Anna Vambheim Paulson, 1842-1936

VAMBHEIM, PAULSON

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/1/2009 at 14:57:23

Mrs. Anna Paulson was born in Ulvik, Hardanger, Norway, March 27, 1842. Her parents were Peder Anderson and Guro Hallvardsdatter Vambheim. She was baptized March 28, 1842, when she was one day old, and confirmed in Eidsfjords, Kjerke, Aug. 1, 1858. On April 6, 1866 she married Gunder Paulson Nesheim and that same year in company with her husband's mother, sister and one brother, they emigrated to America, coming to New York.

The trip across the Atlantic was in a sailboat called "Martha" taking six weeks and three days to make the voyage. Because of sickness aboard they were compelled to stay in quarantine a week before they were allowed to land.

In Chicago while helping to transfer their baggage, Mr. Paulson had the misfortune of having a trunk fall on him and break several ribs. After receiving medical aid they were able to proceed to Madison, Wisconsin. Being destitute of funds, having only 25 cents and being in a strange city without friends, their hopes for the future looked rather dull. An uncle, learning of their arrival in Madison, invited them to his farm 10 miles from town, where they stayed three months. Later a brother-in-law from Taylor county, Iowa came after them in a covered wagon and oxen. The journey lasted three weeks. They lived there a year. In the fall of 1867 they moved to Fillmore county, Minn.

Knitted for Living

Her husband worked in the timber and she knitted mittens and stockings which she sold and when harvest came they both worked in the fields. In the spring of 1872 they moved to Emmet county in company with Mr. Paulson's three brothers and families, each in their own covered wagon drawn by oxen. After three weeks of hard travel they arrived at Estherville, which then consisted of one store, a bank and six residences.

They journeyed south and came to the Mandrup Edvenson home,on the south shore of Ryan Lake. Here they stayed until a place was found to live, which was a dugout, east of the L. S. Berge farm. Here they lived for four years. In 1874 Mr. Paulson and a neighbor, started for South Dakota to purchase land, and in reaching Jackson, Minn., they came in contact with a huge swarm of grasshoppers. Disheartened, they returned home. In the year 1878, they moved to their present location in Jack Creek township where Mrs. Paulson had lived since.

Often Needed Flour

The nearest trading post was an inland village to the north, called Swan Lake and the nearest flour mill, at that time, was 40 miles distant. It was a long and tedious journey and often they did not know when or where to get the next sack of flour because of hard times and crop failures and would often in later life, relate to their family how tears and meal would mix together.

The last years of Mrs. Paulson's life were spent quietly at home. She was taken ill Dec. 4 and passed away Sunday evening Dec. 13, 1936 at the age of 94 years, 8 months and 17 days. Her husband passed away Jan. 11, 1901.

She is survived by six children: Mrs. Julia McNamara of St. Paul, Minn; Mrs. Petrina Nelson of Emmetsburg; Mrs. Christina Christian and Simon G. Paulson of Jack Creek township; Peter G. Paulson of Swan Lake township and Paul G. Paulson at home with his mother in Jack Creek township, and two sisters, Mrs. Sarah Aanonson and Mrs.Martha Aanonson of Wallingford, 31 grandchildren, and 42 great-grandchildren.

Contributed by: Ruth Hackett. Source: Estherville Daily News, Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa; December 23, 1936.