Ben E KNUTSON

Notes:

In the 1900 census, he, as Ben Knudtson, and his family were farming in Barton Twp, Worth County, Iowa.

From D M Scott’s contribution to Find A Grave:

#1
BEN KNUDTSON FROZEN TO DEATH

The Christmas festivities of our neighboring town of Carpenter were sadly broken into by the tragic death of one of her citizens, Mr. Ben Knudtson, who died about noon from the effects of having spent the night out - lying beside the railroad track in that awful cold.

Mr. Knudtson came back from Lyle on the 8:20 train Christmas Eve. He had not been up to Lyle to buy either hardware or dry goods, but had already celebrated too much for his own good. When he got off the train he started for his home, which was about a mile northwest of Carpenter; but instead of going around the road, he started cross lots intending to go north on the railroad till he crossed the bridge, then take a path through the woods for home. He only got across the bridge when he fell and rolled down the high embankment, striking on a lot of rocks which lay at the bottom. It is quite evident that he was considerably injured by the fall or he could have managed to have gotten up and out of there. But there he lay during all that bitter, cold night.

At about eleven o'clock Knudtson's son, Ed, about 17 years of age, in company with Ed Edwarson, a boy of about his own age crossed the bridge and heard someone calling to them to hold on but they thought it was a tramp trying to waylay them and they ran as fast as their legs could carry them, and went over to Gilbert Severson's close by and stayed all night. The next morning Severson and Edwards went back to the bridge and, alas, there lay Knudtson, not dead but pretty near it, though he was still conscious and in fact, remained so until just before he died.

They took him home and immediately called Dr. Culmsee. The doctor arrived there about eleven o'clock, but alas he was beyond the reach of medical aid. His injuries were too severe to be helped and he died within an hour. His hands, face and legs were frozen terribly, and he was suffering from internal injuries, evidently caused by falling down the embankment.

The funeral was held on Saturday, conducted at the Deer Creek N. L. Church by Reverend J. Olsen.

It was just eight years ago to a day, that his brother, Theo, came to an untimely death in the same woods, and not a mile from the same place.

[St. Ansgar Enterprise, Dec., 1902, St. Ansgar Iowa Museum Collection]


#2
Ben E Knudtson was born March 1852 in Iowa, son of Even Knudtson, born June 14, 1824

Norway…died August 3, 1902 Iowa (Buried First Lutheran Cemetery, Saint Ansgar (as per Mitchell Co., Grave Records: Ancestery)
and Gerhardine Boyesdatter Heile..according to a tree found on Ancestry: born February 3, 1828 in Norway…died January 27, 1911 Carpenter.

Ben E Knudtson was buried in Deer Creek Lutheran Cemetery according to a tree found.

According to the tree found, Ben Knudtson married Ingeborg Aslaksdtr. Ellingboe who was born March 5, 1865 Noway and died July 5, 1956 in Dickey Co., North Dakota. After Ben's death she married Hans Hanson in 1907.

The son Ed mentioned in Bens obit was Edwin Ben Knudtson 1888-1929 died Minnesota. (name on Minn. Death record has last name spelled Knutsen

His brother Theo mentioned in the obit was Theodore E Knudtson born December 1, 1863…died December 25, 1894…buried First Lutheran (burial from Mitchell Co., Grave Records, Ancestry)

#3
1900 US Census: Deer Creek, Worth, Iowa
Ben Knudtson 48 born March 1852 Iowa
Ingeborg 35 born March 1865 Norway
Edwin 12 born February 1888 Iowa 9died November 3, 1929 Minnesota)
Melvin 8 born March 1892 Iowa (died Montana December 1963)
Antone 6 born October 1894 Iowa (Antone Leonard..his Minn. Death record shows his mothers maiden name as Ellingboe)

Ben married Ingeborg Åslaksdatter ELLINGBÖ on 5 Feb 1887 in St. Ansgar, Mitchell County, Iowa. Ingeborg (daughter of Åslak Amundsson BÖE and Randi Olsdatter ELLINGBÖ) was born on 4 Mar 1865 in Vang i Valdres, Oppland, Norway; died on 5 Jul 1956 in Dickey County, North Dakota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• MN Death Cert Checked: Y
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1929-MN-010725

Notes:

He registered for the draft in Dickey County, North Dakota, on June 5, 1917. He was an unmarried, unemployed farm laborer living in Silver Leaf, North Dakota. Although he was registered as Knutson, he seemed to have signed his name Knutsen.

According to his death certificate, his wife was Hannah Dunbar. He died of brain cancer at Colonial Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, but he normally lived in Fullerton, North Dakota. He was a grain elevator buyer for Baldwin Elevator Company of Appleton, Wisconsin.

Family/Spouse: Hannah Pearl DUNBAR. Hannah (daughter of Thomas Jay DUNBAR and Harriet (Hattie) TAYLOR) was born on 9 Nov 1892 in Foster, Faribault County, Minnesota; died on 15 Jan 1982 in Faribault County, Minnesota; was buried in Rosehill Cemetery, Wells, Faribault County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was a single farmer in Valley County, Montana, when he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917.

In the 1930 census, he was a “hired man” on a farm in Phillips County, Montana.

In the 1940 census, he was a lodger with William Gust in Whitewater Twp, Phillips County, Montana.

Birth:
the birth date in SSDI

Died:
this is questionable: the Montana Death Index claims that this Melvin Knutson was 94 years old

Other Events and Attributes:

• MN Death Cert Checked: Y
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1965-MN-023316

Notes:

Mother’s maiden name Ellingboe.

According to his draft registration on June 5, 1917, in Brownsville, Minnesota, he was born in Carpenter, Iowa, and was a bookkeeper for the Citizens State Bank of Borwnsville. He was still single and was described as short, of medium build, with light-blue eyes and light-brown hair.

In the 1920 census, he was still single and living in Barnesville, Clay County, Minnesota. He was a bookkeeper for what appears to be “investment house.”

In the 1930 census, he is still single and living in Hibbing as an insurance agent.

In the 1940 census, he and Lucy and Robert and Douglas lived in Sacred Heart, Minnesota. Five years earlier, the family lived in South Dakota. Anton was the manager of a grain elevator. Anton was a high school graduate. Lucy had had two years of college. He was the member of the household who met with the census enumerator. He incorrectly gave his place of birth as North Dakota.

He died of a heart attack. The informant for his death certificate was Douglas D. Knutson of Sacred Heart.

Anton married Lucy Irene MORRIS on 11 Jul 1931 in Douglas County, Minnesota. Lucy was born on 10 Apr 1900 in Douglas County, Minnesota; died on 24 Apr 1959 in Renville County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 2004-MN-001860
• Baptism: 31 Jul 1924, North Dakota

Notes:

Baptized as Arlene Pearl. Her grandmother Ingeborg was her sponsor.

Later called Arlene Margaret. Changed her name in Social Security to Arlene M Johnson in October of 1952.

Birth:
Devils Lake

Family/Spouse: Donald George JOHNSON. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
last residence Wyoming