Norby, Christian 1847-1932

NORBY, AMUNDSEN

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Monona County CC (email)
Date: 7/7/2006 at 09:23:16

Christian Norby, immigrant from Aurskog, Norway in 1872

"The passing of Christian Norby in Soldier marks the departure of the oldest citizen in the town of Soldier and the leaving of one of the old pioneers who have been long in transforming a wilderness into the well cultivated and beautiful Soldier Valley. At his departure he was the owner of two of the finest farmers in the community and his children are all well settled somewhere in the prosperous valley. He will be remembered for his great industry, his kindly disposition, and straight morals."

"He was married to Oline Amundsen in Urskogen, Norway and at the age of about 24 years he left Norway with his wife and three children and it took him 18 days to cross the Atlantic. This young Norby newcomer family arrived at Onawa where he by chance, according to his own story, came into some kind Norwegians who received him well. One of the earliest settlers from the Soldier Valley who was doing shopping in Onawa at the time, graciously offered the young Norbys a ride over to the community where he ever since remained, steadily improving his financial conditions. Having a wife and three small children with him it was a fine thing to have relatives in the valley. House accommodations were not so plentiful and brilliant at that time. Practically every one lived in a dug-out or a sod house, and such a place was the first home of young Christian and his family. He worked to begin with, for his brother-in-law, Arndt Amundson, at a salary of 50 cents a day. But the settlers in the community were all congenial and friendly and the newcomers felt at home at once. It was his good fortune that the folks in the Soldier Valley district seemed to be from one and the same place in Norway and they soon had a little Norway over among the hills. They came here, not to enrich themselves by fraud and graft, but by hard work and industry: and it is shown by the records that the Norwegian people came here to make good, build up their homes and their new land and remain here. This is surely true about the Norwegians in the Soldier Valley whether they are from Urskog, Valdres, or any other place in Norway."
Source: (Taken from the story of his death and his obituary in the Soldier Sentinel. The Sentinel also used material from a story in the Soldier Lutheran Church Chimes newsletter.)