Lars J. Wee 1865-1951

WEE, MOKLESTAD, CHALLBERG

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 3/12/2012 at 00:41:12

Lars J. Wee, 86, Dies at Rest Home
Lars J. Wee, 86, retired railroad man, died at 2:15 a.m. today at Watson’s rest home. Mr. Wee suffered a stroke a year ago and since then has been confined to his bed in nursing homes and in Holy Family hospital.

Mr. Wee was born in Tyanes, Norway, Oct. 11, 1865 and attended public schools there. He was a sailor on a Norwegian ship for seven years before he left his homeland for the United States in 1887. He worked in various occupations here, including mining at Bingham canyon, Utah.

He returned to Norway in 1892 and married Barbru Moklestad. He returned to the United States with his wife in 1893

This time he worked as a farm laborer and well driller for a short time and then farmed for himself in Winnebago county. In 1909 he entered the service of the Rock Island railroad in the maintenance-of-way department at Buffalo Center until he retired in 1934.

He moved to Estherville from Buffalo Center with his family in 1911 and had lived here since that time.

He was a member of the Estherville Lutheran church.

Preceding him in death are his wife, three daughters, Anna, Christina and Lillie and a son, Conrad. Survivors are three sons, John and Oden of Estherville and Arthur of Grinnell; nine grandchildren, Gerald Wee of Wallingford, Merlynn Wee, Sheryl Ann Wee, Mrs. John Challberg, Lynn, David and Barbara of Estherville, Duane Wee of Des Moines and Robert Wee of Newton, and nine great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Monday at 1:30 p.m. at the Sternborg funeral home and at 2 p.m. at the Estherville Lutheran church, the Rev. L.G. Hinderaker officiating. Burial will be in Eastside cemetery. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, November 16, 1951)