Brithe (Bertha) BOWE

1868 - 1944  (75 years)

• Name	Brithe (Bertha) BOWE
  Birth	28 Sep 1868	Franklin Twp, Vernon County, Wisconsin
  	born in Wisconsin according to the 1870 and 1880 census
  Gender	Female
  Vernon County Death Index	V21, P126 As Berthe
  Death	16 May 1944	La Crosse County, Wisconsin
  	died at Lutheran Hospital
  Burial	19 May 1944	North Kickapoo Lutheran Church Cemetery, Franklin Twp, Vernon County, Wisconsin
  Notes	Probably named after her paternal grandmother according to the Norwegian naming convention. If Sever Bowe was born in May of 1866, Bertha could not have been born in September of 1866, the date shown in the 1900 census. Later censuses, and the 1870 census, suggest that September of 1867 may make more sense. Beth’s research says September 28, 1868. Bertha’s obit said September 28, 1869. Norma said, in a 4-1-2004 email, that her sister Eileen told her that Bertha was born in the house that Norma grew up in. That would seem to argue for the 1869 birthdate for Bertha although 1868 would not be ruled out. “Ancestors of Benetta Celia Olson” says that Bertha was born on 28 Sep 1867. If that is true, Kari was pregnant during the passage to the U.S. and Bertha was born soon after the famiy’s arrival in Wisconsin. That would have been too soon for Claus to have completed building his house on his farm. If Bertha was born in September of 1867, she probably would have been born in Liberty Pole, not the farm house. If Bertha was born in the farmhouse, then her birth year couldn’t have been any earlier than 1868 and was probably 1869. If we believe the age two in the 1870 census, Bertha was born in 1867. If we believe the age 11 in the 1880 census, Bertha was born in 1868. Her death was precipitated by a fall that broke her hip about 4 weeks before she died. After that, she had been taken to the Lutheran hospital in La Crosse where she died. She and her family initially lived in Soldiers Grove and later moved to a farm next to Clause Bowe's (where Cora was living by that time). Loved to dance according to Cora. At the time of the 1900 census (June 6th), the Nundahls were living in the village of Soldiers Grove. Sever is 34 (born Nov 1865), Bertha is 33 (born Sept 1866), Carl O. is 2 (born Aug 1897), and Clara S. is 1 (born July 1898). The couple had been married 4 years; Bertha had had 2 children, both still living. Sever’s occupation is stone mason. They owned their home free and clear and it was not a farm. In the 1905 state census, Sever and family are living in Franklin Township. Sever is 44 and a stone mason. Bertha is 36, Carl is 7, Clara is 6, and Tillman is 3. In Sever Nundahl’s obituary, it is noted that “for a few years they resided in Soldiers Grove. Later they moved to a farm near Mason City where they lived the rest of their lives.” The 1910 census shows Sever and Bertha living in Franklin Town, not far from the Bowes and Andersons apparently. Sever is 45, born in Norway, apparently came to the U.S. in 1886 (the date is not clear) and owns his mortgaged farm. Bertha, 42, is shown as having had three live births, all still living. Carl is 12, Clara is 11, and Tilman is 8. Everyone can read and write (except Tilman) and the three children were all attending school. Sever and Bertha had been married for 13 years. Census-taker Douglas Nelson visited the Anderson/Nundahl/Ekum farms (they were contiguous, apparently, which is consistent with Cora’s memory) on January 11, 1920, and found: Sever Nundahl, 56, owner of home free and clear, immigrated in 1880, naturalized citizen in 1905, can’t speak English, farmer in general farming, an employer. His wife is shown as “Brita”, 52, born in Wisconsin. Carl O, son, 22, farm worker working on own account. Clara (middle initial maybe “L”), 21, daughter. Tilman O., son, 17, had not attended school since September 1, 1919. Her obit said that she was preceded in death by two grandchildren (which must be Clara’s Clifford and Carl’s Ivan).
  Person ID	I169	Don Carlson's Tree
  Last Modified	9 May 2023

  
  

  Father	Claus Sjursen BØE (BOWE),   b. 1 Jun 1833, Vangen, Voss, Hordaland, Norway d. 2 Mar 1913, Vernon County, Wisconsin (Age 79 years)
  Mother	Kari Andersdatter MAREIM,   b. 27 Sep 1833, Hafslo, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway d. 31 Oct 1908, Vernon County, Wisconsin (Age 75 years)
  Marriage	27 Mar 1861	Hafslo, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
  Family ID	F20	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sever Olsen NUNDAHL,   b. 12 Nov 1861, Årdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway d. 19 May 1954, Viroqua, Vernon County, Wisconsin (Age 92 years)
  Marriage	19 Sep 1896	Vernon County, Wisconsin
  	date according to his obit, confirmed by La Crosse marriage record Vol. 4 p. 66
  Children	1. Carl Obert NUNDAHL,   b. 12 Aug 1897, Soldiers Grove, Crawford County, Wisconsin d. 3 Dec 1968, Vernon County, Wisconsin (Age 71 years)   2. Clara Louise NUNDAHL,   b. 23 Jul 1898, Crawford County, Wisconsin d. 18 Oct 1956, Rock County, Wisconsin (Age 58 years)   3. Tillman Oliver NUNDAHL,   b. 12 Feb 1902, Soldiers Grove, Crawford County, Wisconsin d. 21 Feb 1962, Viroqua, Vernon County, Wisconsin (Age 60 years)
  Photos » Slide Show		Sever and Bertha Bowe Nundahl, wedding Probably their wedding picture. They were married in 1895 when Sever was 29 and Bertha 28. The original, a print mounted on board stock, is by J. B. Wiegand, Belle Centre and Soldiers Grove, Wis. The annotation on the back is in pencil and may be by Cora: "Aunt Bertha & Sever Nundahl."
  		Bertha and Sever's Children From about 1903. Carl would be 6, Clara would be 5, and Tilman would be 1-1/2. The faded original is a print mounted on board stock but there is no indication of who the photographer was. The annotation on the back, in pencil and maybe by Cora, is "Carl Clara & Tillman."
  		Cora with Nundahls This is probably taken at the Sever Nundahl home. Probably taken in about 1913, give or take a year. The older man on the left is unknown as is the younger man on the far right and the younger man in overalls in the middle of the picture. The others, from the left, are Tilman, probably Sever, Bertha, Clara, Cora, and Carl. The original is a postcard. No writing on it.
  Family ID	F124	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	30 Dec 2009

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Bertha with Anna Nelson's twins These are Anna Nelson's twins, Mildred and Alvin, born in September of 1917, the oldest children of Bertha Bowe's cousin, Anna Anderson. This picture would be from the summer of 1918. The original is a small print on lightweight paper with no annotations.
  		Bertha Bowe Nundahl (right) and friend Probably from the mid 1880s when Bertha was a teenager.
  		Sever and Bertha Bowe Nundahl, wedding Probably their wedding picture. They were married in 1895 when Sever was 29 and Bertha 28. The original, a print mounted on board stock, is by J. B. Wiegand, Belle Centre and Soldiers Grove, Wis. The annotation on the back is in pencil and may be by Cora: "Aunt Bertha & Sever Nundahl."
  		Group at the Nundahls', about 1919 Cora's mother, Anna Bowe Anderson, is in the middle (4th from left). Cora's aunt Bertha is on the right. Clara is third from the left and Rhoda Ekum is on the far left. Taken at Bertha and Sever's house. The woman in the dark dress, 2nd from the left, is Anna Anderson Nelson.
  		Group at the Nundahls', about 1919 Cora's mother, Anna Bowe Anderson is on the left in the back row. Cora's aunt Bertha is on the right in the back row, right side. Clara Nundahl is in the middle front. Taken at Bertha and Sever's house. The original is a postcard on which Cora's annotation suggests that the girl on the right in the front is "Anna N." That woman, in the dark dress on Clara's left, is Anna Nelson. The three other women in the picture may be Inge Nundahl (Mrs. Sam), Ida Anderson, and/or Rhoda Ekum.
  		Bertha Bowe Nundahl