Sandsgaard, Anna (Hanson) (1890-1927)

HANSON, SANDSGAARD, SANSGAARD

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 4/9/2024 at 17:25:50

From Story City Herald February 10, 1927 (page 1)

AWFUL TRAGEDY AT FARM HOME

Mrs. Selmer Sandsgaard Is Shot Dead Tuesday Night When Gun Is Accidentally Discharged.

This community was shocked Tuesday morning when the news spread abroad that Mrs. Selmer Sandsgaard had been killed the night before in an accidental shooting at the Sandsgaard home a mile west of Rosendale.

Mrs. Sandsgaard was sitting in the parlor listening to the piano played by Miss Marie Mathre, a school teacher boarding with them. Mr. Sandsgaard sat in the kitchen cleaning a shotgun which he did not remember contained a loaded shell. Tripping the trigger the gun was discharged, the shot going thru the open doorway and striking the wife in the right side on a line with the heart.

The shots penetrated the right arm and many of them went thru her lungs and may even have reached her heart. At any rate she died almost immediately. Dr. Haerem was sent for, but arrived too late to be of any assistance. The coroner was summoned from Webster City and he pronounced the death as without a doubt accidental.

It appears that Mr. Sansgaard took his gun out as he was about to do his chores, as he had noticed what he supposed to be a skunk lurking around the chicken house. After he came back to the house he remembered that he had left his gun outside and went out and brought it in. When he started to clean it he had forgotten that he had placed a shell in the gun as he went in quest of the skunk.

The accident has cast a gloom over the whole neighborhood, where the Sandsgaard family are highly esteemed. Mrs. Sandsgaard was formerly Miss Anna Hanson, daughter of Ole Hanson, and she was known as an exceptionally lovable and capable wife and mother. The husband is prostrated over the terrible accident and death of his wife. There are three daughters who thru the accident have been left motherless.

Funeral services will be held in the Immanuel church in Story City Friday afternoon at two o'clock, with Rev. Oppedal officiating, assisted by Rev. Heimarck. Interment will be in the South St. Petri cemetery.

From Story City Herald February 24, 1927 (page 3)

OBITUARY

Mrs. Selmer Sandsgaard

Anna Hanson Sandsgaard, the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ole Hanson, was born January 7, 1890. During her early girlhood she was confirmed and united with the South St. Petri church north of Gilbert.

On March 9, 1916, at Marshalltown, Iowa, she was united in marriage to Selmer Sandsgaard. To this union three daughters were born: Lorraine, Eunice and Stella, who with her husband survive her, also four brothers, three sisters and three half sisters. All feel that this young live has gone on apparently before her work was done. The Bible says "Not a sparrow falleth without the father's notice, and ye are of more value than many sparrows."

She went without any warning. Our hope is that she was ready. This life's ending can be an example to us. As we who know her feel she heeded the command, "Ye know not the hour the master cometh. Be ye therefore ready."

After about eleven years of wedded life the happy union came to an abrupt end on Feb. 7, 1927, when her life was suddenly extinguished by a shot discharged by accident. At the time of her death she was 37 years and one month old.