Lester A. Jarvis was born at Richville, Minnesota, on September 1, 1910. He came with his parents, Israel and Regina Jarvis, to Barnes County when he was three years old.

He went to school in the Baldwin and Pillsbury schools and graduated from Valley City High School in 1930. Sports were his big interest. He used to drive his

horse many miles when he wanted to play ball at Baldwin School. He was on their championship team at the Barnes County Tournament in 1926 and was All State guard on the Valley City Hi-Liners team when they won the state championship and went to the national tournament in Chicago in March, 1929.

He married Marjorie Anderson, who also attended Valley City High School. They bought a farm six miles south of Valley City known as Marsh's Mill, one of the first mills in the county.

To them five children were born who all attended the King School and later graduated from Valley City High School, Edna of Pacific Grove, California; Kelvyn of Anchorage, Alaska; Duane of Aberdeen, South Dakota; Jerry of Des Moines, Iowa; and Connie of Lester Prairie, Minnesota.

Les has been a farmer all of his life. His hobbies are gardening, hunting and antiques. There is a museum on his farm known as the Marsh Mill Museum. It is in the first school house of Marsh Township. He purchased it and fixed it up, adding three rooms.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 111