Ole & Anna Klongeland and family

KLONGELAND, BAKKEN, MONEN, NAGLESTAD, GARVEY, BERKLAND, SEVERSON, OLSON, EILESTAD, EIESLAND, SEVERSON

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall (email)
Date: 8/28/2005 at 07:58:59

This is not a 'true' biography, but it seems appropriate to post it on this board.
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Couple Born in 18th Century Buried in Lyon

Klongeland's Came With 1869 Caravan From Eastern Iowa

Ole Klongeland did find a grave in Lyon county, as did his wife, and so far as can now be found out, they are the only people buried in Lyon county, whose grave markers indicate they were born in the eighteenth century.

Born in Norway.
The Klongelands were born in Norway. Ole was born in 1789 and his wife Anna was born in 1795. They, with their children came to America in 1859, and they settled in Winneshiek county, which was then one of the leading centers for the Norweigan settlers who were landing in the United States.

Ten years later their married daughters with their families were planning to go to that new area in Iowa which was to be settled -- Lyon county. The Klongelands decided they wanted to stay with their daughters and so they put their belongings into a prairie schooner and made the long overland trip to this area.

In this group, one of the very first groups of permanent settlers to come to Lyon county, were six families. They were the Klongelands, their daughters and families -- Mr. and Mrs. Ole Bakken (later known as Monen), Mr. and Mrs. (Aasalene) Ole Naglestad (later Aaselene was married to a man by the name of Garvey); Mr. and Mrs. (Ingeborg) Simon Berkland; Mr. and Mrs. (Oline) Aanen (Amos) Severson; and Mr. and Mrs. (Torborg) Hans J. Olson Naglestad. (The Naglestads later dropped their last name and were known as the Hans J. Olsons).

Settle in Centennial.
The group liked the western part of Lyon county and settled there. Mr. and Mrs. Klongeland and Mr. and Mrs. Hans Olson built a common cabin on a line between two quarter sections, and homesteaded the two sections. These farms, known as the Naglestad farm and the Olson farm, are still in the hands of their descendants. As well as several other farms in the area which are still in the hands of descendants of this group.

Their other daughter (Anna) Mrs. Eilestad, remained in Norway.

Mr. Ole Klongestad died the year after he came to the county and was buried in what is now Our Savior's cemetery, northwest of Inwood. He was 81 years of age. Mrs. Klongestad lived until 1877, when at the age of 82, she died and was buried beside her husband.

Built church.
One of the first things that the new settlers started planning was the construction of a church in their new community. They held irregular and then regular church services and in 1889 they built Our Savior's church. This church building some 20 years ago, was moved across the road and remodeled, and is still in regular use.

Some 300 descendants of the Klongelands have been located. Many of their descendants live in the Inwood area. Among this group are Herbert Eiesland, who lives in the same section in which the cemetery is located, in which his great grandparents are buried. Also in the area is Miss Dena Naglestad, a daughter of A.O. Naglestad, who has kept family records and supplied much of this information.

From this group of settlers who came to Lyon county in 1869 came many of the early leaders of the county. Two early day supervisors who were outstanding leaders were Hans J. Olson and Amos Severson, both descendants of the Klongelands.
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-source: 'Sheldon Mail' newspaper, O'Brien co. Iowa, October 12, 1955

-transcribed for Lyon co. IAGenWeb by the submitter (submitter is not related to anyone in this newspaper article & has no further information)