TOLLEFSON, Knud Berg 1817-1900

TOLLEFSON TOLLEIVSON, KNUDSDATTER, ASBJORNSDATTER, OSTRUM

Posted By: Deidre Badker (email)
Date: 2/8/2016 at 10:28:27

Knud Berg Tollefson was born December 12, 1817 at Drangedal, Telemark, Norway to Tellef Thorbjornsen and Ingebor Asbjornsdatter. He was baptized January 18, 1818 at Tordal in Drangedal, Telemark, Norway. Birth/baptismal record found in the Norwegian Digital Archives for Tordal in Drangedal, Telemark, Norway, 1814 - 1831, page 66, entry #3.

Knud married Tarand Knudsdatter Daabe (b June 24, 1818 Daabe, Telemark, Norway, d June 2, 1881 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa) on October 24, 1844 at Kragero, Telemark, Norway.

The couple had 9 children:
- Abraham Theodore Tollefson (b May 1, 1847 Berg, Kragero, Telemark, Norway, married Leiv Mikkelsdatter Rust Tollefson December 28, 1870 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, d September 17, 1921 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa);
- Ingeborg Andrea (b November 19, 1848 Berg, Kragero, Telemark, Norway, married Lars Helgesen Johnson May 8, 1877 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, d May 10, 1937 Osage, Mitchell, Iowa);
- Anna Helena (b October 30, 1850 Dixon, Edwards, Illinois, married Martin Erickson Aamodt August 8, 1870 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, d July 21, 1872 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa);
- Caroline Tomina (b September 3, 1852 Rock Prairie, Rock, Wisconsin, married John H Bjerke 1887 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, d March 26, 1909 Montfort, Grant, Wisconsin);
- Andrew Knudsen (b April 17, 1854 Rock Prairie, Rock, Wisconsin, married 3 times: first to Carrie Nelson April 11, 1877 at Deer Creek, Worth, Iowa; 2nd to Ingeborg Belle Peterson July 7, 1881 at Clayton, Iowa and 3rd to Amelia Arneson on September 22, 1920 at South Dakota, d July 24, 1932 Faribault, Rice, Minnesota.
- Mary Elizabeth (b February 29, 1856 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, married Lars J Hegland January 3, 1881, d October 23, 1916 Duluth, St Louis, Minnesota);
- Halvor Jefferson (b October 7, 1857 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, died January 30, 1917 St Ansgar, Iowa);
- George Peter (b March 7, 1859 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, married a Mary (surname unknown); died September 19, 1933 Chicago, Cook, Illinois) and
- Benjamin Franklin (b November 20, 1861 St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, died November 30, 1890 Verdon, Brown, South Dakota).

About June, 1849, Knud, wife Tarand and 2 children left Kragero, Norway to emigrate to America. They sailed on a ship, arriving in New York City July 31, 1849 and traveling on to settle at Dixon, Illinois.

The family moved to Rock Prairie, Rock, Wisconsin about 1851 and farmed.

In May 1854, the family moved west to join Norwegian friends and relatives who had left Wisconsin the previous year with Rev. Clausen to start a settlement in Mitchell County, Iowa.

On May 15, 1855, Knut purchased land at the Federal Land Office in Fort Des Moines, Iowa, buying 78.81 acres in Section 18, 99N, Range 17W 5th PM. Cash Entry.
On October 1, 1855, Knut was issued the deed from the Federal Land Office at Fort Des Moines, Iowa for 79.65 acres of land in Mitchell County Section 18, 99N, Range 17W, 5th PM.

On November 3, 1856, Knud became a naturalized citizen.

After Tarand's death June 2, 1881, Knud married Hannah Ostrum (b 1837 Sweden) on October 12, 1881 at Osage, Mitchell, Iowa.

The couple had 1 son: John Phillip (b October 12, 1882, died sometime before 1885, both at St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa).

Found in the 1856 - 1900 censuses living near St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa:
1856: Knud Tollefson 38, S Tollefson 38, A Tollefson 9, T Tollefson 7, M Tollefson 5, L Tollefson 3, B Tollefson 2.

1860: Knud Tollefson 42, Torand Tollefson 42, Abram Tollefson 13, Isabell Tollefson 12, Hellen Tollefson 10, Minnie Tollefson 7, Andrew Tollefson 6, Elizabeth Tollefson 4, Jefferson Tollefson 3, George Tollefson 1.

(From St Ansgar newspaper): In 1860, Knud Tollefson took 35 bushels of wheat to McGregor to trade for a barrel of salt. It took all of his wheat plus $2.00 cash to pay for the barrel of salt. It took 15 days to go to McGregor and back by oxen and 8 days with horses.

1870: Canute Tollifson 53, Tawanda Tollifson 52, A Theodore Tollifson 23, Isabel Tollifson 22, Helen Tollifson 21, Caroline Tollifson 18, Andrew Tollifson 16, Mary Tollifson 14, Jefferson Tollifson 12, George Tollifson 10, Benj F Tollifson 8.

1880: K. Tollefson 62, T. Tollefson 62 (paralyzed), Andrew K. Tollefson 25 (widowed and no child w/ him), Jeff Tollefson 22, Caroline Tollefson 27, George Tollefson 21, Benjamin Tollefson 18.

1885: Knud Tollefson 67, farmer; Hannah Tollefson 48, born in Sweden; Andrew Ostrom 16, born in Illinois.

1895: Knud Tollefson age 77.

1900: Mary E Hegland 44 (his daughter); Lola M Hegland 17, James C Hegland 15, Thomas J Hegland 14, Alice H Hegland 11, Benjamin T Hegland 7, Knud Tollefson 82, H Jefferson Tollefson 42.

Knud Tollefson died October 24, 1900 at St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa and was buried at the First Lutheran Cemetery, St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa.

There is a memorial for him at Find a Grave #64034160 with photos of his gravestone.

(Please note: Tarand Knudsdatter Tollefson's obituary which can be found elsewhere on this site has an incorrect death date, my mistake. I apologize for that error. She was born June 24, 1818 at Daabe, Telemark, Norway and died June 2, 1881 at St Ansgar, Mitchell, Iowa, FAG#64034956)