Meeker County MN Archives Biographies.....Amundson, Ole 1823 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 December 28, 2019, 10:30 am

Source: Alden, Ogle & Co.
Author: See Below

   OLE AMUNDSON, a pioneer of Meeker county, who is now a resident of section 29,
Litchfield township, is a native of Norway, born April 9, 1823, and a son of Amund
and Bertha Christophdatter Olson, both of whom are dead. Ole came to America in
1855, and after living for two years in Rock county, Wis., came to Meeker county,
Minn., arriving here in July, 1857. He first selected a timber claim on section 25,
Acton township, and he and Nels Danielson and Amos Nelson Fosen proved up on their
land together and then divided it, he retaining one forty-acre tract in the timber,
and three forties on section 29, in what is now Litchfield township. After the close
of the war he took an eighty-acre homestead, and five years later built the house on
section 29, where he now lives.

   On the 10th of October, 1860, he was married to Oline Marie Syvertsdatter, who
was born in Norway on the 5th of February, 1832, and who died on the 27th of August,
1883.  She bore him seven children— Albert, born July 30, 1861; Betse, born January
4, 1863; Syvert, born October 20, 1864, died October 6, 1865; Syvert, born March 21,
1866; Johanne Marie, born August 9,1869; Carl, born September 3, 1871; and Olaven,
born October 3, 1873.

   At the time of the Indian outbreak Mr. Amundson was living on his original claim.
He received the news of the beginning of the massacre from Mrs. Baker; widow of one
of the murdered men, and another woman, who came to his house on Sunday, August 17,
1862. After assisting in the burial of the victims, ho removed his family to Forest
City, and assisted in building the stockade, living in the meanwhile in a house just
outside of it. When the town was so suddenly attacked by the Indians, he lost no
time in getting his family into the fort for refuge. When the danger seemed to have
passed, he and several others went to Ever Jackson’s place to cradle wheat, taking
with them Mrs. Ever Jackson and Mrs. Helena Danielson, to keep house for them. They
cradled wheat on one Saturday, and on Sunday went out and found the cattle, which
had strayed off, and drove them into the yards. That night they noticed that the
dogs were in a state of alarm all night, and it became evident that Indians were
prowling around. The next morning Andrew Olson and Nels Danielson went over to the
corrals to salt the cattle, while Mr. Amundson and Burger Anderson were engaged in
grinding their cradles. Presently they heard five shots fired, and taking the two
women with them, started to run for their lives. Finding that the women could not
hold out, they secreted them in a thicket and then went on to Forest City. The next
morning they returned with a squad of men and found the women still safely hid, but
Olson had been killed and scalped. They buried him on the spot, but his remains were
subsequently interred in the Ness cemetery.

   In the spring, after the outbreak, Mr. Amundson moved his family back to his
farm. He has met with three disasters since, having his crops destroyed once by a
hailstorm, and twice by the grasshoppers; but his untiring energy has enabled him to
overcome all, and he now has a splendid farm of over 200 acres. His family are
members of the Hess Norwegian Lutheran church, and he is sexton of the cemetery. It
may be of interest to state in this connection, that the State monument over the
first five massacre victims is located in this burial ground.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from
Illustrated Album of Biography
Meeker and McLeod Counties, Minnesota
1888


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