Ariston Lord wasa pioneer resident of Bemidji and a veteran employee of the Shevlin Carpenter Co. with which he was connected since he first went to Minneapolis as a young man.
Mr. Lord was born in Readfield, Maine in June 1857 but moved with his parents while still an infant to Livermore Falls where the family lived until he was seven years old. At that time they moved to Muskegon, Mich., where Mr. Lord first entered the employ of the Hamilton Lumber Company when he was only 11 years old. At the age of 16 he was a band sawyer for the Hall and Ducey Lumber Co. When he was 22 years old, he moved to Minneapolis and in subsequent years he worked in northern Minnesota, still in the employ of the same company. From Minneapolis Mr. Lord went to Grand Rapids for seven years and came to Bemidji about 1903. This company became the Shevlin-Carpenter Co. and Mr. Lord stayed connected with the organization holding various positions as a timber estimator and in charge of camps. Although he retired from active work in 1917 because of failing health and the company closed its operations in this section, he was kept on the payroll until the time of his death.
He was married in 1894 to Mary E. Shannon in Minneapolis. They had four children: Elbridge, Hovey, Cora and Margaret.
The large corner home at 903 Beltrami was the Lord family’s home from the early 1900s to the early 1950s when it was remodeled to apartments.
Mr. Lord was a member of the Masonic lodge and an active participant in the affairs of the Presbyterian church serving in various official capacities. Mr. Lord had a host of friends in Bemidji and vicinity. His business connections brought him in contact with many of the pioneer timber workers of this section and his social and religious activities in the city made him well known in all circles. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lord were exceptionally active in all forms of charitable work and had many close friends.
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Mrs. Mary Ellen Lord was born July 5, 1859 in South Molunkus, Maine. She was one of 11 children of William ad Margaret Shannon. She was united in marriage to Ariston Lord June 23, 1894 in Minneapolis. In 1897 they moved to Grand Rapids and made their home there for seven years. In 1904, they left Grand Rapids and came to Bemidji, and Mrs. Lord made her home in Bemidji until her death.
Mrs. Lord was active here in the interest of Bemidji for many years. She was the first president of the American Legion Auxiliary and acted as the head of the Relief department of the Associated Charities during her first years in Bemidji. She later was a conscientious worker in the American Red Cross. She was a long and faithful member of the local Presbyterian church and served as president of the Ladies Aid of this church at different times. She was also a trustee of the local Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. Mrs. Lord’s vital and active life had a wide influence in the development of Bemidji and of her church.
Mrs. Lord died on Feb 4, 1946. At the close of her funeral service, the officers of the Order of Eastern Star which attended in a body read their committal service around the casket of the church.
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Margaret Lord was raised and educated in the Bemidji area and graduated from Bemidji High School in 1923. She attended French’s Business College after high school. She married Harry O. Peterson in 1951 in Bemidji. She worked most of her life as a clerk at J.C. Penney in Bemidji.