KNUDTSON, Ben 1852-1902

KNUDTSON, KNUDSON, KNUTSON

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 9/30/2011 at 21:37:51

#1:

Ben E. Knudtson was born March 1852 in Iowa, son of Even Knudtson, born June 14, 1824 Norway. Died August 3, 1902 Iowa (Buried First Lutheran Cemetery, Saint Ansgar (as per Mitchell Co., Grave Records: Ancestery) and Gerhardine Boyesdatter Heile, according to a tree found on Ancestry: born February 3, 1828 in Norway…died January 27, 1911 Carpenter.

Ben E. Knudtson was buried in Deer Creek Lutheran Cemetery according to a tree found.
(DMS)
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#2:
According to the tree found, Ben Knudtson married Ingeborg Aslaksdtr. Ellingboe who was born March 5, 1865 Noway and died July 5, 1956 in Dickey Co., North Dakota. After Ben’s death she married Hans Hanson in 1907.
(DMS)

#3:

1900 US Census: Deer Creek, Worth, Iowa
Ben Knudtson 48 born March 1852 Iowa
Ingeborg 35 born March 1865 Norway
Edwin 12 born February 1888 Iowa 9, died November 3, 1929 Minnesota)

Melvin 8 born March 1892 Iowa (died Montana December 1963)

Antone 6 born October 1894 Iowa (Antone Leonard, his Minnesota death record shows his mother's maiden name as Ellingboe)

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#4:

BEN KNUDTSON FROZEN TO DEATH

The Christmas festivities of our neighboring town of Carpenter were sadly broken into by the tragic death of one of her citizens, Mr. Ben Knudtson, who died about noon from the effects of having spent the night out - lying beside the railroad track in that awful cold.

Mr. Knudtson came back from Lyle on the 8:20 train Christmas Eve. He had not been up to Lyle to buy either hardware or dry goods, but had already celebrated too much for his own good. When he got off the train he started for his home, which was about a mile northwest of Carpenter; but instead of going around the road, he started cross lots intending to go north on the railroad till he crossed the bridge, then take a path through the woods for home. He only got across the bridge when he fell and rolled down the high embankment, striking on a lot of rocks which lay at the bottom. It is quite evident that he was considerably injured by the fall or he could have managed to have gotten up and out of there. But there he lay during all that bitter, cold night.

At about eleven o'clock Knudtson's son, Ed, about 17 years of age, in company with Ed Edwarson, a boy of about his own age crossed the bridge and heard someone calling to them to hold on but they thought it was a tramp trying to waylay them and they ran as fast as their legs could carry them, and went over to Gilbert Severson's close by and stayed all night. The next morning Severson and Edwards went back to the bridge and, alas, there lay Knudtson, not dead but pretty near it, though he was still conscious and in fact, remained so until just before he died.

They took him home and immediately called Dr. Culmsee. The doctor arrived there about eleven o'clock, but alas he was beyond the reach of medical aid. His injuries were too severe to be helped and he died within an hour. His hands, face and legs were frozen terribly, and he was suffering from internal injuries, evidently caused by falling down the embankment.

The funeral was held on Saturday, conducted at the Deer Creek N. L. Church by Reverend J. Olsen.

It was just eight years ago to a day, that his brother, Theo, came to an untimely death in the same woods, and not a mile from the same place.

[St. Ansgar Enterprise, Dec., 1902, St. Ansgar Iowa Museum Collection]
(KK,SB)

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NOTES:
The son Ed mentioned in the story on Ben's death (#4 above), was Edwin Ben Knudtson 1888-1929, died Minnesota. (name on Minn. Death record has last name spelled Knutsen.

His brother Theo mentioned in the obit was Theodore E Knudtson born December 1, 1863 -- died December 25, 1894 -- buried First Lutheran (burial from Mitchell Co., Grave Records, Ancestry)
(DMS)