John Twedt (1845-1925)

TWEDT, ERICKSON, SAMPSON, PETERSON, GROVE, HIGHLAND, RUTHERFORD, HELVIG

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/24/2013 at 16:47:09

From Nevada Journal December 1925

FUNERAL RITES FOR ONE OF COUNTY'S PIONEER CITIZENS AND LEADERS

Special to the Journal.
Roland, Dec. 28--The funeral of John Twedt, 80, pioneer of Howard township which was held Saturday afternoon at Bergen church, following chort services at the home of his daughter, Mrs. E. R. Grove where he spent his declining years and where death claimed hias one of the largest held in Roland in years, in spite of the bitterly cold weather.

The prayer and brief services for the family at the home was by the pastor Rev. Sumstad of Bergen church, shile at the church, his pastor and very close friend, Rev. C. Smedal, now of Minneapolis, preached the sermon in the Norwegian language while Rev. Sumstad paid a very glowing tribute to the deceased and his life work and character in the English language.

Mt. Twedt on of the pioneer men of the community had always been an acknowledged leader amont the people of that part of the county and in his death Story county looses one of its most valued pioneers. He was really, as he was characterized by his pastor, a "chief among men."

The large church was packed with neighbors and friends eager to pay their final tribute of respect to one whom they had long known and admired and the service was simple but most impressive one.

The one sog at the family service was a duet by Mr. and Mrs. O. S. Boyd, while one solo and a duet comprised the music at the church.

According to the obituary read by Rev. Sumstad, John Twedt was born at Kvindheared, Norway, Europe, March 10, 1845. He became a sailor when a lad of 14 years and continued in that work until he reached the age of 21 when he, with his people came to America. He settled first in Chicago, was a sailor upon the lakes for a short time but on July 4, 1866, he came on out to Iowa and located near the present site of the village of Roland.

He was united in marriage to Miss Anna Veiner Erickson, a neighbor girl, December 17, 1868, and to them nine children were born, the eldest, Jacob, passing away in infancy. The other children are all living the most of them in the vicinity of Roland and all were present at the funeral. They are Joseph, Jacob, Mrs. T. S. Sampson, Mrs. P. J. Peterson, Mrs. E. R. Grove, Mrs. Elmer Highland and Mrs. J. A. Rutherford, all of Roland and Albert Twedt of Hector, Minn. Besides these he leaves 30 grand children, 4 great grand children, one brother, Abel Twedt, and a sister, Mrs. Hattie Helvig.

Mrs. Twedt died about two years ago, since that time he has made his home with his children, the most of the time with his daughter, Mrs. Grove, a whose home he was when his final illness overtook him.