Goodbye to Reinert Emerson

Ed's Day Wednesday

Dear FOLKS,

On Wednesdays I continue to share the stories and family research provided by my late cousin Edwin J. Ostrom. Some time ago I introduced you to Reinert I. Emerson, Ed's maternal grandfather. Lately I have been sharing the stories that were written by the children of Reinert and his wife Dora. There were many stories to share, making for several weeks of enjoyment. A complete list of those articles:

• Ruby's story by clicking here
• Geneva's story by clicking here
• Lola's story (Part One) by clicking here, and (Part Two) by clicking here
• Ole and Alice's stories were combined here
• Ivene's story (Part One) by clicking here, and (Part Two) by clicking here
• Vivian's story (Part One) by clicking here, and (Part Two) by clicking here
• Verola's story (Part One) by clicking here, and (Part Two by clicking here
• Ray's Interview (Part One) by clicking here, and (Part Two) by clicking here and (Part Three) by clicking here. 
• Ole's story (Part Two) by clicking here. 
• Estelle's story (Part One) by clicking here, and (Part Two) by clicking here. 

This week, I want to visit with Reinert one last time so we can properly say "goodbye" to him and prepare to move on to the next individual on Cousin Ed’s Ancestor Chart. I earlier shared with you Reinert’s records and timeline and that can be reviewed here. You can also review Ed’s genealogy through this link.

Reinert Immanuel Emerson was the son and second child of Raymond Reinert Emerson and Inger Tobine Tallachsdatter. Reinert was born 18 December 1870 on the family’s farm in Irving Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.

On 23 July 1898, Reinert would marry Dora Elisa Nelson who went to the same Lutheran church in Irving. Their wedding was held on the bride’s family farm in Union Grove Township in Meeker County, Minnesota, roughly eight miles away from where Reinert lived.

After Reinert and Dora were married, they were invited by Reinert’s oldest brother Ole Emerson to come and live with his family until they could find a place of their own and they accepted Ole’s invitation as they were enumerated there in the 1900 U.S. Census. Their parents are immediately next on the census. They soon bought a nearby 80-acre homestead and built their first house.

The weather in Minnesota at that time was poor for farming, so Reinert began to look for a different area to farm. He first tried Canada by heading up there alone but returned a few months later after living in a shack in the north country during the winter. It is thought he had decided the farming opportunities were no better than what he had, and he missed his family.

Reinert next traveled with friends to Minot, North Dakota where they heard homestead land was available. The local Indians had moved to nearby reservations and were no longer a threat. The friends he traveled with were Olaf Langseth, Peter K. Person, and Christian Hansen. They were looking for land to the south of Minot, still in Ward County but Reinert thought most of the good land was taken so he bought a relinquishment for $130.00. A relinquishment is a homestead that is being returned to the Land Office when the original homesteader no longer wants to keep their section. Reinert had to “prove up” this land by living there for five years and make improvements, before he would own it outright. This relinquishment already had a house and some out buildings on it, so Reinert was pleased as he was closer to being able to have his family with him.

IMAGE: Advertising blotter for the Chicago Great Western

Railroad passenger trains, Copyright 1906. Digital image

provided by George Mead, Chicago and

Wikimedia Commons.

Reinert returned to Minnesota and paid for return passage on an emigrant carload for himself, the animal stock and farm equipment that he wanted to move west to his new homestead. An emigrant carload was a special rate offered by the railroad. Passengers traveling this way were provided a train coach with minimal accommodations, they brought their own bedding and food. In this case, Reinert arranged to have his animals moved and he had to leave much of their furniture behind as there was not enough room on the portion of the train he was allotted.

Soon his wife and children joined him in Torning Township, Ward County, North Dakota. By then the Emersons had four children. Dora and the children would also travel on an emigrant coach. Their youngest was 15 months old. Along with them were their good friends Christian Hansen and his wife and two sons. The train was crowded and it was difficult to find room for the children to sleep.

IMAGE: Interior of a railroad car similar to that used by the

Emerson family in 1906 to travel from Elbow Lake, MN to

Ward County, ND. Digital photo provided by the Library and
Archives of Canada and Wikimedia Commons website

In April 1906, the Emersons started to prove up their homestead. They would work hard to add improvements, adding new siding to the existing house that had two rooms on the first floor and one room upstairs. Reinert was soon able to plow and seed a few acres of land and Dora planted a garden. There was a well but it soon went dry. So they made do by hauling their needed water when the dry season came about. Then after 10 years of farming they had a deep well dug and at 101 feet good, cool, clear water and plenty of it was found. Life got easier once they had plenty of water.

As we know, their family continued to grow in numbers until they had 13 children. The last two children were identical twin daughters, who were born in 1920. Their older daughters became married and three of their sons left to homestead for themselves in northern Alberta, Canada.

    PAPPA

    Mama said, "Now pa look here,
    Too many kids we have I fear,”
    Papa said “Oh, pshaw, that’s good,
    We’ve plenty room, clothes and fud,”
    Ten kids came then another one,
    Mama thought she was all done,
    Because of age, mom sang a song,
    And that’s how come we came along!
                by Verola Emerson Ralston
               (one of twin daughters, babies 12 & 13)

During the 1930s the Emersons along with so many others in the Midwest, found it very difficult to farm because of the drought and the low prices gained from their crops due to the depression; this kept them from prospering. Others of their children had relocated in the Seattle, Washington area and had reported back how good life was there, with lots of works, better climate and more. The elder Emersons, now in their 60s, wanted to retire, but the current economic situation dictated they couldn’t retire in the normal sense. So they decided to accept the invitation of their daughter Geneva and started the process to move to Seattle.

In in the latter part of August 1936 they held a farm goods sale and invited everyone near and far to purchase what wouldn’t be needed in Washington state. They sold almost everything and then rented their farm to their daughter Alice and her husband Edwin “Tom” Ostrom. On September 12, 1936 they arrived in Seattle. All of the Emerson children, except the twins were on their own by then and the twins made the journey with them, finishing high school in Seattle.

The Emersons were comfortable in their retirement. At first they stayed with Geneva and her family. Then soon they bought a half-acre lot right behind them. Martin Meyers (Geneva’s husband), built a modest house for his in-laws; it was located behind Martin and Geneva’s property, it still stands today.  In the first part of November the work started on the basement of their new house; Martin, Reinert, and the Emerson's son Oliver (who had also relocated to Seattle) began to erect the walls and by January 1937 it was ready enough to move into. In May 1940, Reinert and Dora Emerson would sell their homestead in Toring Township, Ward County, North Dakota to Clifford Zethren, a young fellow from the local area.

IMAGE: Dora and Reinert Emerson, ca 1940. From the family

photograph collection of Edwin J. Ostrom.

Reinert worked part of the time on WPA projects. The Works Progress/Projects Administration (WPA) was a government agency that put people back to work while recovering from the Depression. The projects included construction of public building and roads. This is where Reinert would learn to work with concrete, yet we have to wonder how he got to work as he never drove. He owned cars but someone else always drove. He would do odd jobs around the house and help Dora with her garden. Life was good and there were several of their children and grandchildren who would come visit.

Just three weeks shy of his 80th birthday, Reinert’s appendix burst and he died from peritonitis on 24 November 1950 after a short stay in a Seattle hospital. There were many of his family who gathered for his funeral and Reinert was put to rest at the Acacia Memorial Park cemetery in Seattle soon after. Reinert is now resting in peace.

    A POEM IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER

    “I have no father,” someone said,
    A year and more since he’s been dead,
    He’s gone from us, no more to know,
    We miss him now, we loved him so.

    But not my father, he’s not dead,
    A Saint, was he, a friend has said,
    So somewhere up above the sky,
    There walks a man, his head held high.

    He was not just a loving dad,
    Who taught his children good from bad,
    He lived the virtues, every one’
    From early morn, to setting sun.

    He was so gentle, kind and good,
    He laughed at jokes, was never rude,
    He had such humble ways,
    That followed him throughout his days.

    He loved his neighbor, bad and good,
    Just the way a Christian should,
    His quiet ways, his shaking hand,
    He took these not to that Fair Land.

    We never lose the ones we love,
    Although he’s gone to live above,
    He’s still right here, now can’t you see
    I keep him always close to me.
               by Verola Emerson Ralston

Summary of Reinert’s funeral notices:

• Name: Reinert I. Emerson
• Age at death: 79
• Birth place: Paynesville, Minn.
• Address: 12547 17th Av. N.E. [Seattle]
• Occupation: Retired farmer
• History: In 1936 came to Seattle from Minot, N.D.
• Survived by: wife, Dora; eight daughters, Mrs. Morris Baarstad, Mrs. Martin Meyers, Mrs. Ivene Yonaka, Mrs. Douglas Ralston, and Mrs. Harry Cowe, all of Seattle; Mrs. Stuart Ditch, Grande Prairie, Alta.; Mrs. Edwin Ostrom, Woodburn, Ore, and Mrs. Ray Olson, Kathryn, N.D.; five sons, Oliver Emerson, Seattle, James, Raymond and Ole Emerson, all of Eagleshaw [sic], Alta., and William Emerson, Minot, N. D.; two brothers, Ole Emerson, Paynesville, Minn, and Chris Emerson, La Porte, Minn.; 37 grandchildren and one great-grandchild
• Funeral Service: Wednesday [November 29, 1950], 1 p.m. Mittelstadt’s Lake City Funeral Home, 14828 Bothell Way
• Interment: Acacia Memorial Park

This information is combined from an undated, unidentified newspaper article and the funeral notice from The Seattle Daily Times, Seattle, Washington, November 25, 1950, page 10. If anyone researching the Emerson family would like a copy of these articles, please contact me by email.

See you next time and thank you for stopping by.

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