Ingeborg Knudsen SALSAA

Notes:

She lived at, and died at, the home of her son Olaf, 414 N. 14th Street in La Crosse.

Her surviving brothers were Tom Salsaa and Iver Salsaa.

Birth:
on the Salsaa farm according to her obit

Family/Spouse: Ole SWENNES. Ole was born about 1836 in Norway; died on 23 May 1904 in Barre Mills, La Crosse County, Wisconsin; was buried on 28 May 1904 in Bostwick Valley Cemetery, La Crosse County, Wisconsin. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married Martha in a Lutheran ceremony witnessed by Marlin L. (or Martin S.) Swennes and Annie Bowe. Gabriel’s occupation is shown as “workman” and he’s 23 years old. In the La Crosse city directory, we learn that Gabriel worked for a lumber company.

The La Crosse city directory for 1891 shows Gabriel as a laborer for the Sawyer & Austin Lumber Co. and living at 1437 Caledonia. The 1893 directory shows Gabriel Swennes living with John Swennes and Julius Swennes at 1336 Avon, still working for the Sawyer & Austin Lumber Company. The 1893 city directory shows Gabriel boarding at 1336 Avon and, later, probably after his marriage, at 1418 Berlin Street. In the 1895-96 city directory, Gabriel and Martha are living at 1418 Berlin.

He is probably the Gabriel Swennes who went missing for two months (or longer) as described in an article in the La Cross newspaper dated December 18, 1917. A similar article in the Oshkosh Northwestern, December 21, 1917, edition: “Gabriel Swennes, aged 50, who has been missing from his home in La Crosse since early October, is believed to have been killed. A bundle of his clothing was found in his automobile in which he left the home of a friend in Bangor whom he had been visiting.”

His obit says that he died at a Sparta hospital following a lingering illness. He was survived by one brother, Clellan, of La Crosse, and three sisters, Miss Mary of La Crosse and Miss Anna and Mrs. Julia Cain of Lake Forest, Illinois. No mention is made in his obit of his surviving son, Georgie. His obit said that Gabriel was 74 years old.

Birth:
place of birth from marriage records

Gabriel married Martha BOWE on 24 Jun 1893 in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, and was divorced in 1907 in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. Martha (daughter of Claus Sjursen BØE (BOWE) and Kari Andersdatter MAREIM) was born in Dec 1871 in Franklin Twp, Vernon County, Wisconsin; died on 25 Jun 1943 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota; was buried on 28 Jun 1943 in Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Included because Martha is shown to have had three children, two still living, at the time of the 1910 census and because of an entry in the La Crosse County birth records of a “Swenes” (no first name) born at 1:00 AM, October 8, 1896, for which the father is shown as G. Swenes and the mother is not listed (LACR 0104, p. 471). Both mother and father were shown as having been born in Norway.

Other Events and Attributes:

• MN Death Cert Checked: Y
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1956-MN-016766  
• Occupation: Electrician

Notes:

Known as Georgie. Cora attended his funeral.

Not listed in the WWI draft registrations. May have enlisted before the draft was started.

George fought in World War I and, supposedly, was injured by poison gas. He may also have been damaged psychologically. He spent his last years living at the “Old Soldiers” home (Veterans Administration Hospital) in St. Cloud. That’s where he was at the time of the 1930 census, shown as 34 years old, as a mental patient. His death certificate indicated that he had been under VA care since October 9, 1924. Presumably, this meant that he had been in the VA hospital since that time.

After he returned from the war, Georgie appears to have struggled to hold various jobs with his step-brothers. He was listed as a tile setter in the 1919 city directory and an electrician in the 1920 city directory. That 1920 entry was the last time that he was listed in the city directory.

In the 1940 census, he was an inmate at the VA mental hospital in St. Cloud. He was erroneously shown as age 38. He had had two years of high school.

Death Certificate:

HENDRICKSON, GEORGE M. CertID# 1956-MN-016766   
 Date of Birth:  n/a
 Place of Birth: OUT OF STATE
 Mother Maiden Name: BOWE
 Date of Death: 04/14/1956
 County of Death: STEARNS

Veteran Service Start Date: 25 Mar 1918
Veteran Service End Date: 24 Jul 1919
Rank: PFC
Branch: US Army
Interment Date: 17 Apr 1956
Cemetry: Ft. Snelling National Cemetery
Buried At: Section G Site 1173

His death certificate showed a birthdate of February 10, 1902. It also showed that he died from a pulmonary thromboembolism (which he had had for one hour) complicated by posterior gastroenterostomy (12 days) and diverticulism of duodenum (which he’d had for years). His body was autopsied. The death certificate shows that Georgie had undergone a lobotomy of the left frontal lobe, presumably in an attempt to treat his psychological disorders.

His brief obit in the Star on 16 April has his correct age and lists his address as 5753 2nd Avenue S., the Carter’s address. Either that was just his address of record or else he didn’t die at the St. Cloud veterans’ home.

Died:
Per Cora’s diary; says he died at 5:00. His death certificate says 5:45 PM.

Buried:
Section G, Site 1173