Melchior Sheldrup Munson was born in 1812 in Sogn, Norway, the son of Mons Hanssen Ronnei, 1782-1822, and Gjertrud Marie Knudsdtr Norenberg, 1782-1824. He was baptized March 21, 1813 in Dale Church, which overlooks the beautiful Lusterfjord in Luster (Dale), Luster County Sogn. At this time in Norway it was a custom to take the father' s given name and add "son" or "dtr", which is how the Munson name was formed. On old documents the name Melchior was spelled variously as Melchor, Melker, and Melkjor. In accordance with the law of Norway, Melchior as a young man entered the regular army, and because of his good performance and physical strength, was chosen to serve in the King's guard. On July 1, 1841, he married Martha Halvorson Vamberg, born March 5, 1815, the daughter of Hallvord Olson Vamberg, 1783-1845, and Eli Johansdtr Huus, the daughter of Johannes Huus, who had come to Jostedal from Kinsarvik in Hardanger as parish clerk and teacher.

According to Jon Loverg's History Jostedal 1936, records in Jostedal show Melchior bought Burk II in Jostedal in 1846 and that he sold it in 1855, but it seems he only lived there a short while. Let me quote his daughter, Mary Munson Vaala: "Prior to leaving Norway, the family lived in Laerdal, a little village on the Sognefjord, 80 miles northeast of Bergen. Father had been carrying mail by boat between Laerdal and other towns. It was difficult to support five children and with no future ahead, they decided to leave for America. Halvor, then a boy of eleven was to remain in Norway with a cousin of Grandfather's until the folks could send him money for passage to America. As the boat was about to leave, the captain realized how the parents felt about leaving their boy, so he finally gave Halvor permission to sail with his family, and you can imagine how happy the parents and children were at this!"

On April 16, 1857, after careful preparation and planning, three daughters and a son of Halvor Vamberg, with their families, sailed for the New World, leaving loved ones and friends behind. Melchior and Martha Munson with their five children, Gjertrud 13, Halvor - 11, Eli - 8, Monsoon - 5, and Ingeborg Marie - 1, were part of this group. Jetmund and Anna Burke Knutson, and Ellen - 2; Ottie and Brita Oleson and Benta; Ole and Betsy Vamberg Halvorson and Lewis; and two cousins, Ole Anderson and Paul Haugen were also in this group. Again, I quote Mary Munson Vaala: "The trip across the Atlantic was long and tedious. We don't know how long it took (relatives say it took 13 weeks) but they landed at Quebec and may have sailed from there up the St. Lawrence River, and through some of the Great Lakes. They settled in Dane County, Wisconsin, near Utica and the East Koshkonong Congregation, served by Pastor A.C. Preus. While living in this area, Muns was born on September 1, 1858 and baptized September 19, 1858. Jane was confirmed April 25, 1858, and she often told how her confirmation dress was Turkey red calico and that she was the best in her class. Halvor was confirmed April 15, 1860."

Maxell Overbore Thomson, Jane Munson Overbooks daughter, remembered her mother telling of the day they arrived in Stoughton, Wisconsin, where they were met by Johannes Bjork, who was a good friend and relative from the homeland. It was a hot summer day, and they walked the three or four miles from Stoughton to his farm home, dressed in their heavy woolen clothes. Already weary from their arduous journey, when they reached the Bjork home, they lay down on the ground in the yard. Mrs. Bjork brought out large loaves of bread and clabbered milk from a stone cave. "How we did eat!" After resting a few days, the men found work with settlers, while others began building their own cabins. They remained near Stoughton for about three years.

The census of July 1860 shows the Munson and Halvorson families living in the northern part of Crawford County, Wisconsin, where their post office was at Mt. Sterling. Anna's obituary in 1905 states that she was born near Towerville, in Utica Township, Wisconsin, February 14, 1861. It is certain they lived near the Kickapoo River, as I recall a story of a near-drowning of one of the children in that river. I also recall hearing of their affiliation with a nearby church known then as the Kickapoo Lutheran Church.

In 1861, the party of eighteen who had left Norway four years earlier headed west to South Dakota. Now there were several more children and Ole Anderson's wife. They traveled in covered wagons drawn by oxen, herding their cattle along the way. The wagons had a water tight box to float across rivers and huge wheels cut from trunks of large trees. It is believed they crossed the Mississippi from DeSoto to near Lansing, Iowa. Many years later, Jane, who was seventeen at the time, described the crossing. "They drove the oxen, floating the wagons across the river. The women and children crossed in a ferry boat, and the cattle had to swim. After the crossing, the boat captain's wife, holding a loaf of bread by one arm, sliced off a portion for each one in the party." Even in her old age, Aunt Jane kept a vivid memory of this kind lady.

It is not certain what route these hardy pioneers took across the nearly 300 mile width of Iowa. In 1861, there were no marked or improved roads in northern Iowa, just various trails leading from one community to another. The Old Military Trail, an established route in 1861, ran from Ft. Crawford, WI, near Prairie du Chien, to Ft. Atkinson, and Ft. Dodge, IA, where it is known they crossed the Des Moines River, and traveled on to Sioux City. A portion of this trail crossed Utica Township, in Chickasaw County, three miles south of the land which Melchior Munson bought a few years later, and on which he established his horne. In this same area, in 1857, a group of Norwegian settlers had organized a Lutheran congregation, called the Dale Congregation, later called the Little Turkey Lutheran Church. In 1922, it became the Saude Lutheran Church. A few miles down the trail was Jacksonville (now abandoned) with its post office dating from 1857.

It seems probable that Melchior, together with the group with whom he was traveling, learned of this Norwegian settlement and of the established Lutheran congregation during their trek toward the Dakotas. This group of pioneers arrived in South Dakota in late 1861.The Union County Historical Society in South Dakota shows that the Munsons lived in a dugout along the bank of Brule Creek in Section 12, Brule Township, Union County, seven miles north and one mile west of Elk Point.

This was the time of the Civil War among the states. Times were troubled and supplies scarce. The family often recalled that in early 1862, Halvor, not yet 16, enlisted in Company A, First Dakota Cavalry at Yankton. His detachment was assigned to patrolling the Indian Frontier in Dakota territory. In a letter written by Mary Munson Vaala, she tells that after Halvor joined the Army, the family was able to get more provisions, such as sugar, coffee and flour.

The land was good, but the settlers lived in constant fear of the Indians. On September 6, 1862, a rider came through falsely warning the settlers that the Sioux Indians were on the warpath. The entire settlement was aroused, and prepared to leave. The Munsons immediately loaded their ox-drawn wagons and traveling at night, headed for Sioux City, 25 miles away. Arriving at the ferry crossing of the Big Sioux River at dawn, they nervously awaited their turn to cross into Iowa. From Sioux City, the Olson and Knutson families went to Cedar Falls, Iowa, while the Halvorsons returned to Crawford County, Wisconsin. After a two-day stay in Sioux City, Melchior and his family returned to their Brule Creek home. Melchior's name appears in the minutes of St. Paul Lutheran Church's organizational meeting, August 12/ 1863. This was the first Lutheran Church in Dakota Territory.

In 1864, grasshoppers that destroyed their drought-reduced crop led the Munsons to again head for Iowa. Melchior's family apparently rejoined the Olson and Knutson families at Cedar Falls in the winter of 1864-65, as the family recalls Melchior's cutting railroad ties along the Cedar River. In 1865, these three Vamberg sisters and their families reached Chickasaw County and found available land northeast of old Jacksonville between the Little Turkey River and Crane Creek. According to church records, the Munsons, Knutsons, and Olsons all received communion on July 11, 1865 at the Little Turkey Lutheran Church (now Saude Lutheran Church).

Melchior found desirable land 2.5 miles south of Saude or six miles due north of Lawler. A recorded deed of June 26, 1865 shows Melchior Munson purchasing 80 acres of land from Terrance, John and Bridget Riley for $340. At this location the family settled, built and developed their permanent home.

The children attended the Norwegian School, organized by the church, which provided religious instruction and studies in Norwegian. Only one teacher was employed. In order to reach as many children as possible, he taught several "terms" each year in different locations. Between "terms" the children attended the public or "English" school, where they learned English, arithmetic, etc.

The following years brought changes to the home common to maturing families. Ellen went to work in the Willard Converse home northeast of Protivin. On June 8, 1867, she and Samuel Converse (Willard's son) were married. After Halvor's Army service, including an expedition to Montana and Salt Lake City, he returned to his family in Iowa. On October 25, 1868, he and Anna Jurgenson were married. Jane, who was lame all her life, found employment in the home of Dr. Burdick in Decorah. Emma (Monsine) and Mary became school teachers and taught in the rural schools of Chickasaw County and in adjacent counties. Mary married Alf Vaala on September 13, 1878. Jane married Peter Overboe on February 14, 1883. Muns and Anna remained in the home with their parents. Melchior bought eighty acres of land from his son for $1,000, and now had 160 acres.

In 1891, the aged parents sold the farm to Muns and Anna. Muns purchased the eighty acres a mile and a half north of the home place, and Anna purchased the home eighty, with the stipulation: " ... reserving to ourselves during our natural lives only, the control and use of and all proceeds from the use of said NE quarter of the SE quarter of Section 5-97-11." Muns and Anna each paid $1300 for their land.

Mamie Vaala Grimso gave the following recollections of her grandparents, Melchior and Martha Munson, at the Munson Reunion in 1950: "You of the younger generation probably wonder what kind of looking man your Grandfather Melchior was. He was large and well built much like his son, Halvor, dark complexion, brown eyes, and whiskers, with upper lip and chin shaved like his picture. He was kind, reserved, and good natured, except when he ran out of chewing tobacco. Then the children were very careful not to annoy him. I remember him as being kind to animals.

He had a high back rocker where he would sit and read. One time he had a big yellow cat sleeping on his shoulder and a little dog "Jip" at his feet. Most of us would have chased the cat away, but not Grandfather. Sister Alice and I used to spend weekends at Grandfather's walking the three miles or more. As little tots we used to get hungry but knew where to find Aunt Annie's cookie jar. One time Alice was helping herself to cookies when Grandfather said, "I hear a mouse in the cupboard." Alice said, "Where is it?" not realizing that he meant a two-legged one. "Grandmother Martha was a small woman, fair, blue eyes, and always very active. Her last years were spent at the spinning wheel and knitting socks and mittens for the family. She was well informed in Bible history, instructing her children by telling them Bible stories. Mother said the children knew Bible stories long before they could read. In her later years, she wore white muslin caps tied in a bow under her chin and, like many of our women of today, she smoked. She had a cigar box filled with tobacco and clay pipes in spite of hardships."

Melchior's and Martha's last years were spent in happy contentment on the farm, where they experienced the joy of knowing and seeing their grandchildren. Martha lived to see at least one great grandchild, Dorothy Converse. Muns and Anna, with help and encouragement from the other children, cared for their parents until their deaths. Melchior died November 15, 1893, at the age of 81. Martha died October 8, 1899, at the age of 84. Their earthly remains rest in the Saude Lutheran Church Cemetery, three and a half miles north of the old farm.

Written by their granddaughter, Martha Munson Steensland.

See the Melchior and Martha Munson Family Group Record.

Contributed by Jim Johnson, August 2009, transcribed from "Melchior and Martha Munson Family History, 1812-1989, by Paul L. Munson.