HARMON, Ragnhild 1847-1933

HARMON

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 7/28/2006 at 16:31:50

Rites for Mrs. Harmon held at Synod Church. Resident of County since early 1870's passes away at Kensett.

Funeral services were held Saturday at 1PM at the home in Kensett and at 2 O'clock at the Synod Church in Northwood for Mrs. Iver Harmon 85 pioneer Worth County resident who died Wednesday morning of last week, March 1st at her home in Kensett. Rev. A. J. Torgerson pastor of the Synod congregation conducted the rites. Burial was made in the Sion Cemetery. Mrs. Ragnhild Orvedahl Harmon was born 24 Dec 1847 in Vik Parish, Sogn Norway. Her parents were Iver Johnson Orvedahl and his wife Synneva. While she was a child her dad died. After a number of years while she was yet in her teens, she was separated from her mother and found a chance to better her condition by emigrating to America where they expected to be united in the near future.

In 1865 at age 18 her opportunity came to follow after her mother to the land of promise and she reached Chicago in the month of June. From there she hurried onto Long Prairie, Ill where her mother was located. Upon her arrival there she was met with the sad message that her mom had departed her life and had been buried a week before Ragnhild arrived. The sad news was a great sorrow and shock but she was among friends and readily found a home.

It was at Long Prairie that she was wooed and won by her husband Iver Harmon with whom she was married 6 Feb. 1869. They moved to Worth County in the early 70's where they established a home near the site of the present Tenold Creamery. After a number of years the family moved to a farm south of Northwood where they lived and prospered until old age induced them to retire from active farming.

They bought a home in Kensett to which they moved in the spring of 1912. Shortly after they were in their new home Mr. Harmon was stricken with illness and on 16 April 1912 he died. Mrs. Harmon had maintained her home during all of the years of her widowhood.

Mr. & Mrs. Harmon raised a large family of 6 sons and 4 girls. Of these children 3 girls preceded their mother in death. Ellen and Ida died at Home in 1892 and Bertine after a short married life died at her home west of Northwood in 1899. Her husband being the late Andrew Aase. Her surviving children are: Mrs. 0. A. Roslien, Pennock, Minn; Andrew Harmon, Pierre, S. Dakota; Henry Harmon, Jamestown, North Dakota; Ole I. Harmon, Northwood, Severin and Luther Harmon Kensett and Helmer I. Harmon of Northwood. In addition to the children there are 24 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren.

Mrs. Harmon had through her long life discharged the duties of her calling. Even after she reached the age of four-score years she had been active and maintained her own home until she was afflicted with her last illness. A fall experienced a few weeks before her death tended to hasten her decline. Several of the members of the family have been with her assisting in her care during the weeks that she was confined to her sick bed.

Source: Northwood Anchor, March 9, 1933