Nels and Ellen Charlson

CHARLSON, COLBY, GRONING, GILBERT, ANDERSON, WILSON, BRATTRUD, SCHUMAN

Posted By: Peter Gausmann (email)
Date: 1/21/2010 at 04:46:51

NELS AND ELLEN CHARLSON

Nels and Ellen Charlson, both natives of Norway, came to the United States in 1851, first lived for a year at Stoughton, Wisconsin, and then moved to Primrose, Dane county, Wisconsin, where Mr. Charlson purchased a farm which he improved and cultivated until 1866, when he homesteaded in Center township, Winnebago county, Iowa, removing here with his family in that year and thereby becoming one of the pioneers of this section. Mr. Charlson continued agricultural pursuits in this county until his demise, which occurred March 1, 1904. He had survived his wife several years, as she passed away April 1, 1898. Both are buried in a cemetery on the home farm. They were pioneer settlers of this section of the state, took an active part in advancing general interests contributing to the public welfare, and Mr. Charlson did much in promoting the agricultural development of the district. When they passed away they were survived by many friends who had come to esteem them highly. To Mr. and Mrs. Charlson were born ten children, of whom six survive. Eli, the youngest, is still residing on the home farm.

Mrs. Helen (Charlson) Colby Groning, daughter of Nels and Ellen Charlson and the eldest in their family of ten children, was born in Norway, May 4, 1844, and was brought by her parents to the United States when she was seven years of age. She was educated in Dane county, Wisconsin, and in 1859 was married to Eli Colby of that county. They had no capital but were determined to succeed and in the course of years won prosperity, although for some time they had to work very hard in order to gain a start. They never gave way to discouragement, however, and at length reaped the reward of their untiring industry and good management and their sterling qualities gained them the unqualified respect of all who knew them. Mr. Colby died March 12, 1886, and is buried in the Huege cemetery at Primrose, Wisconsin. To them were born twelve children: Charles, of Center township; Mary, the wife of Nels Gilbert, of Beeler, Idaho; Ella, the wife of M. M. Anderson, of Center township; Elizabeth, who married Ephraim Wilson, of Wittenberg, Wisconsin; Joseph, a practicing dentist of Lake Mills, Iowa; Julia, who died at the age of twenty-one and is buried at Primrose; Nora, the wife of Edward Brattrud, of Center township; William, who died at the age of thirty-seven and is buried in North cemetery at Lake Mills; Clara, the wife of H. C. Schuman, of lone, Oregon; Norman, of Fort Madison, Iowa; Frank, a resident of Sioux City; and Jessie, of Lake Mills.

In 1901 Mrs. Colby married Hans Groning, now a retired former of Lake Mills, of whom a sketch follows.

Source: History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II. Pioneer Publishing Company (Chicago), 1917. pp. 230-231.

Winnebago Biographies maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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