MOTLAND, Peder I. Andreas 1860-1949

MOTLAND, MAAKESTAD, BIRKEDAL, BRATRUD

Posted By: Steve Norby (email)
Date: 12/12/2010 at 12:12:18

Funeral services for Peder I. Motland, 89, were held Sunday afternoon, July 10, 1949, at the Rock Creek Lutheran church with the Rev. S. O. Sorlien officiating. The Rev. Milton Bratrud spoke on behalf of the family. Mrs. Olive Motland Gaarder and Mrs. Evelyn Motland Kurina sang a duet and the Rev. Mr. Sorlien and Mrs. Alvin Christiansen sang solos. Burial was made in the Rock Creek Lutheran cemetery near Meroa.

Mr. Motland died Wednesday evening, July 6th, at his home after a lingering illness.

Peder Andreas Motland was born May 19, 1860 near Stavanger, Norway to Ingemund and Siri Motland. He was confirmed in the Lutheran faith on October 11, 1874. He came to the United States at the age of 23 and settled in Mitchell County. The first year he worked as a hired man for Nels Syverud. Then he went to work on the Ole Maakestad farm for three years where he became acquainted with Miss Martha Maakestad, whom he later married.

Following this he worked on a farm near Osage owned by Michael Kildee, father of H.L. Kildee, who recently retired as Dean of the College of Agriculture at Ames.

In 1888 he purchased the 160-acre farm southwest of Osage in Cedar Township that became his home for sixty years. The purchase was made on July 4th when he had the day free and would lose no time from work. This farm was on the prairie where roads had not yet been laid out and surveyor’s stones were buried in the grass.

On March 31, 1889 he was married to Martha Maakestad. The honeymoon trip was made by horse and wagon. Household goods were hauled from the Maakestad farm near Meroa to the newly purchased farm on the prairie. Nine children were born to this union, four of whom died in infancy.

Mr. Motland had been in failing health the past few years and was confined to his bed the last few weeks.

The five surviving children are: Mrs. Sara Birkedal of Osage; Milton of Boston, Mass.; Mrs. Milton (Clara) Bratrud of Mekinock, N. Dakota; Ingolf and Alida, at home. Eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren also survive him. His wife died in 1937.

(Mitchell County Press, July 14, 1949)