When I was a little girl, my mother and sister and I would go to the Thompson Cemetery every Memorial Day to plant geraniums on the graves of two sets of my great grandparents and a great aunt. There we would meet other great aunts and uncles who came to plant on the graves of other relatives. Even as a child, I was fascinated with the place, and as I have researched the family history, I have come to realize that pretty much everyone buried there is connected to me in some way.
The Thompson Cemetery is a small place tucked away on what was once the farm of Lars Toreson Nedste Lj�sno and Veljer Simonsdatter Mid B�, also known in America as Lewis and Velda Thompson (their monument calls them Lars Lysne Thoreson and Veljer Thoreson). They left L�rdal kommune in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway in 1853, staying in Dane County, Wisconsin for a time before settling in Havana Township, Steele County, Minnesota in 1856 or 1857. They were among the earliest Norwegian settlers in the area, and their descendants account for many of the burials in the Thompson Cemetery. Around 1865, Veljer's cousin Randi Olsdatter Kjodnes and her husband Torsten Nilsson Saltkjelen (Thomas and Rosa Nelson) settled nearby, and their descendants account for a number of the burials there, too. Torsten's sister Anna had a daughter, Guri, with Veljer's brother Johannes. Guri and her husband Agrim are the ancestors of some of the Johnsons, while the rest are descendants of Agrim's half brother John and his wife Guri, who was the daughter of Lars and Veljer. Confused yet? Throw in a handful of immigrants from Hafslo in Sogn og Fjordane, and that takes care of almost everybody buried there. Click here to see the relationships.
Something over a hundred people are known to be buried in the Thompson Cemetery, the first burial reportedly being that of Lars and Veljer's granddaughter Metta Nielson in 1865. The Thompson Cemetery Association was formed in 1908, and while new burials are rare, the cemetery is still active. It is secluded and well-maintained, but as of August 2008 there were fallen trees across the road leading to the entrance. The markers range from barely legible to well-preserved, with one monument broken so that only the base remains. This transcription was completed on Memorial Day 2001 and will be supplemented by information from other sources as I come across it. Photos were taken in August 2008 and I'm aware that I missed a few stones. That's what I get for being in a hurry and not bringing a list.
Other transcriptions of this cemetery have been done by Ron Houghtelin and John Dalby. You can find Houghtelin's transcription here and Dalby's here. My purpose is to offer something different, something more -- biographical and genealogical information on the people buried in the Thompson Cemetery, regardless of whether or not a tombstone marks an individual's final resting place. This is my tribute to my ancestors and to the entire generation of immigrants who left their homelands to begin new lives in America. I feel that it is important to reestablish the connection between the two halves of their lives, to pull together the pieces into one whole narrative. Let their stories be told.
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Anderson, Anna 1866-1925
Anderson, Thomas M. 1858-1937 |
Anna: CertID#�1925-MN-015099 Thomas: CertID# 1937-MN-015776 |
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Anderson, Celina [January 24, 1871-January 1, 1872]
Anderson, Baby Boy [June 5, 1877-June 6, 1877] |
No marker Parents were Mons and Martha Anderson. The baby boy is listed on the cemetery map, but I have no actual proof that Celina is here, too. There may also have been a third child who died young. |
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Anderson, Dean 1930-1940 |
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Anderson, Erwin W. 1899-1935 |
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Anderson, Martha May 2, 1832-October 2, 1925 [sic]
Anderson, Mons January 14, 1825-January 31, 1899 [sic] |
Mons died in 1898, not 1899, and Martha died in 1924. It is possible he is or was initially buried in the Aurora cemetery in the plot belonging to his daughter Ingrid Monson.
Martha: CertID#�1924-MN-014803 |
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Anderson, Norman O. March 2, 1896-December 2, 1907 |
Died in Amery, Wisconsin after falling and hitting his head on the railroad tracks. Parents James and Hannah (Nelson) Anderson are buried in Amery. |
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Andriesen, Andrew Died July 24, 1887
Anderson, Kari [Abt. 1817-1877] |
The inscription states that he was 61 years old. I have no proof that she is buried here too, but it seems likely. |
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Bingham, Elma R. 1893-1973
Bingham, John R. 1884-1933 |
Elma: CertID#�1973-MN-029895 |
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Edwardson, Anna 1882-1887 | I believe her to be the daughter of Jens and Anna Edwardson, who had a daughter Anna born in 1880 who died in 1885. |
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Edwardson, Julia August 26, 1840-December 10, 1920
Edwardson, Nels August 9, 1837-January 4, 1926 |
Julia: CertID#�1920-MN-015719 (indexed under first name Julies) Nels: CertID#�1926-MN-015196 |
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Edwardson, Sam N. 1885-1938
Edwardson, Velda H. 1885-1976 |
Sam: CertID#�1938-MN-013148 Velda: CertID#�1976-MN-031591 |
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Edwardson, Sidney V. January 17, 1915-February 2, 1915 | Parents were Sam and Velda (Quam) Edwardson |
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Edwardson, Stanley P. 1917-1943 |
U.S. Navy WWII Died at sea November 7, 1943 |
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Halvorson, Gjorond [1813-1888]
Halvorson, Jacob [1814-?] |
Marker simply says JH Both are probably buried here, but I have no proof of that. |
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Hansen, Russell A. July 21, 1938-September 2, 2001
Hansen, Sonya A. Presumed living |
Russell: CertID# 2001-MN-525870 |
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Harlicker, George Sr. 1863-1930
Harlicker, Randy 1872-1931 |
George: CertID#�1930-MN-015268 (indexed under surname Harlicher)
Randy: CertID#�1931-MN-014774 (indexed under surname Harhcken) |
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Harlicker, Gilbert W. [August 10, 1909-September 4, 1909]
Harlicker, Harold [May 7, 1898-Bef. 1900]
Harlicker, Lars [June 27, 1899-July 7, 1899]
Harlicker, Mary Alice [March 21, 1901-Bef. 1910]
Harlicker, Wilbert Ernest [March 30, 1902-Bef. 1910]
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The markers for these and the other Harlicker children simply say "Baby," but they are listed on the cemetery map. Parents were George Harlicker Sr. and Randy (Johnson) Harlicker
Gilbert: CertID#�1909-MN-012718 � |
| Harlicker, Kenneth [March 29, 1915-June 14, 1915] |
No individual marker other than the one that says "Baby" for all the Harlicker children Parents were George Harlicker and Agnes (Skalicky) Harlicker
CertID# 1915-MN-013977 (indexed under surname Harlacker) |
| Harlicker, LaVon [October 8, 1933-October 15, 1933]
Harlicker, Mary Alice [August 28, 1936-October 4, 1936] |
No individual marker other than the one that says "Baby" for all the Harlicker children Parents were Harry Harlicker and Berniece (Jacobsen) Harlicker
LaVon: CertID# 1933-MN-014911 Mary: CertID# 1936-MN-016651 |
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Hillestad, Christopher 1858-1934
Hillestad, Olena 1863-1956 |
Christopher: CertID# 1934-MN-015674 Olena: CertID# 1956-MN-004962 |
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Hillestad, Clarence 1892-1935
Hillestad, Olena B. 1898-1988 | Clarence was killed in an elevator accident while visiting his brother Richard in Rock Rapids, IA.
Olena: CertID# 1988-MN-002605 |
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Hinckley, Adelaide Presumed living |
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Hoganson, Ole [Abt. 1819-February 10, 1891]
Hoganson, Turi [Abt. 1817-Aft. 1895] | There is a monument in the cemetery where the only part left is the base and a few chunks. I have no proof, but the people most likely to be buried in the Thompson cemetery who are otherwise unaccounted for would be the Hogansons. |
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Iverson, Hatie 1885-1954
Iverson, John O. 1877-1945 |
Hattie: CertID# 1954-MN-016188 John: CertID# 1945-MN-015585 |
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Iverson, Milton L. September 22, 1919-December 11, 1974 |
CertID# 1974-MN-032472 |
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Johnson, Agrim February 15, 1825-October 17, 1894
Johnson, Guri November 8, 1829-March 27, 1903 |
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Johnson, Bertha 1855-1936 [sic] |
Died in 1934, not 1936 Husband John L. Johnson buried in Havana Cemetery with his parents CertID# 1934-MN-009105 |
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Johnson, (Child)
Johnson, Baby Girl [June 23, 1882-June 24, 1882]
Johnson, Ingebald [March 1860-Bef. 1865]
Johnson, Jens [Bet. 1860 and 1865-Bef. 1870]
Johnson, Simon [July 3, 1879-February 20, 1880]
Johnson, Veljer [Bet. 1860 and 1865-Bef. 1868]
Johnson, Veljer [Abt. 1868-Bef. 1873]
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Of John and Guri Johnson's thirteen children, seven died young. I have no proof that these children are buried here, but it seems reasonable that they would be. They were grandchildren of Lars and Veljer Thompson, on whose land the cemetery lay. |
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Johnson, Ole March 7, 1858-June 15, 1882 Johnson, Joseph April 7, 1868-April 8, 1893 Johnson, Elsa March 6, 1866-July 11, 1893 | Parents were Agrim and Guri Johnson |
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Johnson, James 1871-1913 | Parents were John and Guri Johnson CertID# 1913-MN-013963 |
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Johnson, James A. July 20, 1855-July 4, 1915 | Parents were Agrim and Guri Johnson CertID# 1915-MN-009140 |
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Johnson, John A. February 15, 1864 [sic]-December 19, 1938 |
Parents were Agrim and Guri Johnson. Born 1874, not 1864. He spent the last 34 years of his life in the Hastings State Hospital. The diagnosis was listed as "pubescent," which would seem to indicate mental retardation to me, or perhaps some sort of brain damage later in life. CertID# 1938-MN-003475 |
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Johnson, John (Broin) July 8, 1821-December 23, 1890
Johnson, Guri [Feb. 6, 1836-Nov. 23, 1925] |
He was also known as John Johnson Hegg. There is no marker for Guri. Guri: CertID# 1925-MN-014993 (indexed under first name Julia) |
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Johnson, Lewis [Dec. 28, 1844-Nov. 13, 1882]
(Johnson) Odegard, Mary [Sept. 9, 1849-Feb. 3, 1932] |
According to the map, there is or was a marker for Lewis Johnson in the shrubbery, which was not seen by Houghtelin, Dalby or me. There is no marker for Mary but her obituary says she was buried here. Her second husband Lars (Lewis) Odegard is buried in Rock Dell, MN. |
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Johnson, Wilda January 27, 1873-November 22, 1917 | Parents were John and Guri Johnson |
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Jorgenson, Fred 1889-1962
Jorgenson, Theolena R. 1891-1928
Jorgenson, Forest A. 1913-1915 |
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Knutson, Milford K. 1915-1976
Knutson, Frances 1918-2004 |
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Knutson, Jeanette [July 9, 1939-December 31, 1940] |
No Marker Parents were Wilfred Knutson and Frances Lushine Cert ID# 1940-MN-015634 |
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Knutson, Baby Boy [Stillborn April 1, 1942] |
No Marker Mother was Ruth Knutson |
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Larson, Arthur S. March 7, 1920-June 13, 1971
Larson, Dolores Presumed living |
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Lehman, Ralph William [June 20, 1921-June 21, 1921] |
No individual marker other than the one that says "Baby" for all the Harlicker children Parents were Charles Lehman and Hazel (Harlicker) Lehman |
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Lewison, Alice 1907-1907 [sic]
Lewison, Judith 1910-1911 [sic]
Lewison, Marvelene 1906-1907 [sic] |
Parents were James and Marie (Quam) Lewison Alice July 17, 1910-Oct. 29, 1910 Judith Sept. 18, 1906-Nov. 2, 1906 Marvelene Jan. 28, 1905-Nov. 16, 1906 |
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Lewison, James 1872-1950
Lewison, Marie 1881-1962 |
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Loney, Arlene T. Presumed living
Loney, Roy A. 1904-1978 |
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Massengill, Agnes E. 1888-1960
Massengill, George F. 1885-1973 |
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Mellem, Edna L. 1904-1926 | Parents were Robert and Gertrude Mellem Edna died of tuberculosis in the Glen Lake Sanatorium in Minnetonka, MN |
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Mellem, Gertrude 1861-1942
Mellem, Robert 1863-1943 |
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Moe, Anna April 6, 1863-December 23, 1938
Moe, Erick J. April 4, 1857-January 14, 1937 |
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Moe, Halvor 1871-1943
Moe, Randy 1871-1943 |
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Nelson, Anna January 1, 1801-June 21, 1887 |
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Nelson, Gjertina [Abt. 1869-Bef. 1875] |
The youngest daughter of Nils and Gjertrud Nelson. There is no marker and I have no proof that she is buried here. It just makes sense. |
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Nelson, Gjertrud March 16, 1829-March 27, 1909
Nelson, Nils May 30, 1830-March 27, 1909 | Nils and Gjertrud both died of old age on the same day. Nils had been ill for some time, and when he was told that Gjertrud had died unexpectedly, he declared that he was ready to go too. And within hours, he did. |
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Nelson, Malina September 20, 1869-July 4, 1882
Nelson, Ragnelde March 25, 1880-July 11, 1882 |
Parents were Thomas T. Nelson and his first wife Olena (Mellem) Nelson. Steele County death records list the following dates for the girls: Malina April 26, 1870-July 1, 1882 Ragnelde March 23, 1880-July 7, 1882. I believe Malina's birthdate on the marker is more accurate than the one in the death record. Malina died of diphtheria, and it seems likely that Ragnelde did as well. |
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Nelson, Olena November 10, 1843-December 28, 1896
Nelson, Thomas T. October 10, 1841-November 9, 1901
Nelson, Edgar Orlando August 29, 1900-July 10, 1902 | Orlando's parents were Thomas T. Nelson and his second wife Agnes Lee Erickson Nelson. He drowned in a water trough while visiting the Christ and Olena Hillestad family with his mother. Agnes is buried in Rock Dell, Minnesota with her third husband Knute Brakke. |
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Nelson, Randi May 1, 1853-October 28, 1920 |
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Nelson, Randi [January 11, 1802-November 6, 1883]
Nelson, Torsten [December 24, 1804-January 26, 1889] |
There are two small markers, side by side, that simply say TN and RN. |
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Nielson, Anna January 18, 1863-June 30, 1867
Nielson, Anna May 2, 1872-August 12, 1874
Nielson, Johannes March 1, 1865-July 30, 1867
Nielson, Metta February 17, 1852-February 4, 1865 |
This tombstone was not seen by me but was reported in John Dalby's transcription and the children are listed on the cemetery map. The parents, John and Anna Nielson/Nelson (later known as Quam) moved to Kandiyohi County in 1878. |
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Quam, John O. 1847-1912
Quam, Unni T. 1841-1920 |
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Rottluff, Herman E. 1889-1970
Rottluff, Pearl J. 1899-1938 | Herman died in Nebraska. |
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Sorenson, Bernard H. Presumed living
Sorenson, Bernice A. 1916-1989 |
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Thompson, Adeline 1910-1926 | Parents were Lewis W. and Lulla (Anderson) Thompson |
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Thompson, Adolph August 16, 1881-October 12, 1881
Thompson, Lars W. March 1, 1867-November 25, 1874
Thompson, Peter July 4, 1869-September 5, 1869
Thompson, Theodore July 9, 1879-April 10, 1882 |
Parents were Andrew L. and Anna Thompson. Steele County death records list the following dates for Lars W.: March 12, 1868-November 25, 1874. Judging by the 1870 census, I am inclined to believe that 1867 is the correct year. |
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Thompson, Andrew August 6, 1877-December 19, 1931[sic]
Thompson, Malena September 19, 1883-June 24, 1970 |
Andrew died in 1930, not 1931. Malena's second husband Knute Moe is buried in the Aurora Lutheran Church cemetery with his first wife. |
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Thompson, A. L. January 13, 1840-May 31, 1920
Thompson, Anna September 24, 1846-November 8, 1928 |
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Thompson, Christina G. 1885-1929
Thompson, Theodore 1883-1961 |
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Thompson, Lewis W. 1875-1930
Thompson, Lulla Anna L. 1886-1939 |
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Thompson, Norma J. Presumed living
Thompson, Wayne M. 1924-2000 |
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Thompson, Osman A. March 23, 1918-January 5, 1956 |
His wife, Marcella, died May 11, 2008 and is buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Owatonna. |
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Thompson, Simon [October 11, 1870-December 23, 1939] |
No Marker Simon and his wife Anna were estranged. Anna died at 39 and I suspect that she is buried in the Aurora cemetery with her parents, although there is no marker for her, either. |
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Thompson, Synneva H. 1894-1975
Thompson, William 1885-1954 |
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Thoreson, Lars Lysne October 14, 1799-June 11, 1883
Thoreson, Veljer August 10, 1804-May 31, 1902 |
The stone reads "Her under hviler Veljer," meaning here rests Veljer. Houghtelin and Dalby both mistake hviler as part of her name. Lars and Veljer also used the Americanized surname Thompson. |
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Thorson, Agnes C. February 11, 1882-July 30, 1888
Thorson, Oskar June 21, 1878-September 30, 1879 |
This is probably the marker that I found to be completely illegible. It was reported in Ron Houghtelin's 1985 transcription (where Agnes is listed as Junes) and the children are listed on the cemetery map. These children belonged to Anna Thompson's sister Unni (Jenny) and her husband John Thorson, who later moved to Montana, then Washington state. |
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Thorson, ? August 21, 1864-September 10, 1871 |
This tombstone was not seen by me but was reported in John Dalby's transcription. I suspect it might be the stone for Agnes and Oskar, the dates being the best Dalby could make out. If this is truly another child, I do not know to whom he or she might have belonged. Jenny Thorson would have been too young to have a child in 1864. |
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Tolefson, Alma O. 1897-1953 |
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Tolefson, Bertha 1860-1940
Tolefson, Thomas 1858-1929 |
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Tolefson, Thomas B., Jr. July 24, 1899-August 1, 1899 |
Parents were Thomas and Bertha (Johnson) Tolefson Houghtelin mistakenly lists his last name as Anderson |
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Tollefson, Anna [Abt. 1867]-February 22, 1872
Tollefson, Henrik [Abt. 1864-1876] |
This tombstone is lying on the ground and is nearly illegible. All I was able to read was the death date February 22, 1872, which matched in the records of the Aurora Lutheran Church to Anna Tollefson, age 5. In the church records and in Ron Houghtelin's transcription she is paired with her brother Henrik, age 11. John Dalby mistakenly lists his name as Frank. The children's parents were Ole and Syneva (Henrikson) Tollefson. |
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Tollefson, Ole June 5, 1829-April 18, 1908
Tollefson, Syneva November 8, 1830-November 29, 1925 |
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Tollefson, Ole 1860-1940 |