Anna Martha (Lodden) SIMONSON

LODDEN, SIMONSON, HALVERSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/17/2009 at 10:28:00

1 March 1858 -- 8 March 1944

Services For Mrs. Simonson Held Sunday
Born in Norway, She Was Long a Resident of This Community

Funeral services for Mrs. Anna Simonson were held at the home at 2:15 p.m. and at the Methodist church at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 12[1944]. The services were in charge of Rev. J. O. Wangberg, pastor of Trinity Lutheran church, assisted by Rev. C. L. Dalseide of Ambrose, North Dakota, a former pastor of Trinity church and an old friend of the family. Music was furnished by the girls' choir of Trinity Lutheran church, who sang, "O, Safe to the Rock", and "Some Day the Silver Cord Will Break." They were accompanied by Mrs. Bixler on the organ. E. P. Lomen sang a solo in the Norwegian language, "Tenk, Naar En Gang."
Pallbearers were Ole G. Ryen, Reinert Peterson, Eric B. Thompson, Lars Teigland, Richard Hoveland and Melvin Thorson. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wiegert, Mr. and Mrs. Telmer Sime, Miss Inga Ryen and Miss Gladys Larson had charge of the flowers. Besides the many floral offerings there were a large number of spiritual bouquets given in memory of Mrs. Simonson. These gifts to various religious and charitable institutions amounted to well over $150.00. Interment was made in Clinton-Garfield cemetery. Those from a distance who attended the services were Mr. and Mrs. Herbert R. Halverson, Anita and Byron, Mrs. Tillie Nelson, Mrs. Theodore Olson and Bernhard Severtson, all of Kenneth, Minn.; Thomas J. Hood, Alice and Kathleen, of Mallard; Mr. and Mrs. Haldor Dale and Mrs. Joe I. Dale of Bode; Mrs. John T. Heggen of Story City; Mr. and Mrs. Glen O'Neall of Pomeroy; Mrs. A. M. Johnson of Minneapolis; the Martin Kukor family of Havelock; Mr. and Mrs. Lester Spangler of Castana; Mrs. Chas. M. Hansen of Emmetsburg; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Spies of Gilmore City; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Johnson of Albert City; Mrs. G. Wilber Woods of Clinton, Tenn.; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Junkman of Manson; Dr. and Mrs. Carl Hoveland of Humboldt; Mr. and Mrs. Ollie Larson of Curlew; Mr. and Mrs. Russell Sime of Fort Dodge; Mrs. George Sandvig of Laurens; and Richard Saddoris of Palmer, besides many others from neighboring towns.

Anna Martha Simonson, daughter of Dorthea and Lars Lodden, was born in Bokn, near Stavanger, Norway, March 1, 1858, and died at her home in Rolfe Wednesday morning, March 8, 1944, having reached the age of 86 years and seven days. At the age of 23 Mrs. Simonson came to this country and in the year 1882 she was united in marriage to Andrew Simonson. Nine children were born to this union, two of them having preceded her in death. A daughter, Laura Dorthea, died at the age of 15 months and a son, Thomas Marion, died February 9, 1928, at the age of 40 years. Her husband passed away January 31, 1927. Mrs. Simonson is survived by the following children: Simon, Louie, Elmer, Andrew, Dora and Roy who reside here and Mrs. Marie Halverson of Kenneth, Minn.; also 21 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. After a brief residence at Thor, Iowa, where the oldest child, Simon was born, she and her family moved to Rubens, and when that town was discontinued they moved their house to Rolfe, this being one of the first houses in Rolfe. After a residence of about three years in Rolfe they moved out to the farm which was to be their home for so many years. Their first home out there was a log cabin, the main part of which still stands. In the fall of 1936, Mrs. Simonson, Louie and Dora, moved to Rolfe where her death occurred. Mrs. Simonson was a charter member of Trinity Lutheran church and was given a life membership in the Women's Missionary Federation of the Norwegian Church of America. She was very much interested in all the activities of the church and was always willing to do anything she was capable of doing in the service of the church. She counted no sacrifice too great if she thought it might possibly benefit someone else. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and was very much interested in the work of this organization. While Mrs. Simonson's chief concern was always for her family and for the church, many a person outside the family circle came to think of her as a mother. Many a hired man, for instance, felt the touch of her motherly love, and she will be sorely missed by all these, as well as by the members of her own family. How fitting it is that the last words uttered by this noble soul was a prayer for those she left behind in this world. May God bless the memory of this dear old mother and may He give us grace to follow in her footsteps.

[Anders Simonsen Storesund and Anna Martha Lodden were married 24 September 1882 in Thor, Humboldt County, Iowa]