long way when the wind was not in the right direction. When the family got to the United States, Ingabor and the 2 boys stayed with her sister in Chicago, IL while John came to Iowa and found a place to live. John found a farm in Pleasant Twp., Winneshiek Co. Ingabor and the boys joined him there and John and Ingabor made this their home until they died.

John and Ingabor Larson family Back row: Hans Larson, Edward Larson, Albert Larson, Lars Larson, Mary Larson Gillies. Front row: Oliver Larson, Caroline Larson Engrav, John Larson, Ingabor Larson, Carl (Charlie) Larson.

Their first home was a log cabin with 1 large room downstairs which was used as kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom. There were 2 small rooms upstairs. The cabin was dismantled a few years ago. The family who purchased the cabin plans to re-assemble it in Glenwood Twp.John and Ingabor had no running water. They had to carry water about a 1/4 of a mile up a hill from a spring. It was easy going down the hill, but not so easy coming up the hill with heavy buckets of water. Rain water was collected and used for washing clothes.

John and Ingabor had 7 more children after coming to the United States: Carl “Charlie” (22 Jan 1873-30 May 1938), Charlie’s twin who died at birth, Albert (22 Jun 1875-1976), Edward (23 Jun 1877-25 Nov 1925), Caroline (24 Feb 1879-25 Apr 1968, m. a Engrav), Mary (m. a Gillies) and Oliver. Mary lived in Vancouver, B.C. Oliver lived in Zumbrota, MN. Charlie, Albert and Edward are buried at Canoe Ridge Lutheran Cemetery, Pleasant Twp. Hans is buried at Pontoppidan Cemetery, Glenwood Twp. Caroline is buried in the Highland Cemetery near Rushford, MN and Oliver is buried in Zumbrota.

In her later years Ingabor would sit in her rocking chair in the evening and smoke her corn cob pipe. John died in 1924. Ingabor died 6 May 1936. Both John and Ingabor are buried at the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Cemetery.

Larson, Nels & Jorund (Kjome)

(Thilda Egertson and Verna Dalby)

The Honorable Nels Larson was born 1 Sep 1841 in the village of Bakka on the Naerefjord, a tributary of the mighty Sognefjord in Sogn, Western Norway. His father, Lars Anderson Bakka, was a fisherman-farmer, born in 1818. His mother, Kari Nilsdatter, was born in 1819 and died when Nels was eleven years old. His name was Nils Bakka in Norway.

Because the mountains were so close to the fjords, in some areas, there remained very little land for farmers to support their families, so many of them emigrated to America for better opportunities. Lars also took his only child, Nels, to America in 1854.

After three weeks at sea and a winter in Minnesota, they moved on to NE Iowa, where there were acres and acres of rich, virgin land in Highland Twp., Winneshiek Co., awaiting their plows. They were among the first settlers here northeast of Decorah.

With many families named Bakka, Lars changed his son’s name by adding “son" to his own name, thus naming him Larson. He also spelled Nils as Nels. So there emerged Nels Larson. (The word "Honorable” before a name indicated anyone elected to the State Legislature.)

Lars purchased 80 acres of government land at $1.50 per acre and later sold it.

Schools were few, if any, in those primitive, pioneer times, so Nels received but six weeks of formal schooling in America, and he had only five weeks in Norway.

Lars was concerned about Christian education, so he sent Nels to a year of weekly instruction with Rev. Ulrich Vilhelm Koren in the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, six miles east of Decorah. He was confirmed there the next year and lived and worked with his father. In 1860, too young to vote, he tended the horses when the older men went to vote. Nels first voted for Abraham Lincoln in 1864.

Nels Larson and Jorund (Kjome) Larson

Later he purchased the 80 acres from his father at the same price he had paid for it and kept adding to it until he had 240 acres, which he then divided with his son.

On 29 Jul 1862 in the Big Canoe Lutheran Church, Nels married Jorund Kjome. Jorund was born 22 Feb 1845,the daughter of Nels Nelson Kjome and Margrit (Marit) Andersdtr Hov, in Rollag, Numedal, Norway. When Nels and Marit Kjome arrived in America, they had five children: Nels, Jr., Jorund, Andres, Ingeborg and Ole. They registered their homestead in Highland Twp. on 8 Aug 1854.

Some pioneers lived in dug-outs while building their first homes, but this family found temporary shelter under a huge boulder on a hillside. Marit brought her handcrafted spinning wheel from Norway. It was dismantled and carried in pieces, probably in a carpet bag. This spin