|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Misc. Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Jøran Andersd Gislegard was the second child of Siri Andersd Gronseth & Anders Gulsen Gislegard. Jøran Andersd Gislegard married Kittil Gulbrandson Gronseth November 8, 1871 in America. The Kittil G. Gronseth Family History by Minnie Gronseth McDonnough This write-up will never be for sale in the bookshop, but one that will be utterly priceless in the lives and hearts of those dear to me. My grandparents on my father's side were in Sigdal, Norway. They were Gulbrand and Martha Gronseth. I visited this place in 1970. It is located about 70 miles from Oslo, Norway. I hired a car and a driver - cost me $70.00 but I felt it was worth every penny to see the home where my father grew to manhood. There were 3 houses called Gronseth, but the one I was seeking was the oldest and my father was born there. The house is 170 years old but kept up well. I recognized the clock on the wall and the chair in the corner from a picture we had at our home in Sargeant township, Mower County, MN. There was a painting of our farm hanging on the wall in this room. My father was the oldest of eight. Kittil, Siri, Andrew, Kjersti, Thomas, Anna, Knute and Tosten. My father was born February 21, 1846 and came to America in 1869. I recall him telling how difficult it was to travel on account of the language barrier, but somehow he managed to reach a cousin Christopher Gulson (Ruud?) living in Dodge County, MN. My father walked from Winona to the Gulson home, about 60 miles, carrying a knapsack holding a few clothes and the Bible his parents had given him as he departed for America. He obtained a job with a farmer by the name of Freemont Thoe. He must have been a good farm hand as a few years later when he married my mother, the wedding was held at Thoes. I remembered when my folks celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary a Mrs. Thoe gave a speech. She said she was 8 years old at the time and she said the bride was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen and she hoped she could be that pretty someday. My mother Jorand Gislegaard took the name Anderson when she and her father came to America. Her father's name was Anders and her brother was Andrew. Mother was 13 (19) years old. Her mother had passed away and her father wanted to get away from old memories in Norway and start a new life in U.S.A. He enrolled my mother in a school in High Forest and she made her home with a family by the name of Armstrong who ran a hotel as well as a General Store. My mother picked up the English language very easily and made her home with the Armstrongs until she married. Their first home was in Dodge County, a 40 acre farm. My cousin, Oscar, told me that was my grandfather (Anders) place and he lived with my parents until his death. He is buried at the West St. Olaf Cemetery. In 1887 they sold the 40 acres, moved to a 160 acre farm in Sargeant township, Mower County, MN. Here they lived until their death. After listening to a travelogue on Norway and later viewing the birthplace, I knew why my father bought the land in Sargeant township, Mower County. It has quite a resemblance to his birthplace. It has the river (Root River) where there were springs that gave us such wonderful drinking water. In the winter we learned to skate. Then we had the hills for skiing and sledding. My mother was great on skis. My father spent hours and hours in the woods. He cleared practically all of 80 acres by himself. I can still recall the echo of the ax in cold weather as the sound carried for a great distance. My dad loved the woods and every inch of the farm; that was why he was a successful farmer. Also he had the help of my dear mother, who could shock grain better than most hired help. Remember they farmed when the grain was mowed down and had to be tied by winding the grain around the bundle. It was some years before the McCormick reaper was manufactured and before they could afford to purchase one. There are many things that could be written about my parents, but I shall make it short. They were respectable citizens, good Christians. Dad was a good and kind husband to his faithful and good natured wife. These Christian parents brought us to God in early childhood. They had their struggles in life but through it all they never failed to show us the way to a Life after this. As near as I can learn my great grandparents were Sigrid & Hellick Gronseth. (Note: Sigrid was Kittil's sister and Hellick his brother-in-law. Minnie's great grandparents on her father's side were: Kittil and Ambjørg Gronseth, on her mother's side: Berit and Ole Gronseth.) More about this family on another chapter of Norway. There were ten children in our family. I was the youngest and called Babe most of my girlhood. Gilbert Martin was the oldest, was born March 30. He passed away at the age of 20, from a heart attack. He was dead before I was born. The second child was Sarah. The third was Andrew who died at the age of 3 from what I understand would be leukemia. Andrew and Gilbert are buried at the West St. Olaf Cemetery. Both were gone before I came into the world. Anna Marie was number four. Neither Sarah nor Anna Marie married. Sarah passed away at my home on January 12, 1957. Anna had passed away December 17, 1955 at her home on the farm. I was with her at the time. She had a stroke, lived a week but never regained consciousness. Both sisiters are at rest in the Evanger Cemetery, Sargeant Township. Amelia Andrea more often known as Emma was married to Fred W. Peterson. She passed away February 2, 1923, leaving her husband and 3 daughters, Sylvia - Mrs. Peter Honrud; Carlotaa - Mrs. Clem Marich; Ruth - Mrs. Ben Honrud. Sylvia and Carlotta passed away at an early age. Their families will be listed elsewhere. Ruth is a widow and lives at Erhard, MN (she has 3 sons) one married, the other two at home. Karen Georgina - often known as Gena, married Charles Wood. They made their home at Rothsay, MN. They were not blessed with children of their own, but were the best aunt and uncle anyone could have. Brother Carl Anton lived at home most of his 28 years. When he was eleven years old he had been very ill for days. The doctors from Austin were called and they said an operation immediately might save him; so the Dr. Hegge's operated that night. Our kitchen table was the operating table. My father held the kerosene light for the doctors. I was 3 years old and I recall they took mother and me to the neighbors. He evidently had a ruptured appendix. He was never very strong, but he grew to be a handsome young man, exceedingly kind and was instrumental in spoiling me. He passed away very suddenly in September, 1912. Albert, my youngest brother lived all his life on the farm which he took over when my Dad could not farm any more. The last 12 years Albert and his wonderful wife Emma built a new home on the 80 acres across the road from the old farm. Albert kept his parents with him as long as they lived. Albert sold the farm to his youngest son, James, who now lives there with his family. Albert passed away in 1973. Martha Christine was my youngest sister. She married Ernest M. Jacobson and they lived most of their lives at Pelican Rapids, MN. Their family will be listed with the other families elsewhere. They had five children. Christine passed away in 1973. I, Minnie, married James Martin McDonnough, a neighbor boy. We attended the same country school where my sister Mrs. Wood was the teacher. Jim used to like to tell this story. -- He said I used to come to school some mornings with my "Mother Hubbard" dress un-buttoned. I sat in front of Jim so he said he began buttoning my dresses and it was the biggest mistake he ever made in his life, as he had to continue doing so for the rest of his life! We made our home in Chicago, where Jim practiced medicine as a General Practitioner for 47 years. We lived on the same street all those years, 40 yearts at 3578 Armitage Ave. Jim passed away in his sleep, January 21, 1965. We were fortunate in having 4 children, 3 girls and one son (more about them elsewhere). I now am the proud grandmother of 14 living grandchildren. I have 2 little angels in heaven. I am the proud great-grandmother of 12. All the offspring are healthy and normal, so I have much to be grateful for and we'll attempt to continue the History of the Gronseths. It has been fun writing this up for you Eunice and I will be wishing you the best of luck in accumulating material from others. Some of my grandsons have suddenly became very enthused about their ancestry, one grandson even named his son Jason Kittel. Can't you just imagine how proud my father would be? Minnie Gronseth McDonnough - August 24, 1977. Jøran Andersd Gislegard & Kittil Gulbrandson Gronseth had ten children: Children Born Died Married Gilbert Martin Gronseth 1872 1892 Unmarried Siri Gronseth 1874 1957 Unmarried Andrew Gronseth 1876 1879 Died age 3 Anne Marie Gronseth 1878 1955 Unmarried Ameilie Andria (Emma) Gronseth 1880 1923 Fred Peterson Karin Georgine (Gina) Gronseth 1883 1968 Charles A. Wood Karl Anton Gronseth 1885 1912 Unmarried Albert Gorgen Gronseth 1888 1973 Emma Martha Kristine Gronseth 1890 1973 Ernest Jacobson Minnie Gurine Gronseth 1893 ? Jim McDonnough | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouses | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Modified 24 Jan 1998 | Created 19 Feb 1999 by Reunion for Macintosh |
Visits to this site:
since February 27, 1999.