Senate 1955-62 (District 13); Senate 1963-76 (District 20)
Party when first elected: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Counties Served: Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Pipestone, Yellow Medicine
Minneota High School; Secondary; Graduate, 1932
Spouse: Gladys Coover (married on April 4, 1950) Children: One child: Lois Eileen (daughter) Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature: Samuel Russell Barr - Brother-in-Law
He was a member of the Republican Party.He was of Icelandic ancestry.His parents came from Iceland to Westerheim Township of Lyon County in 1878. He had the distinction of being the only person of Icelandic descent to serve in the Minnesota Legislature in the past half century. (Minnesota Legislative Manual 1976)"He is credited with sponsoring laws that improved the public school trust fund's investment prcedures and was involved in establishing higher-education vocational schools in Pipestone, Granite Falls and Canby. He also was the founder of Southwest State University in Marshall. (Star Tribune obituary, June 3, 2007)He died at home in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. His funerals were held at Augustana Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minneota, Minnesota. He was buried in Westerheim Lutheran Cemetery near Minneota, Minnesota.He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Minneota, Minnesota.Religion provided by the Catholic Bulletin, 3/21/1975.