Ole Andreas Larson Tjernagel (1836-1919)

TJERNAGEL

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 6/8/2024 at 19:37:17

PIONEER GONE

O. A. L. Tjernagel Has Gone to Join the Innumerable Throng

One by one we have to report the passing of our pioneers. It is sad, but nature has so prescribed it. It seems almost cruel that any of our pioneers have to leave just when they started blossoming into even greater things than they dreamed could be possible.

This time we have to chronicle the death of O. A. O. Tjernagel. He was born in Norway, April 10, 1836 and died May 12, 1919, after an illness of several months, but only bed-ridden a couple weeks.

It will be remembered that he and his wife and daughter moved to Story City some years ago, and that Mrs. Tjernagel died here April 16, 1907, after which he moved back on the old Homestead.

Mr. Tjernagel celebrated his 10th birthday on a sailing vessel bound for America and arrived at Ottawa, Ill., on the 4th of July traveling continuously. He hired out by the year for $150 and by saving had a team and wagon and 40 acres of land in Iowa by the time he married, the same homestead where he died. In 1861 he married Martha Anderson, after which they went to housekeeping near Norway, Ill., for one year.

Immediately before marriage he and his cousin C. Logan, started towards Iowa and traveled by train as far as Iowa City, which was then the terminal of the Rock Island Ry. and as far as they could get into Iowa by rail. They walked the rest of the way, one to a brother and the other to a sister, who then lived on the farm no known as the Phillops place.

It was at this time that the 40 was bought at $4 per acre. Now the same acreage is worth over $400 per acre.

Six sons and one daughter survive him, together with 18 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

He was always a consistent member of the Lutheran church and through the various upheavals has stood on the doctrines taught him in his youth and manhood. He never vacillated in church matters.

The funeral services will be held tomorrow (Friday) at the North St. Petri church and the remains will be laid to rest in Mamrelund Cemetery, his six sons acting as pall bearers.