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Gunnar B. Bjornson

House 1913-14 (District 17); House 1915-16 (District 13)

Party when first elected:  Republican

Counties Served:  Lyon

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 8/17/1872
Birth Place:
Birth County:
Birth Country: Iceland
Date of Death: 9/15/1957
Gender: Male
Religion: Lutheran
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
City of Residence (when first elected): Minneota
Occupation (when first elected): Newspaper Editor and Publisher, The Minneota Mascot

EDUCATION

Quincy Common Schools, Illinois; Attended College; Business
Studied Law;

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

Postmaster: Minneota (Appointed by President Roosevelt); ? to 1912
School Board/Administration: Minneota, Minnesota (School Board; 24 years); [Dates Unknown]
State Board/Commission/Council: State Tax Commission; 1925 to 1935 [Appointed]
State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Board of Tax Appeals (Chairman); 1939 to 1955

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Ingibjorg Augustine Hurdal (married in 1903)
Children: Six children: Valdimar, Hjalmar, Bjorn, Helga, Stefania, Jon
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

He came to America when he was four years old.

He was a member of the Republican Party.

He died in Hennepin County, Minnesota and is buried in Saint Paul's Lutheran Cemetery, Minneota, Lyon County, Minnesota.

Religion provided by a relative and his obituary. He was a member of the Icelandic Lutheran Synod.

Total Days Served: 1456

SESSIONS SERVED

39th Legislative Session (1915-1916)

  Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/1915
Body: House
District: 13
Elected: 11/3/1914
Residence: Minneota
Term of Office: 1/4/1915 to 12/31/1916
Oath Date: 1/5/1915
Counties Represented: Lyon
Occupation: Newspaper Editor and Publisher, The Minneota Mascot
Party: Nonpartisan Election Party Notes: He was "at first a prominent candidate of the progressives for speaker, but withdrew in favor of Gordon…" (Buell, C.J. The Minnesota Legislature of 1915, p. 94)
Committees:
  • Compensation of Public Officials
  • Drainage
  • Education
  • Elections (Chair)
  • Insurance
  • Towns and Counties

38th Legislative Session (1913-1914)

  Session Details   Convened Date: 1/7/1913
Body: House
District: 17
Elected: 11/5/1912
Residence: Minneota
Term of Office: 1/6/1913 to 1/3/1915
Oath Date: 1/7/1913
Counties Represented: Lyon
Occupation: Newspaper Editor and Publisher, The Minneota Mascot
Party: Republican
Committees:
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Printing (Chair)
  • Telephone and Telegraph
  • Villages

Articles & Books About

Photographs

Rep. Gunnar B. Bjornson at his desk.