on the farm and several smaller springs. Tobias was a clerk at McHenry & Addison for many years. The youngest child, William, was only a baby when Tobias died at age 45 on 17 Aug 1873. Grandchildren described Mari as “always a widow.” Mari moved to Decorah into the large red brick house north of the Milwaukee Depot at 112 Riverside Ave. Mari died 30 Dec 1908. She and Tobias are buried at the large Tobiason/Gjermo stone at the Decorah Lutheran Cemetery. Curiously her marriage date is on her stone instead of her birthdate.

Tobias and Mari had 8 children. (See separate articles on each).

Inaer (b. 13 Jan 1855 - d. 28 Apr 1917) married Ole Tolef Sanden Arneson; Caroline (b. 3 Mar 1857 - d. 30 Jan 1928) married Fred Jurgens: Theodore fb. 21 Jul 1860 -d. 16 Feb 1928) married Julia Christina Sorenson: Henry (b. 8 Dec 1861 - d. 1 Jul 1937) married Amelia Arneson Berg; Bertha M. (b. 25 Feb 1865 - d. 27 Feb 1931) married Benjamin 0. Marsh; Julia Mathilde (b. 23 Nov 1868 -d. 4 Jan 1946) married Lars Petersen Gjermo; Clara L. (b. 18 Apr 1871 - d. 5 Aug 1871) and buried in Decorah Lutheran Cemetery; William (b. 31 Oct 1872 - d. 16 Feb 1948) married Mignon E. Emery Broihier.

Jeanne (Horn) and Jack Ross are retired and are spending their time researching their extended families in cemeteries, court houses, libraries and Salt Lake City Archives. Their address: N. 7878 Wilding Drive #16, Spokane, WA 99208. Jeanne is a granddaughter of Henry T Tobiason and wrote the article about him.)

Tobiason, William and Mignon (Emery)

(Alice Hamre Arneson)

Standing: Arthur Arneson, William Tobiason, Inger Tobiason Arneson and Clara Beers Arneson (mother of the boys).
Seated: Theodore Arneson, holding his sons Harold and George.

William Tobiason was born 31 Oct 1872 and died 16 Feb 1948. He was the 8th and youngest child of Tobias and Mari Henrickson Tobiason. (See separate article on them). On 2 Jul 1907 he married widow Mignon Emery Broihier (aka Minnie or Toby) who was born 10 Feb 1877 and died 23 Apr 1964. She was the daughter of Henry and Mary Emery of Ossian, IA. William’s father died when he was 10 months old. Will lived on the farm with his mother and youngest siblings and then with his mother in Decorah until he married. He became an agent for his brother-in-law Ben Marsh — traveling, selling organs, pianos and sewing machines. Clarence Arneson stayed with his grandmother Mari when Will was on a trip. Will organized a young band and dance orchestra. He was a piano tuner and later owned the Ben Marsh Music Store. In 1917 Will and Minnie moved into the house at 302 South Ave just north of the Milwaukee Depot. This is next to the big red brick house on Riverside where his mother had lived.

Minnie operated Toby’s Beauty Shop in the Winneshiek Hotel building for many years retiring March 1945. After Will died, Minnie found antique silver, china and other things in the loft of the barn. These things had belonged to Bertha, Carrie and Julia his sisters who had died childless. These things were added to her extensive antique collection which was dispersed by auction after her death.

William and Minnie had a son Marion born about 1913. He married Eileen — and they had a daughter Marnylee and Marcia whom I baby sat in the 1940's when they lived at 410 Center Ave. Marion worked in the Marsh Music Store and opened another store in Oelwein and moved there. In 1967 while cleaning instruments, wearing a newly drycleaned suit, he caught fire. He died two months later.

Marnylee married James Ottrogge and lives in Westgate, IA. Her daughter Lisa and Todd Heisterkamp have 2 boys and a qirl and live in Sumner, IA. Marcia lives inVA.

Tollefsrud, James and Lois (Swenson)

(James and Lois Tollefsrud)

James and Lois (Swenson) Tollefsrud, whose cultural heritage is Norwegian-American, live on a 136 acre dairy farm called ‘JI-LO Acres” near the east rim of a large valley in northeast Highland Twp. Their children, Mikal and Kelly are grown and married and living in Wl and MN respectively. About one mile away as the crow flies, on the west rim of the valley, Walter and Adeline Langland can see Jim and Lois’ yard lights at night. At the bottom of the valley runs Bear Creek known for its good trout fishing. Blanketing the banks of the winding east/west valley road are wild flowers from early spring until late fall. The spring flowers are especially profuse including Dutchman’s Breeches, dogtooth violet, Jack-in-the-Pul-pit, purple and yellow violets, trillium, bloodroot, wild geraniums and ferns.

James (Jim) and Lois purchased their farm from Lois’ parents, Peter and Agnes (Rud) Swenson, in 1976. Peter and Agnes lived on the farm from 1949 to 1976. Their daughters, Linda and Lois, were happy farm girls. After high school graduation, Linda (m. Don Gjerdrum, Mabel, MN) graduated from St. Olaf College, and became the