Sarah (Jacobson/Tungesvig) Ericson (1841-1930)

JACOBSON, TUNGESVIG, ERICSON, HENRYSON, WIERSON, HANSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 3/15/2024 at 04:35:17

From Story City Herald January 9, 1930 (page 2)

HAD LIVED HERE SIXTY-SIX YEARS

Mrs. Thor Ericson Passed to Her Reward Sunday After a Long Life in This Community

Mrs. Thor Ericson, one of the fast vanishing company of pioneers who came to this neighborhood from Illinois in the early sixties, died Sunday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Sam Wierson, south of town.

She had attained the high age of 88 years and several months over. Though her sight had been growing dim of late years she retained her other faculties to a remarkable degree to the end.

The funeral services were held yesterday afternoon, first at the Wierson home and then in the St. Petri church, of which she had been a member ever since coming to Story City sixty-six years ago.

Rev. Scarvie officiated. The following old friends of the family acted as pall bearers: B. T. Holm, L. C. Kahrs, O. K. Helvig, A. G. Larson, J. C. Johnson and Walter hermanson. The body was laid to rest besides that of her husband, who died exactly twenty years before she did.

Obituary

Mrs. Sarah Ericson was born September 13, 1841, on a farmstead named Tungesvig in the Parish of Skaanevik, Norway. She was the youngest of four children of her parents, Jacob and Guro Jacobson Tungesvig.

In the year 1847 this family and a number of families and young single person of Skaanevig and nearby parishes chartered a sail ship to transport them over the Atlantic ocean as immigrants to the United States. This group of immigrants, for the most part had chosen the Lisbon settlement near the village of that name in Illinois for their prospective home, where they found a large number of friends and relatives who had preceded them as immigrants by a few years.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson with their four children became the possessors of small farm with a log cabin for a home located near the village of Lisbon.

Here they lived until 1849 when a large portion of this country was visited by an epidemic of Asiatic Cholera, which came upon the Jacobson family, claiming the father and mother and eldest son, besides six persons who had made their home with them, not members of the family. Sarah, now 8 years of age, became ill with the malady and was the only survivor of the household, the other two children not being at home at the time and escaped entirely. During her illness she witnessed the people of the household carried away one by one by neighbors until finally she became the sole occupant of the home, for a few days the only care and nursing received by her was a hasty visit each morning by Sjur Mathre, a neighbor, who placed a mug of milk on a table near her bed.

When she had recovered sufficiently to be moved, Mr. Mathre took her to his home where she remained for a time later making her home with Rasmus Larson Tungesvig until she was confirmed by Rev. P. A. Rasmussen in the Lisbon Lutheran church. After confirmation she found employment in the homes of American families near the Lisbon settlement.

On March 5, 1859, she was united in marriage to Thor Ericson. This marriage was blessed with four children: Eric L. Ericson of this city; Julia, who married T. T. Henryson, and preceded her in death in 1889; Mrs. Emily Wierson of Story City, and Helen Hanson of Jewell.

After their marriage they made their home on the small farm left to her by her people, living there until the spring of 1864, when they moved to Iowa, purchasing a part of the farm now owned by S. S. Wierson.

In 1896 they retired from the farm, moving to Story City, where she made her home until 1936, at which time her eyesight failed and it became necessary for her to give up housekeeping and make her home with her daughter, Emily.

Her husband, Thor Ericson, was called to rest Jan. 5, 1910, exactly 20 years previous, her death occurring on Jan. 5, 1930.

By confirmation she became a member of the Lisbon Lutheran church. When they moved to Iowa they transferred their membership in the St. Petri Lutheran church of Story City and remained faithful member of this church until death.

She was very much interest in all church activities and the ladies aid was especially near to her heart. In her advanced age God preserved her mental faculties to a marked degree, so that she was able to keep in touch with the affairs of the church and community to the very last.

Mother Sarah Ericson went to rest as if entering a natural sleep, to rest from her long day's work, during which she tried to serve her Lord, home and community to the best of her ability. The Lord will awaken her to place in Heaven where she will be privileged to give perfect service.

May God bless her memory in all near and dear to her.