WALDELAND, Caia (Holmboe) 1834-1925

WALDELAND, HOLMBOE, RONNING, LORCH, WELO, NORRIS

Posted By: Karen L. Robertson (email)
Date: 1/19/2013 at 17:32:20

OBITUARY -CAIA WALDELAND (by Martin Moe)

The subject of this sketch was born at Tromso, Norway, February 4, 1834, being one of a family of ten children, and died at St. Ansgar, Iowa, May 11, 1925, at 4 o'clock at the advanced age of 91 years, 3 months and five days. She was a daughter of Even Holmboe, a banker, merchant and French Consul. Her mother was Maren Romming, a step daughter of Casper Lorch. After being confirmed she completed her education in Christiania in 1852, after which she taught in the College for Girls at Tromso for a period of twelve years, in which school the noted educational instructor, E. Blix, was one of the faculty. Later she taught for five years in the Eugenia Institute and Girl's college at Christinia. In 1869 she emigrated to America all alone, to join a sister who resided in Chicago, and secured a position at teaching at LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where she remained for some time, returning to Chicago, where she witnessed the great fire in 1871. With thousands of others she walked the streets of that city during the fire seeking a place of safety.

She was united in marriage to Rev. O. Waldeland in Clayton County, Iowa July 10, 1875. By this union one child was born, the Rev. M.E. Waldeland, whose birth was September 18, 1876. Mrs. Waldeland was a very conscientious mother to the five daughters of Rev. O. Waldeland's first marriage, two of them, Mrs. Judith Welo and Mrs. L.M. Norris, are still living and present at the funeral with their families.

In 1890 the family removed to Blair, Wisconsin, where a residence was continued until 1895 when they removed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where her husband, Rev. Waldeland, had accepted the position of General Secretary of Zion Society for Israel, the position which the Rev. C.S. Vang of Lyle, Minnesota, has just accepted. The change from Blair, Wisconsin to the Minnesota city was no doubt brought about more particularly for the reason that their only son, M.E. Waldeland, was a theological student there at that time and was ordained as a minister in 1900. His first charge was to serve the congregations of Fertile, Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa, and from there they came to St. Ansgar on November 8, 1902, where the deceased has made her home with her son since the death of her husband, Rev. O. Waldeland, on March 31, 1903.

The deceased left carefully prepared instructions concerning her funeral arrangements, selected the passages of scripture from which she wished her funeral sermon preached, together with her favotite hymns.

Mrs. Waldeland has been failing in health for several months, suffering principally from the infirmities of old age. During her long suffering she was perfectly reconciled to the fate she fully realized awaited her; she knew that "her Redeemer liveth" and often spoke of her longing to depart and be with Him. In the fullness of faith in the religion she had been taught since a child, the immortal spirit of this estimable mother, friend and lady, passed to its reward on the evening of May 11, 1925, when Cia Waldeland closed her eyes in the sleep which marked the end of time and the beginning of eternity. To "weep with them that weep" is an injuction difficult indeed to disobey, when the cause of mourning is the death of a lady so highly endowed and accomplished as our departed; a lady who exemplified in her daily life the true spirit of a Christian woman; a lady whose great aim in life was to spread sinshine along the pathway of the sick and those in trouble; a lady universally loved in the community in which she lived, and whose pleasant smile, kind words and consolation never be forgotten.

Responding to the request of those who held close relations to the deceased, I add my expression of sincere sorrow for her loss and pay this humble tribute to her memory.

Buried at First Lutheran cemetery, St. Ansgar, Iowa

St. Ansgar Enterprise