KITTLESON, Lars 1867-1915

KITTLESON, THORSEN

Posted By: Karen L. Robertson (email)
Date: 3/13/2011 at 17:56:34

#1:

Lars Kittleson was born January 6, 1867. He was baptized January 12th of the same year.

On April 19, 1891, he was married to Betsy Thorsen. They lived at Minneapolis for about seven months after which they live for two years at Lyle, Minnesota.

In 1893 they moved to St. Ansgar where they have since made their home. Of the eight children, three girls and one boy have passed away, and four are living. These are Bennie, Thea, Floyd and Linda, who, together with Mrs. Kittleson survive the deceased.

At the time of his accidental drowning, Mr. Kittleson was 48 years, 7 months and 8 days of age. He died on August 15th, 1915 and was buried August 17.

The funeral, which was held at the U.N.L. Church, was largely attended. The services were conducted by Rev. Waldeland.

[St. Ansgar Enterprise]

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#2:

St. Ansgar, Iowa - August 16 — While bathing in the Cedar River, near this place, in the afternoon yesterday Lars Kittleson, 52 years of age, was drowned. The body was recovered in about thirty minutes.

Deceased was born and reared near this town and leaves a widow and several children.

[Waterloo Evening Courier -- Monday, August 16, 1915 ]
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#3:

Wednesday, August 18, 1915
Lars Kittleson Drowned

At about 12:30 Sunday the cry went out that Lars Kittleson had just been drowned at the swimming hole west of town. People rushed down there with autos and soon Ralph Pickett found his body and brought it back to shore. Dr. Lott, who had reached there, tried to bring him back to life, but it was too late. His body had lain at the bottom of the river for half an hour. Nothing could be done.

It appears that shortly before noon, Lars, in company with his son Floyd and Arthur and Fernie Knaak went to the river to swim, driving down with a horse and buggy. He swam half way across the river and back. Then he jumped off the diving board, and then stood around with the boys a while, resting. Soon he started across the river again, and swam over half way across. He called to the boys to ask if he was half way across and when they said he was, he went a little further and then turned back. When he was about half way back he called out, “Boys, I am getting weak.” He got a little farther and then went under. He came up and called for help.

Fernie Knaak, who is sixteen, went to help him and got hold of him and managed to bring him in, he thinks about fourteen feet. Then his strength gave out and he had to let go of him to save himself. Fernie says Lars did not seem to make any effort to save himself after he reached him, only he clung to his thumb for a little time.

Some people think it was very strange that he drowned the way he did. Some of his brothers were so much impressed with this idea that they sent for the coroner, and Coroner Walker came over from Riceville and held an inquest in Martin Moe’s office Monday afternoon. The Jury was made up of Henry Zuk, Oscar Mueller and Mr. Benson of Riceville. The following witnesses were put on the stand: Theodore, George, Martin and Henry Kittleson, Mrs. Betsy Kittleson, Mrs. Edna Kittleson, Mrs. Euder__, Fernie and Arthur Knaak and Floyd Kittleson. The testimony was such that the jury immediately brought in a verdict of accidental drowning. The testimony showed that Lars had complained of not feeling well for some time, that he took a couple of drinks of liquor before breakfast, as he sometimes did, but that he took nothing strong after that time, and no liquor of any kind was taken to the river. We are stating this part of the testimony which was sworn to at the inquest, to set at rest any of the gossip that may have been going around.

Medical men tell us that there is nothing particularly strange in having a drowning result under all the circumstances. The very fact that he used intoxicants at times, to a greater extent than was good for his health had partially destroyed his powers of endurance. Then, he besides all that, had complained of not feeling well for some time, and particularly so during the evening before, and even before he went to the river.

Moreover he was forty-nine years of age, having reached that period in life when it is scarcely safe for any man under the most favorable conditions to venture in to such a swimming hole. The feeling of sickness evidently came back on him all of a sudden, his strength gave out and he could swim no further.

The case of the drowning of Rev. Meyers, the Methodist preacher at Bassett two weeks ago was fully as strange as that, as he was a much younger man and had done nothing to impair his health

[St. Ansgar Enterprise, August 18, 1915 -- St. Ansgar Museum Collection]

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NOTES: Lars was the son of Knut and Tonie Kittleson. He was born in 1867. Betsy was his wife; she was born about 1868, in Mitchell county. Lars is buried in First Lutheran Cemetery, St. Ansgar.