Knute J. Ersland 1881-1946

ERSLAND, LILLIEBERG, LILLEBURG, LILLEBURT, PAULSON, STEVENS, GRIFFEN, HOLCOMB, TOSTENSON, MILLER

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 11/2/2014 at 22:15:31

K.J. Ersland, Former County Treasurer, Dies
K.J. Ersland, 65, former county treasurer for Emmet county, died at 4:30 this morning at his home, 711 Fourth avenue north.

Ersland had been ill for more than a year and resigned from his position as county treasurer in June, 1945, because of poor health.

He was born July 13, 1881, in Slater, Ia. On October 17, 1903, he married Amelia Lilleburt [Lilleburg] in Story City. They farmed for several years and then moved to Armstrong where he had a hardware and implement business for 18 years. They then moved to Estherville and Ersland became county treasurer, a position he held for 10 years. He took office first Jan. 1, 1935 and was re-elected each year until he resigned.

He was a member of the Estherville Lutheran church.

Survivors include his widow, his mother, Mrs. Johanna Ersland of Duluth, three brothers, Nels Ersland, Slater; Ben Ersland, Duluth, and Jerry of Ames; for sisters, Mrs. H.O. Paulson, Forest City; Mrs. G.B. Stevens, Hood River, Ore.; Mrs. P.H. Griffen, Springfield, Ill.; two daughters, Mrs. J.M. Holcomb, Ames and Mrs. Don O. Tostenson, Downey, Calif., and one son, Robert K. Ersland, Downey, Calif. Nine grandchildren also survive. One daughter, Mrs. O.H. Miller of Estherville preceded him in death four years ago.

Funeral arrangements are pending word from the relatives in California. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, September 5, 1946)

Knut J. Ersland
Knute J. Ersland was born July 15, 1881, in Slater, Iowa, to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Ersland. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church of Slater and received his early public schooling in the school there. In the year 1903 he was united in marriage to Amelie [Amelia] Lillieberg [Lilleburg] of Story City, the ceremony being performed in the Lutheran church there. They had four children, Marcella, Mrs. O.H. Miller, who died in 1942; Gladys, Mrs. J.M. Holcomb of Ames, and Harriet, Mrs. Donald Tostenson, of Downey, Calif., and Robert K. also living at Downey, Calif.

Mr. Ersland spent many years in the hardware and implement business at Armstrong. In 1934 he was elected county treasurer of Emmet county and at that time he moved to Estherville, and, together with his wife, has made his home here since. He served as county treasurer for a period of 10 years and was finally forced to resign from that position because of ill health.

Mr. Ersland is survived by his wife, also by three living children and by his mother who now lives in Duluth, Minn., and is 85 years old. He also is survived by three sisters and four brothers, Nels Ersland of Slater, Mrs. H.O. Paulson of Forest City, Iowa, Ben Ersland of Duluth, Minn., J.B. Stevens, Hood River Ore., Mrs. P.H. Griffen, Springfield, Ill., and Jerome Ersland of Duluth, Minn. He had nine grandchildren. A brother and sister preceded him in death. Mr. Ersland was a member of the Estherville Lutheran church.

He died Thursday, Sept. 5 at 4 a.m. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at one o’clock from the Sandin funeral home and 1:30 from the Estherville Lutheran church. Burial was in the cemetery at Armstrong. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, September 12, 1946)