Blethen Berens: Built on a Solid, Firm Foundation
The foundation of Blethen Berens was laid in 1896 by a visionary founder who quickly built a reputation as both a savvy businessman and tenacious trial lawyer. Today, 130 years later, that same foundation continues to shape how we serve our clients and our community.
Our Mankato Roots: The Wilson & Blethen Legacy
The firm of Blethen, Gage and Krause was established by S.B. Wilson with lineage tracing back to 1896. He practiced law for several years before serving as Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1923 to 1933.
Minneapolis Journal. Governor Theodore Christianson (left) being sworn into office by Judge Samuel B. Wilson. 06 Jan. 1925.Minnesota Historical Society, http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/largerimage?irn=10139005&catirn=10771816&return=, Accessed Sept. 23.2020
Governor Theodore Christianson (left) being sworn into office by Judge Samuel B. Wilson (right).
St. Paul Daily News (Firm: Saint Paul, Minn). Pardon Board of the State of Minnesota, left to right: Samuel B. Wilson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Governor Floyd B. Olson, Attorney General Henry Benson and the Secretary of the Pardon Board (name unknown); Billy Williams is standing. 1932. Minnesota Historical Society, Photo Lab, http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/largerimage?irn=10128874&catirn=10760142&return=, Accessed 23 Sept. 2020
Pardon Board of the State of Minnesota. Chief Justice Wilson is on the left.
Upon returning to private practice, Wilson added partners and the business grew. In 1933, he formed a general partnership with his son, Bailey Wilson, known as Wilson and Wilson. In 1937, William C. Blethen was admitted and the firm became Wilson & Blethen. In 1945, Arthur H. Ogle joined after serving in WWII with the 486th Bomb Group and the 835th Bomb Squadron, and the partnership became Wilson, Blethen & Ogle.
Lawyers have always liked fast vehicles, even in the early 1900s! S. B. Wilson's horse and trotting rig are featured here:
During WWII, Arthur H. Ogle served as First Lieutenant as a pilot. A Flying Fortress B-17 similar to one he flew is pictured here:
After remaining active in the firm for nearly six decades, S.B. Wilson passed in 1954. In 1955, Kelton Gage was admitted to the partnership, and it became known as Blethen, Ogle, and Gage. Meanwhile, Arthur Ogle served as a representative for the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1955 to 1958. In 1961, Raymond C. Krause was admitted to the partnership, and it became known as Blethen, Ogle, Gage & Krause. In 1968, William Blethen's son, Bailey Blethen, was admitted, followed by Randall C. Berkland and Richard J. Corcoran in 1974 and James H. Turk in 1979.
Wilson and the partners who followed concentrated their efforts on exceptional service, wise counsel, and solid relationships. These same principles hold true for the firm today.
Our New Ulm Roots: The Streissguth & Berens Legacy
The firm of Berens, Rodenberg & O'Connor traces its lineage to 1923, when Thomas Streissguth built his practice in the New Ulm community. Tom served two years of active military duty before joining Alfred W. Mueller's New Ulm practice. That partnership continued until 1927, when Tom opened his own practice. He later partnered with his brother-in-law, John Fordyce, under the name Streissguth & Fordyce, until Fordyce moved to Wisconsin in 1935. James Gislason then joined Tom's practice briefly, until his tragic death. In late 1936, Judge S.P. Gislason became Tom's partner — a partnership that continued until 1942, when Tom was appointed Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.
After completing two non-consecutive short terms on the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1942 and 1944, Tom resumed law practice in New Ulm and entered partnership with Robert J. Berens. In 1948, Richard T. Rodenberg was admitted to the partnership. Before Tom passed in 1950, he welcomed his daughter, Janice, to his firm as their newest attorney. Ranked in the top bracket of his profession, Tom was known as a student of the law and a forceful advocate at the bar. The firm continued to grow, and in 1964 William (Bill) O'Connor joined, completing the name Berens, Rodenberg & O'Connor.
Two Firms, One Foundation
In July 2018, Blethen, Gage & Krause merged with Berens, Rodenberg & O'Connor to form Blethen Berens. What began as two local practices has grown into a community- and region-devoted firm with broad-reaching influence — one of the oldest and largest practices in southern Minnesota, with 18 attorneys. From attentive personal service to resourceful legal strategies, every client — large or small — benefits from our resources, breadth of knowledge, and commitment to their legal needs.
The People That Make Our Firm What It Is Today:
As we mark 130 years of legal excellence and honor our rich history, we look back with immense gratitude for everyone who shaped our journey — from our founding partners to every attorney and staff member who followed. We especially want to recognize the long-tenured colleagues whose dedication defines who we are. Through deep client and community relationships, refined and efficient processes, and a commitment to seeing every case through, they form the bedrock of our success. To name a few:
While we can only showcase a few faces here, our gratitude extends to the countless wonderful people who have shaped our legacy. To all our past and current team members: thank you for bringing our core values of legal excellence and personal commitment to life every day.
We are incredibly proud of the firm foundation we share. To our entire team, our valued clients, and our professional partners—Happy 130th Anniversary!
In Their Own Words
A few reflections from those who helped shape Blethen Berens into the firm it is today and have shaped our vision for the future.
William C. Blethen on S. B. Wilson's abilities as a Trial Lawyer:
"Judge Wilson's greatest ability was as a trial lawyer. He was admirably equipped for the role of an advocate. Possessed on an unusually keen mind, he had the rare ability to cut through masses of evidence and confused testimony to reach the basic issues of a controversy with a speed and accuracy that could not but impress the most able opponent and utterly overwhelm the mediocre. He was a master-showman in a courtroom, gifted with that indefinable thing known as "color" and the ability to think best when pressed hardest. Thunderous in invective, biting in sarcasm, flashing in wit, towering in righteous rage, yet patient and gentle with a timid witness or sympathetic with one in trouble, he could present a case not only with flawless logic but with a dramatic impact that would do credit to a Shakespeare or a George Bernard Shaw. He understood and deeply believed in our judicial system, often discoursing on the duty of the advocate to use every honorable means in his power to present his client's cause while leaving the decision to an impartial judge and jury who perform an equally important, but decidedly different function."
Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society. "Proceedings in Memory of Chief Justice Samuel B. Wilson and Associate Justices Clifford L. Hilton, Julius J. Olson, and Theodore Christianson." Testimony: Remembering Minnesota's Supreme Court Justices, Vol. 246, Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society, St. Paul, Minn, 2008, Minnesota State Law Library, Library Research Guides, 14 July 2020, https://mncourts.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=46098967, Accessed 23 Sept. 2020
William C. Blethen on S. B. Wilson's Work Ethic:
"His capacity for work was prodigious. I can see him as he would brief some difficult point of law, shutting himself in his library for hours, then suddenly throwing his door open to reveal an apparent confusion of books in wild disarray, only to dictate rapidly while turning unerringly from volume to volume and ending with an argument that would be the envy of us who toiled for days with scratchpad and pencil for a much less convincing result. I can recall cases that seemed utterly hopeless where in a matter of minutes his vast knowledge of the law would lead him to a spectacular, but often simple and sure solution. Impatient with delay, sometimes hasty in temper, completely intolerant of slipshod effort, he was not the easiest man to work with, but as one grew to know him he commanded not only respect but an affection and devoted loyalty which few men ever earn."
Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society. "Proceedings in Memory of Chief Justice Samuel B. Wilson and Associate Justices Clifford L. Hilton, Julius J. Olson, and Theodore Christianson." Testimony: Remembering Minnesota's Supreme Court Justices, Vol. 246, Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society, St. Paul, Minn, 2008, Minnesota State Law Library, Library Research Guides, 14 July 2020, https://mncourts.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=46098967, Accessed 23 Sept. 2020
S. B. Wilson's Words On Practicing Law:
"'The practice of law is like the practice of medicine or the ministry. Your door is open 24 hours of the day to anyone who is in trouble, regardless of his reputation, his social standing, or his ability to pay for your services. It is your duty to hear his story and to use every honorable means to ensure that his rights are protected.'"
Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society. "Proceedings in Memory of Chief Justice Samuel B. Wilson and Associate Justices Clifford L. Hilton, Julius J. Olson, and Theodore Christianson." Testimony: Remembering Minnesota's Supreme Court Justices, Vol. 246, Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society, St. Paul, Minn, 2008, Minnesota State Law Library, Library Research Guides, 14 July 2020, https://mncourts.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=46098967, Accessed 23 Sept. 2020