Oscar William Westerstrom

WESTERSTROM

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 4/26/2010 at 11:44:08

Oscar William Westrstrom is a successful stone, brick and cement contractor of Madrid. He is a native of Boone county, his birth having occurred Elk Rapids, May 21, 1876. His parents were Gustav William and Johanna Sophia (Sell) Westerstrom, the former born in Sweden, July 5, 1839, and the latter in the same country Jun e22 1849. The father is living in Madrid, but his wife passed away in that city on March 30, 1896. Their marriage took place in Rockford, Illinois, in 1869 and six children were born to them: Anna Olivia, who was born February 12 1870, and died I Madrid January 6, 1891, Mrs Emma Sophia Hultman, born March 18, 1872, of Madrid, Mrs Nellie Ottilia Alsin, born April 5, 1874, the wife of Carl A Alsin, Oscar William of this review, Henry Martin, born August 26, 1879, who died in 1880, Henry Elmer born May 8, 1882 residing in Madrid. The three eldest children were born in Rockford, Illinois and the younger ones in Boone county, where all were reared and educated.
On August 23, 1899 Mr Westerstrom married Miss Ethel Westerberg, who was born in Garden township, Boone county March 1, 1878.She is a daughter of A P and Emma Lundahl Anderson Westerberg, who were natives of Sweden, the former born in Westergotland o July 17, 1840. When sixteen years old he was confirmed in the Lutheran church and when a young man of twenty-six years he emigrated to the Untied States, locating in Boone, Iowa in 1866. He first was connected with the bridge building department of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, continuing with that corporation for nine years. He the successfully followed agricultural pursuits, gradually extending his farm until it embraced 200 acres. He passed away I Madrid on September 22, 1909, highly esteemed and respected by his fellow citizens. His wife died on the old home farm in Garden township and he subsequently married Mrs Christina Westland, who bore him a son, Lester Roosevelt Westerberg, a resident of Madrid. By his first union he had eight children: Mrs Maude Sundberg, who resides in Garden township, A R Westerberg, a prominent resident of Madrid, Mrs Ethel Westerstrom, Frank a resident of Boone, Mrs Esther Krantz of Madrid, Edwin of Longmont, Colorado, Mrs Blanche Peterson, who makes her home in Garden township, and Zylpha, deceased. All these children were born and reared in Garden township.
Mr and Mrs Westerstrom have two children: Edna Gertrude born August 14, 1900, and Russell William Theodore, born February 16, 1906. Both are attending the public schools of Madrid. Mr and Mrs Westerstrom are members of St John’s Lutheran church, to which they give their moral and material support. They live in a handsomely furnished home in Madrid, besides which Mr Westerstrm owns valuable personal property. Politically he is a republican, well conversant with the public issues of the day, although he has never cared to enter the political arena. He has many friends in Madrid, enjoys the highest reputation business circles and socially is very popular.

1914 Boone County History Book