Martha JOHNSON

Notes:

In the 1910 census, she had had 8 children, 6 still living. Living at home with her and Mons were three daughters: 24 year-old Grace M, 22 year-old Carrie, and 19 year-old Theresa M.

Died:
“aged 65 years and eleven months, at her home nine miles east of Cornell”

Martha married Mons Schanche Monsen EKUM about 1876. Mons (son of Mons Schanke Monson EIKUM and Brithe Olsdatter LIE) was born on 22 Dec 1846 in Hafslo, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway; died in 1928 in Wisconsin. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Christopher Martin EKUM was born on 28 Oct 1876 in Wisconsin; died in 1968; was buried in Big Drywood Lutheran Cemetery, Cadott, Chippewa County, Wisconsin.
2. Lawrence M EKUM was born on 7 Sep 1878 in Soldiers Grove, Crawford County, Wisconsin; died on 12 Jul 1937 in Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin.
3. Mabel B EKUM was born on 21 Nov 1880 in Wisconsin.
4. Stina EKUM was born in Feb 1883 in Wisconsin.
5. Grace M EKUM was born in Jun 1885 in Wisconsin.
6. Carrie EKUM was born in Jan 1888 in Wisconsin.
7. Theresa M EKUM was born on 7 Feb 1891 in Wisconsin; died on 24 Mar 1996 in Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin; was buried in Big Drywood Lutheran Cemetery, Cadott, Chippewa County, Wisconsin.
8. EKUM died in Unknown.

Notes:

Emigrated from Luster in 1847 to participate in the California gold rush.

Living in Sterling township, Bad Ax County, at the time of the 1860 census with his wife, four children, mother or grandmother (Martha, age 85), and two farmhands.

Still living in Sterling Twp, in what was then Vernon County, at the time of the 1870 census. He was Christ Johnson, age 40, a farmer. The household consisted of, besides Christ, Gunelda, 31, Martha, 15, Bertha, 14, John, 11, Margaret, 10, Christine, 7, Ella, 4, and Martha, 84, born in Norway.

Christopher married Gunnilda Torgersdatter FORTNEY on 28 Nov 1857 in Vernon County, Wisconsin. Gunnilda (daughter of Torger Olsen FORTHUN and Kari Danielsdatter) was born on 22 May 1839 in Fortunsdal, Luster, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway; died on 17 Jun 1918 in Bainville, Roosevelt County, Montana; was buried on 25 Jun 1918 in Soldiers Grove, Crawford County, Wisconsin. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 2 Jun 1839

Notes:

Her obit in the Decorah Posten on 13 September 1918:

Copied from Rowberg File clipping (microfiche on file at Minnesota Genealogical Society). Clipping identified as:: Reese, Christopher Johnson. / Decorah Posten, 13 September 1918 / Translation from Norwegian by Jens Anker, Minneapolis, MN August 1999

It was an unusual event that took place at Soldiers Grove, Wise., 25 June, this year, in that Mrs. Gunilda Reese and her son-in-law, Tollef Peterson, were buried the same day.

Mrs. Reese was the only sister of Mrs. Atley Peterson, and Mr. Tollef Peterson was a merchant until recently in Soldiers Grove. The deceased, Gunilda Forinen, was born in Fortunsdal, Sogn, 22 May, 1839. When she was nine years old, she traveled with her parents and siblings to America, and the family settled in Dane County, Wise., where she grew up. She got married here to Christopher Johnson Reese, and they lived on their farm on the prairie out west for about for about 40 years. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Reese stayed on the farm until all of her children had grown up. She then moved to Montana, where she homesteaded and later lived with her daughter Ella (Mrs. Torger) in Bainville, Montana. She enjoyed good health until her last years, when she got a bad cold and the illness led to Bright's Disease. After suffering for some weeks, she died peacefully in her belief in her Savior 17 June.

The surviving children are: Mrs. Mons Ekum, Cornell, Wisc., Bertha Hooverson McIntosh, Minn. (Mother of the wife of Pastor J. A. O. Stub), T. C. Reese, Duvall, Wash., Mrs. Tollef Peterson, Belmont, Mont, Mrs. J. G. Aschim, Berthold, N. Dak., Mrs. Ella Torger, Bainsville, Mont., T. R. J. Reese, McIntosh, Minn., and C. R. Reese, Belmont, Mont. All of them were present at their mother's funeral in Soldiers Grove. Two brothers, Ole Torger and Daniel Forinen, and a sister, Mrs. Peterson, as well as 28 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren also survive Mrs. Reese..

At the well-attended funeral, pastors Stephenson and Smeby from Viroqua preached. A telegram just received from Pastor Stub was read. He was in New York and was prevented from participating in the funeral. There were many beautiful flowers and the church was decorated nicely for the occasion.

Her daughter, Mrs. Torger, writes that her mother's last work was planting the gladiolas that she had received from "Decorah Posten". They are now in beautiful bloom, she tells. Mrs. Reese was one of the old subscribers and loyal friends of this newspaper.

{The Hooversons (as Stub) mentioned may have used the surname Nundal.}

In the 1880 census, she was Gunilda Johnson, 41, a widow living with her children in Sterling Twp. The household consisted of Gunilda, 41, Johannes, 21, Karen M, 20, Kirstina, 16, Elen C, 13, Torger, 8, and Christoffer, 6.

She is listed in the Montana Death Indes as Gunalda Reese.

Birth:
as Gunnild

Notes:

Married:
probably then called Bad Ax County

Torger married Kari Danielsdatter. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]