DOCKEN, Thidemand 1821-1887

DOCKEN, ASLESDATTER

Posted By: Diane Scott (email)
Date: 4/24/2010 at 13:09:37

Item #1 of 2

Thidemand Thidemandsen Docken (or Dokken or Dokkenbakken). He was born April 29, 1821 at Hedalen, Valdres, Norway and died Jun 20, 1887 at Shady Nook Farm, Cedar, Mitchell, IA.

He married Gunhild Aslesdatter on Sept 1858 at St. Ansgar, Mitchell, IA probably at the Norwegian church in St. Ansgar (the Rock Creek Lutheran church would not have been built yet).
The following information was found in the 1911 Mitchell County Atlas, Section 2, page 19: Thidemand T. Docken, born in Hedalen, Norway, April 29, 1821; Gunhild Asleson, born April 10, 1840, at the same place.

They together left their native country in the spring of 1858, and after a lengthy voyage came to Osage in the latter part of June. He proceeded on foot, nine miles through the new and strange country, to Rock Creek, to find Ole C. Haraldson, one of his former acquaintances. The tired newcomer immediately changed work with the latter, who was hoeing corn, while Ole went to the railroad station to get the baggage and his young, female companion.

The couple were married at St. Ansgar, Iowa, in the fall by Rev. Preus. Their future home they purchased of B. Bergsager, on Section 1-97-18, Cedar Township, Mitchell County, Iowa; who had built the log dwelling house that is still kept there as a relic of pioneer days.

Through their hospitality, a temporary home was given to the following families: Knud Klemesrud, S.J. Fosholdt, Ole O. Moe, Knud Berget, Ole Aspeholdt, Simon Erikson, Torkel Olson, Ole Hagen and perhaps a half dozen others. Seven births and four deaths occurred among the above families while residents there.

Thidemand Docken died June 20, 1887. He with two daughters are laid to rest (in 1911) in the Rock Creek Cemetery. The widow and nine children survive: Guri, Mrs. J. C. Schoger, in Rock Township; Karine, Mrs. G. O. Brager, Osage, Iowa; Mattia, Mrs. A. Iverson, in Colorado; Antonette, Mrs. S. J. Maakestad, Cedar Township; Olava, Mrs. Nick Peterson, Meroa, and Minnesota; Miss Thea, at home; Ole, married in Dakota; Gabriel T. and Ellef J. are still at home.

The homeplace bears the assumed name "Shady Nook". There is a very large article about the Docken family in the booklet "Meroa" written in 1977 by Gertrude Crowell. As of 2010 the log cabin was moved to directly across the road from the Rock Creek Lutheran church, given to the Mitchell County Historical Society by Galen Docken and his family. It has been restored and sits beside the also restored country school. Tours are available of the retored buildings. The Shady Nook farm was sold about 2009 to Nic Larson, a descendant of Bastian Larson who was another pioneer of Cedar Township, Mitchell Co., IA.

Item #2
Iowa Cemetery Records:
Name: "Father" Docken
Death Date: 1887
Page #: 30
Birth Date: 1821
Cemetery: Rock Creek
Town: Meroa
Level Info: Mitchell County, Iowa Grave Records