John Martinus JOTTEN

JOTTEN, JAKOBSEN, LARSDATTER, THOMPSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/11/2014 at 14:21:58

August 8, 1873 ---- January 25, 1937

John Martinus Jotten was born at Jaathun, near Stavanger, Norway on August 8, 1873 to parents Jakob Jakobsen (Jotten) and Maren Taletta Larsdatter. He came to the U.S. in 1890 (his sister Josephine had come in 1887; Laura in 1888) at the age of 17 years. He came to Holmes, Iowa and took the name of the place where he had lived in Norway, Jaathun (Jotten). He worked on the railroad in Holmes for $1.00 for a 10 hour day and paid $2.00 a week for room and board-this was about 1983.

He was united in marriage to Minnie Thompson, Sept. 22, 1898. Minnie's parents immigrated to the U.S.A. from Norway in 1866 and moved from Argyle, Wisconsin to Ft. Dodge, Iowa traveling in a covered wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen. They later settled near Thor, Iowa. Her father helped build the railroad from Ft. Dodge to Sioux City, Iowa. Minnie was born July 25, 1880. John and Minnie farmed in Wright Co. until 1936 when they retired and moved to Eagle Grove.

John went back to Norway for a visit leaving on Dec. 2, 1911 and he reached Stavanger on Dec. 20, 1911. He returned home on Feb. 28, 1912.

John was a patient, dutiful and a kind husband and father and a good neighbor. The Lord saw fit to call him home on Jan. 25, 1937. The day before he died, he had a Vision of Heaven, he told his daughter Alice. He didn't dream any place could be so beautiful; the streets were paved with gold and the pearly gates had opened. He said he wouldn't miss Heaven for anything. He was overjoyed in what he had seen and had such a desire to go there. To the family his death came as a shock because the day he died he had been up and around all day. He was buried in the Holmes Cemetery.

Source -- Jotten family history, compiler and date unknown.