Florence V LEIKVOLL

Notes:

Survivors include son and daughters: Floyd, Anoka; Charlotte Wheeler and Judy Johnson, Brainerd. Preceded in death by parents, husband, brother Russell, and sister Edith.

Florence married Elza Lee HOSKINS on 18 Oct 1934 in Morrison County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to a Record of Aliens Pre-Examined in Canada, from 22 June 1922, he came to the U.S. from Norway in 1901, arriving in New York. His last permanent address was Nokomis, Saskatchewan. His nearest relative in Norway was his sister Raghild Lakvoll in Christiania. He had last visited the U.S. in 1921, departing for Canada in April. He was going to see his wife Olga and family in Little Falls and intended to stay for two months.

In February of 1923, he was recorded as entering the U.S. at the port of Winnipeg. This may be the travel referred to in the pre-examination noted above. He claimed to have no family in Canada. His last permanent address was in Nokomis. His final destination was Little Falls.

He was a farm laborer in Little Falls in the 1930 census.

In the 1940 census, he was an inmate in the Anoka State Hospital in Anoka County, Minnesota, where he had resided since at least 1935. The census form refers to that institution as an insane asylum.

Sven married Olga PETERSON on 14 Mar 1905 in Morrison County, Minnesota. Olga (daughter of Erich (Aleck) LARSON PETERSON and Maria Sophia (Sophie) LIND) was born in Jul 1885 in New York; died on 18 May 1947 in Morrison County, Minnesota; was buried in Oakland Cemetery, Little Falls, Morrison County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1947-MN-009220

Notes:

She is called Olga V. G. S. in the 1895 state census. Married to Sven and living at 607 12th Street in Little Falls in the 1905 state census.

Not listed in the 1910 or 1920 censuses so it seems likely that they were in Canada during that period.

Because she married an alien, she had to reapply for U.S. citizenship.

She is shown as a widow in the 1940 census. In that census, she lives with her son Clarence in Little Falls in the same house in which both had lived in 1935. Neither were employed. That census shows Olga’s place of birth as New Jersey.

Birth:
Find A Grave says she was born in Hoboken, New Jersey

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Day Laborer

Notes:

Lived next door to the Alfred Andersons in the 1895 state census.

According to the 1900 census, came to this country in 1881.

Died in a machine accident: pulled into a machine. (Story below.)

Title: The Little Falls Herald
Author: Little Falls
Publication: Newspaper, Friday Oct 5, 1900
Page: Front Page
Text: FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT

Night Man at the Electric Station Dead

Alex Peterson, for some years employed at the electric and water station, died at the hospital Tuesday noon, lingering twelve hours after being the victim of a terrible accident.

Peterson had been for the past month night man at the station. About midnight Officer Morrison and Wm. Stevens, driver of the Buckman bus, were at the depot and heard cries over at the light station. They drove over there and entering saw a shocking sight. Peterson was standing dear [near] the window with his left arm gone, the upper bone protruding, and blood and pieces of flesh scattered over the room. As soon as touched he collapsed. Medical assistance was got and the unfortunate man taken to the hospital. His left forearm was torn off, his head badly cut and bruised, and there were internal injuries also. The left arm was amputated at the soouider [shoulder], but the shock and loss of blood were so great that he could not recover. He was unconscious about all the time.

There is no way of telling how the accident happened, and several theories have been advanced. One is that while standing near the pulley side of the big 1200 light machine, his left arm was caught under the belt, and he was immediately whirled around with terrible force. The pulley revolves 28 times a second. A jacket of iron which covers it had a strip broken off all around it. The heavy belt was broken, the shaft of the armature sprung, the wheels on the end of the shaft broken and pieces scattered around, doing a good deal of damage. To get his arm under the belt Peterson would have had to stoop, and some think he was feeling of the pulley, as machinists often do, to see whether it was hot.

The remarkable thing is that Peterson, who was 65 years old, should have strength and presence of mind enough left after such an accident, to press the button summoning Superintendent Baker and to go over and turn on the other light machine, and to cry out loud enough to be heard at the depot, several blocks away. There was a trail of blood around the room where the man walked.

Peterson leaves a wife and six children. He was a brother-in-law of Mr. Anderson, killed at the brickyard crossing last winter. The two married sisters and lived near each other, in Pike Creek. the funeral was held from the Methodist church yesterday afternoon, Rev. A. H. Carman conducting in the absence of the pastor, Rev. J. T. B. Smith.

Title: Morrison County Democrat
Author: Little Falls
Publication: Newspaper, Thursday 4 Oct 1900
Page: Front Page
Text: A SHOCKING ACCIDENT

Alex Peterson, Night Man at the Electric Station, Dangerously Injured.

From the Daily Transcript: One of the worst accidents which has occurred in any of the various plants or mills of the city for the past several years happened at the station of the Electric & Water company on the West side Monday night. Alex Petterson, the man who has charge of the plant at night, was the victim.

A representative of the Transcript visited the station early Monday morning and found the second story of the plant in great disorder. The floor and switch board were literally covered with blood. Pieces of the floor were torn up and several machines on the switch board damaged by flying pieces of broken iron.

As near as could be learned the accident happened in the following manner: Peterson had just been down statirs and filled the numerous oil cups. Coming up from the first floor it was customary for him to view the switch board, which he evidently did last night judging from the appearance of the blood on the floor. As he was standing on the pulley side of the big 1200 incadescent lighter his left arm was evidently caught between the pulley and the heavy belt as he turned around. As this wheel makes about 30 revolutions a second the force with which he was thrown to the floor can only be guessed at. By the catching of his arm he was t[h]rown so that his left leg was also caught and twisted. The left forearm was completely twisted off. The left leg was horribly cut and the foot so badly smashed that the broken bones protruded through the flesh. His head was also badly cut and bruised. After the accident Petterson had the presence of mind to turn on the other incandescent dynamo and also to turn on the switch which called up Superintendent Baker. He then managed to crawl to one of the windows of the station facing the wagon bridge, where he commenced calling. As the accident happened about midnight several people were at the depot. Night Officer Morrison and the Buckman busman, Wm. Stevens, heard the man's cries and thinking something was wrong hastily drove back to the electric plant. Here the horrible sight met their eyes. Petterson, so weak from the loss of blood, was simply hanging on the window sill. Officer Morrison laid him on the floor and Stevens telephoned for medical assistance, which soon arrived. His wounds were temporarily dressed and the unfortunate man lowered to the ground where he was conveyed to the hospital. Here the physicians labored over him until the middle of the forenoon. It was necessary to amputate the left arm just below the shoulder. His left leg, foot and head were dressed in the best possible manner. Owing to his extreme age, 65 years, and the loss of so much blood, the attending doctors have no hope of his recovery.

Mr. Peterson is a married man residing well out on the road to the brickyards. He is supporting a wife and six children. Mr. Peterson was an experienced man, having been in the employment of the company for the past three years. Only the last month has he been at the station nights.

Relative to the damage at the station it will figure up into the dollars. The wheel on the end of the dynamo shaft was broken into several pieces. It was these pieces which tore holes in the instruments on the switch board. The axle of the armature is sprung so that the armature will not revolve.

Mr. Baker put a force of men at work early Tuesday morning to repair the damage at the plant. It will be necessary to use lighter machines until the damage to the big dynamo can be repaired, which may take several days.

Such an accident which is no way the fault of the company, is to be seriously regretted. It is an extremely sad blow to Mr. Petterson's family.

Later- Mr. Petterson died a few minutes past 10 o'clock Tuesday. Everything possible was done to save his life but the loss of blood was so great that he was unable to pull through. His remains were taken to Simonet's undertaking rooms where they were prepared for burial. Funeral services will be held today at the Methodist church, conducted by Rev. A. H. Carman, in the absence of Rev. Smith.

Erich married Maria Sophia (Sophie) LIND about 1880 in Stockholm, Sweden. Maria (daughter of Lars Peter LIND and Carolina OLOFSDOTTER) was born on 26 Apr 1848 in Hägghult, Hova, Skaraborgs län, Sweden; was christened on 27 Apr 1848 in Hova, Västergötland, Skaraborgs län, Sweden. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to the 1900 census, she had borne 7 children, 3 still living. She came to this country in 1881. The family was living in Pine Creek Township, Morrison County, at the time of the 1900 census.

In the 1910 census, only Hugo is still living at home with her in Little Falls. In that census she is shown as having had only 3 children, all 3 still living. Her name in the census is Sophia Peterson. She has no occupation.

Her property was foreclosed upon in 1914. It’s probable that that had some bearing on she and her children moving to Canada.

A family history of Hugo Peterson incorrectly assigns a fourth child to Aleck and Sophie, a so-called Anna Peterson, born and died in Minneapolis and married to a “Mr. Likevold.” It appears that the author of the family history confused Olga with this non-existent sister.

She is not the “Mrs. Sophia Peterson” who died in Morrison County in 1939. That was a younger woman, the widow of a Gust Peterson.

She may have died in Canada.

A brief mention in the 10 Dec 1920 edition of the Little Falls Herald:

Mrs. S Liekvall and children and Mrs. Liekvall’s mother, Mrs. Sophia Peterson, are here to spend the winter and living on Eighth street northwest. They came here from Nokomis, Canada.

Lars married Carolina OLOFSDOTTER on 31 Dec 1837 in Hova, Västergötland, Skaraborgs län, Sweden. Carolina was born on 30 Jan 1819 in Hägghult, Hova, Skaraborgs län, Sweden; was christened on 30 Jan 1819 in Hova, Västergötland, Skaraborgs län, Sweden; died on 31 Oct 1894 in Bräckan, Hova, Skaraborgs län, Sweden. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Born in Hägghult, Hova. Died in Bräcken, Hova.