Knut Gronstal 1855-1937

GRONSTAL, LIEREN, ESPEVIK

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 2/25/2014 at 21:18:56

K. Gronstal Passes Away
Brief Illness Fatal to Aged Man
K. Gronstal, 81 years old, well-known painter and paper hanger, who has lived in Estherville for 54 years, died this morning at his home, 803 North Sixth street, after an illness of only five days.

Funeral services have not been definitely decided upon, pending word from relatives in California, but the rites probably will be held Thursday afternoon at the home and also at the Lutheran church with the Rev. L.A. Mathre officiating. Interment will be made in the Lutheran cemetery, north of Estherville.

Mr. Gronstal is survived by eight sons and one daughter.

The sons are Chris M. and Carl C. both of Estherville, George J. of Van Nuys, Calif., Lawrence R. Scotts Bluff, Nebr.; Knute of Omaha, Nebr., B.A. of Council Bluffs, A.D. of Council Bluffs and J.M. of Treynor, Ia. The daughter is Miss Wilma Gronstal of Estherville.

Mr. Gronstal was born April 30, 1855 in Norway and after coming to this country settled in Norway, Ia., where the family lived until moving to Estherville. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, March 1, 1937)

Knut Gronstal, 81, resident of Estherville for more than 52 years, died Monday morning at 6:30 at his home on North Sixth street after an illness of less than a week. He contracted pneumonia a few days ago and because of his advanced years was unable to combat the disease.

Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the house and at 2:30 at the Estherville Lutheran church with the Rev. L.A. Mathre officiating. Interment will be in the Lutheran cemetery.

Mr. Gronstal was born in Husnes, Hardanger, Norway on April 30, 1855, where he lived until in 1882, when he came to the United States. He located in Norway, Iowa and then in Watkins, where on Sept. 28, 1883 he was united in marriage to Ragnhilda Lieren. To this union nine children were born.

He is survived by nine children Chris M., Carl C., and Wilma M. of Estherville, George J. of Van Nuys, Calif., B.A. and A.D. of Council Bluffs, Knute S. of Omaha, Neb., Joe M. of Treynor and Lawrence R. of Scotts Bluff, Neb. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, March 2, 1937)

K. Gronstal Rites to Be Tomorrow
Funeral services for K. Gronstal, 81 years old, a resident of Estherville for 54 years, will be held at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow at the residence, 803 North Sixth street, and at 2 p.m. at the Lutheran church with the Rev. L.A. Mathre officiating. Interment will be made in the Lutheran cemetery, north of Estherville.

Mr. Gronstal died Monday morning after a brief illness.

He is survived by eight sons and one daughter. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, March 3, 1937)

Knut Gronstal
Knut Gronstal was born April 30, 1855 in Husness, Kvindherred, Norway. In 1883 he emigrated to America coming first to Benton County, Iowa. On the 28 of September, 1883 he was united in marriage to Ragnhild Espevik. Nine children, eight sons and one daughter were born to them.

The Gronstals moved to Estherville Nov. 26, 1884. Here all their children were born and reared.

They united with the Estherville Lutheran Church and Mr. Gronstal became an active member who has to the last been deeply interested in the welfare of his congregation. He served his church at various times in the different capacities of choir director, precentor, janitor and Sunday school superintendent. He was secretary of the congregation from 1907 to 1925 when he was released on account of increasing deafness, and was succeeded by his son Chris who has since held the position.

Mr. Gronstal followed the trade of painter and paperhanger. For a time he was also engaged in the produce business and for a time he conducted a paint store in this city. Mr. Gronstal was a great lover of the out of doors and appreciated the beauty revealed in God’s handiwork. For the last seven or eight years his eyesight and hearing have been failing and a stiffness in a knee and his lower limbs made it hard for him to get around, so much of his time was spent at home in his chair. He continued to read with interest his church papers and his devotional books. In those later years he found much comfort in repeating Bible passages that he knew by heart and by singing hymns of which he knew so many. One of his favorite hymns was “Jog ser dig sode lam at stan.” His favorite Psalm was the 87th. When he could no longer read easily himself, he would have his son Carl read for him from the Scriptures.

Mr. Gronstal passed away Monday morning, March 1st, after a brief illness. He had then attained the age of 82 years, 10 months and 1 day. Mrs. Gronstal died in 1922. He is survived by all of his nine children: Chris, Carl and Wilma of Estherville, George of Van Nuys, Cal., Bert, of Council Bluffs, Knut of Omaha, Joseph of Treynor, Lawrence of Scotts Bluff, Neb., Dewey of Council Bluffs and eleven grand children.

The funeral was held Tuesday, March 4th at 1:30 P.M. from the home and at 2:30 P.M. at the Estherville Lutheran Church. The pastor used the 87th Psalm as his text for the sermon. Mrs. George Robinson presided at the organ. A quartet consisting of Theo Myhre, Arthur Fossum, Sessel Jacobsen and Mrs. Hans Lee sang two songs, and Chris Gronstal sang his father’s favorite hymn in the Norwegian language. Six of the sons were pall bearers. Interment was made beside his wife in the family plot in the Lutheran cemetery. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, March 11, 1937)