Bertha (Christenson/Tjernagel) Nelson (1844-1933)

CHRISTENSON, TJERNAGEL, ANDERSDOTTER, NELSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 7/18/2024 at 14:50:58

From Story City Herald August 17, 1933 (page 7)

OBITUARY OF MRS. C. C. NELSON

Mrs. C. C. Nelson was born in Tjernagel, Norway, April 26, 1844. Her parents were Christen Pederson Tjernagel and Mari Andersdotter. Together with her widowed mother and young sister, Ellen, she came to America when she was twelve years old. She landed in Ottawa, Ill., and made her home with her brother, Peder Tjernagel, and lived there for some years. She came to Iowa in 1862 and Aug. 19, 1865, she was married to C. C. Nelson, a Civil war veteran.

Her husband passed away Jan. 9th, 1922. For some time after marriage she and her husband lived at the home of her brother, Endre Christenson. Mrs. Endre Christenson was a sister of C. C. Nelson.

At an early date they purchased a small farm northwest of where Randall in now located. They lived there for many years, or until 15 years ago, when they retired from the farm and bought a home in Randall, where she died August 3rd, 1933. There were eight children born to this union: Carl, Jonas, Mollie, Henry, Ellen, Frank, Johnson and Henry. All preceded her to the Great Beyond except Jonas, who has stayed with her in Randall, Mollie of Minneapolis and John in Seattle, Wash.

Thus passes the last one of the original 15 of the Tjernagel family, who came to this country at an early date. In this connection it is interesting to note that there are now over 700 Tjernagels in this country.

Funeral services were conducted from the Randall Lutheran church, Rev. Hans Oppedal officiating. Interment took place at the Mamrelund cemetery, where her husband and children are buried. The pallbearers were M. L. Henderson, Henry Peterson, B. A. Anderson, Geo. Templer, Will Templer and Ed Pinkney.

Mrs. Bertha Nelson was 89 years, 3 months and 7 days old. She became the oldest of anyone so far in the Tjernagel family. She had been in failing health for several years and her last sickness was only of few days duration. Her last days were especially comfortable, as she was cared for by Ms. John Forde, who is unusually kind and capable.

Mrs. C. C. Nelson will be remembered as a hard working and earnest woman. She struggled with poverty as all pioneer women did, but won out so she was able to pay her own way out of this world, besides leaving a nice little nest egg for her children. --L.J.T.