Hactor Mason (1834-1915)

MASON, NELSON, VAN GUNDY, VANGUNDY, BARNES, BROWN

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 10/21/2023 at 14:55:13

From The Slater News March 11, 1913 (page 1)

HACTOR MASON BURIED YESTERDAY

Hactor Mason, aged citizen, passed away early last Saturday morning at an age of eighty years. While poorly in health for some time and very sick at intervals, he had not been any worse till Thursday afternoon of last week when he took seriously ill with pneumonia. He was soon in a critical condition and it became apparent to all that he could not survive very long and he passed away early Saturday morning. Funeral took place yesterday afternoon from the Bethlehem church, the services being in charge of his pastor, Rev. Nilsen, assisted by Rev. Wee. Burial was made in the Bethlehem cemetery where his wife was laid to rest early last year.

Deceased was born in Norway but emigrated to this country when a young man of twenty years. Lisbon, Illinois, was then the mecca for a large number of emigrants and his journey took him to that place. Two years later, in 1855, he joined the large number of emigrants that decided to cross the prairies and into Iowa. The trip was made in the then pioneer mode of travel and it took them to the present site of Cambridge. Those with families soon built for themselves homes but Mr. Mason, being a young man and full of life and adventure with others decided to try other sections of the hen new world and they took themselves to Keokuk, Iowa, where thy boarded a steamer which took them to the lumber camps of the vicinity of New Orleans. There they spent the winter, falling trees and cutting wood, returning in the spring. The summer was spent in the colony and the next winter found Mason with some of the others back in the lumber camps. The war fever was then running high and they were forced to return to the north with only a part of their wages collected. He later acquired property and continued to reside in the community and acquired a large farm southeast of town where he resided till he moved to town several years ago.

Mr. Mason was married three times and his last wife preceded him into the other world a year ago. No children survive from the first wife but four with the second. They are Mrs. Carrie Nelson of Belmond, Iowa; Ole Mason of Minot, North Dakota; Knute Mason of Carpio, North Dakota; and Mrs. J. W. Van Gundy of Slater. With his third wife he is mourned by his son Thor and Mrs. Sam Barnes of south of Huxley; Mrs. Fred Nelson of west of Slater and Mrs. P. L. Brown of Bemidji, Minn.

Deceased, with that religious training that all the early settlers that came from Norway were equipped with, was from the first interested in the establishment of churches in the settlement and at all times took a very active interest in church matters and he had much to do with the shaping of church matters in the settlement. He was for years a member of the Fieldberg congregation of south of Huxley. He later changed his church affiliation and on moving to Slater became a member of the Bethlehem congregation where he worshipped as long as he was able to attend services. Aside from his many relatives he is mourned by a host of friends here and elsewhere.