Person:Ola Skjaak (4)

[Ole H. Shager, who owns and conducts the well improved piece of agricultural property known as Boulder Dairy Farm in Section 17, town of Rock Creek, was born in Eau Claire, WI, son of Hans and Thora (Wigstad) Shager. The parents were natives of Shaker, Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, the father born Nov. 2, 1839, and the mother Aug. 10, 1840. Married in Norway, they came to America in 1879, settling first in Eau Claire where Hans Shager was employed for about 2 years in the sawmill of the Eau Claire Lumber Co.

In 1881 he came with his family to Dunn County and worked out on farms in the towns of Spring Brook and Peru for two years. He then bought 80 acres of land in Section 17, town of Rock Creek, of which tract a few acres had been broken, there being also a small house and small barn on it. Having taken up his residence on it, he began to develop it into a good farm. He remodeled and enlarged the house, built a barn of 20 x 60 feet, and also put up a fine setof out-buildings.

After conducting the place until 1909, he rented it in that year to his son Ole H., but continued to reside on it until his death, which occurred Aug. 11, 1914. His wife had previously passed away, on March 10, 1911. They had twochildren: Lena, who died at the age of 4 years, and Ole H.

Ole H. Shager acquired his education in District School No. 4, town of Rock Creek and grew to manhood on his parents' farm, in time becoming his father's assistant, which he remained until he rented the farm in 1909. In 1911 he purchased it, and from the time it came under his control he has kept up the work of improvement, with respect to both land and buildings. In 1913 he erected a silo of 12 x 28 feet.

His farm is pleasantly situationed on an elevation of some 300 feet, close to County Highway H, the elevation affording Mr. Shager the opportunity, of which he has taken advantage, of laying out a good sloping lawn ornamented with shade trees and shrubbery. He has a fine herd of grade Guernsey cattle and is successfullly engaged in dairying, being also a stockholder in the Meridean Cooperative Creamery. He was married March 17, 1908, to Oleana DAHL of thetown of Peru, Dunn County, daughter of Rasmus and Thora (Snikkerstuen) Dahl, the parents being natives of Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, who settled in the town of Peru in the early 1880s and still residing there.

Mr. and Mrs. Shager are the parents of 6 children: Rosa L, b. April 25, 1909 who was graduated from Dunn County Normal School, with the class of 1925 and his now teaching the Lock School in the town of Peru; Edna T, b. July 17, 1910, who lives at home; Elsie L., b. May 6, 1914; Olaf E., b. June 1, 1916; Doris T., b. Oct 24, 1918, and Robert H., born March 23, 1921. The family are members of the Rock Creek and Meridean Lutheran Congregation of which Mr. Shager is a trustee and they enjoy a high social standing in the community.

Extracted from the History of Dunn County (1925), p. 941-942.]