BORSHEIM, Ole B. 1869-1955

BORSHEIM, JOHNSON

Posted By: Karen L. Robertson (email)
Date: 11/22/2009 at 19:30:42

Funeral services will be held at First Lutheran church in St. Ansgar this Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. for Ole B. Borsheim, who passed away Monday night at the age of 86 years.

With the passing of Ole B. Borsheim, St. Ansgar community has again lost one of our first generation citizens. Altho he had not made his home here for many years, he still kept in close touch with his home community. He visited relatives and friends often and kept his membership in First Lutheran church by making his contribution to the budget annually. This he did in addition to his regular attendance and contribution to the local church where he made his home.

Ole Borsheim was a son of Torkel and Brita Borsheim who settled on the farm now owned by Lawrence Dietrich. Torkel and Brita Borsheim came from Hardanger, Norway in 1865 and bought 160 acres of this farm. Here they made their home for the rest of their life. There were four children, Sarah, who married Mikkel Torblaa, T. Nela, Ole and Hans.

Ole Borsheim, after finishing elementary school in Rock No. 1, attended a business school at Decorah, then worked for Handcock Wholesale Hardware at Dubuque, later in a Hardware store in Cresco and later moved to Blair, Wis. where he was in the banking business for over thirty years.

Many of our present generation will remember him a few years ago as a partner in Endra Spoonheim store here in St. Ansgar. Mr. Spoonheim, as a young man, had made his home with the Borsheims. When Ole quit the farm, he was asked to join others in the banking business. Their purpose was to salvage a local business establishment in distress. Altho Ole Borsheim at that time was past retirement age as we know it today, he was too active and energenic to be idle. He continued to be active in several business enterprises in which he helped young men become established in business for themselves. In addition to his bank interests, while active in that field, he was also interested in retail lumber yards, farm and as a hobby he established a fine Guernsey Herd with a young farmer in Wisconsin.

In 1905 he married Delila Johnson of Olin, Iowa, who survives. There were no children. Those surviving of the immediate family are one brother, Hans Borsheim, and many nieces and nephews. Those known in the community are Mrs. C.G. Goplerud (Dora) and Elling Torblaa.

Ole Borsheim passed away at this home in Owatonna, Minnesota June 6, 1955. Funeral services at St. Ansgar will be conducted by his pastor, Olaf Langehough at First Lutheran Church at 2 p.m. Friday, June 10.

St. Ansgar Enterprise