Gubberud and Family History, Houston Co., MN

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Journey to Spring Grove



Written and researched by Stan Guberud and Chad Olson



In the early 1850's, Anders, Kjersti, Gulbrand, Øesten, Olia, Gunhild, 

and Martin Gubberud, Amund and Sigrid Lunde, Ole, and Sissela Skiftun 

with their four daughters, Malene, Anne, Anna, and Sissel sailed to 

America by way of Quebec, and the great lakes. These were hardworking 

determined people, with loyalty, and strong family values. The Gubberud 

family began about 1826 with the marriage of Kjersti Gudbrandsdotter 

Haugsrudeige and Anders Øestensen Haugsrudeige. In 1844 they purchased 

the 'north' Gubberud farm in Bagn Norway, so their last name changed to 

"Gubberud". Anders and Kjersti had 5 children who were named; Gulbrand, 

Øesten, Olia, Gunhild and Martin. They all lived in South Aurdal Valders, 

Norway. S. A. Valders is in the county (Fylker) of Oppland. Here Anders 

was also in the business of floating stray logs down the river. He would 

purchase these from the lumber company and sell them for a profit.<4> 

During this time Norway was having economic and social problems; better 

opportunities could be found in America, so our family's made the 

decision to cross the ocean in hopes of a better life. This meant leaving 

behind friends, family members, and possessions, at a pretty big gamble 

with no guarantees. They faced a long and dangerous journey, sickness, 

and death. The motivating factors had to have been the stories of 

abundant tracts of fertile land In America, which could be purchased for 

$1.25 to $5.00 an acre. In Norway at this time only the upper classes 

were allowed to vote, and the people lived under a strict social system 

where among other things they were expected to show public signs of 

respect to members of the upper class, a very humbling experience.<1> Two 

other factors causing mass immigration from Norway, and probably unknown 

to them at the time where potatoes, and the smallpox vaccination; more 

babies survived infancy and childhood, and potatoes being introduced in 

the late 1700's provided better nutrition causing the population to 

increase. Then in the mid 1800's the country had a series of crop 

failures causing food shortages and hard times. At age 12, in the year 

1850 Malene Skiftun came to America from Hjelmeland, Stavanger, Norway 

with her parents Ole Gudmundson and Sissela Jonasdatter Skiftun, along 

with her 3 sisters. Malene would later marry Gulbrand Gubberud. These 

were the first of this group to come. Gulbrand Anderson Gubberud born on 

Dec. 14, 1827 would come in 1852. Since he was the oldest at age 25 he 

was chosen to be the first to voyage over. Gulbrand would 'see for 

himself' the opportunities this new country had, then send for the 

remaining members. Also coming over would be Amund and Sigrid Lunde in 

about 1853. (Sigrid is a sister to Anders.)<4> To make this Journey there 

was lots of work that had to be done before hand. Before being allowed to 

leave Norway they had to be free of debt, and the price of their one way 

ticket was about $25 for a trip from Norway to Quebec. With the decision 

made and passage paid for, they had to pack up there immigrant chests, 

decide what was being taken and what was being left behind, then sell off 

unwanted possessions as extra freight was very expensive. One was also 

required to obtain and prepare enough food and supplies for the voyage. 

The journey would be long and unpredictable. Here's a typical list of 

food required for one person for this trip; 8 loaves of rye bread, 20 

loaves of barley bread, 1 cheese, 1 butter keg, rye rusks, coffee, tea, 1 

sack of grain, 1pc of salted sausage, 1 pc of salted pork, 1 smoked sheep 

shoulder, 1 sack of flour. The emigrants would also be advised to take 

along equipment, such as a water pail, cooking pot, coffee kettle, dishes 

and eating utensils. The combined family of Skiftuns, Gubberuds and Lunde 

would make the crossing on 5 different ships, so they may have traveled 

on one or more of the ships mentioned below, probably leaving from 

Stavanger and/or Christiania (Oslo). When the time came to depart, 

passengers would assemble near the port and wait, and there was usually 

delays. When this happened it wasn't for a few hours, but weeks at a 

time. Lots of excitement and anxiety. The first ships used to freight 

passengers were originally built for cargo. This means that the 

passengers were placed in the cargo hold, rebuilt to carry passengers. 

The passengers were lodged between decks, often just called "tween-decks" 

or "steerage". The origin of the expression "steerage", comes from 

"steers" (cattle), and indicates that the emigrants traveled under the 

same conditions, and on the same decks as was used for transporting 

cattle. (often with very little cleaning in between) These ships of 

course were wooden sailships. The most commonly one used for transporting 

immigrants was called a Barkentine. Other types were Brigs, and 

Schooners. A Barkentine is 3 Masted and square rigged on fore mast, with 

only the main and mizen being fore and aft rigged, used for coastal 

shipping because it's ability to go into the wind with the fore-aft 

sails, but still have the square sails to catch long wind currents. Barks 

were about 120 feet long, and 25 feet high at the beam. Anders, Kjersti, 

Olia, Gunhild, and Martin sailed in 1854. They landed in Quebec on July 

30 after being tossed about the ocean for 81 days.<3> The Bark Urania 

piloted by Captain Thesen, which also sailed in 1854 possibly was the 

ship they traveled on. It left Stavanger Norway on May 6 and landed in 

Quebec on July 24 (81days).<2> The Urania was built in 1847, in Larvik, 

Norway at Jordfallen.<2> Other noteworthy ships making the crossing from 

Norway to America at this time were the Faedres Minde and the William 

Tell. Temporary quarters were set up in the ships that did not have a 

permanent betweendeck. To get down to the between-decks the passengers 

often had to use ladders, and the passageway down between the hatches 

could be both narrow and steep. The manner in which the ships were 

equipped could vary, since there were no set standards for this. It was 

necessary that the furnishings could be easily removed, and not cost more 

than absolutely necessary. As soon as the ships had set the passengers on 

land, the furnishings were discarded and the ship prepared for return 

cargo to Europe. The ceiling height of the between-deck was usually 6 to 

8 feet. The bunks, made of rough boards, were set up along both sides of 

the ship, and were ordinarily positioned so the passengers lay in the 

direction of the ship. The larger ships might also have an additional row 

of bunks in the middle. On these ships there was only a small corridor 

between the bunks. Each bunk was intended to hold from three to six 

persons, and these were often called family bunks. Bunks were usually 

double-deck beds, i.e., there was one bunk on top of the other. Ads 

announced that on board the Bolivar, which sailed in 1852, there was 

enough headroom between the bunks that an adult could sit up in bed. The 

best place to have a bunk was amid ship, because the rocking of the boat 

was felt less there. The bunks had straw mattresses, but the emigrants 

had to bring their own pillows, blankets, animal hides, and other 

necessary bedclothes. Lice and fleas thrived in this environment. Daily 

life onboard consisted of various routines and duties. When weather 

permitted, the passengers were usually up on deck, some busy cleaning 

while others played games to pass the time. On the Sjofna in 1852, the 

women were occupied with cooking, sewing and knitting. Some had to look 

after the children and care for the sick. The captain usually held Sunday 

services on deck, and on ordinary weekdays, there was often dancing on 

deck. Activities depended on weather conditions. While all types of games 

and entertainment were allowed and encouraged, on some ships such 

activities were forbidden. With so many people gathered in a limited 

space, rules regarding conduct were no doubt necessary. They had to 

prepare their own food on the ship's galleys up on deck, often there were 

no more than a couple of these to be shared by all the passengers, and 

the lines for preparing food could easily become long. There are reports 

about ships where some passengers never made it to the stoves. Daily 

rations of wood and water were included in the price of the ticket. The 

emigrants on board the sail ships were completely dependent on wind and 

weather. If the weather was bad, the journey could take much longer than 

anticipated. The average crossing between 1840 and 1874 was 53 days. If 

they were about to run out of water or rations and were lucky, they might 

meet other ships that had something to sell, but the prices were often 

very high. If necessary, they could anchor off land somewhere, like the 

Bark Napoleon, that had to go to St. Johns, Newfoundland to fish. 

Ventilation could be a problem on board, especially during bad weather. 

The Bolivar had special ventilation pipes, but on most ships ventilation 

was only through vents. During bad weather these vents had to be closed 

to prevent the ship from taking on water. If the bad weather lasted 

awhile, the air would get very bad. On many ships, these vents were also 

the only source of light, so it got pitch black when they were closed. 

Because of the fire hazard, oil lamps could not be used during bad 

weather. And it did not help that most got seasick in bad weather. Vomit, 

and what was worse, could soil the entire between-deck. Those who were 

not seasick were made sick from the stench. Toilet facilities were often 

quite poor, if not non-existent. The stench in the between-deck could get 

pretty bad so they sometimes purified the air with a red-hot iron that 

was dipped into a pail of tar. The smoke and steam from the bubbling tar 

helped to deaden the worst stench. Others used steam from chlorine and 

vinegar. Attempts were made on many of the ships to maintain fairly good 

hygiene. The passengers had to assist with daily cleaning. Many 

passengers told about strict captains who rigidly enforced cleanliness. 

On the Drafna under the command of Captain Eckersberg, the between-deck 

was scraped twice a week. On the Laurvig in 1854, two passengers were 

assigned responsibility for cleaning each day. But even though the decks 

were washed, not all the passengers were as careful about washing 

themselves. The lack of water may be partly to blame for this, but many 

were not accustomed to this from home. Rainwater was collected for all 

types of washing. Most travel accounts from the days of the sail ships 

tell about seasickness. Captain Eckersberg on the Drafna in 1852 

attempted to keep the passengers above deck as much as possible, 

especially those who were seasick. There are similar accounts from other 

ships, but there were other illnesses that were far worse, and most ships 

did not have a doctor on board. The most common illnesses were cholera, 

typhoid fever, measles, chicken pox and dysentery. On the Laurvig in 

1853, the hatches were closed for several weeks due to bad weather. 

Dysentery spread from bunk to bunk and 19 passengers perished. The 

majority of those who succumbed were small children and elderly persons 

who had little resistance. On the Bark Nordlyset, which was under the 

command of Captain Hansen from Christiania, 29 of the passengers 

perished, most of them children. When they got into bad weather the 

hatches had to be closed much of the time and conditions for the 

passengers were reported to be very bad in the sealed off dark 

compartment. Those who died at sea were buried at sea, either wrapped in 

canvas or placed in coffins constructed by the ship's carpenter. There 

was often a shortage of lumber for coffins on board ships where there 

were many deaths, and there were times when two persons were placed in 

the same coffin with feet in opposite directions. If there were no 

minister on board, the captain would read a funeral service before the 

bodies were sunk into the ocean. On the Brig Incognito, sailing in 1852, 

the story says that there were many deaths, and sharks were following the 

ship. Grieving parents watched as the sharks attacked the body of their 

dead child as it entered the water.<2> This is how life was for our 

ancestors when they immigrated to America, not a very pleasant affair. 

After arriving in Quebec, and being examined by a doctor the passengers 

would be transferred to a combination of large river steamers, canal 

steamers, and trains transporting them to Montreal, down through the 

Great lakes, and on to Detroit, or Milwaukee, if their final destination 

was further west. This Norwegian immigrant described the last part of his 

1854 journey like this; "We left Quebec at five in the afternoon. There 

were some eight hundred people on this boat, but it would have been 

permitted to carry fourteen hundred. There were Norwegians, Swedes, 

Irish, and German, black negroes and brown Indians. This is the most 

beautiful city we have seen and has the largest church, and many other 

large churches besides. At Montreal our baggage was hauled by horses and 

wagons up to a canal where we boarded a steamer again. We passed through 

a canal having twenty locks. We passed many stopping places and arrived 

in Kingston at eight o'clock in the evening of the ninth. Here we boarded 

a much larger boat, which left at once to cross Lake Ontario. We passed 

many ports and arrived at Hamilton. At this place our baggage, was 

weighed and we took a train for Detroit. The train left Hamilton at 

twelve during the night and arrived at Detroit at ten the following 

morning. At Detroit we crossed the river by steamboat. We left, again, by 

train at one in the afternoon and arrived at Chicago at nine in the 

evening. We remained there till morning, when our baggage was transferred 

to the pier. We went by steamboat to Milwaukee, leaving at nine in the 

morning of the thirteenth. We arrived in Milwaukee at four in the 

afternoon of the same day."<18> In 1850, Ole Gudmundson Skiftun and his 

wife, Sissela and their four daughters, Anne, Anna, Sissel, and Malene 

came to America. Ole sold half of his farm in Hjelemenland and signed the 

other half over to his son Gudmund who was the oldest of the Skiftun 

children, and who also chose to stay behind in Norway with his much older 

wife.<19> When the family made it as far as the state of Michigan. 

(probably Detroit) Things went very badly, they were struck by that 

deadly scourge, cholera. Ole died here, and was buried at sea or along 

lake Michigan. Cholera is a nasty disease and spread by contaminated food 

or water, with major outbreaks occurring in late summer. It thrived in 

densely populated areas and among travelers who spread the germs wherever 

they went. Large unclean cities, and hot summer temps also made it a ripe 

environment.<11> These germs infect the intestinal tract causing 

dehydration and flu like symptoms, killing 50% or more of the people 

infected. Today it would only kill 1%.<7> Most of the Skiftun family is 

likely infected with it by this time, regardless, they have no choice but 

to continue on. The remaining family members travel as far as Milwaukee, 

a thriving port city of 20,000 people. Here, mother Sissela perished from 

the same sickness. She was taken away by the authorities, and buried, and 

the children never knew at what place.<4> The girls being in a strange 

city, and unable to speak English, were in a fix with no idea what they 

should do next. Surely they would have liked a proper burial, funeral, 

or, just a chance to lay some flowers on their mothers grave. At the 

quarantine station on Gross Isle Quebec they mingled with hundreds of 

other immigrant passengers before continuing their journey, and here, 

ironically, they would also have been given a clean bill of health to 

travel on to Montreal, but were probably exposed here.<12> This was the 

1850 Cholera Epidemic, sometimes referred to simply as the Chloera season 

because the epidemic returned summer after summer, killing year after 

year. As for Sissela Skiftun, she was likely taken to a pauper's 

cemetery, also called a potter's field. Over the years there were a 

number of these located in or around Milwaukee where county officials 

buried the dead of families who couldn't afford a proper burial, 

including the homeless, the insane, or individuals separated from family 

members. Consider this: In 1991, 5000 graves from a 19th century paupers 

cemetery were discovered in Milwaukee located underneath a parking lot 

and nearby county buildings. They were exhumed, and examined by 

archaeologists, and here they discovered many people were buried 2 per 

coffin, most of them unidentified, usually with no personal effects, and 

some having missing or severed legs, due to a decision to purchase 

coffins less than 4 feet long necessitating amputation at time of burial. 

There would be no peaceful rest for these forgotten souls. Over the years 

these graves would be dug up, moved, built on, desecrated, and then the 

remains boxed up and placed in some archeologist's storeroom.<13> The 

four orphan girls, of whom the oldest was 27 and the youngest was 12 

(Malene), sadly continued their way West. They luckily got a ride with 

Eric Skavland, of Numedal Norway, to Jefferson Prairie Wisconsin which is 

near what is now Beloit, Wisconsin. Here they stayed with friends, and 

had their home for some years. Malene's sister Sissel died here, and Anne 

was married to Anders Peterson (Haugen). The other sister, Anna, married 

Nels Olsen Blexerud and moved to Spring Grove. Malene must have really 

looked up to her sisters being she was raised by them. She later named 

two of her daughters Anna, one of them being Anna (Rustad).<4> Gulbrands 

voyage in 1852 must have been uneventful, by himself he was sure to make 

the trip more efficient going straight to Dane County Wisconsin, working 

for a time, and then moving on to La Crosse Wisconsin where he worked on 

farms and in lumber camps, earning money to help pay for Øesten's voyage. 

Øesten came in February of 1853 possibly with Sigrid and Amund. Once in 

Wisconsin, brothers Øesten and Gulbrand teamed up cutting timbers in the 

pinery during the winter and working in saw mills during the summer, 

until they saved up enough money so they could send for the remaining 

family members. As mentioned earlier, the rest of the family, Anders, 

Kjersti, Olia age 19, Gunhild age 16, and Martin age 13, came over in 

1854. Note: Kj in the name Kjersti is pronounced like ch in church, the 

final i has the sound of y as in the word godly.<18> After the 81 day 

trip over the ocean, Anders and family started the final leg of the 

journey to Spring Grove. At Blue mounds (near Madison Wisconsin.) Anders 

hired a man to haul their belongings to Minnesota. They had to walk 

behind the wagon over the trail-less terrain by day, and sleep on the 

bare ground at night. Madison to Spring Grove is about 150 miles as the 

crow flies, much longer walking. At some point they stopped and asked for 

directions to Norwegian Ridge, (Spring Grove, Minnesota), and they were 

informed that there was no certain trail, but that Norwegian Ridge lay to 

the Northwest. So, off they went again, following these instructions, 

keeping in line with the tallest trees through the forest. (which served 

as a compass.) After many days of traveling they came as far as what is 

now the city of Decorah, Iowa, but then only consisting of two small 

huts. The family then traveled north, likely on the ancient Indian 

Highway or cart trail called the Winona-Fort Atkinson trail which ran 

from Houston village and Spring Grove to Decorah and all the way to Fort 

Atkinson. This trail was first laid out by the ancient mound builders and 

later used by the Mdewakantons, Chippewa, and Fox-Sauk tribes. It was 

worn deep and wide by much travel and the dragging of teepee poles.<15> 

They finally arrived in Spring Grove at Amund and Sigrid Lunde's hut, 

which was just prepared for the winter. After a short stay here and in 

the late fall they went on to live at Gulbrand's farm. With this 

adventure over the Gubberud clan was again together, in one spot, home at 

last. For a dwelling, Anders dug a cave in a hillside and this served as 

their home for some time. This dugout, apparently is still there. 

Gulbrand's dwelling was slightly better, just a small log-cabin built by 

the two boys. Later, Anders homesteaded 80 acres next to Gulbrand, which 

later became part of the Guberud farm.<4> Olia, was soon courted by John 

O. Bakken, and they were wed in October of 1855. The township of Spring 

Grove is one of the most densely settled Norwegian-American colonies in 

the United States. The Spring Grove settlement or, as it was previously 

called, "Norwegian Ridge " has retained the language and customs of 

Norway longer than most of the other Norwegian settlements. The Norwegian 

language is today sometimes heard on the streets of Spring Grove. There 

is only one church in the township, a Norwegian Lutheran congregation. 

This settlement was also one of the important distribution points for 

Norwegians in the American Northwest, and there are hundreds of 

Norwegian-Americans in western Minnesota and the Dakotas whose ancestors 

stopped for a time in Spring Grove Township before going further west. 

Although this tract in the southeastern corner of Minnesota was acquired 

from the Indians in 1880, it was not legally open to settlers until the 

act of Congress of August 4, 1854, extended the right of pre-emption to 

unsurveyed public lands in Minnesota Territory. Surveys were begun in 

this area in 1853, but the first block of land was not offered for sale 

until 1855. Before 1855 thousands of people had crossed the Mississippi 

River into Minnesota Territory and a considerable number of settlers had 

taken land in Spring Grove Township. The lands in this township could be 

secured through the land office at Brownsville, Minnesota, thirty-five 

miles to the east on the Mississippi River and one of the earliest 

markets for settlers in the township. More Norwegians arrived in the 

summer of 1853 and in 1854, and by the close of the latter year the 

sections of land in the eastern part of the township, surrounding the 

later village site, were almost all taken. Western Wilmington Township, 

east of Spring Grove, was likewise being settled by large numbers of 

Norwegians. A few native Americans also took up land in these three 

townships. The Norwegian settlers naturally preferred to establish 

themselves as near as possible to people who spoke their own language and 

who were of the Lutheran faith. In such a community, a "Yankee" was 

almost an alien, but the barriers didn't remain long, for the Norwegians 

quickly learned to speak English and some of the "Yankees" found it both 

desirable and enjoyable to learn enough of the Norwegian language to 

transact business.<8> When one of these Norwegian pioneers had found a 

piece of government land to his satisfaction, whereon to establish his 

future home, it was necessary to put up a sign with his name upon it at 

each corner of his claim until he could get to the land office. In the 

early part of 1854, when Gulbrand came to Houston County, Wilmington 

township near Spring Grove, to establish his home and homestead, all the 

land that contained open water, such as springs or creeks, were taken by 

his predecessors. Timber land and good water were the main objects in 

view when the settlers decided where to establish their homes so, 

naturally, all of the nice fertile prairie land was left by the former 

settlers. Gulbrand had courage enough to establish his home and homestead 

on prairie tracts that had no open springs. This particular spot had been 

formerly marked and then abandoned by Amund Lunde, and other land 

seekers.<4> Strange, or maybe strategy- Amund, being an In-law and had 

this property previously claimed. Gulbrand obtained this 160 acres of 

wild land in section 4, Wilmington township for $1.25 an acre. Øesten 

bought the adjoining section which was later known as the Halvorson farm. 

In 1856, Malene, now 17, came to Spring Grove to visit her sister, Anna 

Blexerud. Here Gulbrand met this beautiful young girl, and after a short 

but proper courtship they were married Aug. 1, 1856, in LaCrosse, 

Wisconsin. There was no Church in Spring Grove at this time, and the 

pastor only came through occasionally, so they made the journey to 

LaCrosse.<10> This trip would take them down the territorial road to 

Brownsville, here a ferry was used to cross the Mississippi River. Also, 

along this route near Caledonia they may have had to rest at a curious 

edifice known as the "Seven by Nine", a very small hotel owned by a 

eastern Yank named Joseph Ober, he spoke with a drawl, was nicknamed 

'Powerful weak', and would have passed for Rip Van Winkle.<15> Gulbrand 

and Malene didn't waste much time starting a family, with their first 

child Christine being born in 1857, Inger Olava in 1859. Of course they 

suffered in the years to come, nobody but those who have had the actual 

experience can picture the struggles and hardships they suffered when 

they settled on land that had neither timber nor water. Gulbrand had 

learned to dig a scanty outcome from the rocky earth during his days in 

Norway, so hard back breaking work was nothing new. Water used in the 

Gubberud household had to be carried from a spring located about a half 

mile away or further by some accounts. This was done in two pails 

suspended from a water harness laid across the carrier's shoulders. At 

times, Indians who crossed their trails would see the women carrying the 

water and would take the pails away from them, then drink the water, as 

they were usually thirsty from a long march. Other times, the Indians 

approached their dwelling, but they didn't harm anyone as they normally 

just pointed to each other and said, "Me good Indian" Malene was usually 

ready to offer them chickens that picked their food around the yard. When 

this happened an Indian would pick up a pebble, aim at the chicken's 

head, and it would drop long enough to be caught by their fleet- footed 

and shrewd ways.<4> These Indians were probably from the local Winnebago 

tribe or possibly Sioux that were traveling on the Winona-Fort Atkinson 

trail. The Winnebago Indians were mostly peaceful, but in 1862 the Sioux 

went on a brutal rampage, killing hundreds of Settlers, burning 

everything in their path and taking captives. This is known as the Sioux 

uprising of 1862, the settlers simply called it 'blood week'. This 

coincided with the Civil War which started in 1861. The Sioux, at one 

point had the entire town of New Ulm under siege, and burned down most of 

the wooden structures; the townspeople had a desperate fight on there 

hands. <17> The citizens of Spring Grove and the surrounding area had 

good reason to be afraid, surly they now had to wonder what kind of 

country they were living in. The word of the Indian attacks spread like 

wild fire from one farm to the next. As the Dustrud family slept they 

were awaken by a frightful pounding on the door and a man hollered, "If 

you want to save your life, you better get up, for now the Indians are 

here to murder and burn!" The family got up, dressed, let all the cattle 

out, hitched their oxen to the wagon, and went directly to Gulbrand's 

farm, but when they arrived, Gulbrand was not quite ready to go, as he 

was busy and first wanted to hide his household things in the woods so 

that he could have them when he got back. Back then It wasn't easy to 

replace such things. As the Dustrud family waited, other neighbors came 

trickling into the Gubberud homestead, Amund Lunde and family, the Brenna 

family, Gjermund J. Lommen, Gunder Oseth and others. Øesten and his 

family, brother Martin, Anders, and Kjersti were probably here, either 

helping Gulbrand with his things or urging him to hurry up. Malene was 

tending to their 3 small children. As they all waited on Gulbrand, one 

wagon after another came down Gubberud hill from Spring Grove heading 

east toward LaCrosse and Brownsville, which was the only place there was 

a ferry to cross the Mississippi. Some of the fleeing people drove oxen, 

others horses, some had wagons and some pulled sleighs across the hard 

ground as fast as they could go. Those that had come to Gulbrands farm 

were still waiting for him to get all his household goods hidden in the 

woods but now nervously mingled together and talked about what they 

should do or where they should go. Instead of fleeing, they agreed to go 

into Spring Grove to the newly built church, which was a stone mason 

building having thick solid stone walls which could resist the 'fiend's' 

bullets. Gulbrand finally finished his business of squirreling away his 

things and loaded the family on a wagon joining his family and friends. 

With watchful eyes they made there way into Spring Grove, now just a 

ghost town, here they went to await the Indians from inside the safety of 

the church. Those with weapons brought them forward, others equipped 

themselves with axes, hay knifes, or anything else that could be useful 

in the defense of the church. Spies were then sent out on reconnaissance, 

but no Indians could be found anywhere, it appeared to be a false alarm. 

After some time, some people just went home, others gathered on various 

farms to see if the Indians were still coming, but the indians never made 

it as far east as Spring Grove. On the lighter side, while the settlers 

were in a panic from the news of the rampage, all the cows that had been 

let out had a great time wandering about, eating the farmers wheat, and 

corn, and trampling on everything, causing a great amount of trouble. The 

people who had fled toward LaCrosse were turned away by the ferryman and 

refused passage over the river, he had received information that there 

was no danger. <3> Later, Martin Gubberud, and other young men from the 

area volunteered to fight these Indians or Confederates. In 1864 Martin 

rode with Company D of the 2nd Minnesota Cavalry. After being involved in 

a number of battles against the Sioux, he made his way safely home in 

1865. During the time he was away, his brother Øesten, died May 5th of 

that year. Øesten's death remains a mystery, he was just a young man, and 

was likely off fighting somewhere himself. He left behind a widow and 2 

young children. An interesting story survives about the demise of the old 

stone mason church that the settlers had gone to for safety; It became 

generally whispered that the church was not safe, and considerable 

apprehension was felt on that score. On Sunday, June 6, 1875, with the 

Gubberud's likely in attendance, a confirmation service was held and with 

this fact brought together a large audience. Improvised benches had been 

made in the gallery by laying planks on supports. While the gathering was 

waiting for the minister to arrive, one of the planks in the gallery 

snapped. Some one cried out that the church was falling and the people, 

already nervous about the church walls, lost all reason , and a panic 

ensued that for a time threatened dire results. Through windows and doors 

they threw themselves in unreasoning fear. This church was torn down a 

few years later. <21> Marrying Malene was the greatest investment 

Gulbrand made, he got a wonderful helpmate, a mate who stuck by him 

through thick and thin. Not only did she bring up their children whom she 

mothered and cared for like only a mother could, but she helped her 

husband in his farm operations, and took her place in the fields with the 

rest of the men. Even in the later years when Gulbrand was bent with old 

age and couldn't do physical work anymore, Malene took charge and managed 

the everyday farm operations. Cattle had to be driven many miles into the 

valley for water, and it is said that at times, during the hot weather, 

when the cattle were brought back to their home they were just as thirsty 

as when they left. When they finally got oxen to drive, life became 

slightly easier because they then dug up large holes or ponds in the 

ground and here they caught the flowing water after a rain storm and 

could save this for awhile. In the later years they gathered rain water 

in cisterns from the roofs for the household requirements. On such a 

place there gradually grew up a number of small buildings, some of these 

being a horse stable, cow barn, hog house, chicken coop, wagon shed, 

corncrib, granary, hay shed (usually merely a roof supported by four 

posts), smokehouse for meats, privy, and the living house, which was the 

first erected. All of these were built and arranged somewhat like farm 

places in Norway. The living houses were small. The so-called "cellars" 

had only one room, while the log cabins might have two rooms and a low 

dark attic to which one ascended by means of a ladder. Within the house 

everything was simple. As soon as the cabin was near completion, the 

family moved in. They could not purchase furniture and other furnishings 

as you can now. At first there was little or nothing with which to make 

any purchases, while in the nearest market towns there were no dealers in 

these articles. They had to get along with homemade furniture. The 

Norwegian red-painted chest served as a table, stools and benches were 

shaped with axes and oak trunks served as chairs. Other pieces of 

furniture, such as beds and shelves, were of the same construction. The 

mattress on the bed was filled with hay or straw, and the sheepskin 

brought from Norway served as bed covering. In many of the Norwegian 

homes, fireplaces were built for heating the cabin and preparing food, 

but after a time stoves replaced them. For illumination they made candles 

such as they had learned to make back in Norway, and, if there were not 

enough candles, they placed lard in a small cup with a bit of linen as a 

wick. The food was all prepared in Norwegian style, and Norwegian dishes 

and manners prevailed for many years. The evening meal was usually corn-

meal mush, either hot or cold, served with sweet or sour milk. Pork was a 

staple food article, the lowly hog playing an important role both in the 

household food supply and in the farmer's income. When a cow had been 

procured and bred, steers could be raised to serve as driving oxen. 

Finally, when the kubberulle (a crude wooden cart with solid wheels.) had 

been constructed, the farmer could get along very well. Many pioneers 

have said that the first time they drove with their own oxen hitched to a 

kubberulle, they actually felt independent, if not rich. The following 

descriptions of the establishments of a home or farm are typical of 

nearly all the pioneers of Spring Grove Township. The first period of 

settlement was characterized by almost complete self-sufficiency, and 

this continued until the 1870's. The nearest markets were MacGregor, 

Iowa, fifty miles to the southeastward; Brownsville, Minnesota, thirty-

five miles directly eastward on the Mississippi River; and Winona, 

Minnesota, fifty miles to the northeast, also on the Mississippi River. A 

trip to any one of these points by oxen and wagon took between one and 

two weeks. Consequently, one or two trips a year were all that the 

pioneer attempted. Furthermore, in the early years the pioneer had little 

to sell by way of exchange for articles such as salt, spices, shoes, and 

cloth. The principal trips from home were to the nearest gristmill to 

have the wheat or corn ground. At first the nearest mill was at Decorah, 

Iowa, about thirty-five miles southwest of Spring Grove Township. Later a 

mill was constructed on the south branch of the Root River at Riceford, 

six miles west of the present village of Spring Grove. This mill was 

built in 1869. In the fifteen years previous to that time, however, the 

settlers had a long way to go to get their grain ground into flour. The 

early settlers of Spring Grove Township utilized their experiences in 

Norway on their new farms. Many of the settlers had been tenants or 

gaards in the old homeland. Relatively few landowners emigrated to 

America. In any case, these people were accustomed to hard labor in 

wresting livings from the soil in Norway. They didn't mind the severe 

winters to which they were introduced during the first years of pioneer 

life. They may have expected something better or easier in America, but 

there were few complaints, for there were untold possibilities in this 

new land for anyone who would work. Although, most of the farmers were 

self-sufficient, markets were being sought with greater frequency and 

more articles of comfort for the home were appearing. The crudities of 

pioneer life were beginning to be ironed out. This change was 

tremendously stimulated by the arrival of the narrow-gauge railroad in 

1879, a branch line running from Reno, on the Mississippi River, to the 

village of Preston, Fillmore County, and connecting then with the 

Southern Minnesota Railroad at Isinours. The road was built by a locally 

organized group with headquarters at Caledonia (the next village east of 

Spring Grove) and was known as "The Caledonia, Mississippi and Western." 

In 1880 it was taken over by the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul 

Railroad, the Reno-Preston branch feeding into its main line at Reno. The 

railroad brought the farmers of Spring Grove Township into direct contact 

with the markets in Chicago. It was now possible to sell grain and 

livestock in Spring Grove village after only a short haul.<8> Until the 

coming of the railroad in 1879, the village of Spring Grove was important 

mainly as a church center and a post office. It contained two general 

stores and a blacksmith shop. James Smith, who arrived in 1852 from 

Pennsylvania, established a post office combination general store and 

saloon on the village site two years later. The Norwegian settlers were 

soon numerous enough to make possible the organization of a Norwegian 

Lutheran congregation, and this was effected by the Reverend Ulrik V. 

Koren of Decorah, Iowa. The first pastor, the Reverend Fritz C. Clausen, 

came directly to Spring Grove from Norway. He served until 1870, when he 

was succeeded by the Reverend Styrk S. Reque, who served the congregation 

for forty years. The church was the social and religious center of the 

entire community. In 1860 a stone church building was erected, this was 

torn down and replaced with a larger church which burned down in 1893. 

Interestingly enough, this church congregation remains the only one in 

Spring Grove to this day and undoubtedly accounts in large measure for 

the preservation of the Norwegian language and customs.<8> Gulbrand was 

the type of person that found it hard to say "No" when somebody came to 

him for help for this reason or that. He of course had his faults like 

all of us, but he also had many good points. If any of his friends or 

neighbors wished to bring their relatives or families over from Norway 

they would ask Gulbrand if he would guarantee their passage from Norway 

to Spring Grove, and Gulbrand was always willing to help these people to 

immigrate to America. At times these people were to work for him to pay 

off these debts, but many a time those with families had to receive cash 

to buy the necessities of life and the debt, of course, remained unpaid. 

After awhile these people would move away and the debts were forgotten. 

After they had moved away, he couldn't collect. Gulbrand lost several 

hundred dollars by helping people in this way, and most of them could 

have paid him back if they had really wanted to. Note: the 1860 census 

shows many people living with Gulbrand and Malene; farm hands, or 

probably immigrants working for Gulbrand, along with their children, plus 

Anders, Kjersti, and Martin. Gulbrand was also very much interested in 

religion, as he was one of the first trustees of the Spring Grove 

Lutheran church. He also donated large sums of money to the erection of 

church buildings, religious schools and colleges, even though he had his 

own large debts to fight through for many years, paying out thousands of 

dollars in interest. It is said that at a certain time he had to pay a 

man by the name of Domerud 42% interest on a hundred dollar loan, and 

this 42% interest was deducted in advance.<4> As the years passed, 

Gulbrand and Malene continued making improvements to their farm, adding 

buildings, land, and children. By 1885 their family was complete with the 

addition of Anna Josephine (Rustad), Anders was born in 1861, Gustav in 

1862, Johan in 1865, Gunhild Marie in 1867, Sorine in 1868, Elias in 

1870, Ole in 1872, Thina in 1874, Anna Julia in 1875, Sophia in 1877, 

Siri in 1880 and Edwin in 1881. Thina Julia was 2 months old, Edwin was 1 

and a half years old, both died of Diphtheria. The family faced many hard 

times together, and many tragedies over the years, but they also enjoyed 

happy times together. Malene Skiftun lived to the age of 93, outliving 

most of her children, and spending her last years with her daughter, Anna 

Rustad in Kindred North Dakota. Malene believed in the word of the lord, 

and was active in church functions and also Ladies Aid. A story mentions 

a trip Malene and daughter Anna took to one of these meetings when the 

horse which was pulling their buggy had a bucking fit. Its unknown if 

they had to 'jump for it', but they did arrive safely. <20> Malene's 

strong constitution kept her well and happy, even in her advanced years, 

when she withstood the attacks of bronchitis and pneumonia. Then for 

three years she was almost totally blind, in spite of this, she was up 

and about and always in her usual friendly mood. On Christmas eve a 

remarkable thing happened when her sight was suddenly restored and became 

constantly clearer week by week, until it was normal sometime before her 

death. She saw many changes through those eyes, crossing the ocean from 

Norway, traveling the great lakes, experiencing pioneer life, and 

witnessing the advent of modern times and all the strange inventions; 

phones, airplanes, cars, and radios. Zachary Taylor was president of the 

United States when she first came to this country, and Herbert Hoover was 

in office when she passed away. She was a remarkable woman; she reared a 

very large family, stood by her husband through good times and bad, and 

was there for him when his time was up. After a very hard life with 

numerous tragedies, she still led a cheerful life, patient of others, and 

dedicated to the word of God. Malene passed away on October 9th, 1931.<4> 

May she rest in peace. To the right is a poem written by grandchild 

Mathilde Gubberud Zimmerman. Malene's sister Anna Skiftun, was married to 

Nels Olsen Blexrud, and lived in Spring Grove. One of her children, 

George Nels Blexrud became the Sheriff of Houston County from 1893 to 

1901, then again in 1914 to 1918. Another son named Ole served 2 terms in 

the Minnesota Legislature.<14> Øesten, born Sept 14, 1831, married 

Margaret Kjieland. He farmed his property located next to his brother, 

Gulbrand. They had 2 children, Ingere and Kjerstie. Olia Gubbered, born 

Aug. 4, 1835 married John O. Bakken, and they had 3 children; Sarah, 

Olavus, and Anders. Gunhild, Born March 10, 1839, married Bore Peterson 

and they had 2 Children, Anna, and Andrew. They also lived next to Martin 

in Yellow medicine county. Bore Peterson was a veteran who served with 

the 12th Iowa Regiment under General Grant and was taken prisoner during 

the battle of Shiloh and held at a prison camp in Macon, Georgia. Gunhild 

died at the age of 45, in January of 1884. Sigrid Øestensdatter and Amund 

Gulbranson Lunde had 5 children; Gunhild Mari, Kari, Gulbrand, and 

Kjersti. Gulbrand Gubberud, the person whom people looked to for a 

helping hand, the pillar of the family, a generous man, died March, 18th 

1898, from gangrene. By this time they had increased their farm holdings 

to about 562 acres. Hard back breaking work, dedication and ambition paid 

off. This was the result of his gamble for a better life, coming from 

Southern Norway and meager hard scrabble beginnings to a successful 

landowner and farmer. He was also responsible for creating a humongous 

family. Gulbrand is buried in the old pioneers cemetery in Spring Grove, 

along with Anders, Kjersti, his brother Øesten, and his daughters Thina, 

and Anna.



Source Material



1) Minnesota Historical Society- 

http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/history/mnstatehistory/norwegian_migration.html



2)The Solem, Swiggum and Asteim, emigration ship index. 

http://www.norwayheritage.com/ships/index.asp



3) Pioneer History of Spring Grove by O.S. Johnson, 1920



4) Gubrud Centennial by Ove, Moris, Carlton, and Arnold Guberud



5)1880 Federal census, Wilmington township, Houston County, MN.



6)Source 1- Norwegian Vital Records, LDS family History Library & 

www.familysearch.org- Vidal records, Norway, Source 2, Gubberud 

Centennial.



7) Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases 



http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/cholera_g.htm



8) A Typical Norwegian Settlement- Spring Grove, Minnesota By Carlton C. 

Qualey



10) International Genealogical Index, sheet 57- www.familysearch.org 



11) http://www.watertownhistory.org/Articles/cholera.htm Cholera in 

Watertown by W.F. Jannke III 



12) Coming of age: Killer Cholera hits immigrants by Melody Richardson



13) The Potter's field of Milwaukee county by Michael McBride 



http://www.poorhousestory.com/WISC_PottersField_paper.htm



15) Percival Narveson's Historical Sketches p14,15, 71, 82, 91



17) The Sioux uprising of 1862 by Kenneth Carley



18) Letter from Øle Østerud to brother June 21, 1854



19) Hjelemenland Gardar og folk



20) Story from 'Ladies Aid' Photo



21) Images of America, Spring Grove by Chad Muller p.59



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