Guri Tollefson Benson, was born in Gol, Hallingdal, Norway, on June 16, 1837. Her parents were Mikkel & Growe Tollefson. She had immigrated to America in 1845 with her parents, and settled in Rock County, Wisconsin. They remained in Rock County until 1853.
Her father was one of the leaders of the famous Clausen Colony which settled St. Ansgar, in Mitchell County, Iowa. Mikkel had come to the St. Ansgar area with Rev. Claus L. Clausen in 1852, and helped lead the
colony from Wisconsin to St. Ansgar the following Spring; at which time Guri came to St. Ansgar. Mr. Benson was also a member of the colony but came out in a later group, which arrived here in 1854.
The colony which was made up of hardy Norwegians who had come from the old country but a few years before, was quite a large one. They started in May, 1853, just as early as the grass was large enough to furnish feed for the cattle, with thirty ox-drawn wagons and two hundred head of cattle; there were but three horses in the entire party. When they reached the Mississippi River no bridges had ever been built over it since the beginning of time. They crossed on the ferry, propelled by trend power; then climbed the hills out of the Mississippi valley and proceeded westward over the prairies, fording or bridging streams as they went. It was late in June when they arrived here but they planted a crop of potatoes which fortunately turned out well that year.
At that time Mrs. Benson was a girl of sixteen. Her father located a large tract of land one mile north of where St. Ansgar now stands. He was the first man to raise corn in Mitchell County - in 1853. The Tollefson home was always open to the stranger who was passing through, so much so that it became a regular stopping place for travelers. Concerning this we quote below from the "History of Mitchell and Worth Counties", published in 1884:
"They kept a regular stopping place in their little log cabin 18 by 20 feet, and at times there were as many as 20 strangers boarding there in addition to the family of eight persons. The usual charge for krrping strangers was twenty-five cents for supper, lodging and breakfast, and while it was sometimes less than this it was never more. The floor was made of shakes, as the saw-mill was not running. The wagon box and floor of shakes was laid upon the joist over head, and this was used for a sleeping apartment by as many as it would hold, and then beds were made up on the floor below. They lived mostly on venison and rutabagas. But in the forepart of the winter of 1853 - 4 a man named Osborn, of Clayton County, brought in a load of pork. He supplied most of the settlers at six cents a pound. Flour was brought from Decorah, West Union and other places at a distance.
Trips would generally be made in the spring and fall. Several teams would go at a time. There were few horses in those days, and everyone drove ox-teams. It took from eight to fifteen days to make the trip. They camped on the way; forded the streams; slept on the wagons or on the ground, and got along as best they could, but usually they were a jolly crowd. It was not infrequent that great trouble was had in fording the streams. In fact it was more the rule that trouble was had than the exception. Sometimes the wagon box would be tied or chained to the axel to prevent its being washed down stream; then a rope or chain would be attached to the end of the tongue and the pioneer would swim his horses and then draw the wagon. Those matters are vividly remembered by the old settlers. They were hardships which they all experienced".
She was united in marriage to Peter H. Benson on Jan. 5th 1861.
At the time of Mrs. Benson's death, her husband and three children, namely: Emil, George and Mary were living. However, the two oldest sons, who had died in infancy, and the two oldest daughters, who died in childhood, had preceded her in death. Her two brothers, Tollef and Andrew Tollefson, and her oldest sister, Mrs. Johnson have also died. Her sisters, Annie M. Tollefson, and Mrs. A. T. Tollefson, were also still living. Guri was buried in the Norwegian Lutheran (First Lutheran) cemetery in St. Ansgar.
Mrs. Benson died at St. Ansgar, Iowa, on Jan. 4, 1919, at the age of 81 years, 6 months and 18 days.
Adapted from article in St. Ansgar Enterprise, January 1919
Copyright 2005, Don Grell