Terkelsen, Wigfred

TERKELSEN, GADEMAYER, PETERSEN, MORTIZDATTER, HANSEN, BATCHELDER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 2/14/2003 at 17:06:03

WIGFRED TERKELSEN 

The subject of this review, who is now so efficiently serving as superintendent of the Springdale cemetery of Clinton and Lyons, Iowa, was born in Denmark December 25, 1856, and is a son of Hans and Caroline (Gademayer) Terkelsen. The father, who was a baker by trade, died in that country when about sixty years of age, and the mother subsequently came to America, where she passed away at the age of seventy-four years.

Wigfred Terkelsen was reared and educated in his native land, and there learned the carpenter’s and millwright’s trades, being employed in a sash manufactory for some time. He was married in Denmark to Miss Annie Catherine Petersen, a daughter of Peter and Catherine Mary (Mortizdatter) Hansen, both of whom are now deceased, the former dying at the age of seventy-two, the latter at the age of eighty-eight years. Before leaving their native land two children were born to our subject and his wife, namely: Hans P., who was reared in this country, and served thirteen months in the Spanish-American war as a member of Company L, Forty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, six months of this time being passed in Cuba. He held the rank of corporal and won distinctive honors during his military service. He married Lillian May Wade, and is now in the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad at Scranton, Pennsylvania. Mary M. is now the wife of Thaddeus Batchelder, and they have one child, Althea W. Since coming to this country four children were added to the family, but the two oldest, both of whom bore the name of Carrie, are now deceased. Those living are Annie C. and Christina B., both attending school.

It was in 1881 that Mr. Terkelsen brought his family to the new world and settled in Clinton, Iowa, where he at first worked as a carpenter and sash manufacturer in the employ of others, and then engaged in contracting on his own account. In 1895, out of seventy-four applicants, he was the one chosen for superintendent of the cemetery, and the wisdom of the choice has been fully demonstrated by the capable manner in which he has performed his duties. This is a beautiful cemetery, consisting of eighty acres of rolling surface adorned by natural forest trees and laid out in walks and drives. The water system is the best, there being over six thousand feet of pipes, and the sewerage system is also very complete. Over eleven hundred lots have already been sold, and there are fifteen acres adjoining for free burials. Many large and elegant monuments have been erected, besides six large private vaults belonging to W. J. Young, Major Bailey, C. Lamb, G. Haywood, George Smith and Francis Lee. There is also a receiving vault, built in 1887, with a capacity for twenty-four bodies, and a new one is soon to be made, together with a chapel. In the care of the cemetery Mr. Terkelsen often employes as high as twenty men, and its splendid appearance is due almost entirely to his careful supervision and untiring industry. He lives in a neat little cottage at the entrance of the grounds on Ravine road, which is surrounded by a beautiful lawn and lovely flowers.

In his political views Mr. Terkelsen is a stanch Republican, and served four years as chairman of the First ward, and in his social relations is a member of the Danish Society, the Woodmen of the World, and the Knights and Ladies of the Golden Precept, and the German Turner Society. In religious belief he and his wife are members of the Dane Lutheran church of Clinton.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.