Berit Knudsdatter (Betsy E) THOMPSON

1853 - 1938  (84 years)

• Name	Berit Knudsdatter (Betsy E) THOMPSON
  Birth	21 Oct 1853	Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway
  Gender	Female
  Baptism	6 Nov 1853	Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway
  Minnesota Death Certificate	1938-MN-003493
  Death	27 Sep 1938	Dakota County, Minnesota
  Burial	Highview Cemetery, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota
  Notes	The Ole Forstrom (shown as Fostrom) family were farming in Eureka Township at the time (June 5th) of the 1880 census. The family consisted of Ole, 39, Betsey, 26, Thomas, 6, and Eda, 3. Also apparently living with them was Thomas Thompson, 21, shown as “cousin.” By the 1900 census, Betsy is a widow and still living in Eureka Township not far from Peter Thompson. She is 46 (born Oct 1853 in Norway) and came to the U.S. in 1855. Living with her is her sons Olai B., 16 (born Feb 1884) and Arthur J., 9 (born Nov 1890). Arthur is still in school but Olai is shown as a farm laborer. Betsy is shown as having borne 7 children, 5 still living. Also living with her, although also shown as “head,” is her son Thomas, 25 (born June 1874), and Thomas’s wife Tina, 24 (born May 1876). Thomas and Tina have been married for 5 years and have two children (Tina has had a third one who is now dead): Norris O., 3 (born Dec 1896), and Clarence T., 1 (born April 1899). She is listed in “The Valdris Book”, a history of the Valdris Samband published in 1920 (available on Google Books), as Mrs. Betsey Fostrom of Farmington. She was a member of the Samband between 1910 and 1916. In her entry she is erroneously listed as the daughter of Peter Thompson. In the 1920 census, she is shown to have come to this country in 1855 and was naturalized as a citizen in 1857. An obituary: In the death of Mrs B. E. Forstrom, Dakota county pioneer for 82 years and highly respected woman of Lakeville, the community loses a beloved character, known and admired by everyone. To her friends she was Grandma Forstrom. News of her demise came rather suddenly Tuesday morning, September 27, 1938 at the home ofher son Arthur, where she has made her home. She was able to be out-of doors on Saturday for a walk. Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 1:00 o'clock at the Arthur Forstrom residence and 2:00 o'clock at the Lutheran Free Church in Eureka. Burial will be beside her husband in the adjoining cemetery. Three ministers will have charge of the service, Rev J. R. Langsjoen, the pastor; Rev B. L. Sundal, former pastor; and Rev A. H. Gjevre, pastor of St. John's at Lakeville. Mrs. Sundal will sing several favorite requests of the deceased. Pallbearers will be Milford Halling, Rudolph Ruh, Sherman Torbinson, Oscar Shirley, Sylvester Steen and Carlton Leine. Betsy Thompson was born in Valders, Norway, October 14th, 1853. At the age of one and a half, she imigrated to the United States with her parents, arriving at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, from where they moved to Nerstrand, Minnesota, after a short period in Wisconsin. In the early spring of 1857, the family pre-empted a homestead near the Twin churches in Eureka township, where she lived until her marriage to Ole Forstrom, at which time they purchased the farm where Eureka Center is now located. There a family of seven children were born, two of whom died in infancy and a daughter, Ida (Mrs Ed Ruh) preceded her mother in 1905. Mr Forstrom, the husband, is also deceased. Those surviving to mourn the loss of a loving mother are Thomas of Montana, Edward, Robert and Arthur of Lakeville; also nine grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. Mrs Forstrom will not only be missed by her family but a host of friends in Lakeville, Eureka and the surrounding territory will feel the loss of a kind friend and helpful neighbor. She had an unusual personality that won for herself friends wherever she went and this warm friendly spirit will live on through the years. 10-14-1853/09-27-1938 COMPILED BY JANE GILBERTSON NELSON Jane Gilbertson Nelson also compiled the puzzling obit for “little Ole Forstrom” as well as this one for which there is no confirmation in either the birth or the death records of the MHS or of the cemetery record for Highview in the Dalby database: HIGHVIEW CHRISTIANIA LUTH. CHURCH & CEMETERY, EUREKA TWSP. DAKOTA COUNTY, MN. COMPILED BY JANE GILBERTSON NELSON. Name: Gladys Caroline Forstrom Birth: July 19, 1926 Death: August 2, 1926 Father: Ole E. Forstrom Mother: Betsy Forstrom Little Gladys lived 15 days and is buried in the Christiania Lutheran Free Church cemetery, Eureka township. 07-19-1926/08-02-1926 {Clearly this could not have been a child of 72 year-old Betsy.}
  Person ID	I1769	Don Carlson's Tree
  Last Modified	1 May 2017

  
  

  Father	Knudt Tomason ELLESTAD,   b. 4 May 1822, Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway d. 11 Feb 1896, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota (Age 73 years)
  Mother	Ingri Gulliksdatter EGGE,   b. 14 Aug 1819, Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway d. 1863, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota (Age 43 years)
  Marriage	17 Oct 1852	Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway
  Family ID	F1272	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Ole Endresen FORSTROM (FYSTRO),   b. 27 Dec 1840, Vestre Slidre i Valdres, Oppland, Norway d. 19 Oct 1897 (Age 56 years)
  Children	1. Thomas Clarence FORSTROM,   b. Dec 1872, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota d. 14 Jun 1873, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota (Age 0 years)   2. Thomas Clarence FORSTROM (FOREST),   b. 18 Jun 1874, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota d. 12 Mar 1944, Havre, Hill County, Montana (Age 69 years)   3. Ole FORSTROM,   b. Abt 1875, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota d. 19 Oct 1877, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota (Age 2 years)   4. Izore Caroline (Ida) FORSTROM,   b. 27 Feb 1877, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota d. 7 May 1905, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota (Age 28 years)   5. Edward Simon FORSTROM,   b. Jan 1879, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota d. 29 Mar 1880, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota (Age 1 year)   6. Edward Simon FORSTROM,   b. 24 Jan 1882, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota d. 5 Dec 1939, Lakeville, Dakota County, Minnesota (Age 57 years)   7. Olai Benoni (Robert) FORSTROM,   b. 2 Feb 1883, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota d. 23 Dec 1959, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 76 years)   8. Julius Arthur (Art) FORSTROM,   b. 18 Nov 1890, Eureka Twp, Dakota County, Minnesota d. 9 Apr 1960, Northfield, Rice County, Minnesota (Age 69 years)
  Family ID	F1274	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart