Betsey Ness Sheldahl 1837-1931

SHELDAHL, NESS

Posted By: Sandy Eggland Hansen (email)
Date: 2/10/2002 at 17:25:19

THE ROLAND RECORD
Roland, Story County, Iowa, Thursday, January 8, 1931
front page, column 4

Roland’s Oldest
Resident Passed Away
at Home Here Monday

Mrs. Betsey Sheldahl, Roland’s oldest resident, died at her home Monday afternoon about 3 o’clock, lacking only 10 days of being 94 years of age. She had been gradually failing in health for several years, due to her advanced years. Monday morning she became suddenly ill with pneumonia and died a few hours later in the afternoon.

Funeral servers are being held this afternoon from the residence and from Salem church, of which she was a charter member. Rev. Olaf Holen will be in charge and interment will be made in the Roland cemetery.

Mrs. Sheldahl is the last adult of the original colony of 25 families who came here in June 1856, to start this settlement, which has grown to become the town and community which we now know. Of those who were children in the group 75 years ago, there is now only one survivor, B. J. Britson of this place.

Betsey Ness was born January 15, 1837, at Skaanevik, Norway, and died at Roland January 5, 1931, at the age of 93 years, 11 months and 20 days.

She came to America in 1847 with her parents and settled at Lisbon, Illinois, where she was married to Erick R. Sheldahl on October 12, 1855, Rev. P. A. Rasmusson performing the ceremony. The following spring the couple joined the pioneer group on there overland trip to Iowa in their covered wagons. They settled on the farm in the south edge of Roland, where they lived for 41 years, leaving the farm in 1897 and buying a residence in town where they lived the rest of their lives. Mr. Sheldahl died October 16, 1914, at the age of 82 years.

Fourteen children were born to Mr. And Mrs. Sheldahl, eight of whom survive. The are Mrs. Arabella Severtson of Alsen, North Dakota, Mrs. Caroline Burretts of Des Moines, Miss Martha Sheldahl of Roland, Mrs. Anna Eggland of Roland, Mrs. Emma Krohn of Des Moines, Russell Sheldahl of Roland, Oscar Sheldahl of Elmore, Minnesota, and Lewis Sheldahl of Perley, Minnesota. She is also survived by 39 grandchildren, 93 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren.

It is nearly 75 years since Mrs. Sheldahl came to the community and during that long span of time she has seen the advancement of the community from the bare prairies in 1856 to what we see today. Like others of the early pioneers, she took active interest in her church, being one of the charter members, and continued her work as long as she was able to attend. The last few years she was confined to her home and her daughter, Miss Martha Sheldahl, took care of her.