KITTLESON, John F.

KITTLESON, HOLTAN

Posted By: K. L. Kittleson
Date: 9/2/2010 at 14:56:50

Johanes Fjosemoen Kittleson, as he was born, or John F. Kittleson as he was known, was born June 18, 1830 in Flesberg, Buskerud, Norway. He was the son of Kittil Johanesen Fjosemoen and Kari Knudsdatter.

John came to America around 1857 and purchased land in Dane County, Wisconsin the following year, near the town of Christiana. About 1863 he came by ox team to St. Ansgar in Mitchell County, Iowa. He built a log cabin on a knoll above the Cedar River about two miles south of St. Ansgar. The lay of the land was very similar to the farm in Norway near the Laagen River two miles north of Svene.

He became a U.S. citizen on November 1, 1864. John married Berith (or Betsy) Holtan, daughter of Gullick Halvorson Holtan, and Anna Ledvorsdatter in 1862. Berith was born in Flesberg, Norway on March 20, 1836 just a few miles from where John was born. She and her family immigrated to the United States in 1846, coming on the ship “Tricolor.” They also settled in Dane County, Wisconsin.

John and Berith were probably married while still in Wisconsin. Their four children were born in the little log cabin near St. Ansgar. Their first child was Charles Edward, born December 5, 1864. Then came Gullick Martinus, who was also known as Martin, born June 13, 1867. He died in Grand Falls, Texas on January 5, 1898 and was buried in First Lutheran Cemetery, St. Ansgar, Iowa. The last two children were twins, born August 5, 1869. They were Andreas and Louise. Andreas died October 30, 1870. Louise married Carl Otto Kittilsen in 1898 and they spent most of their married life in Yakima, Washington, except for a few years in Nome, Alaska about 1903 to 1905. They had no children.

In the first year on the farm, before a well was dug, Berith would carry the laundry down the slope to the Cedar River and rub them on a large rock to get the clothes clean Then she would carry the clothes back up the hill to dry. A two store addition was added to the log cabin in the early 1900’s.

John and Berith continued to farm until John died of kidney disease on May 24, 1898. He was buried in the First Lutheran Cemetery.

Berith died November 14, 1936 in Yakima, Washington and was buried beside her husband at St. Ansgar.

The farm has been in the Kittleson family more than 120 years and is now operated by Charles E. and John C. Kittleson, great-grandsons of John and Berith Kittleson.

[ By Mrs. Carl Kittleson,
MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORY, 1989 ]

Mitchell Biographies maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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