Gen. Gustaf Widell
BIRTH: 28 Apr 1862 in Lidköping, Lidköpings kommun, Västra Götalands län, Sweden
DEATH: 5 Mar 1943 (aged 80) in Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA
Section 177-6, Lot B
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General Gustaf Widell was born April 28, 1862, at Lidköping in the province of Västergötland, Sweden. At the age of twenty, seeking the broader opportunities of America, he emigrated to the United States and arrived in Minnesota in 1883. He came to Mankato without means or established connections and for two years worked as a day laborer, accepting whatever employment was available.
In 1884 he secured work in the McMullen quarry, where he carefully studied the stone industry. While many laborers treated the position merely as manual employment, Widell applied himself diligently, mastering the business with the ambition of eventually directing such an enterprise himself. In 1886 his brother Fred entered the quarry business and appointed Gustaf foreman. He was later advanced to superintendent, and in 1894 became a partner. Upon his brother’s death in 1895, Gustaf Widell assumed sole ownership.
Under his leadership the quarry expanded into one of the most significant industrial operations in the region. The business furnished employment to several hundred men annually and secured major contracts for railway bridge substructures throughout southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The Widell quarry became an important contributor to the economic stability and growth of Mankato and surrounding communities.
Widell’s influence extended well beyond business. A Republican in political affiliation, he served as a member of the Mankato Common Council and as a delegate to the national convention of his party. He was elected to the Minnesota State Senate for three non-consecutive terms, serving in 1919–1921, 1927–1929, and 1931–1933.
In 1900 he was appointed to the staff of the Governor of Minnesota with the rank of colonel, and in 1903 he was promoted to brigadier general. He served as inspector general until 1907, a title by which he was widely known thereafter.
General Widell was deeply active in civic and financial institutions. He served eight years as a director of the Citizens National Bank, was a member of the Mankato Library Board of Trustees at its organization, and contributed substantially to the work of the Commercial Club. Fraternally he was prominent in numerous organizations, including the Knights of Pythias, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Royal Arcanum, Degree of Honor, and as an honorary member of Ravelins Post, G.A.R., in Minneapolis.
His greatest fraternal distinction came through Masonry. On January 24, 1907, in St. Paul, he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, A.F. & A.M., the highest honor conferred by Minnesota Masonry. At the time of his death he was recognized as a senior past grand master.
On September 21, 1886, he married Miss Clara E. Burt, daughter of Lewis S. Burt of Lime Township. They were the parents of five children: Nellie M., Carrie May, Eleanor C., Inez E., and Lewis G. Clara died in 1932. Sometime thereafter he married Bertha Belle Emery (1882–1974), who later died in California.
General Gustaf Widell died March 5, 1943, at his home in Mankato at the age of eighty. His funeral was held March 8, 1943, and he was laid to rest in Glenwood Cemetery.
Rising from day laborer to industrial leader, state senator, military officer, and Grand Master of Minnesota Masons, General Widell’s life stands as a notable example of the opportunities and civic leadership that shaped Mankato in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
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