children.
1-1. William Edward CHILDERS born 14 Jul 1880; married Cora Bell GATLIFF; died 25 Jul 1965 in Montrose, Henry County, Missouri.
1-2. Theora Jane CHILDERS born 23 Sep 1884 in Altona, Bates County, Missouri; Married William Franklin STUKEY 1873-1921; died 15 Feb 1910 in Passaic, Bates County, Missouri.
1-3. Harvey Francis CHILDERS born 15 Jun 1894 in Adrian, Bates County, Missouri; married 1953 to Edna Mae CROCKER 1904-1988; died 27 Jun 1963 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota; buried in Wildwood Cemetery, Pillager, Cass County, Minnesota.
Edna Mae was born 08 Jan 1904 in Pillager, Cass County, Minnesota; 1st married to Case Betsy EDEBURN, 2nd married to Charlie August William KORT; 3rd married to Harvey Francis CHILDERS; died 09 Dec 1988 in Staples, Wadena County, Minnesota; buried in Wildwood Cemetery, Pillager, Cass County, Minnesota.
Compiled from FamilySearch and FindAGrave, contributed 2026 May 17 by Norma Hass.
1. John Warner GROVER born 31 Aug 1846 in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio;
married 1867 to Esther Ann CARR 1849-1925; died 30 Nov 1930 in Pine River, Cass
County, Minnesota.
Esther was born 1849 in Michigan to Melancthon and Rebecca
L. (KING) CARR; she died 26 Feb 1925 in Cass County, Minnesota; buried in Pine
Ridge Cemetery, Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota.
John and Ester (CARR)
GROVER had nine children.
1-1. Carrie A. GROVER born 19 Oct 1867 in Wisconsin; married 1893 to George Alvadore NEWLAND 1862-1920; died 3 Apr 1916 in St. Paul Park, Washington County, Minnesota. "Mrs. Carrie Newland, of Pine River, died at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Olson, Monday, after a lingering illness. The funeral occurred Wednesday with the interment in the cemetery at the Old Peoples Home." --Stillwater Daily Gazette, 12 Apr 1916
George and Carrie (GROVER) NEWLAND had at least one child.
1-1-1. Alva NEWLAND born 1894 in South Dakota; married Lewis Isiah THOMPSON; died 17 Mar 1968 in Port Angeles, Clallam County, Washington.1-2. Minnie May GROVER born 1869 in Illinois; married Judson Blackman MORRISON 1858-1930; died 1958, buried in Pine Ridge Cemetery, Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota.
Judson and Minnie had at least two children.1-2-1. Effie Ora MORRISON born 1890 in South Dakota; married George Thomas WAREING 1888-1922; died 2 Jun 1969 in Cass County, Minnesota, buried in Pine Ridge Cemetery, Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota.1-3. Julia M. GROVER born 10 Aug 1876 in Reedsburg, Sauk County, Wisconsin; married Asa Daniels MORRISON 1861-1940; died 23 May 1953 in Moorhead, Clay County, Minnesota, buried in Ponto Lake Cemetery, Cass County, Minnesota.
George and Effie had at least one child.1-2-1-1. Morris R. WAREING 1911-1992.1-2-2. Carrie Alice MORRISON born 26 Apr 1892 in South Dakota; married 1914 to Ray Harold FARMER 1890-1976; Carrie died 22 Feb 1916, buried in Flaxton Cemetery, Burke County, North Dakota. "Carrie Alice Farmer, wife of R. H. Farmer, passed away quietly on Tuesday evening, Feb. 22, just as the day was ending, leaving behind sad and lonely hearts, but many sweet memories. She leaves her husband, R. H. Farmer of the city, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Morrison and sister, Mrs. George Wareing, all of Pine River, Minn., to cherish forever the sweet memories of her young life. Carrie Alice Morrison was born at Pierre, South Dakota, where she lived through her early girlhood, later living at Miller and other South Dakota points. She was married to R. H. Farmer on March 10th, 1914, and has made Flaxton her home since that time. During her short stay here she has been closely identified with musical and social circles from which she will be greatly missed. - Flaxton, N. D. Paper." --The Miller Press, 2 Mar 1916
Asa and Julia had at least three children.1-3-1. Wallace Leonard MORRISON 1894-1936.1-4. Pearl A. GROVER born 4 Oct 1881 in Reedsburg, Sauk County, Wisconsin; married Hans Carl HANSON; died 4 Feb 1944 in Seattle, King County, Washington. Hans and Pearl had four children.
1-3-2. Alice Eleanor MORRISON 1901-1986.
1-3-3. Esther Maude MORRISON 1912-1977.
1-4-1. Stanley Carlyle HANSON 1900-1973.1-5. Mabel Eleanor GROVER born 2 Dec 1882 in Wisconsin; 1st married 2 Feb 1900 to Walter DeVern CORBIN, 2nd married 1920 to Logan C. GRIFFITH; Mabel died 1 Jan 1955 in Yakima County, Washington.
1-4-2. Iva Beatrice HANSON 1904-1924.
1-4-3. Earl John HANSON 1906-1980.
1-4-4. Wilda Pearl HANSON 1919-1999.
Walter and Mabel had five children.1-5-1. Erwin Devern CORBIN1-6. John Warner GROVER, Jr. born 7 Jan 1885; married 1907 to Dora May ROBINSON 1886-1957; died 14 Oct 1968.
1-5-2. Blanch I. CORBIN
1-5-3. Elsie M. CORBIN 1907-1986.
1-5-4. Floyd Raymond CORBIN 1910-1929.
1-5-5. Ethel M. CORBIN 1913-1979.
John and Dora had many children.1-6-1. John Warren GROVER born 13 May 1908 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died Jan 1985 in Arizona.1-7. Walter Carr GROVER born 2 Apr 1893 in Huron, Beadle County, South Dakota; died May 1956 in Casa Grande, Pinal County, Arizona.
1-6-2. Ruth Elizabeth GROVER born 27 Jul 1910 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 4 Jun 1995 in Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon.
1-6-3. Clifford Robinson GROVER born 3 Aug 1913 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 15 Mar 1982.
1-6-4. Daniel Erwin GROVER born 9 Sep 1916 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 17 May 1993 in Laramie, Albany County, Wyoming.
1-6-5. Harry Levern GROVER born 22 May 1918 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 27 Jul 2008.
1-6-6. Leland Quincy GROVER born 31 Oct 1921 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 24 Aug 2004 in Washington.
1-6-7. Dora May GROVER born 18 Mar 1924 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 12 Dec 2018 in Casper, Natrona County, Wyoming.
1-6-8. Milton Chester GROVER born 16 Aug 1925 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 3 Aug 1999 in Josephine County, Oregon.
1-6-9. Helen Lillian GROVER born 8 Feb 1927 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 14 Sep 2007 in Buffalo, Johnson County, Wyoming.
1-6-10. Gerald N. GROVER born 4 Feb 1929 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 5 Aug 2007 in Converse County, Wyoming.
1-6-11. Flora Mary GROVER born 29 Mar 1930 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota; died 19 May 1930 in Pine River, Cass County, Minnesota.
1-6-12. Cora Mary GROVER born 29 Mar 1930; died 25 Sep 2024 in Big Horn, Sheridan County, Wyoming.
1-6-13. Laurabelle GROVER born 20 Jul 1932 in Cass County, Minnesota; died 1 Dec 2020 in Spokane County, Washington.
Compiled from FamilySearch and FindAGrave, contributed 2026 May 17 by Norma Hass.
In the rapid development of the
Northwest new words have been added to the English language and old
words have been given a new meaning, making them practically new. As a
rule they express tersely characteristics, conditions, and results
peculiar to the region, and have become current among the people because
the ideas could not be expressed so forcibly by any other terms. At
first these words were regarded as "slang." Common use, however,
compelled their recognition as something necessary, and they gradually
lost the opprobrium of "slang" and gained a foothold in the dictionary
as "colloquial." Some have finally been admitted into the society of
respectable words without being tagged in any doubtful manner, and they
will remain to do a service which no other term could perform. One of
these words is "hustler," meaning a person of intense energy, enterprise
and industry. The Northwest needed just such men, and ''hustler" was
needed to describe them, for there was no other word which combined the
characteristics peculiar to the class. Hustlers are venturesome,
sometimes to rashness; hopeful to a degree bordering on the visionary,
and courageous to the point of foolhardiness, at times, but without them
the progressive, bustling, thriving Northwest could not have been. All
honor to the "hustlers." If there were more of them the world would be
better.
The subject of this sketch, P. H. McGarry, of Walker,
Cass county, Minn., is fairly typical of this western ozone of energy.
He was born at Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1860. He received an academic
education and developed literary and even poetic gifts which might have
made their mark in the field of letters, had not almost abnormal
activity given a trend in other directions. Instead of going through the
tentative process, common to young men searching for a business, be
leaped at once, by one bound, as it were, into active business life, for
at eighteen years of age he took charge of a hotel at Stanton, Mich.
That he was successful is evident from the fact that he was appointed
postmaster of the town in 1884, although only twenty-four years old. He
also built two hotels in Stanton. One, the "Grand Central," was of
brick, with the woodwork finished in hard wood. It cost $20,000. He
finally resigned his position as postmaster and moved to Chicago. It
seemed as if that city was too nearly finished to suit him, for he moved
to Rhinelander, Wis., and again back to Michigan and settled in the new
town of Ewen, where he erected a number of substantial buildings which
are even yet the pride of the town. From Ewen he went to Ironwood,
Mich., and there built four brick stores. He next went to Grand Rapids,
Minn., where he erected a brick block and managed the old hotel
Pokegama. When the wonderful iron ore banks of the Mesaba range were
discovered and public interest rose to a high pitch, Mr. McGarry was
attracted thither. He went to the town of Merritt, and with his usual
dash he built the Merritt hotel. Then he went to the town of Virginia,
and in thirty-one days put up the Virginia hotel, a hostelry large
enough to accommodate one hundred and fifty guests. From there he went
to Biwabik and built the Edna hotel. Returning to Virginia, he erected a
large business block, which, however, was destroyed by the great forest
fire which raged so furiously there a few years ago. The hotel was also
swept away. His indomitable spirit is shown by the fact that before the
ashes were fairly cooled he had a force at work on a new structure.
Nothing seems to discourage or daunt him; no obstacle can thwart him;
his dictionary does not contain the word "fail." In fact it seems to
have but one word, and that is "Hustle."
While conducting the
Virginia hotel he visited Minneapolis, and formed what is now the Leech
Lake Land company. Mr. McGarry was appointed general manager, and went
to Walker, where he still resides, to take charge of the enterprise.
When the village was organized the people elected Mr. McGarry president.
He has been at work with his characteristic "push," to use one of the
new western words. He erected a handsome brick block, which is now used
as the court house, for the town was made the county seat. He also built
a fine hotel, the "Pameda," which is a model of convenience and one of
the best appointed houses in the northern part of the state. When the
organization of Cass county was pending in the legislature the bill was
defeated in the senate. Mr. McGarry "snatched it from oblivion," it may
be said, and finally succeeded in having it made a law. Mr. McGarry's
migrations, so numerous that the record reads almost like an itinerary,
were not due to mere inane restlessness. There were in them purpose and
method which brought forth such substantial results that the towns
favored by his operations will long have cause to rejoice in the visit
of the "hustler," P. H. McGarry, whose name must ever be identified with
their growth and prosperity, and whose architectural mementoes will long
continue to be an inspiration to the faint-hearted.
Contributed 26 Jul 2022 by Norma Hass, extracted from History of the Great Northwest and Its Men of Progress, published in 1901, pages 105-106.
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This page was last updated
07/23/2026
