Ellingson, George and Myrtle (Sersland)

(Myrtle (Serland) Ellingson)

Myrtle Elizabeth Sersland was born 14 Jun 1916 on the family farm in Sec. 19, Frankville Twp. She was the daughter of Carl and Julia (Anderson) Sersland.

Myrtle married George Orlando Ellingson 27 Jun 1940. George was born 24 Feb 1917 in Pleasant Twp., the son of Eldine and Regina (Thorson) Ellingson. George and Myrtle initially had a dray business in Decorah. Then Myrtle’s father, Carl, needed help on the farm, so they sold the dray business and went farming with Myrtle’s brother, Herbert. Later George and Myrtle bought Carl’s farm.

In 1966 LaCrosse told George he had a bad heart, so they sold the farm. George and Myrtle then bought the Hyde School (or Frankville No. 6) next to the farm and remodeled it. Myrtle and George lived in the Hyde School for over 20 years. George finally had heart surgery in Rochester in 1980. He died 3 Jan 1996 at the Aase Haugen Home. Myrtle lives in an apartment in Decorah.

George and Myrtle are the parents of 5 children: Janet Renee (23 Aug 1942-Mar 1944), Carsten Elliott, Janeen Renee, Merldeen Lana and Kevin Iver. Carsten married Betty Stabenow 2 Mar 1973. They live in Martelle, IA and have a son, Curtis Elliott. Janeen married Jack Meyer 12 Jun 1976. They live in Ankeny, IA. Janeen has 2 sons Jeffrey and Wayne  from her previous marriage to Donald Hogenson. Merldeen married Robert Rasmussen III 6 Aug 1967. They have 2 children: Robert IV and Haley Jean. The Rasmussens live in LaCrosse, Wl. Kevin lives in Decorah. He married Patricia Halse 13 Feb 1979. They have 2 children: Dana and Arren George.

Ellingson, Sever O. and Christine (Erickson)

(Norman Hjelmeland)

Sever O. Ellingson was born 27 Nov 1865 in Pleasant Twp., Winneshiek Co., the son of Ole W. and Rachael (Severson) Ellingson. Sever married Christine Erickson 24 Oct 1891 at Big Canoe Lutheran Church, rural Decorah. Christine was born 6 Feb 1865 in Canoe Twp., Winneshiek Co., the daughter of Jens and Ingeborg (Hanson) Erickson Ness (see Jens Erickson Ness).

After marriage, Sever and Christine lived on a farm at Springwater in Canoe Twp. They had 2 children: Johnny and Ida. Johnny 0. (1894) married Blanche Ruth Chase in 1919. They lived in Decorah and had 2 children: Darwin and Vernelle. Jda Randina (1895) was reared by her aunt and uncle, Gustava and Charles O. Moore of Decorah. She married Clifford Quandahl in 1923. They lived in Decorah and had 3 children: Lola, Orland and Joan.

Christine died 23 Dec 1895 at age 30, two weeks after the birth of her infant daughter. Sever continued to farm in Canoe Twp. He died 23 May 1923 in Decorah at age 57. Sever and Christine are buried at Big Canoe Lutheran Cemetery.

Ellingson, Rev. Wayne and Irmgard (Hein)

(Irmgard Ellingson)

The Rev. Wayne and Irmgard Ellingson and their 3 children, Gregg, Tina, and Angela, moved to Ossian when he accepted a letter of call from the Ossian and Stavanger Lutheran Church (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) in 1988. They reside in the parish parsonage at 204 Jessie Street in Ossian.

Pastor Ellingson was born in Decorah, IA, the second of 6 children born to Erven and Thelma (Stoen) Ellingson of Hesper Twp. in Winneshiek Co. He grew up on the Hesper Twp. farm where his parents still reside. He attended rural Winneshiek Co. schools, Mabel (MN) High School, and graduated from North Winneshiek High School, rural Decorah, in 1967. He received an associate of arts degree from Rochester (MN) State Junior College in 1969, a bachelor of science degree from Winona (MN) State College in 1971, and a master of divinity degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary in 1978. His pastoral ministry includes internship at St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Greendale, Wl (1976-1977), an assistantship at Bethany Lutheran Church, Elkhorn, NE (1978-1980), and solo ministries at Immanuel and St. John Lutheran Churches, WaKeeney and Ellis, KS (1980-1983), and St. Peter and St. John Lutheran Churches, Sumner and Waucoma, IA (1983-1988) in addition to the two-point Ossian parish.

His siblings are Elaine (Mrs. John) Hafertepe, Richfield, MN: Ruth (Mrs. Leon) Kosek, Bloomington, MN; Robert Ellingson, Perry, IA; Janet (Mrs. Brian Olson, St. Louis Park, MN; and Mary (Mrs. Jeffrey) Ott, Marble Rock, IA.

Pastor Ellingson is the descendant of Norwegian immigrants who settled in Winneshiek Co. in the 1850’s (see Erven and Thelma Ellingson family history).

Wayne Ellingson and Irmgard Hein were married 30 Dec 1972 at Scheie Lutheran Church, rural Mabel, MN.

Irmgard Hein was born in Osceola, Clarke Co., IA, to Albert and Minna (Wedmann) Hein of Weldon, IA. Albert was born to Christyan and Rossalie (Scheming) Hein in Gluckstal, Volhynia, USSR. The Schemings had lived in Pasieka, Kr. Kolo, Poland, for almost one hundred years before migrating to Volhynia in the 1860's. Christyan Hein was born in Dobrowola near Warsaw, Poland. Minna was born to Friedrich and Herta (Jaworske) Wedmann in Maksimowka, Volhynia, USSR. The Wedmanns and the Heins emigrated from Muden/Aller, West Germany to IA in Dec 1951.

The Hein family lived in Weldon, Burt, Swea City, and Hubbard, IA, in the 1950s and moved to Fillmore Co., MN, in 1960. Albert Hein died in 1988. Minna Hein resides near Canton, MN. Irmgard’s brother Alvin lives near Mabel, MN.

Irmgard attended the Hubbard School and the Newburg School north of Mabel. In 1971 she graduated from Mabel-Canton High School. She received a bachelor of science degree from Winona (MN) State College