Burgess N. Osher 1847-1930

OSHER, HOVDA, REFSELL, JACOBSON, DUUS, NELSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 6/14/2013 at 15:56:05

Pioneer Man of Wallingf’d Dies
Came to Emmet County in 1869 – Funeral Monday
B.N. Osher of Wallingford, who has been in poor health for the past four years passed away at his home last Thursday evening. Mr. Osher was one of the pioneer residents of this county, coming here with his wife in 1869. He has worked constantly for the betterment of his home, community and church and his passing away will be greatly mourned by a multitude of friends as well as his immediate family.

Mr. B.N. Osher, known by many as Burgess Osher, was born on April 4, 1847 in Voss Norway. As a little boy, only 3 years old, in company with his parents, he came to America, reaching Dane Co., Wis., as their destination. There in that part of Wisconsin, noted for its many Norwegian immigrants, Mr. Osher lived the remaining years of his boyhood days and there too he grew to manhood. Desirous of wanting to shift more for himself, Mr. Osher, when grown up, left his parental home in Dane county, and moved into St. Croix county, in western Wisconsin. There he married Miss Gertrude Hovda on July 25, 1868. This was 62 years ago this past summer.

During the following year, namely in 1869, Mr. and Mrs. Osher, as a young married couple, ventured to move into Emmet county, Iowa. The settlers then were few and scattered. The means of livelihood was very scant. It was quite a common thing for those early settlers to trek to Ft. Dodge for the most necessary things for the household and to Mankato, Minn., for pieces of lumber from which to build their small dwelling homes. To either place it would require a week to make the trip. Economy and thrift, however, marked those early pioneers, a lesson that we need to heed today in our age of ease and luxury.

Mr. and Mrs. Osher lived for 30 years on a farm in Twelve Mile Lake township, where Mr. and Mrs. I.G. Maaland and family reside today. From that place Mr. and Mrs. Osher moved in 1899 to a farm located 4 miles south of Wallingford, a farm which is now farmed by one of the sons of the family, namely Oliver.

As advanced age began to make itself felt, Mr. and Mrs. Osher decided to move off the farm and live more quietly during the declining years of their lives. Thus on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1918, Mr. and Mrs. Osher moved from their farm four miles south of Wallingford to their newly-built home a little north of Wallingford.

Due to the hardening of the arteries from which Mr. Osher has ailed for some time, especially the last four years, Mr. Osher passed away at his home on last Thursday night, Oct. 1930 at 10 o’clock. When claimed by death, he was 83 years, 6 months and 19 days old.

He leaves his aged wife behind him to mourn his departure and likewise a sister, Mrs. James Refsell, and two brothers, Edwin of Wallingford and will of Chicago.

Mr. and Mrs. Osher’s married life was blessed with eleven children. These are also left to mourn the passing away of their beloved father, and are as follows: Nels of McNaughty, Wis.; Lewis of Wallingford; Ole of Graettinger; John of Chicago; Ed of Wallingford; Mrs. John Jacobson, Wallingford; Oliver, Graettinger; Gilbert, Graettinger; Mrs. Henry Duus, Graettinger; Mrs. Alfred Nelson, Graettinger; Will, of Graettinger. Mr. Osher is also survived by eighteen grandchildren and many other relatives.

The funeral was held on Monday, Oct. 27, 1930 with Mr. Chas. Anderson of Estherville in charge as the director. Rev. Peder Nordsletten, pastor of the Wallingford church of which Mr. Osher was a member, officiated. He was assisted by Rev. T. Hanson of Lakefield, the former pastor of the deceased and by Rev. S. Strand, a good friend of the departed. A mixed octette sang 3 numbers at the church and also one at the grave. A very large audience was present.

Mr. Osher was carried to the grave by six of his sons, Lewis, John, Ed, Oliver, Gilbert and Will.

In memory of their departed husband and father, Mrs. B.N. Osher with her children has given a memorial gift of $50.00, $25.00 of which was given to the Ebenezer Old People’s Home in Minneapolis, Minn., and the other $25.00 to the Foreign and Home Missions of the Lutheran church.

Blessed by the memory of Mr. B.N. Osher as one of the early settlers of Emmet county. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, October 29, 1930)