HODNEFIELD, Iver

HODNEFIELD, OLSON, FLYNN, BROWN, COLBY, OSCARS, ENDRESON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 2/5/2014 at 15:06:38

HISTORY of CERRO GORDO COUNTY, IOWA
WHEELER, J.H. Vol. II. Pp. 484-85. Lewis Pub. Co. Chicago. 1910

BIOGRAPHY ~ IVER HODNEFIELD

Iver Hodnefield, a native of Norway and one of Lake township's enterprising agriculturists and good citizens, belongs to the ranks of the self-made men, having been left an orphan at the age of fifteen years in a comparatively strange country. He was born in Stavanger, Norway, January 9, 1864, his parents being John and Gunnild (Olson) Hodnefield. He came to Cerro Gordo in June, 1875, with his elders who located in section 33, Lake township. The mother died that same year, at the age of forty-one years, and four years later seven children were left alone in the world by the death of the father, he being at the time forty-eight years of age. The family had emigrated to the United States in 1873 and had spent two years in Story county. Upon his coming to Cerro Gordo county the father had purchased some wild land and had improved it to some extent. After his death the homeplace was sold and the estate settled, the children being left with practically nothing. The helpless little band made their home for a few years with an uncle in Hardin county and then made their own way in the world. The seven children are as follows: Carrie died twenty years ago as a young woman; Christina is the wife of Dr. Charles Flynn of Postville, Iowa; Iver is the third child; Olive for the past seventeen years has been a missionary in China under the auspices of the Norwegian Lutheran church; Julia is the wife a J. William Brown of Colorado; John is a farmer in Lincoln township; and Cornelius is a train [dispatcher] on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway.

Iver Hodnefield went forth in the world as a self supporting member of society at the age of sixteen years, and he has been thoroughly successful. In 1887 he made his first purchase of land which was the nucleus of his present homestead. He now owns and operates two hundred and forty acres of finely improved land in section 34, Lake township, and raises stock in addition to this general farming. He has some registered sheep. Politically Mr. Hodnefield is an adherent of the Republican party, and in evidence of the confidence in which he is held by his neighbors the offices of trustee, school director and other public duties have been bestowed upon him. He and his family are members of Bethlehem church (Lutheran) of Clear Lake.

In the fall of 1888 Mr. Hodnefield was married in Lake township to Miss Eliza Colby, born in Dane county, Wisconsin, in October, 1871. She is the daughter of Colburn and Ann (Oscars) Colby, who located in Cerro Gordo county in 1876, their land being situated in section 27, Lake township. Afterward the parents removed to Mason City where they resided until their demise, the father's death occurring in 1903, at the age of sixty-six years and the mother's, in 1907, at the age of sixty-six years. Mrs. Hodnefield is a sister of William M. Colby of Mason City, the promoter mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hodnefield: Clara Jessie, aged nineteen, is a student at Jewell College; Ella Ann died in 1898, at the age of four years; Elmer Iver is aged eleven; and Lillian Eliza is aged seven.

NOTE: Iver's father, Johan Iversson Hodenfield, was born in Norway on April 25, 1831, and died at Clear Lake on August 18, 1879. His mother, Gunhild Olesdtr (Endreson) Holdnefield, was born in Norway on July 7, 1934, and died at Clear Lake on October 5, 1875. They were interred at Clear Lake Cemetery, Clear Lake IA.

Iver Hodenfield died in Minneapolis MN on March 19, 1943. Eliza Ida (Colby) Hodenfield died in 1916. Their daughter, Ella Ann, was born in 1895, and died in 1898. Elmer Iver Holdenfield, Iver and Eliza's son, was born at Clear Lake on December 22, 1898, served as a TEC4, U.S. Army during World War II, and died at Los Angeles CA on January 15, 1960. They were interred at Clear Lake Cemetery, Clear Lake IA.

Also interred at Clear Lake Cemetery is Iver's sisters: Karen Marlene "Carrie" Hodenfield, born in Norway on December 30, 1859, and died at Clear Lake on January 13, 1890. Olive Hodenfield, born in Norway on September 29, 1865, died in Story City IA on September 19, 1948.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2014