John Sargent Pillsbury Sr.

• Comment: Article is sourced almost entirely to Wikipedia itself. Other sources are not RS. Chetsford (talk) 04:50, 21 August 2018 (UTC)

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John S. Pillsbury Sr., was born on December 6th, 1878 at Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota. His father was Charles Alfred Pillsbury co-founder of Pillsbury Company with his Uncle John S. Pillsbury. Johns father had served in the Minnesota State Senate and his Great Uncle had served as Minnesota Governor from January 7, 1876 – January 10, 1882. It was for this reason that John had wanted to pursue a career in politics upon graduating from the University of Minnesota. He had also planned to go to France at the turn of the century to study international law and the French language.

Unfortunately, the family business was in turmoil following the deaths of his father while he was in college and his Great Uncle upon graduation. John, his twin brother Charles and their cousin Alfred Fiske Pillsbury, son of Gov. Pillsbury, formed a management team to take over the company. In 1889, the company had been purchased by British investors

John then fought off not only a buyout effort from a New York group to join it with their flour milling trust and then saved it from receivership in 1909. They put together a group that bought Pillsbury-Washburn Flour Co. Ltd., from the British in 1923 and took great pride in bringing it back under U.S. ownership. During a trip to Sicily, Italy and France., John learned a method for milling semolina flour. This flour is made from durum wheat and used as a principle ingredient for making macaroni.

He married Eleanor Jerusha Lawler (b. August 31 1887) on December 5th, 1911 and they had six children of which two died early. The survivors were his namesake John S. Pillsbury Jr.,, his son George and two daughters Mrs. Thomas M. Crosby, Oronoco, Minn., and Mrs. Stanley R. Resor, Washington, D. C.

John served for 58 years on the board of directors of the Pillsbury Co. and remained an active member until 1962. He was Chairman of the Board from 1932 until his retirement in 1952 when he became director emeritus. Pillsbury also was a director of Northwestern National Bank, Northwestern Bancorporation, Meriden Iron Co., and was president of Sargent Land Co., and the Keewatin Mining Co.

Pillsbury was a lifelong Republican who built a magnificent Summer home where he and his wife of 57 years raised their family. Known as Pillsbury Mansion and as Southways Estate on Lake Minnetonka (or Southways for short), the mansion became famous for the beauty New Jersey architect Harrie T. Lindeberg built into it. They spent their Winters at their home in Palm Beach, Florida which is where John S. Pillsbury Sr., died on January 31rst, 1968 in Palm Beach County, Florida. His funeral was held at Plymouth Congregation Church and burial was at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota.

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Armorbeast (talk) 02:34, 21 August 2018 (UTC)