George Larson (1843-1916)

LARSON, HENRYSON, ENGEBRITSON, TEIG

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 4/26/2024 at 21:51:18

From Story City Herald November 23, 1916 (page 11)

OBITUARY

George Larson

George Larson was born at Kvinhaerred, Norway, on the 27th day of April, 1843. He immigrated to this country in 1861 and first settled at Lisbon, Ill. The following year he joined an Illinois volunteer regiment (Co. E 91st Ill.) and served the remaining part of the war. While in the service he was captured and taken a prisoner but fortunately was placed on an exchange list and after his re--se he returned on a furlough. After this he again joined his regiment.

During his service he spent a part of his time at the hospital in New Orleans, La., where he was later appointed as a nurse and served in this capacity for several months. His ambition was to return to his regiment, which he later did, and was finally honorably discharged after Lee's surrender. He then returned to Illinois where he remained for some time, after which he emigrated to Iowa, by driving overland, and came to Cambridge, where he purchased a small farm, on which he settled and remained for about two years.

In 1869 he moved to Story City where he married Betsy Henryson, the oldest daughter of Torkel Henryson, whose acquaintance he had formed at the Henryson home in the old town of Fairview.

After his marriage he bought a small farm west of Story City and made his home there, which, together with extensive tracts later acquired, was in his possession at the time of his death.

To the union with Betsy Henryson two children were born, Geo. Henry and Margaret Gurine, the latter dying in infancy. George is now residing at Pingree, N. D. Mrs. Larson died in the early spring of 1877.

In the fall of 1878 he married Raghild Engebritson, who survives him. To this union were born nine children, two of whom came to accidental death during early childhood, namely Adolph Benhard and Adolph Leonard. The surviving children are Embert Victor, a practicing attorney at Twin Falls, Idaho; Mrs. Belle Margret Teig, who resides near -----, Minn.; Harold Wilhelm who lives at Pingree, N. D.; Gerald Winfred, who resides at Story city; Olaf Reynold, now attending Iowa State University; Adelia Bergette, now teaching school and making her home with her mother; Carl Frithjof who is at home and a student in the local High School. There are also twelve grandchildren.

Mr. Larson, or George, as he was more familiarly known, was in the strict sense a self made man. He came to this country under the ordinary handicap of a foreigner of the early day, both as to education and means. His assets consisted of ambition, youth and health, and he lost no time making the best of this capital. He was a man who could see beyond the present and evidently had a vision of what the future had in store on the great wester prairies. He was one of the pioneer builders of the County and Community and saw from year to year the wonderful and gradual change from the yearly crops of prairie thistle to the annual harvest of the golden grain and his toil and labor was one of the factors of this transformation.

In 1909 he retired from active farm life and again moved to Story City, where he erected a comfortable and modern home which he occupied and enjoyed with his family until death.

He was a man with convictions of his own, and was not inclined to sway with public or popular sentiment until he had weighed the pending issue in his own mind; but when his conclusions were reached they were generally decisive and well founded. He was public spirited in a full measure. Even at the ripe age in which he retired from the farm and moved into town, where he found himself under new environments so far as social and active life was concerned, he took a keen interest in civic, school and other public matters. He was a zealous and fervent member of the St. Petri Lutheran church and was always liberal with his financial support of the local church and in the various causes in connection therewith.

Of George Larson it may be truly said that he was a man first and foremost devoted to his family, and that he was a man of and for the community in which he lived.