Harry Olson

OLSON SKJELBREIA HOLMAN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/13/2010 at 17:24:18

History of Woodbury County,Iowa 1984

Harry Olson
By Arvid Olson

Harry Olson (Oleson) (Olsen) or his Norwegian name of: (Harry Kristensen Skjelbreia) was born September 18, 1865 in Gran, Hadeland, County, Norway. Harry married Agnett Holman on April 15, 1893, in Sioux City, Iowa. Harry’s second marriage was to Magdelena Nelson on August 30, 1910 in Sioux City, Iowa. Harry died October 7, 1953 in Sioux City, Iowa, at age 88, and was buried at Floyd Cemetery, marked by a tombstone he carved and cut for himself. His occupation was a stone cutter.

The children of Harry and Agnette: Alma Claudine, January 21, 1894-October 14, 1939; Arthur Clarence, Sr, January 2, 1896-February 4, 1946; Ollie Christine (Taylor), July 27, 1897; Helen Grace (Anderson), January 5, 1901; Mable, September 15, 1902-September 26, 1902; George Laurence, November 12, 1903-May 2, 1957; and Harry Alvin, January 3, 1906-December 13, 1973. Harry’s father, Kristen Olsen Skjelbreia (Skjalbria), was born in Norway and married Annie Hansdatter Koperud in Norway. Annie Hansdatter was born 1827 in Sunner, Norway, and died January 26, 1897, in Norway and was buried there also.

Harry Olson, Sr, came to this country settling at Windom, Minnesota in 1885. He was employd by a railroad there. Possibly he stayed with his Grandfather Ole Skjelbreia who came from Nannest, Norway, and married a woman named Marthe who came from the Skjelbreia farm in Norway. One story told by Harry is that Harry Olson’s Grandpa, Ole Skjelbreia, lived to be 120 years and he could whip anybody in Norway, that he hands that were twice the size of an ordinary fist on a man. The name Skjelbreia comes from the name of a farm in Hadeland, Norway. Harry Olson’s brothers and sisters: Lars Kristiansen ‘Kristian’ Shelbreia; Ann (Anderson) died June 12, 1901; Han, Harry Olson; Christine (Gundersen) died January 18, 1897.

In 1888 Harry came to Sioux City where he worked as a stonemason until he retired in 1930. He was a member of St John’s Lutheran Church. According to 1900 census of Woodbury County, Harry Olson could read, write, speak English and owned a house. Ollie, his daughter, stated Harry was a good father, hard worker, good provider and tight with his money.

Harry Olson, a stone mason, was hard of hearing later in life due to all the noise he endured in conjunction with his trade. He could wiggle his ears and loved to entice his grandchild, Art, Jr, to wiggle his toes too. He came to the U.S. in 1885 and settled in Windom, Minnesota, working for the railroad there. In 1888 he came to Sioux City and worked as a stone mason and in the packing house until he retired in 1930.

In 1890-1 he was a stonecutter for contactor, R J Barrett, and boarded at 309 Court Street. In 1892 he boarded at 509 Iowa Street. In 1894 as stonecutter, residence at 1012 13th Street. In 1907 stonecutter, residence at 1111 Dace Street, Protestant neighborhood, 1910 and 1911 residence was at 1501 23rd Street; 1914 and 1917 and 1920 residence at 2310 Steuben Street; 1925 residence at 2310 DuPont Street; 1935 residence at 2025 Court Street.