Martha Olson (Lee) Birkestrand Johnson (1846-1937)

BIRKESTRAND, JOHNSON, LEE, OLSON, VILAND, EGELAND, EKELAND, SHELDAHL, BERHOW, HULDERSON, KLOSTER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12

From Nevada Evening Journal November 17, 1937 (page 4)

Mrs. Martha Johnson Birkestrand (nee Anna Martha Krak-Lee) was born in Vas, Norway, December 9, 1845. In 1865, at the age of 18, she immigrated to America with a group from the same community in Norway and came to Story county, Iowa.

On December 27 1867, at the close of Fjeldberg Congregations's Christmas service, she was united in marriage to John W. Johnson-Birkestrand, who passed away on September 14, 1921.

In 1867, presumably at the time of her marriage, she became a member of Fjeldberg congregation and continued steadfastly as such until her death, always maintaining an active interest in all its activities, especially the Ladies Aid society of which she was a charter member.

With the except two of the two first years of her wedded life, which were spent on a farm two miles south of Des Moines, she has resided in this community for many years on the old homestead in northern Elkhart township, Polk county, until in the fall of 1911, when she and her husband retired from farming and moved to Huxley, where she resided until her death.

On the morning of October 30, 1937, she sustained injuries in a fall, which with complications, brought about her death on November 11. She had attained the age of 90 years, 11 months and two days.

She was the mother of 13 children, one of whom, Amelia, died in infancy, Rasmus I and Ole died in childhood; Anna, Mrs. H. C. Sheldahl passed away in 1915 and Charles and Rasmus II died during the influenza epidemic in 1918. Of the original thirteen, the seven who now survive are Ella, Mrs. T. M. Berhow and Henry of Huxley; Weir, Albert and Cora, Mrs. P. O. Hulderson of Cambridge; George of Hampden, No. Dakota and Anette, Mrs. L. S. Kloster of Des Moines.

In addition to these, she is mourned by 48 grandchildren, 62 great grandchildren, one great, great grandchild and two brothers Ole Lee of Cambridge and S. O. Lee of Huxley besides a host of relatives and friends.

SUBMITTER'S NOTE: This is a difficult obituary to index. In researching Martha Johnson Birkestrand aka Martha Birkestrand Johnson, I have found her maiden name listed as Anna Martha Olson (presumably because her father's first name was Olson) and her parents listed at Ole Paulson Viland and Anna Hansdatter Egeland.

However, this article and her death record information as given by "H. J. Birkestrand" presumably her son, Henry Johnson Birkestrand, says her parents are Ole Krak Lee and Anna Ekeland. It is persuasive that her brothers carry the last name Lee.

I have chosen to index every possible scenario.