Born February 14, 1874
Died November 28, 1936
Married Ida Nelson
November 23, 1903 in DeKalb, Illionois
Photo taken by Jerry & Leslie Gustafson January 2000.
Ernest was a strong, ruddy, reddish-haired man who was born in Normlosa, Ostergotlan, Sweden on February 14, 1874. He emigrated from Sweden to the United States in 1896 and lived for awhile in Sycamore, Illinois. He became a United States citizen on October 7, 1902. He met Ida and married her in Sycamore. Ernst was a mason worker by trade. He did excellent work, and was the one in charge of building quite a few buildings in Port Wing. Ernst did the masionry work on the Lundgren Block building, the bank, and the flour mill.
Ernst loved to play cards. One of his favorite Sunday activities was to have a friend or two over and play "Whist", a card game. Ernst would also like to play Swedish songs on a harmonica. Ernst preferred rye bread to white, so his wife, Ida, would make that for him instead of white bread.
In addition to doing masonry work, Ernest and Ida had a few farm animals, such as cows, chickens, horses, and pigs. Ernst would take eggs and cream to town to sell about twice a week. The farm in Port Wing was about 60 acres, and on it Ernst and ida would grow raspberries, strawberries, and grains. There were also some apple trees and plum trees on the farm. Emogene remembers Ernst walking the fields in the evening to see how the crops were doing. She also remembers him bringing home a huge pile of lath sticks that had bnails in them. One of the jobs of the children was to pull all the nails from the lath sticks so that Ernst could reuse the laths.
It is no secret that Ernest did visit the local taverns on a regular basis. One of Ernst's horses was very faithful and trustworky. When Ernst had a bit too much to drink down at the Lundgren Block in Port Wing, his buddies would help home out to the sleigh, put him in it and give the horse a swat on the butt. The horse would flawlessly bring Ernst back home to the farm without any direction from Ernst. As a result, Ernst was very protective of that horse, and insisted that none of the children play with it or ride it. Willie would say that if any of the children ever got caught riding that horse, they were due for a whipping. That horse must have been pretty intelligent. One time on its journey home with Ernst, it took a corner and the sleigh got stuck. Instead of panicking, the horse simply waited patiently until one of the family members discovered the problem and freed the sleigh.
Ernst was killed in an automobile accident in December of 1936. On a Sunday afternoon about 4:00 pm. He and some friends, the Kolin brothers and their father, were traveling home from Herbster. The automobile left the road and rolled over several times in a large ravine. Ernst was thrown from the car and died. Ironically, according to neighbors, Ernst had decided to give up drinking right before that day. He held true to his word, but shortly thereafter the tragic accident happened. One of the Kolin brothers was driving the vehicle. The Kalen brother's father was injured very badly in that accident as well.
Port Wing--One man was killed and three others injured, one of them seriously, when a car driven by Leonard Kolin of Port Wing struck a slippery stretch of road on No. 13 three and one-half miles from here Sunday, careened down a ravine and caught fire after rolling over six times.
All the occupants were thrown from the car before it burst into flames, Ernest Gustafson, 62, suffered a broken back and died enroute to the doctor at Iron River.
Henry Kolin, brother of Leonard, was the most badly injured. His hip was dislocated and he was taken to the Washburn Hoispital. Gust Kolin, their father, was badly cut and bruised and the driver also received numerous cuts.
The injured men were assisted by Walfred Bloomgren, H. Dahlquist, and Phillip Peeterson, who were driving close behind. All of the men residents of Port Wing were returning home from Cornucopia where they are engaged in the fishing industry.
Private funeral services will be conducted for Mr. Gustafson here Wednesday. His wife and nine children survive.
Ernst's Mother was Maja Greta Holm, born December 15, 1828, in Ang, Vary, Ostergotland, Sweden.
Ernst's Grandfather, father of Anders, was Gustaf Hindricksson. Gustaf was bron February 6, 1785, in Vasterlosa Sweden He was a farmer and died March 8, 1863.
Ernst's Grandmother, mother of Anders, was Lena Caisa Nilsdotter. Lena was born June 17, 1794 in Vasterlosa, Sweden. She died September 4, 1868.
Ernst's Grandfather, father of Maja Greta Holm, was Petter Holm. Petter was born January 27, 1792, in Hogstad, Ostergotland, Sweden. He was a soldier and died October 19, 1865 in Lonsas, Sweden.
Ernst's Grandmother, mother of Maja Greta Holm, was Sara Pesdotter. She was born October 15, 1785 in Vary, Ostergotland, Sweden.
Ernst's Great-grandfather, father of Lena Caisa Nilsdotter, was Nils Olofsson. Nils was born January 10, 1772 in Vasterlosa, Sweden. He married Brita Larsdotter in 1793. Nils died January 29, 1853.
Ernst's Great-grandmother, mother of Lena Caisa Nilsdotter, was Brita Larsdotter. Brita was born November 6, 1768 in Veta Sweden. She died September 18, 1847 in Vasterlosa, Sweden.
Ernst's Great-grandfather, father of Gustaf Hindricksson, was Henric Anderson and born February 6, 1785 in Vasterlosa, Sweden. He was a farmer and died March 8, 1863.
Ernst's Great-grandmother, mother of Gustaf Hindricksson, was Stina Gustafsdotter. No information is available on Stina.
Ernst's Great-grandfather, father of Sara Pesdotter, was Peter Ericsson. No information on Peter is available.
Ernst's Great-grandfather, mother of Sara Pesdotter, was Anna Johansdotter. No information is available.
Ernst's Great, great-grandfather, father of Nils Olofsson, was Olof Olofsson, born July 10, 1743 in Vasterlosas, Sweden. He died September 16, 1814 in Vasterlosa.
Ernst's Great, great-grandmother, mother of Nils Olofsson, was Helena Jonsdotter, born August 30, 1748 in Vasterlosa, Sweden. She died July 31, 1790 in Vasterlosa.
Ernst's Great, great-grandfather, father of Brita Larsdotter, was
(not quite finished....LG)