MITCHELL COUNTY GENEALOGY

 

 

Some Biographies for Mitchell County

 

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS - 1944

Paul E. Kittleson

2 IOWA MEN PUT
ON BOMBER CREW


St. Ansgar Man Chosen
to Bombardier's Post

Alexandria, La. -- Two men from Iowa have been assigned to the same crew at the Alexandria army air field. They are: 2nd Lts., Donald L. Chapman of Fernold, and Paul E. Kittleson of St. Ansgar. They will soon complete an intensive course in combat flying at the Alexandria army air field and in the near future will go overseas to a combat area.

Lt. Chapman is the pilot of his crew at the age of 25. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray E. Chitty, Fernald. His wife is the former Shirley Arnold of Baxter, Illinois.

Lt. Kittleson takes up his responsibility of bombardier and by teamwork which he has been taught on this field, will unite his efforts with other members of a Flying Fortress crew trained by the 2nd army air force which has the task of readying 4-engine bomber crews for overseas duty. He is the son of Elon E. Kittleson of St. Ansgar.

Listed among the instructors at the Alexandria army air field are many officers and enlisted men who have seen action in every theater of war. These veterans direct crews through training conditions that simulated actual combat, stressing teamwork, formation flying and high altitude missions.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Aug. 11, 1944, page 8.

Iowa Flyer Advances to First Lieutenant

15th AAF in Italy — Paul E. Kittleson, 22, bombardier on a B-17 Flying Fortress operating from a 15th AAF base in Italy, has been promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. Lt. Kittleson is the son at Elon F. Kittleson, St. Ansgar, Iowa.

Lt. Kittleson, who entered the armed forces in February, 1942, received his bombardier's wings April 29, 1944. He was then assigned to overseas combat duty with the 15th AAF in the Mediterranean theater of operations, where he has flown 24 combat missions over enemy territory. Lt. Kittleson has been awarded the air medal for "meritorious achievement in aerial flight."

A brother, Glenn Kittleson, is with the anti-tank corps.

Mason City Globe-Gazette
Tuesday, December 26, 1944

 

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING - 1942

Glen H. Kittleson

Notes About
N.E. Iowa
Service Men

St. Ansgar -- Corp. Glen H. Kittleson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elon E. Kittleson of St. Ansgar, has been promoted to staff sergeant at Camp Bowie, Texas.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Dec. 27, 1942, page 29.

 

 

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING

Sherwin Kittleson
Glenn Kittleson

ST. ANSGAR, IOWA -- Glenn Kittleson of Lake Crystal, Minnesota, and son, Pfc. Robert Kittleson of Sheppard Air Base at Wichita Falls, Texas, who is home on furlough, Miss Betty Roberts of Lake Crystal, Minn., and Mrs. Della Larson were recent guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sherwin Kittleson.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Jan. 14, 1950

 

ST. ANSGAR HISTORICAL BOOKLET, 1978

Dr. Joseph C. Westenberger

Unlike other small rural communities, St. Ansgar has been fortunate to have adequate health services over the years. This fact has not always been left to Chance, as community leaders have sought out doctors, dentists and physicians' assistants and encouraged them to open their practice in St. Ansgar.

At the time of the Centennial, St. Ansgar's long standing Doctor was J.C. Westenberger. Dr. Westenberger opened his practice in 1897 after graduating from the Homeopathic Medical School at the University of Iowa. Dr. Westenberger continued his practice for 57 years when in 1954 he closed his office. The people of St. Ansgar did not accept his retirement and continued to seek his services which he administered from his home. Dr. Westenberger died on August 12, 1961, at the age of 90, and was survived by his wife, Amanda, his son Lorenz and his daughter Adeline.

[From booklet "1953-1978 Story of St. Ansgar"]

NOTE: Dr. Westenberger's first wife, Josephine (nee Toeter) died in 1927, and he later married her sister, Amanda Toeter.

 

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING

Merle Hobbs

INJURED SAILOR GIVEN DISCHARGE

Houston Crew Member Was Prisoner of Japs

St. Ansgar -- Merle Hobbs has been discharged from the naval hospital at Sampson, N.Y. and has also been issued his discharge from the navy.

Hobbs, a member of the crew of the U.S.S. Houston, was taken prisoner by the Japanese at the battle of Java, and remained a prisoner for 42 months. Working in the mines he contracted tuberculosis, and was liberated September 3, 1945. He was sent to the naval hospital at Sampson, where he had treatment for the disease. During his service in the navy Hobbs had been in 84 different countries.

While in the hospital at Sampson he was married to his brother, Hilmer Hobbs', widow. Hilmer lost his life in the battle of the "Belgian Bulge."

Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs will visit at the parental Lee Hobbs Home at St. Ansgar for a couple of weeks.

Mason City Globe-Gazette
April 12, 1946

 

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING

William David Rambo

TO RADAR SCHOOL — William David Rambo, son of T. Sgt. and Mrs. Clarence R. Rambo, St. Ansgar, now at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, has completed his course in basic military training at Lackland AFB, Tex. He will attend the technical training course for radio and radar maintenance at Keesler AFB, Miss.

He was graduated in May from the Carpenter High School and was enlisted in the electronics aptitude area through the Mason City recruiting office.

[Mason City Globe-Gazette Friday, July 8, 1960 -- from NewsPaperArchive.com 11/29/2009

 

Lars Olsen

 

Biographical Sketch of

Lars J. Olsen

Lars Johan Sigurd Olsen was the son of Reverend and Mrs. Johan Olsen, the second pastor of First Lutheran Church. He was confirmed at First Lutheran Church October, 1875. In 1885 he completed his theological studies and had accepted a call from a congregation in Oceana County in Michigan. He was ordained June 16, 1885 at the Norwegian Lutheran Church at St. Ansgar.

On June 27, 1888 he was united in marriage to Emily Veblen, a teacher at the St. Ansgar Academy and in later years he also was a teacher at the Academy. In the early 1900’s he was pastor at Oslo, Minnesota and occasionally came to St. Ansgar to help his father.

St. Ansgar, Iowa First Lutheran Church 125th Anniversary Booklet, 1953 - 1975.

 

 

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING

Richard Alan Golding

 

BASED ON NEWSPAPER CLIPPING

CONRAD G. IDE

Conrad G. Ide was born on May 11, 1925, and attended St. Ansgar, Iowa schools, graduating in 1943. Conrad later became a minister. During his carrer he served congregations in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska; Cozad, Nebraska; Rush Center, Kansas; McCook, Nebraska; Arapahoe, Nebraska; and finally at Pittsburg, Kansas.

He died, according to the Social Security Death Index, on October 31, 2004, while residing at Pittsburg, Crawford county, Kansas. Another source says Rev. Conrad Ide died on November 1, 2004. The Lutheran, for March 2005 said he died October 31, 2004, at the age of 79.

He is survived by his wife Lola; a son Michael; and a brother David.

Photograph is his senior class photo from St. Ansgar in 1943.

 

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING

Mary Nelson and Her Parents: Nels & Ingebor Nelson

MARY NELSON LIVES ON
FARM OWNED BY FAMILY
SINCE 1864

Miss Mary Nelson, who lives on the family farm north of St. Ansgar, Is the youngest daughter of pioneers who came to St. Ansgar in the spring of 1854. Her parents, N. H. and Ingeborg Nelson, and her oldest brother arrived in Wisconsin in August of 1853 after a nine-week trip across the Atlantic in a sailing vessel, coming from Norway. Harvesting was in progress at the time they arrived, so her father worked in the harvest fields for one bushel of wheat per day. The wheat was hauled to Milwaukee where it sold for 45¢ per bushel. It cost 5¢ per bushel to have it hauled to market. Her mother baked flat bread a whole day for 12½¢.

Pioneers of Deer Creek in 1864

Pictured above are the parents of Miss Mary Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. Nels H. Nelson (Sando). They came to this area in 1864, settling first in the Deer Creek area. Later they moved to the original Ole Sando homestead just north of St. Ansgar. Ole Sando moved on toward Northwood and Emmetsburg, and was killed in a runaway.

Miss Mary still holds the original Land Patents granted in 1855 and signed by President Pierce, and a grant from 1862 signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

Mr. Nels Nelson was buried on his 81st birthday in 1907; Mrs. Nelson died in August of 1916 at the age of 89.

There were many Indians around when the Nelsons arrived. They did not dare oppose them, so let them take whatever they asked for. Once when Mr. Nelson was gone on a trip to the nearest market at McGregor, Mrs. Nelson was startled at the sight of a large Indian sitting on their rail fence sharpening a large knife. When the knife was sufficiently sharp, he went away, much to their relief.

Gulbrand (Myhre) Gilbertson, who had arrived in 1853, gave willingly of both advice and money to her father and to all pioneers. Mr. Gilbertson had money when he came and used it for the benefit of all. Mr. Nelson prospered following his advice.

At one time a stranger came into the yard and asked Mr. Nelson if he would act as a stock buyer for him. Mr. Nelson asked how that could be possible since he had no horse or money. The stranger, a Mr. Hunter from McGregor, replied, "We'll fix that." He left his horse and saddle and a roll of currency. Mr. Nelson bought and slaughtered hogs, froze the meat and hauled it to McGregor. Mr. Nelson continued to work for him a number of years, eager for the opportunity to earn a little money.

Miss Mary Nelson As She Is Today

Pictured above is Miss Mary seated in a large chair in her comfortable farm living room. She is very active, very clear in mind and very cheerful.

Mrs. Nelson churned butter and walked at least five miles to sell it to the McKinley Hotel at Newburg. She also sheared sheep, spun the yarn and wove clothes. Miss. Nelson's grandfather, who came to St. Ansgar, made an all wood loom using an axe and a knife. Her grandfather also made his own coffin and cross. After her family no longer had use for the loom it was loaned to another family for forty years. The loom was returned and Miss Nelson still has it. Mr. Nelson, who had learned tailoring in Norway, made suits for the boys in the family.

The Nelsons came in 1964 to the farm where Mary was born and now lives. It has been owned by the family since 1864. She has one living brother, Iver Nelson, who lives in Minneapolis. He is in poor health. Miss Nelson has a $50 tax receipt for the farm where taxes are now $271.

The Nelsons built all of the buildings on their farm. It had only a log house when they moved there. The stone foundations of the barn and house were worked up by Miss Nelson's parents at the Cedar River.

Mr. Nelson returned to Norway for a visit in 1882 and stayed through the winter. Having had enough of ocean travel in her first nine week crossing of the Atlantic, Mrs. Nelson chose to remain at home.

Members of the Nelson family have belonged to First Lutheran Church since they arrived in their covered wagon in 1854.

[St. Ansgar Enterprise, July 2, 1953 -- "Centennial Days"]