Good-bye to Raymond and Inger Emerson

Ed's Day Wednesday

Dear FOLKS,

With this week's celebration of Independence Day in the United States, with all of its family gatherings, fireworks displays and all, it made me wonder how the Raymond Emerson family might have observed this summer holiday.

There are no known set of written memories that I can report on, so this is primarily a view from our imagination. We know that Raymond was a farmer and the summer months are a very busy time for those who work a farm. Time to plant the later crops, cultivate what has already been planted and the time to harvest early crops. It would have been a busy time for Inger too, she, along with the children, would be working the family's vegetable and fruit crops. It would be time to preserve into jars the vegetables as they became ripe and ready to gather. There would also be berry jams and syrups to cook and preserve and fruit from apricots, peaches, plums, etc. to "can" and seal into jars.

It isn't likely that the Emersons would go on a lengthy trip this time of the year, but it is possible that to celebrate the 4th of July they would gather with their friends and neighbors for a church picnic. Each family would bring their favorite dishes to share in a pot-luck. Maybe the family would spend the day a nearby lake, taking along a picnic lunch and fishing poles. Maybe a fish or two could be caught for part of the evening meal. I am sure there was a closeness and camaraderie that being a family allows.

All in all it was a good life for the Emersons. Time would pass and the farm would become the work of their oldest son Ole Tobias Emerson. Inger and Raymond would continue to live on the farm in the residence that had been their home for many years. Ole, his wife and their growing family would live in another house near the old folks' home.

IMAGE: Raymond's entry on Emerson
tombstone near Hawick, MN.
Photo used with the permission of
Kevin Thompson, FindAGrave
volunteer. Inscribed with
"Raymond 1819-1904."

In unidentified newspaper clippings we have articles written near the time Raymond was taken ill and when he died.

"Reinert Emerson, Sr., one of the old settlers, is very sick and at the present writing is not expected to live." This was followed in the next paper with this notice.

"Last Sunday morning occurred the death of Rienert Emerson, an old soldier and one of the first settlers in this part of the country. Mr Emerson was a Christian gentleman. Besides a large number of friends he leaves five grown up children to mourn his loss. The funeral takes place today from the North Mission church, after which the remains will be interred in the Mission church cemetery."

On 31 July 1904, Raymond would pass away, while at home. His cause of death is noted as old age and Bright's disease. Bright's is an historic named condition, that today is often called chronic nephritis, a combination of chronic kidney inflammation, high blood pressure and heart disease. He was buried at the nearby Evangelical Free Church Cemetery. Raymond had lived 84 years, 8 months and 28 days. Adventuring from his birthplace in Norway, arriving in America, serving during the Civil War as a Union soldier from Minnesota, that included being detained as a prisoner in a Confederate army prison, marrying, becoming a father and working as a successful farmer. A full life indeed. The stories about his life begin here.

IMAGE: Inger's entry on Emerson

tombstone near Hawick, MN.
Photo used with the permission of
Kevin Thompson, FindAGrave
volunteer. Inscribed with
"Inger T. 1837-1918."

Inger Tobine Tallachsdatter Emerson would live as a widow almost more 14 years, residing independently in the home she had shared with Raymond. She too had been born in Norway, traveled to America with her first husband. After Ole's death and Raymond's return from the war, Inger married Raymond and began to have their children; being a loving mother. To read more about Inger, her stories begin here.

IMAGE: Emerson tombstone
near Hawick, MN. Photo used with
permission from Kevin Thompson,
FindAGrave volunteer.

Inscribed:

"Salige er de døde som døde i Herren" EMERSON

in English, "Blessed are the dead who died in the Lord"

Inger would die on 27 May 1918, like Raymond her place of death was their home in Irving township, Kandiyohi, Minnesota. She lived 81 years, 6 months and 1 day; her cause of death is not stated in any of cousin Ed's files, so we can generalize cause as the effects of old age. She was buried next to Raymond at the Evangelical Free Church Cemetery.

It is difficult to read this headstone as the engraving has nearly washed away, possibly the etching wasn't deep enough to survive many years of weather. I was able to zoom in on the photos and view some old stone rubbings that Ed has to better describe the text included to better describe this stone for you. If you'll recall, Inger's birth record tells us that she was born on 26 November 1836... her stone incorrectly states her birth year as 1837. This error may be noticed by future researchers too. We have here, a good example of why obtaining records that were created at the time the event occurs is important; time often adds errors to records.

Now it is time to say good-bye to Raymond and Inger Emerson, who were my cousin Ed Ostrom's great grandparents; Ed's mother's, father's parents. I am sure that all of their descendants would like to leave with this wish, "Hvile i fred Bestemor og bestefar," .... Rest in peace Grandpa and Grandma.

For next week, I plan to introduce another one of cousin Ed Ostrom's ancestors. Let me thank you for stopping by today and I hope your week is going well.

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Copyright (c) 2017, Darlene M. Steffens