PEDERSEN (PETERSON, MAAKESTAD), Johannes (John)

PEDERSEN, PETERSON, MAAKESTAD, NIELSDATTER, MOKKESTAD, JOHANNESDATTER

Posted By: Deidre Badker (email)
Date: 9/27/2014 at 12:32:59

John Pedersen Maakestad was born December 19, 1833 at Mokkestad, Ullensvang, Hordaland, Norway to Peder Larsen Mokkestad and Guri Johannesdatter. He was baptized on December 25, 1833 at Ullensvang.

Believe John left Norway on April 20th, 1855 with a group of friends and/or relatives to emigrate to America to join relatives who had emigrated the year before. His 3 brothers who also emigrated to America are: Lars Pedersen (1813-1893 Illinois); Johannes Moa Pedersen ( 1818-1876 Mitchell Co, Iowa) and Holden (Helge) Pedersen (1830 - November 1904 Mitchell Co, Iowa).

Found in the Norwegian Digital Archives on-line for Ullensvang, Hordaland, Norway 1854-1866, page 305, a large group emigrating together on April 20, 1855:
4. Vigleik Pedersen Naa (born December 1835) (left April 18th)
5. Johannes Larsen Bleie (born November 1833)(left April 18th)
6. Jacob Pedersen Bleie( born June 1, 1830)
7. Helge Pedersen Bleie (born April 16, 1832)
8. Ella Pedersdatter Bleie (born April 16, 1832 (probably twin to # 7 Helge))
9. Knud Knudsen Maakestad( born1834)
10. Jon Pedersen Maakestad (born December 19, 1833) (subject of this bio)
11. cannot decipher name (born 1832)
12. Vigleik Pedersen Aacre (born March 1832).
Not sure if they traveled on to Lee, Illinois or came to Mitchell County, Iowa.

Found in the 1856 census living at rural Osage, Mitchell, Iowa: (with his brother Johannes Moa Pedersen Maakestad) John Peterson 36, John Peterson 22 (subject of this bio), Betsey Peterson 32, Ole Johnson 1, Peter Johnson 1. (Note: brothers using the surname Pedersen or Peterson, later known as Maakestad)

John married Martha Nielsdatter Johnson on December 30, 1858 at the First Lutheran Church, St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa.

The couple had 8 children:
Peter Johnson Pedersen (b October 20, 1859 Mitchell, Iowa, married Netta Nilsen March 6, 1886 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, d June 24, 1943 Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa);

Gurine (b March 30, 1862 Mitchell, Iowa, married Hans Christian Nelson 1890 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, d May 19, 1938 Clear Lake, Iowa);

Ingeborg Martine Pedersen (b April 29, 1864, d before 1880 both at Mitchell Co, Iowa);

Niels Edward Pedersen (b May 26, 1866, d December 16, 1872 both at Newburg, Mitchell, Iowa);

Joseph Martin (b April 30, 1870 Newburg, Mitchell, Iowa, married Clara Simonsen, d September 1971 Deer Park, Napa, California);

Edward A Pedersen (b April 1874 Newburg, Mitchell, Iowa, married Josephine surname unknown abt 1897 Mitchell, Iowa, d unknown);

Amelia Annette Pedersen (b October 11, 1877, d before 1880 both at Newburg, Mitchell, Iowa) and

Amelia J Pedersen (b July 1881 Newburg, Mitchell, Iowa, married John Oleson June 24, 1908 Clear Lake, Iowa, d 1941 Iowa).

Found in the 1860 census living at Mitchell, Mitchell, Iowa: John Peterson 26, Martha Peterson 18, Peter 8 mos, born in Iowa.

Found in the 1870 - 1900 censuses at District # 308, Newburg, Mitchell, Iowa:
1870: John Peterson 32, Martha Peterson 29, Peter Peterson 11, Wrene Peterson 8, Edward Peterson 5, Joseph Peterson 3/12, Andrew Angarrus 30.

1880: John Peterson 47, Martha Peterson 37, Peter G. Peterson 20, Gurena Peterson 18, Joseph J. Peterson 10, Edward Peterson 6.

1885: John Peterson 51, Martha Peterson 43, Gurin J Peterson 22, Joseph J Peterson 14, Aden J Peterson 10, Emelia J Peterson 3.

1900: John Peterson 66, Martha Peterson 57, Amelia Peterson 18.

Found in the 1910 - 1925 censuses at Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa:
1910: John Pedersen (Peterson) Maakestad 76, Annie Peterson 62, married in 1908, her first marriage, his 2nd marriage. Says he emigrated 1855 and she emigrated 1862

1915: widower. John Peterson age 81.

1920: widower for 2nd time. Peter J Pederson 60, Nettie Pederson 52, John Pederson 86.

1925: living with his granddaughter: Harold Mansfield 29, Mary Mansfield 33, Earl P Elefsend 11, Alice M Mansfield 4, Raymon W Mansfield 1, John Pederson 91.

NOTE: John must have married a second time in 1908, according to the 1910 census which says his wife is Annie, age 62. John's first wife, Martha had died in 1906.

John Pedersen Maakestad died July 11, 1931 at Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa with the name John Pederson and was buried at the Clear Lake Cemetery, Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa.