OBITUARY: Guri (Tollefson) Benson, 1837-1919,  Mitchell County, Iowa
               



                           MRS. P. H. BENSON

                               1837-1919

So few are left of that little band of pioneers which settled St. Ansgar
almost exactly two-thirds of a century ago, that the passing of one of that
original number, deserves more than the usual obituary notice and especially
is this true of the subject of this sketch. Mrs. P. H. Benson whose father,
Mikkel Tollefson, was one of the leaders of the famous Clausen Colony which
settled St. Ansgar.  He was out here with Rev. C. L. Clausen, locating the
site for the colony in the year 1852 and help lead the colony here here
the following spring. The following brief biographical sketch was read at
the funeral:

Mrs. P. H. Benson, whose maiden name was Guri Tollefson, was born in Gol
Hallingdal, Norway, June 16th, 1837 and died at St. Ansgar, Iowa, Jan. 4th,
1919 at the age of 81 years, 6 months and 18 days.

In 1845 she emigrated with her parents, Mikkel and Growe Tollefson, to
America and settled in Rock County, Wisconsin, where they remained until
the spring of 1853, when they came with the Clausen Colony to St. Ansgar,
Iowa, which has since been her home. She was united in marriage to Peter
H. Benson on Jan. 5th 1861.

She leaves to mourn her loss, her husband, three children, Emil, George and
Mary - and there has preceeded her the two oldest sons who died in infancy
and the two oldest daughters who died in childhood. Her two brothers, Tollef
and Andrew Tollefson, and oldest sister, Mrs. Johnson have also gone before.
also two sisters, Annie M. Tollefson amd Mrs. A. T. Tollefson survive her.

The colony which was made up of hardy Norwegians who had come from the old
country but a few years before, was quite a large one. They started in May,
1853, just as early as the grass was large enough to furnish feed for the
cattle, with thirty ox-drawn wagons and two hundred head of cattle; there
were but three horses in the entire party. When they reached the Mississippi
River no bridges had ever been built over it since the beginning of time.
They crossed on the ferry, propelled by trend power; then climbed the hills
out of the Mississippi valley and proceeded westward over the prairies,
fording or bridging streams as they went. It was late in June when they
arrived here but they planted a crop of potatoes which fortunately turned
out well that year.

At that time Mrs. Benson was a girl of sixteen. Her father located a large
tract of land one mile north of where St. Ansgar now stands. He was the
first man to raise corn in Mitchell County - in 1853. The Tollefson home
was always open to the stranger who was passing through, so much so that
it became a regular stopping place for travelers. Concerning this we quote
below from the "History of Mitchell and Worth Counties", published in 1884:

"They kept a regular stopping place in their little log cabin 18 by 20 feet,
and at times there were as many as 20 strangers boarding there in addition
to the family of eight persons. The usual charge for krrping strangers was
twenty-five cents for supper, lodging and breakfast, and while it was
sometimes less than this it was never more. The floor was made of shakes,
as the saw-mill was not running. The wagon box and floor of shakes was laid
upon the joist over head, and this was used for a sleeping apartment by as
many as it would hold, and then beds were made up on the floor below.  They
lived mostly on venison and rutabagas. But in the forepart of the winter
of 1853 - 4 a man named Osborn, of Clayton County, brought in a load of
pork.  He supplied most of the settlers at six cents a pound.  Flour was
brought from Decorah, West Union and other places at a distance.

Trips would generally be made in the spring and fall. Several teams would
go at a time. There were few horses in those days, and everyone drove
ox-teams. It took from eight to fifteen days to make the trip. They camped
on the way; forded the streams; slept on the wagons or on the ground, and
got along as best they could, but usually they were a jolly crowd.  It was
not infrequent that great trouble was had in fording the streams.  In fact
it was more the rule that trouble was had than the exception.  Sometimes
the wagon box would be tied or chained to the axel to prevent its being
washed down stream; then a rope or chain would be attached to the end of
the tongue and the pioneer would swim his horses and then draw the wagon.
Those matters are vividly remembered by the old settlers.  They were
hardships which they all experienced".

Mr. Benson was also a member of the colony but came out in a later section
which arrived here in 1854.

The funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon, Rev. S. Strand of
Wallingford, Iowa, officiating at the house and Rev. M. E. Waldeland at
the church.   Her remains were laid to rest at the N. L. Cemetery.

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              Published St. Ansgar Enterprise January 1919


     Copyright 2005, Don Grell