KLEMESRUD, Herman Knudsen

KLEMESRUD, DYNNA, GROV, JOHANSON, CHRISTIANSEN

Posted By: Deidre Badker (email)
Date: 6/1/2014 at 09:52:26

Herman Knudsen Klemesrud was born on February 23, 1868 near Boscobel in Vermont, Dane, Wisconsin to Knud Hermanson Klemesrud and Liv Haraldsdatter Grov, one of their eight children. He was baptized in Wisconsin.

The same year he was born, his family moved west to Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa where his father bought farmland.

Herman was confirmed at the Rock Creek Lutheran Church in Meroa, Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa on June 8, 1884. He attended rural school in Cedar township.

Found in the 1870 - 1880 censuses living at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa:
1870: Canute Haroldson 36, Leve Haroldson 35, Harold Haroldson 12, Carrie Haroldson 5, Herman Haroldson 3.

1880: Knud Hermanson 46, Liva Hermanson 45, Harl Hermanson 21, Carrie Hermanson 16, Herman Hermanson 13, Martin Hermanson 9, Liever Hermanson 6, Gabriel Hermanson 1.

1885: Knud Hermandson 53, Let Hermandson 52, Harol Hermandson 25, Carra Hermandson 19, Herman Hermandson 18, Martin Hermandson 13, Sever Hermandson 10.

Herman married Lise Maria Dynna on March 9, 1892 at the Rock Creek Lutheran Church at Meroa, Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa. (Lise b December 2, 1872 Rock, Mitchell, Iowa, d February 1, 1926 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa).

The couple had 10 children:
Kalmar Laurits (b March 27, 1893, d September 27, 1893 both at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa);

Livius Ingvald (b July 20, 1894, d November 24, 1900 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa);

Alice Korinda (b December 8, 1896, d October 8, 1997 Osage, Mitchell, Iowa);

Helen Leonora (b February 11, 1899, d July 30, 1981 Osage, Iowa);

Kalmar Livius (b March 3, 1901, d May 8, 1972 Osage, Iowa);

Irene Lillian (b April 18, 1903, d January 1, 1927 Mitchell, Iowa);

Knud Arthur (b March 22, 1905, d May 14, 1979 Pewaukee, Waukesha, Wisconsin);

Lars (b March 15, 1907, d March 23, 1907 Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa);

Louise (b April 1, 1910, d February 11, 1986 Osage, Iowa) and

Herman Ludvig (b August 14, 1914, d December 19, 1988 Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana.

Family found in the 1900 - 1940 censuses living on the same farm at Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa:
1900: Herman K Klemesand 32, Lizzie M Klemesand 27, Livius I Klemesand 5, Alice K Klemesand 3, Helen L Klemesand 1.

1910: Herman H Klemesrud 42, Lise Maria Dynna Klemesrud 37, Alice Klemesrud 13, Helen Klemesrud 11, Kalmer Livius Klemesrud 9, Irene Lillian Klemesrud 6, Knud Arthur Klemesrud 5, Louise Klemesrud 1 mo.

1920: Herman K Klemesrud 51, Lizzie M Klemesrud 47, Alice K Klemesrud 23, Helen L Klemesrud 20, Karlmar L Klemesrud18, Irene L Klemesrud 16, Knut A Klemesrud 14, Louise Klemesrud 9, Herman L Klemesrud 5.

1925: Herman K Klemesrud 56, Lizzie M Klemesrud 52, Kalmar H Klemesrud 23, Irene L Klemesrud 21, Knud A Klemesrud 19, Louise Klemesrud 14, Ludwig H Klemesrud 10.

1930: Herman K Kleesrud 62, Herman L Klemesrud 15, Donald C Christensen 23.

1940: Herman K Klemesrude 72, Agnes Klemesrude 58.

(Censuses transcribed as found without fixing spelling errors.)

Excerpts from the booklet "Meroa" written by Gertrude Crowell (from this Mitchell Co Gen Web, search "Meroa") -
In 1892, Herman bought a farm directly 2 miles west of the Rock Creek Lutheran Church, Meroa, Iowa. The farm was 160 acres in West Cedar township, Mitchell County, Iowa. He purchased it from Diedrick and Mary Ahrens who had purchased it from Charles Abbot. Abbot had secured the patent from the U.S. Government on January 1, 1859. The price was $39 per acre. Living on the place at the time of the purchase in 1892 were Mr. & Mrs. Lang and son John. They were perhaps relatives of Ahrens', and moved to Osage after the farm sold.

After Lise's death, Herman married Agnes Agnette Johanson (Mrs Johan Andrew Christianson b May 4, 1881 Rock, Mitchell, Iowa, d February 19, 1971 Osage, Iowa) on November 26, 1936 at Osage, Mitchell, Iowa. They had no children.

Herman wrote poems. "Meroa" and "Meroa in Rhyme" were written June 1928. He wrote one entirely in Norwegian December 12, 1898.

He served as secretary of the Rock Creek Co-op Creamery Co. (Meroa, Iowa) in 1930. He was a census enumerator in 1900.

In 1901, the Deweyville Newspaper reports that the following farmers have put up a telephone between them: C. Apel, J. Buckmann, Martin Klemesrud and his brother, Herman and their parents.

In 1911, the farm was sold to a railroad prospector named J.J. Lanin. There were plans to build a railroad from Osage to Mason City with a railroad station named Hermansville to be built on this land. The price offered was $120.00 per acre. The plans never materialized, and it took several years to clear the farms' title.

From "The History of Mitchell County, 1989" -
The first living place on this farm was 40 rods south of the present one - just west of the fork in the road. Here five of their children were born. The buildings were rather poor, but they had one unique convenience - the feed for the livestock was ground by power from the windmill. Neighbors also brought grain to be ground at this mill.

The present living place began with the planting of the evergreen grove. Then a well was dug. Next came the house which was built in 1902. The contractor was Funston of Nora Springs, Iowa and the approximate cost was $2040.

A small machine shed was built to serve as a home for Waldemar and Anna Graff the few years they rented the farm. Years later, other buildings were added: a granary, hog house, chicken house, 3 silos. The house was remodeled.

The land was tiled in 1916. This was a big project. All the tile was hauled in horse-drawn wagons and there were many loads. Two men, Fred Anderson and Carl Gustafson dug the ditches and laid the tile by hand. Consideration of and for neighbors meant getting tile large enough to drain 25 acres of the Augusta Spaanum farm; also 50 acres of the Alfred Shoger farm. Carl Spaanum was the notary on these neighboring contracts. Arthur Sponheim, Kalmar & Knud Klemesrud, all worked on the tiling project. It took most of the summer, with the tilers eating and living with her family.

Herman was the secretary of the Rudd Elevator for many years, also serving as the President for a short time.

After renting and subsequently selling the farm to Kalmar in 1942, Herman and Lise moved to the Fred Apel place, and here Lise and daughter Irene passed away, both within a year.

Herman then moved to the heart of Meroa, Iowa by purchasing and remodeling the south end of the church horse barn for dwelling quarters. He was janitor of the Rock Creek Lutheran Church at the time, so it was convenient. He married Mrs. Agnes Christianson in 1936 and they were only married four years before his death in 1940. Pastor S. O. Sorlien and family lived in these quarters for a time until the parsonage was finished. It was then converted into Sunday School quarters. After the new educational unit was added to the church, the little house was moved to Nora Springs to serve as a dwelling.

Herman K Klemesrud died on October 15, 1940 at Osage, Mitchell, Iowa and is buried at the Rock Creek Lutheran Church Cemetery, Meroa, Cedar, Mitchell, Iowa.

Herman's obituary found at Mitchell Co. Gen Web site, search "Obits" and at Find a Grave Memorial #47167233.