D.E. THOMPSON

Other Events and Attributes:

• MN Death Cert Checked: Y
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1991-MN-016463
• Occupation: Railroad Worker, “Oiler”
• Social Security Number: 701-14-2503 Issued before 1951 as a RR (railroad) number

Notes:

Diane says Melvin’s middle name was Ollie.

Registered for the draft on June 5, 1918, in Mahnomen County, Minnesota, as Melvin O Thompson of Waubun. He lists his employer and nearest relative as his father, Erick Thompson, of Waubun in Lake Grove Twp. He is described as of medium height and build with blue eyes and light hair.

“of Duluth” at the time of each of his parents’ funerals.

Melvin, 31, Edith, 25, and Evelyn, 3.4, were renting a duplex at 725 3rd Avenue in Two Harbors, MN, at the time of the 1930 census. Their rent was $15/month and they did have a radio. Melvin was not a veteran.

In the 1940 census, Melvin and his family lived at 2219 South Street in Duluth in a house they owned worth $1800. Melvin was a car man for a railroad. He had a sixth-grade education. His wife had had two years of high school. Melvin earned $1200 in 1939.

In the 1941 Duluth city directory, he and Edith lived at 2219 South. He was an oiler for the DM&IR Railway.

In the 1943 directory, he and Edith lived at 2219 South. He was repairman for Goodwill Industries.

In the 1944 Duluth city directory, he was Melvin O Thompson, wife Edith, who lived at 2219 South. In this and all of the succeeding Duluth directories through 1960, he and Edith continued to live at 2219 South but Melvin had no occupation.

Lived at 2219 East South Street in Duluth at the time of death. His death certificate shows that he had been educated through the eighth grade. He died of bronchial pneumonia complicated by or brought on by lymphocitic leukemia. The information in his death certificate came from Melvin Thompson, 1621 Beach Parkway, #202, Cape Coral, Florida.

His obituary was published on p. D02 of the June 5, 1991, edition of the Duluth News-Tribune:

Melvin O. Thompson, 94, of East South Street, died Tuesday, June 4, 1991, in St. Mary’s Medical Center. He was born in Clarissa, Minn., and had lived in Duluth since 1932. He had worked for the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railway, retiring in 1941. He was a member of First Lutheran Church and Sons of Norway Lodge 1-017. His first wife, Edith, died in 1965, and his second wife, Mary, died in 1978. Surviving are a son, Melvin E. of Cape Coral, Fla.; a daughter, Evelyn Eastman of Mantague, Mich.; a sister, Ida Luce of Pen Hook, Va.; a brother, Clarence of Elk River, Minn.; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday in Johnson Mortuary, where services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery.

Died:
10:14 AM, St. Mary’s Medical Center

Melvin married Edith OMAN in 1926. Edith (daughter of Peter OMAN and Mary NORDSTROM) was born on 19 Feb 1905 in Two Harbors, Lake County, Minnesota; died on 22 Jul 1965 in Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Birth Certificate: 1905-12512
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1965-MN-018896

Notes:

Her father was born in Finland and her mother in Sweden.

Her obituary was published on p. 8:2 of the July 23, 1965, edition of the Duluth News-Tribune. The obit identified her as Edith O. Thompson, 60, of 2219 East South Street. She was born in Two Harbors and had resided in Duluth for 33 years. She was a member of the First Lutheran Church. In addition to her husband, daughter, and son, she was survived by two brothers: William Oman of Two Harbors and Theodore Oman of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Died:
died in a Duluth hospital

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1948-MN-003518

Notes:

Referred to by Alison as Erik Anderson Ellestad. Other names for Erik were THOMPSON, Edward A, THOMPSON, Erick Andrew and THOMPSON, Ernie A. Shown in the 1865 census as Erik Andersen.

dwfrench1 has no information on Erick’s wife or their descendants.

Family residence at the time of Erick’s birth: Høine Gård, Lomen Sogn, Valdres, Oppland Fylke, Norway

Naturalization as reported by Alison: 21 October 1897, 7th Judicial District Court, Long Prairie, Todd Co., Minnesota. Witnesses: E. C. Ellestad and Ben Gilbertson. Erick provided documentation that he made his initial declaration to become a US Citizen in the District Court of Dakota County, Minnesota. E. C. Ellestad may be Endre/Andrew Ellestad, perhaps the brother of the wife of Erik’s brother Tom and perhaps a cousin of Erik and Tom.

Came to live with Ole and Rose, apparently after his wife died.

Came to the U.S. in the spring of 1877 according to his obituary in the Northfield Independent on May 20, 1948. After their arrival in the U.S., Erick, his parents, brothers, and sisters lived in Farmington with Peter and Knute Thompson, his father’s brothers who “had already come and established homes. They made their home with them until they bought a farm in New Market by 1878. Erick attended public school in Dakota County. At the age of 21 his brother and he went to South Dakota to take homestead land, settling near Fredrick on a farm acquired by pre-emption. (Evey quotes her mother describing this as, “Someone had had a homestead there and had left it so [Erick] went to the courthouse and got a right to take that, you know, buy it.”) He, and later with his wife Gunhild, lived on their claim until 1890 when they moved to Hatton, N.D. (Rose said that the farm in South Dakota has “dried out.”) In 1892 or 1893, they moved to Clarissa, Minnesota. (Rose implied that they were going to Todd County because “Andrew Ellestad” lived there.) After a stay there of 25 years, he, with his family, moved to Waubun, and in 1940, he and his wife, whose health was failing, moved to Minneapolis.

“Mr. Thompson is survived by two brothers and one sister. Four brothers and two sisters preceded him in death. He leaves 20 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.”

Shown in the 1880 census as “Erick Thomson,” age 19, living with his parents in New Market.

Minnesota Death Certificate ID# 1948-MN-003518

In the 1900 census, Erick and Julia are living on their farm in Ward township, Todd County. The family consists of Erick, 39 (born May 1861), Julia, 31 (born January 1869), Rosie, 10 (born January 1890), Anna, 8 (born Sept 1892), Mollie, 7 (born Mar 1893), Edward, 4 (born August 1895), Melvin, 3 (born April 1897), and Ellen, 1 (born Oct 1898). Erick and Julie had been married 10 years and Julia had had 6 children, all living. Rosie had been born in South Dakota, Anna in North Dakota, and the other children in Minnesota. Erick emigrated in 1877, Julia in 1887. Their farm is apparently mortgaged.

They are on the same farm in Ward Township at the time of the 1910 census in late April. The family is shown as Ernie A., 49, Julia, 42, Molley, 17, Eddie, 14, Melvin, 13, Ellen, 11, Ida, 9, George, 6, and Clarence, 4. Ernie and Julia had been married for 20 years. Julia had had 9 children, all 9 still living. They now own the farm free and clear, no mortgage.

In the “Benton, Meeker, and Todd Counties Minnesota Farm Directory, 1913-1914” (probably 1914 for Todd County), the Erick A. Thompson farm is shown as being in Sections 6 and 7, Ward Township, Todd County, Browerville Post Office. In addition to Erick A., the farm household consists of Julia, spouse, and Melvin, Ella, Ida, George, and Clarence, children. They had been in the county for 21 years.

The 1914 land ownership map of Ward Twp, Todd County, Minnesota, shows that “A E Thompson” owned 40 acres in the southeast corner of Section 6 and Julia H Thompson owned 100 acres across the road in the northeast corner of Section 7.

In March of 1920, the census indicates that the Thompsons were living in Lake Grove Township, Mahnomen County, Minnesota. Clarence, Melvin, and George were still at home.

They were in the same place at the time of the 1930 census. Erick A. is shown as 61, his wife Gunhild is shown as 62, George is 26 and Clarence is 24. The family does have a radio. (Erick was 68 at the time, of course. The census taker may have mistaken Erick’s claim that he was born in 1861.) The date of emigration for Erick is shown as 1884 and 1886 for Gunhild.

In the 1940 census, Erick, Julia, and Clarence lived on the family farm in Lake Grove Twp, Mahnomen County, Minnesota. They lived in the same house in which they had lived in 1935.

After his wife died, he moved in with Rose and Ole Ellingboe.

His obit said that he had been a patient in Sanford Hospital in Farmington for six months. He had moved his family to Clarissa in 1892 and stayed there for 25 years during which time he helped establish a church and a school, was a township supervisor, and served on the school board. He moved to Waubun in about 1917 and then, with his wife’s health failing, he and Julia moved to Minneapolis in 1940. After her death he stayed mostly with Ole and Rose.

His obit claimed that he was survived by two brothers and one sister (John, Johnnie, and Belle) and was preceded in death by four brothers and two sisters.

Died:
stomach cancer

Erik married Gunhild Mikkelsdatter (Julia) DIGENE on 27 Feb 1889 in Ellendale, Dickey County, North Dakota. Gunhild (daughter of Mikkel Gudbrandsen DIGENE and Marit Eriksdatter DAHLEN) was born on 2 Jan 1868 in Hedalen, Sør-Aurdal, Oppland, Norway; was christened in Hedalen, Sør-Aurdal, Oppland, Norway; died on 19 Mar 1942 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota; was buried on 23 Mar 1942 in West Christiania Lutheran Cemetery, New Market Twp, Scott County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• MN Death Cert Checked: Y
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1942-MN-018858
• Baptism: 2 Feb 1868, Hedalen, Sør-Aurdal, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Gunhild’s first stop after she came to the U.S. in 1886 or 1887 was her uncle Abraham’s home in Granite Falls. According to Evey, Gunhild first worked for a sheriff and his family in Granite Falls, a job in which she had to cook and keep house for the family which included 13 children. Later she decided to go to Aberdeen, South Dakota, to work for her aunt who had a hotel. It was on that train trip to Aberdeen that Gunhild met Erik Thompson, her future husband.

Apparently that aunt was Marit’s sister Siri, judging by what Rose said of that aunt, as recounted by Evey, “She had a big family, that aunt. Ma (Gunhild) had a picture of two strappin’ nice young men, you know, with stove-pipe hats on. And their names were Erick and Edvard, I think. That aunt came to Minneapolis later. Well, anyway, they lived in Aberdeen….”

Living in Waubun, Minnesota, in the fall of 1934 when Helen came to live with them and go to high school.

The 1900 census reported that Julia came to the U.S. in 1887. The 1900 census also reported that Julia had 6 pregnancies and 6 children.

Residence in 1900, 1910: Ward Township, Todd Co., Minnesota

Residence in 1920 through about 1932: Waubun, Lake Grove Township, Mahnomen Co., Minnesota

Residence in 1942: 2206 1st Ave S, Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she had lived for two years according to her death certificate. She died of mitral stenosis brought about by bronchial pneumonia. She had spent one day in the hospital.

Julia and Erick paid for the immigration of Julia’s sister Anne Marie in 1904.

Alison’s site has a copy of Julia’s obit from the Farmington Tribune, April 3, 1942:

Mrs. E. A. Thompson of Minneapolis died of pneumonia at the Swedish Hospital after an illness of 2 days.

Funeral services were held from Billman’s undertaking parlors, 2121 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, and at the West Christiania Lutheran Church with interment in the adjoining cemetery. Rev. Wm. L. Peterson officiciating. Mrs. Orville Myron sang two songs, accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Peterson.

The pallbearers were Edwin, Arthur, and Oscar Ellingboe, Clarence Campion, and Lloyed Luckman, grandsons of the deceased, and Clarence Tonsager, a nephew.

Gunhild (Julie) Digen was born in Hedalen, Norway, on January 2, 1868, and died at the age of 74 years, 2 months, and 17 days. She came to United States in 1886, to Granite Falls, and from there she went to Aberdeen, South Dakota, where she was married to Erick A. Thompson of Scott County, Minnesota, February 27, 1889.

Nine children were born to this union who, with the aged father, survive. They are: (Rose Mathilde) Mrs. O. Ellingboe of Lakeville; (Anna M.) Mrs. Arnold Peterson; (Ida) Mrs. Clifford Luce, both of Minneapolis; (Mollie) Mrs. M. J. Ryan of Moline, Illinois; (Ellen) Mrs. Roy Worrell of Denver, Colorado; Edward of Seattle, Washington; Melvin, George, and Clarence of Duluth, Minnesota. Also 17 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, a brother in Norway, and a sister in Ellensburg, Washington. Her mother, father, 4 sisters, and a brother have preceded her in death.

Deceased was a true Christian, a kind and loving wife and mother, and will be sadly missed by all who knew her.

Christened:
Hedalen Stavkirke

Died:
11:10 PM, Swedish Hospital, of pneumonia

Buried:
death cert said burial on March 28th

Notes:

Married:
Alison’s site has the marriage certificate.

Notes:

In the 1910 census, he and his family lived in Two Harbors. He was a machinist in a car shop. He was 44 and had been born in Finland. His wife Mary S was 42 and had been born in Sweden.

Peter married Mary NORDSTROM. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Diane calls her Mary Magnuson from Småland in Sweden. She was Mary S. in the 1910 census, at which time she had had four children, three still living.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1911-MN-012785
• Occupation: Gaardbr og Selveier
• Confirmation: 27 Jul 1845, Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

He is Andris Thomassen Høyne, I33654, in Jim’s VS.

Buried as Andrew Thompson. Shown as Anders Thomasson Ellestad, age 26, in the Vestre Slidre parish record for his marriage to Randi Eriksdatter, age 22.

Referred to by Alison as Anders Tomason Ellestad. Shown in the 1865 Norwegian census as Anders Thomasen, living on the domicile of Høine in Vestre Slidre. Anders is the Gaardr og Selveier and he has 1 horse, 6 cattle, 8 sheep, 1 pig, 2 barley, and 4 potatoes. Living with him and Rangdi are their children Berit, Thomas, Erik, and Knud, as well as Anders’s parents Thomas and Berit and Anders’s sister Anne, age 22.

The FamilySearch entry is for Andris Tomasson, born in 1830 in Hoine III, Vestre Slidre, Oppland, Norway.

Rose confirmed that Anders got the family farm in Norway, apparently because Knut had left Norway earlier. Nevertheless, Andrew eventually decided that owning that farm in Norway was less attractive than owning a farm in Minnesota, especially with the letters he must have been getting from Knut and Peter. Peter paid for Anders and his family to come to the U.S.

Linda says Andrew and Randi lived in Webster, the township in Rice County next to New Market.

According to Alison, Andrew and his wife and family emigrated to the U.S. in 1877. According to Rose, they took the train to Farmington. Someone was not there to meet them so they had to sleep in a horse barn.

Alison, citing the Scott County deed, describes their farm as the north half of the southeast quarter of section 34, New Market Township, as of 1 Mar 1878. The family is recorded as landing in New York, aboard the Brittanic (from Liverpool via Queenstown), on June 11, 1877: Anders Ellestad, 46, Rangdi Ellestad, 43, Berit Ellestad, 18, Tomas Ellestad, 16, Erick Ellestad, 13, Knut Ellestad, 11, Marit Ellestad, 9, John Ellestad, 7, Iver Ellestad, 4, Olga Ellestad, 3, and Ingeborg Ellestad, 1. Everyone in the family is shown as being from Germany.

According to Evey: “My great-grandfather Thompson settled in the Webster, Minnesota area which is quite close to the New Market/Lakeville area where the Ellingboes still have their homestead.”

Census taker Peter J. Baetes or Baeten visited the “Andrew Thomson” farm in New Market township, Scott County, on June 22, 1880. The record is shown as image 17 of 20, page 160A. Andrew is shown in the 1880 census as “Andrew Thomson,” age 50, a farmer. His wife is shown as 47 year-old Randy. Children at home are 21 year-old Thom Thomson, 19 year-old Erick Thomson, 17 year-old Knut Thomson, 14 year-old Mary Thomson, 12 year-old John Thomson, 5 year-old “Ingebor” Thomson (female), and 2 year-old Johanna Thomson (female).

The listing of the youngest child as a female appears to have been in error.

In the 1900 census (June 17th), Andrew Thompson and family were living in New Market Township. The household consisted of Andrew, 69 (born Sept 1830), Randie, 66 (born April 1834), Knut A., 34 (born May 1866), Belle, 25 (born May 1875), William Carel, grandson, 10 (born Feb 1890), and George, grandson, 11 (born Aug 1888). The two boys are shown as “at school.” The boys were born in Minnesota; their father was born in Sweden. Knut A. is shown as married, Belle is single. The four oldest are shown as coming to this country from Norway in 1877. Randie and Andrew had been married 42 years. Randie had had 10 children, 8 still living. Andrew owned his farm with a mortgage. Knut was shown as a naturalized citizen, Andrew was still an alien. Andrew cannot speak English. The children were apparently Mary’s and apparently visiting because they seem to have been recorded earlier at their parents’ home in Minneapolis.

Both Andrew and Randy were still on the farm at the time of the 1910 census, living with their single son Knut who is shown as head of the household.

Minnesota Death CertID# 1911-MN-012785 as Andrew E.

Birth:
birth date in his confirmation entry in parish record; Jim says born on Høyne 26/1

Died:
“sleuosis of cardia old age”

Buried:
230 EA 32

Anders married Rangdi Eriksdatter KVÅLE on 2 Jun 1857 in Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Rangdi (daughter of Erik Iverson QVALE and Ingeborg Jonsdatter ONSTAD) was born on 23 Apr 1834 in Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; was christened on 8 Jun 1834 in Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 25 Jan 1925 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota; was buried on 29 Jan 1925 in East Christiania Lutheran Cemetery, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1925-MN-017772
• Confirmation: 15 Jul 1849, Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

She is incorrectly shown as Ragndi Eriksdatter Kvåle, I8781, in Jim’s VS. Jim’s Ellingboe tree does not show the parents of Erik Anderson Ellestad, the man he shows in that tree as Rose’s father.

However, the marriage record shows her as Randi Eriksdatter, age 22 of Qvale, daughter of Erik Iversen.

Rose said that Rangdi “didn’t take” to Rose because she, Rose, “didn’t look like them.” That may be why Ann was sent to replace Rose in the later 19-oughts. Apparently, however, Rose stayed to help on Andrew’s and Rangdi’s farm for a year and a half (1907-1908) and then Ann came for another year and a half. It was while Rose was helping out on the farm that she met Ole Ellingboe. She “worked another summer” and then, presumably, married Ole.

Also known as Randi (on her death certificate) or Rande. Buried as Randi Thompson.

In the 1920 census, she is living in Minneapolis at 1406 E. 22nd Street with her daughter Mary Willson and family. She is shown as 88 years old and having come to this country in 1877, naturalized as a citizen in 1885.

Spent her last years at 3338 Oakland Avenue S., Minneapolis, in the home of her daughter, Mary Willson.

Evey has a formal family photograph taken, probably, in the ‘teens that contains Rangdi with children Betsy, John, Johan, Mary, Erick, Knute, Belle, and Thomas.

Died:
apoplexy and artheroslerosis

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 11 Oct 1835, Hedalen, Sør-Aurdal, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Residence in 1865: Digene Gård, Hedalen Parish, Søndre Aurdal, Oppland, Norway. In that census, the household consists of Mikkel, 30, Marit, 20, Siri, 2, Gudbrand Halsstinsøn, 60, Sigrid Mikkelsdatter, 62, and Abraham Gudbransøn, 22, shoemaker. Everyone was born in Søndre Aurdals.

In the 1900 census, the family was on Dikjene farm in Søndre Aurdals. The household consisted of Mikkel Gudbrandsen, b. 1835, jordbruger, Marit Eriksdr, b. 1845, Gudbrand Mikkelsen, tømmerkjører and jordarbeider (carpenter and farm laborer), b. 1876, Erik Mikkelsen, tømmerhugger, b. 1883, Anne Maria, budeie (milkmaid), b. 1886, and Martin Johnsen, dattersøn, b. 1891.

Called Mikke Nerbye Gulbrandsen Digene in the Norway Burial Index.

Mikkel married Marit Eriksdatter DAHLEN on 24 Sep 1864 in Sør-Aurdal i Valdres, Oppland, Norway. Marit (daughter of Erik Narveson DAHLEN and Siri Arnesdatter KVÅLSHAGEN) was born on 6 Nov 1845 in Bagn, Sør-Aurdal i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 3 Jan 1933 in Hedalen, Sør-Aurdal, Oppland, Norway. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 23 Nov 1845, Bagn, Sør-Aurdal i Valdres, Oppland, Norway

Notes:

Rose said that Julia’s mother came from Bang and she was right. (Also spelled Bagn, apparently.)

Died:
Died at 5:30 AM

Notes:

Married:
ages 29 and 17 in parish record entry