Esther Olava (Bakken) Bliton* (1898-1919) & infant son

BAKKEN, BLITON, NELSON, TOLLEFSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/7/2016 at 19:40:22

From Nevada Representative January 27, 1919 (front page)

MRS. S. H. BLICON FLU VICTIM

STATION AGENT'S WIFE AT FERNALD DIED SATURDAY MORNING FOLLOWING ATTACK

Spanish influenza claimed the first victim of the present epidemic in Fernald on Saturday morning when Mrs. S. H. Blicon, wife of the Rock Island station agent, passed away after an illness of less than a week and leaves behind her husband who is so ill and suffering severely with the same complaint.

When the good people of the community learned of the illness of the young matron, they did all in their power to aid them and news of their death came as a distinct shock to the town, as both the husband and wife had many friends during their stay here of about two months.

Mrs. Blicon has passed her twentieth birthday at the time of her death, being born at Northwood, Iowa on Feb. 5th, 1898. Her maiden name was Esther Ollala Bakken and she had been married to her husband a little over a year the marriage taking place at her home in Northwood on January 12th, 1918.

An infant was also claimed by death a few hours before his mother passed away and she leaves to mourn her death her husband, her mother and step father of Northwood, two brother and four sisters, besides a host of friends in the little town from which she came and grew up.

The body was taken accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Chris Nelson and her sister Clara Bakken who had been with her when the end came. Undertaker H. B. Sipling accompanying the remains. The funeral was held today at her family home.

Her husband was of course unable to accompany the body and is being cared for by his mother with but slim chances it is said of his recovery.

The young couple came to Fernald about two months ago to stay till the regular agent who was drafted, returned and during that short time have made many friends in the community who all unite in their sympathy for the bereaved home and remaining relatives and friends.

*SUBMITTER'S NOTE: Esther Olava (Bakken) Bliton is referred to as "Mrs. Blicon" throughout the article but she was married to Sidney Hiram Bliton, not Blicon. Her mother, referred to as Mrs. Chris Nelson was Gunhild (Tollefson) Bakken Nelson.