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History of the Descendents of Swan and Martha Peterson
by Lena Munson
"Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations"
Psalm 90, verse 1
This is the history of the descendents of Swan and Martha Peterson who with the following children came to America and landed in Moingona Ia. on Aug 15 1870 Nels Magnus, Anna Stina, Ida Emma Sophia Ingri, John Olaf, Martha Caroline, all of whom were born in Smoland Sweden Carl William was born that same fall on the place now know as the Egnell a little west of Moingona. Nannie, Hilma Cecelia, Ellen Mary were born on the place now owned by Celia Nelson.
We moved to the farm 1872, it was a virgin prairie when father bought it at a price of $8.00 per acre. I have felt lonely many times when I think back, of the pretty meadow with wild grass and a lot of wild flowers. We use to run about and pick large boquets. There were a lot of sloughs, a lot of mosquitoes as well as flies and all kinds of bugs, snakes, lizards, toads and the like. This was not so pleasant as well as a lot of other things the pioneers had to put up with. They didn't buy their bread sliced ready for the table. It was slow, the wheat, the harvest, and the thresh; and then drive somewhere and have it ground into flour—also made their own yeast. If they made a trip to town once a week it was sure grand. It was always to keep on working to make a go of it; and at times it was just about impossible to get to town especially Ogden—to Moingona was better. One could not always follow the road and had to go around but to arrive if possible. Just to give an idea there use to be a slough most of the time, that reached from just north of
page twenty seven
our barn almost over to Pete Danialsons, that was before there were tiles. Father was ahead of his time in especially these things. He had the rafters uncovered under the eaves, as the bungalows of today. The first wagon he had here in this county J.P. Carlson made and it was low wheeled like an auto. The driver sat at the right but he sat to the left like drivers of autos of today.
Should something be mentioned about conveniences. No pumps but to draw water with a pole or rope. The first spring seat our cousin O.M. Olson made, the same summer the barn was built in 1881. Oh my, the one who could have a rocking chair. Bedding was straw tick, no springs; but people seemed content, at least we children never heard any complaint. It was to sew all clothes, not only dresses, aprons, sun-bonnets but all the under clothes for men , women and children. Also overhalls, jackets, shirts and everything by hand. I was just past twenty when we got a sewing machine.
The corn was planted by hand planters the first year, then they marked the field both ways. The first corn planter father had was a Keystone. He had a reaper which he also used for a mower, it was a McCormic. The first pair of oxens we had were white. Their names were Sam and Dick with them father broke most of the land. The first team of horses he bought of William Blyth, they were Bon and Fly both were black. Better not leave out mentioning the first cows, they had Swede names Stjenia and Glosa (and Anna Stina helped pay for them). As soon as father got on the farm he planted trees,
page twenty eight
some are still there, they are soft maples and a well planned land scape shall I say. Mother of course rejoiced over it but got provoked at Pete Sambug when he came and saw it, for he said he'd not give 5¢ for all of them. Any way they grew and made a nice grove. Later he got a lot of fruit trees and were planted where Celias house now stands. At various times Indians would come, quite a few of them but never harmed us, they only begged for food. Prairie fires were much feared. There was so much grass and nothing to check them, the wind always started up with a fire. There were tumble weeds round as a ball about the size of a bushel basket and these weeds could spread fire fast when they would roll all ablaze. Then it was to get a few furrows plowed or set a fire to meet what was coming. Kerosene lamps were almost to much of a luxury so it was very common to have tallow candles, which mother made. Most everybody had a lot of cattle so it was a common thing to butcher a big beef each fall and in so doing would have plenty of suet to make candles. All stockings and mittens were made from home spun yarn. I remember well when there was nothing else in stockings than the thick home knit. After running bare foot such a thing as dressing up with those stockings was all but comfortable and we were glad to pull off both shoes and stockings. the older or grown ups wore them all the time.
Ida, was first to depart this life. She was born Oct 5, 1857 and died May 1892.
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She married G.A. Steele in 1876.
Mother was next to go. She passed away Oct 14, 1892 was born Nov 2, 1830.
John was born Nov 26, 1865 died Feb 18 1897 married Mary Danialson 1897
Willie born Nov 25, 1870 died Oct 14, 1897.
Cecelia was born Aug 21, 1875 died Nov 6, 1899 she married L. Erickson in 1891
Emma was born June 10, 1861 died Dec 8, 1903 was married to N. Bjorklund in 1890
Father was born May 10,1826 died may 7, 1907
Nels was born Feb 28 1852 died Nov 1 1918. He married Emma Challberg in 1875
Sophia was born June 6, 1863 died Feb 10, 1930. She married C.J. Newberg Oct 6, 1886.
Anna was born June 4, 1855 died Aug 18, 1934 She married OM Johnson 1880
Lena was born Feb 24, 1868. She married J M Munson Feb 20, 1894.
Nannie was born March 16, 1873. She married J F Nystrom 1900
Ellen was born Sept 6, 1877. She married C M Munson 1895
Two sisters died in Sweden—namely Caroline born Nov 5, 1853 died April 17, 1865
Emma Christine was born June 26, 1859 died Aug 27, 1860
After mothers death father married Mrs Marie Malmberg in 1895.
After fathers death she went to live with her son in Minnesota, died there 1918.
This history was written 1938 by Lena Munson
(Lena was one of the children born in Sweden)
History of the Descendents of Swan and Martha Peterson
by Lena Munson
"Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations"
Psalm 90, verse 1
This is the history of the descendents of Swan and Martha Peterson who with the following children came to America and landed in Moingona Ia. on Aug 15 1870 Nels Magnus, Anna Stina, Ida Emma Sophia Ingri, John Olaf, Martha Caroline, all of whom were born in Smoland Sweden Carl William was born that same fall on the place now know as the Egnell a little west of Moingona. Nannie, Hilma Cecelia, Ellen Mary were born on the place now owned by Celia Nelson.
We moved to the farm 1872, it was a virgin prairie when father bought it at a price of $8.00 per acre. I have felt lonely many times when I think back, of the pretty meadow with wild grass and a lot of wild flowers. We use to run about and pick large boquets. There were a lot of sloughs, a lot of mosquitoes as well as flies and all kinds of bugs, snakes, lizards, toads and the like. This was not so pleasant as well as a lot of other things the pioneers had to put up with. They didn't buy their bread sliced ready for the table. It was slow, the wheat, the harvest, and the thresh; and then drive somewhere and have it ground into flour—also made their own yeast. If they made a trip to town once a week it was sure grand. It was always to keep on working to make a go of it; and at times it was just about impossible to get to town especially Ogden—to Moingona was better. One could not always follow the road and had to go around but to arrive if possible. Just to give an idea there use to be a slough most of the time, that reached from just north of
page twenty seven
our barn almost over to Pete Danialsons, that was before there were tiles. Father was ahead of his time in especially these things. He had the rafters uncovered under the eaves, as the bungalows of today. The first wagon he had here in this county J.P. Carlson made and it was low wheeled like an auto. The driver sat at the right but he sat to the left like drivers of autos of today.
Should something be mentioned about conveniences. No pumps but to draw water with a pole or rope. The first spring seat our cousin O.M. Olson made, the same summer the barn was built in 1881. Oh my, the one who could have a rocking chair. Bedding was straw tick, no springs; but people seemed content, at least we children never heard any complaint. It was to sew all clothes, not only dresses, aprons, sun-bonnets but all the under clothes for men , women and children. Also overhalls, jackets, shirts and everything by hand. I was just past twenty when we got a sewing machine.
The corn was planted by hand planters the first year, then they marked the field both ways. The first corn planter father had was a Keystone. He had a reaper which he also used for a mower, it was a McCormic. The first pair of oxens we had were white. Their names were Sam and Dick with them father broke most of the land. The first team of horses he bought of William Blyth, they were Bon and Fly both were black. Better not leave out mentioning the first cows, they had Swede names Stjenia and Glosa (and Anna Stina helped pay for them). As soon as father got on the farm he planted trees,
page twenty eight
some are still there, they are soft maples and a well planned land scape shall I say. Mother of course rejoiced over it but got provoked at Pete Sambug when he came and saw it, for he said he'd not give 5¢ for all of them. Any way they grew and made a nice grove. Later he got a lot of fruit trees and were planted where Celias house now stands. At various times Indians would come, quite a few of them but never harmed us, they only begged for food. Prairie fires were much feared. There was so much grass and nothing to check them, the wind always started up with a fire. There were tumble weeds round as a ball about the size of a bushel basket and these weeds could spread fire fast when they would roll all ablaze. Then it was to get a few furrows plowed or set a fire to meet what was coming. Kerosene lamps were almost to much of a luxury so it was very common to have tallow candles, which mother made. Most everybody had a lot of cattle so it was a common thing to butcher a big beef each fall and in so doing would have plenty of suet to make candles. All stockings and mittens were made from home spun yarn. I remember well when there was nothing else in stockings than the thick home knit. After running bare foot such a thing as dressing up with those stockings was all but comfortable and we were glad to pull off both shoes and stockings. the older or grown ups wore them all the time.
Ida, was first to depart this life. She was born Oct 5, 1857 and died May 1892.
page twenty nine
She married G.A. Steele in 1876.
Mother was next to go. She passed away Oct 14, 1892 was born Nov 2, 1830.
John was born Nov 26, 1865 died Feb 18 1897 married Mary Danialson 1897
Willie born Nov 25, 1870 died Oct 14, 1897.
Cecelia was born Aug 21, 1875 died Nov 6, 1899 she married L. Erickson in 1891
Emma was born June 10, 1861 died Dec 8, 1903 was married to N. Bjorklund in 1890
Father was born May 10,1826 died may 7, 1907
Nels was born Feb 28 1852 died Nov 1 1918. He married Emma Challberg in 1875
Sophia was born June 6, 1863 died Feb 10, 1930. She married C.J. Newberg Oct 6, 1886.
Anna was born June 4, 1855 died Aug 18, 1934 She married OM Johnson 1880
Lena was born Feb 24, 1868. She married J M Munson Feb 20, 1894.
Nannie was born March 16, 1873. She married J F Nystrom 1900
Ellen was born Sept 6, 1877. She married C M Munson 1895
Two sisters died in Sweden—namely Caroline born Nov 5, 1853 died April 17, 1865
Emma Christine was born June 26, 1859 died Aug 27, 1860
After mothers death father married Mrs Marie Malmberg in 1895.
After fathers death she went to live with her son in Minnesota, died there 1918.
This history was written 1938 by Lena Munson
(Lena was one of the children born in Sweden)
