|
||||||||||
| Misc. Notes | ||||||||||
| Reier Helgeson - brother to Ole Helgeson and Kari (Helgeson) Moen September 1924 Hallingen Reier Helgeson died in the home of his daughter and son-in-law Mr. & Mrs. N.C. Rian, Oscar township, Otter Tail County, MN May 2, 1924. Helgeson had been in poor health for sometime. Several years ago he severed a stroke. The deceased was born in Flaa Hallindal Norway March 20, 1835 and reached the age of 89. In his homestead he was married to Miss Christi Tollefsdatter, who died 7 years ago. They came to America in the 60. First they came to Rock Prairie, Wisconsin, from there they moved to Emmett County, Iowa and after a few years stay they came to Otter Tail Co; and were among the first to take homestead in Oscar Township. On this homestead they built a home and lived there for many years. They they moved on another farm in the neighborhood. They had 9 children. Only two survived their father, Helge Helgeson, Rothsay and Mrs. N.C. Rian, Oscar Township. Reier stayed with his daughter the last four years. Besides his children he is survived by his brother, Ole Helgeson, Trondhjem township, and Mrs. Erik Moen, his sister of Oscar township. Reier Helgeson Weekly Journal, May 8, 1924. Death called another pioneer of this vicinity yesterday (May 2) when Reier Helgeson passed away at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Nels Rian in the town of Oscar, at 1:30 a.m. at the age of 89 years. He had suffered three slight paralytic strokes during the last few years which has left him partially helpless. It has been growing worse for the last few weeks and death was not unexpected. He was born in Flaa, Hallingdal, Norway, Mar 20, 1835. He was married in Flaa, Norway in November 1863 to Miss Christie Tollefsdater. They emigrated to America in 1868. They lived for some time in Rock County, Wis. and Emmet County, Iowa. They came to Otter Tial County in 1871 and settled on a homestead in the town of Oscar where he lived until the last few years when he made his home with his daughter. They were among the very earliest settlers in this vicinity and endured the hardships of pioneer days. In his long life he has lived to see a vast change in his adopted country and marvelous improvements in machinery and modes of travel. The history that any one of the pioneers could tell would be a book of great interest to the present generation. Nine children were born to them. Only two survive; Helge of Rothsay and Mrs. Rian of Oscar. Two children died while coming to America and five died during one summer in the early 80's in a diptheria epidemic. Two were buried in one grave. In those times when diptheria got into a community, it invariably took most of the children of every family contracting the disease. Mrs. Helgeson died in September, 1917, at the age of 77. Seek and Ye Shall Find Leave your home, your friends, and your relatives. Take your most needed belongings and cross the ocean to America. If you heard such an inner and outward voice telling you this, could you do it? Reier Helgeson had lived in Norway, his homeland, for thirty years. He had always known the companionship of old friends and relatives. He had been born in the 1840's and the year was now 1871. He had heard this voice and decided it would be best to obey it. Reier left with his wife Kristie, and eldest child Helge and Tollef. In the year to come there would be seven more children. Tollef died on ship. The ship left with the landing port of Quebec. However they were becalmed for three weeks in Newfoundland. They finally landed at Quebec and their journey to the United States was begun. The trip would carry them on a circuitous route until they reached the Red River Valley. The family went down to Jackson County in the southern part of Minnesota. They lived here for about a year and then moved to the Red River Valley. Here he carried on the tailoring trade that he had learned in Norway. The land which Reier wished to farm was to be filed as a homestead. This method of gaining possession of land was in accordance with the Homestead Act. This act had been passed in 1871 and provided for settling of land in the west. Each man that wanted to farm a homestead would go to the land office. There he would give the lands description to the land clerk. He, in turn, would get out the platt book. The showed the land that was owned and that which was open for possession. If the land he wanted to own did not have a claim filed on it, the man would file his name as owner. The clerk then placed this in the land office files. Reier went through this simple, yet important process and had a homestead. The work of keeping a home was proving itself to be quite different from the tailoring work he had done in Norway. The language was also a problem. Reier had come from an area of Hollingdahl. This was much like one of our present day townships. However each different area had a slightly different dialect of the Norwegian language. When Reier came, he took the full limit of a homestead. This was one hundred sixty acres. The land Reier chose was mostly prairie but timberland was within easy hauling distance. For the first winter they lived in a dirt cellar. This was kept neat and clean. This home also proved to be quite warm and needed little fuel to be kept comfortable. It had one disadvantage, it lacked space. Another disadvantage in the winter was that the snow built up to block out almost all sunlight. The house was built when weather permitted. The wood was hauled the six or seven miles by Reier. This had come from the timberland. Fuel was hauled five or six miles from the east. For some years Alexandria was the nearest town to Reier Helgeson's. He grew wheat, flax, oats, and barley. When Breckenridge was built he hauled the grain there for sale. The second winter was hard. For three days, January seventh, eighth, and ninth of 1873, a cold wave and blizzard raged across the land. In this storm seventy people perished. Another time men started to haul grain in the morning when it was clear. A blizzard came up hard and fast. The drivers could not even see the other loads. During the three day blizzard, two people sought refuge at the Helgeson farm. Engebret E. Wee and his brother, Colbjorn E. Wee had been working to build a house on Colbjorns farm. They had been invited to Han's Nords for lunch. When they were going back the blizzard hit. It was decided to try to get home. They picked up their tools and started out. A fence was found but could not be identified. However they left the tools beside it. After wandering for hours to keep from freezing they stumbled across a corral. A light was seen and when they reached it they discovered Reier Helgeson's home. Colbjorn was treated for the bad effects of exposure, since his eyes were filled with ice and snow. Both men had bleeding frozen faces and had fallen on the floor as the door was opened. Kristie Helgeson was home alone as her husband had gone to town with a neighbor. They later discovered that Engebret was in need of medical care. At the time the nearest doctor was in Alexandria. A neighbor, Andreas Bakken, was called in to look at Engebret's hand. Mr. Bakken had no doctor's training but his father was a doctor in Norway and Andreas was much interested in the profession. IT was said that he had amputated his own foot when it had become frozen. Mr. Bakken decided that four fingers on Engebret's left hand would have to be amputated. The first operation did not do a thorough enough job so a second had to be performed. Whatever could be found to serve the surgical need was used. There was no anesthetic. A saw was used, then the fingers dipped in lye to seal the cut and the bone rounded off or smoothed off on a grindstone. All this was done at the Helgeson farm because the weather prevented moving Engebret. In the summer of 1873 the grasshoppers came as a plague to all farmers of the area. For five summers the air was filled with the sound of eating grasshoppers. For five years they ate up all crops and there was no harvest. Indians would come through this area on their migrations to and from South Dakota. One hill near the home was claimed to be an Indian Mound. When the railroad came through, the company would buy up land around the tracks. Then they sold it to homesteaders who wished to get more land. The railroad and all it's activities made a great change in the economy of the area. Now a cheap means of transporting crops was provided. If a homesteader wanted more land he could plant it in trees and it would become his. Such a method was called gaining a tree claim. In the twons, businesses were small and few. The chief business was groceries and blacksmith shops. In some of the larger towns of his time, mills, railroad depots and hotels could be found. The machinery Reier used when he farmed his land required strong muscles of both man and teams. A walking plow broke up the tough prairie sod. A drag was used to make the field smooth and the furrows even. Seed was scattered or planted by hand. The crops were cut down and stacked to be made ready for threshing. Oxen did most of the work as they were the main beasts of burden. Horses were not used very frequently. When threshing was to be done, a large group of farmers would get together to help each other. The men would work all day and the women would fix food and cooling drinks. These community threshing bees meant the getting together of almost all the people. At this time the required amount of schooling was only forty days. School was sometimes held in a home. This was done before a school was built. When the storms were bad enough to present the school from operating, lessons were recited at home to the parents. Reier had his children attend whenever possible. Church meetings were sometimes held in the home. The first church, which was Hedemarken, was only three miles from Rier Helgeson's home. Later on another church was built that was not too far from the homestead. The main social life revolved around the church. Many times people would meet for an afternoon and the women served food. The livestock that Reier kept was of varied animals and varied breeds. If a farmer had a sow that farrowed, a pig or two would be bought. Chickens and cows were raised as they were needed. The main holidays were Christmas and the Fourth of July. Both of these were simple celebrations. For the Fourth of July, there might be contests, a speech or two, and a community picnic, served by the women. Such a celebration was held in town but the farmers came in from the country. On Christmas the gifts were simple and filled with love. The meal was extra special and the family might have a small celebration by themselves. When Reier Helgeson came to America, other relatives followed. One brother and his wife, two sisters and their husbands were all of his family that came from the old country. One year a diptheria epidemic swept the area. Out of Reier's eight children only two survived. These were Helge and Sigre. Two of his children died the same day and were buried in the same grave. Five children were lost in less than three weeks time. John March 15, 1874 - July 28, 1883 Ole October 27, 1877 - July 28, 1883 Jorgina February 15, 1879 - July 29, 1883 Gilbert September 26, 1882 - August 6, 1883 Theodore October , 1872 - August 18, 1883 Their oldest son, Tellof died on board ship to the new land and was buried at sea. A daughter Joran, died shortly after birth. The only real records kept were that of births, deaths, and weddings. Occassionally there would be an inaccuracy. Such information was recorded in the family Bible. Both Reier and Kristie lived to see Helge and Sigre married, and with their own families. Helge married a girl named Mari. Segri married one of the Rians. They had been close friends and neighbors for many years. When Helge married he took over the land that Reier had homesteaded and bought two hundred acres for his farm. This acreage had some oak trees growing on it. Helge had five sons and two daughters. Theodore, Carl, John, Clara, who died when only one day old, Charley, who died at the age of four months, Peter, and another Clara. This is the order of their birth. SIgre's children numbered eight. Their names are given in the order of their birth. Clemmence, Clara, Gilbert, John, Julia, Henry, Anna, and Art. These were the daughters gift of grandchildren to her parents. Margaret Reitz (from Peter Helgeson's family Bible. Copy from Robert Helgeson. MGM. | ||||||||||
| Spouses | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Last Modified 24 Nov 1997 | Created 19 Feb 1999 by Reunion for Macintosh |
Visits to this site:
since February 27, 1999.