The Oldest Man in Westby, Wisconsin

     In an earlier blog I wrote about Christian Larson who, with his wife Anne and sons Mathias, 12, and Ole, 1, traveled to America on the Bark Nathaneal in 1871 and settled in Wisconsin. 

       In the digitalarkivet birth records for the parish of Faberg in Lillehammer, Norway we find the birth on May 17, 1835, baptism on May 28, of Christian, son of Lars Bruget of Ringsager and unmarried woman Marthe Olsdatter Gettrud (also Gedrud).  Under marriage records of Faberg Parish in 1858, July 7, is the marriage of Christian Larsen Gedrud, age 23, (which indicates to me that he was raised on the Gedrud farm with his mother)  and Anne Olsdatter Saeterbakken of Ringsager, age 26. 

     Remember that their oldest son Martin was born in 1857, which makes them true to form for the  Norwegian custom of the first child being born shortly before or shortly after the marriage.   Maybe that is  the origin of the old saying, "The first one can come anytime, the second one takes nine months!"

     By the time Christian and Anne immigrated to America in 1871 their son Mathias (Martin) was twelve, they had lost a daughter, Maria at age five in Norway, and their son Ole was one year old.  The family settled in Vernon County, Wisconsin, and in 1873 an American daughter was born who was named Mina Amelia.  In the 1880 census Christian, Anne, Ole and "Minnie" resided in Monroe County and Martin was missing since he had been married the previous year.  The family dynamics changed again in 1887 when son Ole died of pneumonia on December 8 at the age of 17.  This left Mina as the only child at home.

    Christian Larson was a carpenter and farmer and my father told me that he raised tobacco which was a popular crop in that part of Wisconsin.  They lived most of their years in Vernon County at Coon Prairie and Westby except for 13 years in Brush Creek. 

     Anne passed away in 1907 at the age of 75, the cause of death being "apoplexy" with a contributing factor of "hyperstatic lung congestion."   Following her death Christian lived with Martin and Mattie in Fosston, Minnesota for a short time, but most of his widowed years were spent with his daughter Mina and her husband Tenus Samb in Westby, Wisconsin.

    From the LaCrosse Tribune of June 3, 1932:  CHRISTIAN LARSON OF WESTBY PASSED HIS 97TH BIRTHDAY  The article concludes:  "Mr. Larson is hale and hearty.  Until last winter it has been the usual thing to see him busy chopping wood, doing chores, working in the garden, etc.  He is easily the oldest man in Westby community."  I also must say, that in this same article, it says that Christian Larson "was the only son of Lars and Martha Larson" which may mean that his parents did eventually marry, but that fact is yet to be determined.

Circa 1900, Martin Larson, Anne Larson, Mina Larson Samb, Christian Larson
(Unfortunately the only photo I have of  Anne Larson and I have never found
an obituary for her.)

A few weeks after the noted 97th birthday, the Westby Times reported on June 29, 1932:

CHRIS LARSON, 97, WESTBY'S OLDEST CITIZEN, PASSES  The article states that he had been ill in bed for about three weeks and concludes: "Christian Larson was a quiet, unassuming man of Christian character.  He was a faithful church member and a good citizen."   Christian and Anne are buried at the historic Coon Prairie Church near Westby where they were members for many years.

 

Coon Prairie Lutheran Church, Westby, Wisconsin



Monument for Christian and Anne Larson



Five generation photo, 1927
Back row: Great-Grandson William D. Enger, 28;  Son Martin Larson, 70; Granddaughter Hannah Larson Enger, 57;
Front Row:  Great-Great Grandson William John Enger, 6; Christian Larson, 92.  (Note:  5 generation pictures were
a really big deal in those days!)

In my last session I promised to bring the Engers into the mix, so I will tell you that William D. Enger was the oldest son of Hannah Larson Enger and Edward Ellingson Enger who married in 1898 in Hanley Falls, Minnesota.  Next time, "the rest of the story."