William Henry Musser (ca. 1900?)

Johanna [Renaas] Blegen story). Will and Milla Musser had one child, Willard Melvin, born 6 Oct 1904 in their home just southwest of the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church (see Willard and llyn [Ingvalson] Musser story).

William Henry Musser in his blacksmith shop in Decorah (ca. 1910).

The young Musser family made several moves over the years both around Pleasant and Glenwood Twps. and within the city of Decorah. Will set up a number of blacksmith shops, including one at Locust (where the current Lutheran church parsonage is located) and another at Nasset (now defunct, located east of what is currently Freeport). He also had shops within Decorah. One of these was in Decorah’s old Brickner building, once located on Main Street between State and Washington Streets, which not only served as a shop location but also contained the apartment upstairs in which the family lived for some time, and in which both grandparents, Michael

Emelia (Blegen) Musser (ca. 1900?)

and Elizabeth, died. Will Musser had left his “mark" on the building when he eventually moved his shop; the burn marks left by hot horseshoes that had hung on nails in the ceiling joists were visible up until the building was demolished, well over a half century after it contained the Musser smithy.

Will later moved both his shop and residence to a location just across from the Springer Hotel on Washington Street, next to the monument company. The family changed residences frequently in the twelve years they lived in Decorah until 1918, when they moved back to the country to help various family members with farm work. Although Will became partly debilitated by a stroke, he and his family shared in the responsibilities and profits of farming with Emelia's sister Matia and brother Andrew (married to Will’s sister, Nettie), and Will’s nephew, Oscar Rognes.

When William Musser died at the Rognes farm following a second stroke on 17 Jun 1924, Milla and son Willard continued to help Oscar Rognes with the farm. Milla took care of household affairs, cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening, canning of meat and vegetables, etc. Willard and Oscar worked together, and Willard purchased a grubbing machine and began to hire out to do grubbing. Willard then moved to a small place of his own just west of the Rognes place and cut and sold wood and hired help for his grubbing enterprise. When Oscar's mother Marie (Emelia's sister) became ill, Milla moved back to town to take care of her, and Willard and Oscar followed shortly. After Marie died, Milla moved into her own apartment for a short period, then fell ill herself and moved to the Andrew Blegen home where, on 7 May 1835 she passed away.

Milla and Will Musser are remembered as being warm people. Milla, a very devout Lutheran, was said to have