Biography - Frank E. Warren

Frank E. Warren, who is engaged in the hardware business in Elliott, was born at Pine Island, Goodyear county, Minnesota, January 30, 1881, son of Charles H. and Ruth A. (Sumner) Warren. The father was a farmer by occupation and was born in the state of New York and removed to Minnesota just after the Civil war. He there resided until 1884 when he came to North Dakota and established his home in Bale township, Ransom county, where he secured a tree claim. There he engaged in farming until 1906 when he retired and removed to Elliott where he still makes his home, but his wife died in 1894. In their family were five children.

Frank E. Warren, who was the second in order of birth, pursued his education in the district schools and Highland Park College of Des Moines, Iowa, which he attended for six months, taking the machinist's course. He was able to devote that period to study by reason of the fact that he had earned the money to meet his tuition and other expenses. As soon as old enough he took a homestead and meeting the requirements of the law as to point of residence and improvements he secured the title to the property. After farming there for one year he went to college in Des Moines and in the summer returned and assisted in the harvest fields. Before taking his homestead he had become interested in a threshing outfit. In 1907 he entered into partnership with Arthur Belzer and opened a general store in Elliott, this relation continuing until December, 1909, when the store and all its contents were destroyed by fire. Mr. Warren, who was then postmaster of the town established the post office in his own home and conducted it there until 1910, when he removed the post office into a store building which he had erected. At the same time he put in a small line of hardware and has continued to increase his stock until it is now complete and his trade has increased until a liberal patronage is accorded him, making the business a profitable one. He has the agency for the Case Machine Company and also handles auto supplies, paints, glass, etc. He continued to act as postmaster until November, 1915.

It was on the 17th of November, 1906, that Mr. Warren was united in marriage to Miss Lilah Viola Phelps, who was born at Indianola, Iowa, in 1889. They have become the parents of three children: Frances, born in 1910; Ruth, born in 1913, and Dean E., born in 1915. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Warren is a past foreman of the local organization of Yeomen and a member of the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is a republican and for the past eight years has been township treasurer of Elliott. He takes a great interest in everything pertaining to the welfare and progress of the community, does all in his power to promote the success of his party and stands at all times for those measures of improvement which are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride.

Extracted 05 Nov 2019 by Norma Hass from North Dakota History and People, published in 1917, volume 2, pages 413-414.