Lars Peterson, 1805-1869

PETERSON

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/5/2009 at 20:53:49

"On Thursday, the 15 inst. [15 April 1869], Mr. Lars Peterson, a Norwegian, age 65 years, attempted, in company with a young Norwegian lady, to cross the Des Moines River in a small boat, in Peterson township [now High Lake township] in this county. By some cause to us unexplained, the boat capsized. The old gentleman and girl being thus at the mercy of the swollen stream managed to get hold of some willows, and their loud cries for assistance at length attracted the attention of Peter Larson, Esq. [his son] who hastened to their assistance, but before he could reach his aged father, who had become exhausted by effort to save himself, the old gentleman sank to rise no more, and his body has not yet been recovered. By extraordinary and praiseworth efforts, Mr. Larson succeeded in rescuing the girl who, supported by the willows, contended for her life with the mad element for over an hour."

Contributed by: Ruth Hackett. Source: The Northern Vindicator, Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa, April 17, 1869.

The following additional information is from Aal parish, Buskerud Co., Norway:

Lars Peterson was born 20 May 1805 in Aal parish. He was a widower when he was married to Anne Torkelsdatter from the Kvelprud farm in Aal. Anne, a daughter of Torchil Pedersen Skjervein and Thuri Oldsdatter Juvsjord, was born 25 Jan 1875 and had two children at the time of their marriage. He and Anne were married in 1834. They had two children, Peter Larson who was born 1 Jul 1835 on the Turkarstad farm in Aal and Turi. Larsdatter Baera Turkarstad who was born 12 May 1839. Peter married Anna Aaby Halvorsdatter and migrated to Emmet Co., Iowa; Turi migrated to Spring Prairie, Wisconsin in 1857, married Lars Nelson Brugjeld there in 1858, and in 1861 came to Emmet County. [See obituaries for Peter Larson and Mrs. Lars Nelson.]

Lars and Anne Peterson migrated to Emmet County in 1861. Anne died there 25 Sep 1863. As there was no established cemetery in the area at that time she was buried on the prairie on the "highest hillside on the east side of the [Des Moines] river, several miles below Estherville."

Source: this latter information from "Seventy-fifth Anniversary, Estherville Lutheran church (1861-1936).