Biography of O. P. Shelstad
May 22, 1929 Clarence Shelstad
Mr. O. P. Shelstad was born in 1874, five miles west of Zumbrota, Minnesota, on a small farm. In his twenties he farmed for himself, and later on moved to Clarissa, Minnesota. There he bought a farm, which he farmed for a few years. He got sick and went to southern Minnesota where he took treatments. When well again, he went back.
He got to be mail carrier and moved to town. Mr. Shelstad carried mail for about four years, when he was elected manager of the Eagle Valley, Cooperative Creamery.
When he moved to town, he bought a home consisting of five acres. The creamery was improving and he was reelected. After a couple of years in the creamery, he bought half share in a hardware store. The business was sold six months later because he could not take care of the creamery and hardware store both.
He stayed in the creamery ten years and then resigned and moved to Cooperstown to take care of the creamery there. The other partner wanted to move back to Minnesota and someone had to take care of the business.
Mr. Shelstad has lived in Cooperstown since leaving Minnesota, and he expects to stay quite a while longer.
Before he moved to Clarissa, or when in his teen's, he went to a business college at Red Wing, Minnesota. This college gave him much bookkeeping which helped him to take care of books in almost any business.