John Gjeston (1876-1920)

GJESTON, CORNELIUSSEN, VINJE

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 6/15/2024 at 23:10:52

From Story City Herald December 9, 1920 (page 6)

OBITUARY

John Gjeston

John Gjeston was born in Skudenes, Norway, Feb. 27, 1876, and died at Sioux Falls, S. D., Dec. 1, 1920, being thus 44 years and 9 months old.

His parents were David and Christine Gjeston. His mother came from the old Corneliussen family in Vik-Skudenes, the deceased being a cousin of the late S. R. Corneliussen.

He came to Story City in 1891 and worked in the store of S. R. Corneliussen & Co. for many years. The last 19 years he has been on the road as a traveling salesman, the last few years for H. B. Glover Co. of Dubuque.

There are two brothers and two sisters living in Norway with their families. Christine, now Mrs. T. Vinje, came over from Norway in 1900 and stayed with John three or four years. He made many trips to Norway to visit his people, before and after his father's death; but not since his mother's death three years ago.

John Gjeston will long be remembered by all who knew him for his kind and honest dealing with his fellowmen.

In and around Story city he was generally beloved and esteemed by a host of friends, and in the many towns he has "made" as a traveling salesman he was highly regarded as a man of honor and geniality. He took sick at Sioux Falls, his headquarters, the latter part of October; he finally became so ill that he went to the hospital Nov. 4. His old time friend and schoolmate, Olaf Hemness, visited him shortly afterward; he was then regarded quite hopefully, and it was not until Sunday, Nov. 28, that the telegram cam which indicted that the end was drawing near. Messrs. Hemness and Fred Corneliussen then went to Sioux Falls and were at his bedside until the last.

Funeral services were held in the St. Petri church on Saturday Dec. 4, Rev. Heimarck preaching the sermon in the absence of the congregation's pastor. He spoke very feelingly of the departed, and the choir rendered a very beautiful hymn. The large number of people present, and the fine floral tributes, bore silent, the eloquent testimony to the hold that John Gjeston had obtained on the hearts of people. The remains were buried in the Fairview cemetery.

Among those from out-of-town at the funeral were: Mr. Bissell, the manager of the Glover Co.; H. Hudson of Cedar Rapids, and an uncle of the deceased, John Gjeston of Chicago, together with the latter's son-in-law, George Peterson, also of Chicago.

The pall-bearers were: A. G. Larson, J. C. Johnson, A. L. Hemness, C. B. McCarty, John Malmanger and Edward Charlson.