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His father's sterling integrity and unusual intellectual endowment marked him as a superior man, and his mother's keen perceptions, ready wit, and native dignity of bearing were remarkable. Rufus was early noted for his insatiable thirst for knowledge, for his tenacious memory, and his extraordinary precocity. He could recite whole pages of Pilgrim's Progress when he was but six years old, and he had perused the greater part of the village library before he was ten.
He entered Dartmouth College at the age of sixteen, after attending the academy at New Hampton, N.H., for a term, and was graduated with the valedictory in 1819. The famous Dartmouth College case was on trial during his undergraduate days, and it was Webster's great speech in connection therewith that so inspired Choate as to lead to his final choice of the law as his profession. After tutoring at Dartmouth for a year, he spent three years in Washington, D. C., studying law under William Wirt, attorney-general of the United States in 1823 was admitted to the bar, and for five years practised at Danvers, Mass. In 1825 he was sent to the state legislature as a representative, and in 1827 as a senator. He was chosen as a representative in Congress in 1830, and distinguished himself by a brilliant speech in the 22nd Congress on the tariff.
He was re-elected in 1832 to the 23rd Congress, but resigned his seat at the close of the first session and removed to Boston, where he devoted himself to his profession, and acquired a reputation as an eloquent, powerful and successful advocate. When in 1841 Daniel Webster accepted the portfolio of state in President Harrison's cabinet, Mr. Choate was elected to fill the seat he had vacated in the senate, and he made several brilliant speeches, notably those on the tariff, the Oregon boundary, the fiscal bank-bill, the Smithsonian institution, and the annexation of Texas. At the close of the term Mr. Webster was returned to the senate, and Mr. Choate once more resumed the practice of his profession. He went to Europe in 1850, and during his brief tour in England and on the continent a most forcible impression was made upon his mind by his observation of the characteristics of the older civilizations of the world, and, in his comparison of these with those of the newer, he saw the perils that were likely to follow a disruption of the union existing between the states. In his earnest desire to avoid such disruption will be found the key to his whole later life, and his last public utterance was an oration in behalf of an undivided nation. In 1852 he was a delegate to the Whig national convention at Baltimore, and there urged the nomination of Daniel Webster for the presidency. He was a delegate to the state convention of 1853, and took an important part in revising the constitution of Massachusetts. In 1856 he supported the Democratic national ticket, and made some speeches in the interest of Buchanan and Breckinridge. Busy as was his life he yet devoted a portion of each day to the study of literature, history, and philosophy, and it was this habit, together with his tenacious memory, which made him one of the most scholarly of public men. He was especially fond of Greek literature, and was only restrained from writing a history of Greece by seeing the early volume of Grote's great work. He contemplated a visit to Europe in 1859, and had proceeded as far as Halifax when his health failed so utterly that his son, who accompanied him, decided to return home, and while resting at the lodgings he had temporarily taken he died suddenly. Among his most famous speeches will always be named: the eulogy on President Harrison (1841); an address upon the anniversary of the landing of the pilgrims (1843); a eulogy on Daniel Webster (1853); an address at the dedication of the Peabody institution in Danvers (1854); an oration before the young men's Democratic club of Boston (1858); two addresses before the law-school at Cambridge, Mass., and two lectures before the Mercantile library association of Boston; but no adequate idea of his wonderful oratory can be obtained from reading his speeches. His works, with a memoir, published in two volumes, was prepared by Samuel Gilman Brown (1862.)²

Jean Christiansen (Kroeger) Sewall passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005, in Madison, Wisc., where she had resided in the Meriter Retirement Community since March 2004.
The daughter of Ida and Sophus Christiansen, Jean was born in Superior in 1931.
She graduated from Superior East High School in 1949, and earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in Education from, respectively, the Superior State Teachers College and Superior State University (both now known as the University of Wisconsin-Superior). Jean enjoyed teaching children for more than 30 years, including several years in the Beloit, Wisc., and Morgan Park, Minn., school districts. The majority of Jean's teaching career was in Superior; first at Howe Elementary and later at Martin Pattison Elementary School. She was a member of the Superior Retired Educators' Association and was a past member of Delta Kappa Gamma. Jean's happiness with her marriage to David Sewall in 1982 was shared by her family and friends.
Dave preceded her in death in 2003.
Jean is survived by her daughter, Megan (Kroeger) Christiansen, Madison; sister, Roberta Kroeger, Beloit; aunt, June Birch, Superior and Woodbury, Minn; three nieces and many cousins.²

MADISON - Megan E. Christiansen, age 60, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, at St. Mary's Hospital, in Madison, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born on June 12, 1955, in Superior. Megan graduated from Superior High School and UW-Madison. She enjoyed traveling, reading, knitting and sewing, weaving and spending time with the basket campers. Megan worked for the State of Wisconsin for over 25 years before retiring, but continued to volunteer in the downtown Madison area.

She is survived by her Aunt Roberta "Bobby" Kroeger; and cousins, Mary Sellon (Tom), Laura (Paul) Lengeling and their daughter, Ashley (Luke) Reel; cousin, Andrea (Troy) Shear and their children, Troy Jr. (Amanda) and Kyle; her committed partner, Mark Aeschlimann; and relatives living in the Superior, Wis., area. She was preceded in death by her mother, Jean (Christiansen) Sewall.³

He entered the Navy in 1857. He was made a commander in 1879, a captain in 1887 and retired in 1897, attaining his flag rank on the Retired List. He was a nautical assessor for the hearing of Admiralty appeals in the House of Lords and a Justice of the Peace for Huntingdonshire.²