MAAKESTAD, Martin Hannanias 1871-1961

MAAKESTAD, NELSON, SOROSE, KLEMESRUD, VAMBHEIM

Posted By: Diane Scott (email)
Date: 7/9/2010 at 12:22:01

#1:

M. H. Maakestad Dies at Osage; Rites Saturday

Osage, Iowa - Martin H. Maakestad 90, died Thursday at the Mitchell County Memorial Hospital. He had been at the Osage Nursing Home the last year.

Born March 30, 1869, in Cedar Township, he was the son of Johann and Catherine Maakestad. He was married June 6, 1894 to Emilia Nelson. He was a farmer and cattle breeder.

Surviving are six children, Mrs. Odin Sorose, Brownsdale, Minn.; John; Edwin; Leonard; Mrs. Kenneth Klemesrud and Mrs. Clarence Klemesrud, all of Osage; 16 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Rock Creek Lutheran Church. The Rev. Walter Gigstad will officiate. Burial will be in Rock Creek Cemetery with Champion Funeral Home in charge.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Friday August 18, 1961
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#2:

Martin Hannanias Maakestad was born March 30, 1871 at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa to Johannes Moa Pedersen Maakestad and Chatrina Halvorsdatter Vambheim, the youngest of their four children Besides his 3 older sisters, he had half-siblings. Martin was baptized at the Rock Creek Lutheran Church at Meroa, Iowa and confirmed at same on July 18, 1886.

Martin married Emelia Nicolene Himle Nelson on June 6, 1894 at the Rock Creek Lutheran, Meroa, Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa.

The couple had six children:
Cora Esther (b July 31, 1895, d December 1973 Austin, Mower, Minnesota);
Johannes Nicolai (b June 6, 1897, d January 25, 1975 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa);
Edwin Martin (b December 7, 1899, d March 26, 1985);
Gladys Mable (b August 14, 1902, d November 7, 1997 Osage, Iowa);
Peter Leonard (b January 25, 1906, d August 9, 1982 Mitchell, Iowa) and
Nora Beatrice (b January 20, 1909, d November 25, 1975 Osage, Mitchell, Iowa).

Found in the 1880-1940 censuses living at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa (his parents used the surname Peterson tho many referred to them as Maakestad (a farm in Norway where Martin's father had emigrated from):

1880: Chatarina Peterson 53, Julia Peterson 19, Jane Peterson 12, Martin Peterson 8.

1885: Cathene Peterson 57, Jennie Peterson 16, Martin Peterson 14. 1895: Martin Maakestad age 23.

1900: Martin H Maakestad 29, Emelia N Maakestad 24, Esther C Maakestad 4, Johnnee N Maakestad 2, Edwin M Maakestad 5 mos, Charley Flynn 22.

1905: Martin, Emelia, Esther, Johnnie, Edwin, Gladys.

1910: Martin Hannanias Maakestad 39, Emelia Nicolene Himle Nelson Maakestad 34, Esther Makestand 14, Johannes Nicolai Maakestad 12, Edwin Martin Maakestad 10, Gladys Mable Maakestad 7, Peter Leonard Maakestad 4, Nora Beatrice Maakestad 1 yr 2 mos, Martin Finsand 29.

1915: M H Maakestad age 44.

1920: Martin H Maakestad 48, Emellia N Maakestad 44, John N Maakestad 22, Edward M Maakestad 20, Gladys M Maakestad 17, Leonard P Maakestad 13, Nora B Maakestad 10.

1925: Martin H MacKested 53, Emelia N MacKested 49, Leonard P Makested 19, Nora B Makested 15.

1930: Martin H Maakestad 59, Emelia N Maakestad 54, John N Maakestad 32, Lenard P Maakestad 24.

1940: Martin Maakestad 69, Emelia Maakestad 64, John Maakestad 42.

Following from the booklet "Meroa" written by Gertrude Crowell:

- Martin could read and write both Norwegian and English. He attended the Walnut Grove school, located across the road from the Rock Creek Lutheran church, two miles from Martin's home. Ole Jeglum was Martin's first teacher.

- In 1894, the Osage, Iowa newspaper states that Martin and E.K. Evens, shipped a carload of horses to northern Minnesota.

- 1898 - The Osage, Iowa newspaper states that Martin is having a house put up by the side of his own to be occupied by his mother. It is being built by S. V. Moen.

- In 1904, Martin and Emelia bought a 160 acre farm on the Rudd blacktop, Mitchell County, Iowa from Christopher Eliason. Clarence and Gladys Klemesrud lived here in 1946 with them so Gladys could help care for her mother. After Emelia died, Clarence and family moved into Osage, Iowa and Leonard and Josie Maakestad and family moved here. They lived here until Edwin moved in, in 1963. Martin and Emelia had lived across the road on the Eliason place at one time. In 1975, Dwight Onken bought the farm from the John Maakestad Estate. He tore down the old brick house and replaced it with a trailer home. He later moved off the place and in 1998, no one lives there. John Maakestad had bought this farm from his father, Martin in 1927 and lived here until his death in 1974. This was the Johannes and Katherina (Wambiem) Maakestad homestead.

All of their children were raised here until they married and moved out. Several families lived and worked for Martin and others in the neighborhood. Odin Sorose operated a garage near the road for a time. Martin bought some of the land at different times, some from Martin Johnson, in 1910, and from Halsten Norby Estate in 1917. He divided all of his land into 3 farms, each about 160 acres. (These farms in the 1970's were: Maurice Maakestad, Edwin Maakestad, Jr., and Dwight Onken.) A family named Karlstad lived here and worked for Martin, then moved on the old Halsten Norby farm. Kenneth and Nora Klemesrud and Kathleen lived here around 1934. Leonard and Josie Maakestad and Franklin lived here around 1938, Franklin was born here. Helen and Edwin Maakestad lived here for a while and there first child, Dorothy, was born here in 1923. The Jim Forbes family lived here one year in 1915.

In 1955, the house was torn down which was east of the 1998 Dean Johnson farm. This was a one time home for Martin and Emelia Maakestad.

In the 1911 Mitchell County Atlas, Section 2, page 19: Martin H. Maakestad, who owns the old homestead on Section 7-97-17, but resides on Section 13-97-18. In his later years, he lived on the farm in the summer with his sons and their families. There is a photo of his family in Sec. 3, page 30.

Martin H Maakestad died August 17, 1961 at Osage, Mitchell, Iowa and is buried at the Rock Creek Lutheran Cemetery, Meroa, Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa.

There is a memorial fro him at Find a Grave #11703712.

(Credit: Deidre Badke, 9/30/2014)
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NOTE: There is a discrepancy regarding his year of birth, but evidence supports the 1871 date.