Bernt Garsjø Evenson

Bernt Evenson Birth: Dec. 6, 1849, Norway Death: May 28, 1921 Albert Lea Freeborn County Minnesota, USA

Married: Gurina Gunhild (Braaten) Anderson July 21, 1883 New Richland, Minnesota

Father: Even Evenson Mother: Berthe Mikkelsdatter

May 28, 1921, Died in a railroad train accident

Baptism: January 01, 1848, Hurdal, Askershu, Norway

Burial: May 31, 1931, Albert Lea, Freeborn County, Minnesota

Cause of Death: Railroad train accident in 1921

Christening: January 01, 1848, Hurdal, Akershus, Norway

Church: First Lutheran Church- Albert Lea MN

Education: New Richland School

Immigration: 1872, to the USA

Interment: May 31, 1921, Lakewood Cemetery, Albert Lea, Freeborn County, Minnesota

Nationality: Norwegian

Occupation: Railroad man section hand

Religion: Lutheran

Family links:

Spouse:

 Gurina Gunhild Bratten-Anderson Evenson (1865 - 1946)

Children:

 Betsy Mathilde Evenson Olson (1884 - 1956)

 Emma Oleana Evenson Knutson (1887 - 1966)

 Melvin Edwin Evenson (1889 - 1933)

 Bernard Oscar Evenson (1891 - 1957)

 Ole Christian Evenson (1896 - 1969)

 Elsie Marie Evenson Bendixon (1907 - 1957)

Burial: Lakewood Cemetery Albert Lea Freeborn County Minnesota, USA

TWO LOCAL SECTION MEN ARE INSTANTLY KILLED Nels Hagen and Bernt Evenson meet death at noon today when the handcar was struck by M&st.L. passenger No. 5, running five hours late on account of the storm. Section boss Julius Gunderson jumps but suffers bad injuries. A tragedy occurred three miles northwest of the city before noon Saturday when train no. 5, north bound, struck and almost instantly killed Section men Nels Hagen and Bernt Evenson, Pleasant Avenue and severely injuring Julius Gunderson, 1006 St. John's street. The men had stopped at a very sharp curve of the road and with the hand car on the rails, were repairing a portion of the track. Passenger No. 5 unknown to the section men was running five hours late. As the fast train hove in sight the men attempted to pull the motor car of the track. Mr. Gunderson could see that they were to late to get the machine off so cried" Jump boy jump". All jumped but too late to escape being struck. Bernt has hurled to one side of the track and Julius and Nels the other side. The engineer of the passenger set his brakes and stopped with in a few telegraph poles length. Nels who suffered internal injuries, sat up when Mr. Gunderson went over to him. He attempted to say something, waved his arms about, but soon fell over dead. For a time Mr. Gunderson and the trainmen were unable to locate Evenson, but after some search in the long grass, the discovered his body horrible mangled. Both legs were broken in several places and his head was badly crushed as were several parts of his body. Death must of been instantaneous. Mr. Gunderson trousers were partly torn from his body. he suffered a badly injured hip and a sever blow on the right side of his head. His injures and the shook he received in the death of two fellow workmen was all he could bear. The trainman placed the two bodies in the baggage coach and Mr. Gunderson in a passenger car and went on to New Richland where they met passenger No. 2 and brought back to Albert Lea, arriving here about 12:10. The trainmen of No. 5 were Fred Heftner, engineer; Rinehart, conductor and Fireman Munshaw all of Minneapolis. Naturally the trainmen were all broken up over the tragedy. "I never fail to ask the depot each morning if there are any extras or trains late?" and Mr. Gunderson said to a Tribune representative shortly after the accident. "This morning I asked as usual, but no one told me about No. 5 being late. We stopped at the sharp curve three miles out to fix the track. I never heard the train until it started around the bend. I called to Bernt and Nels to jump and then jumped myself. We couldn't get away away in time. Both Nels and Bernt were good workmen. They have been with me for five years. Both are married with families. It's going to be a terrible shock to their folks. I just barely escaped being killed. My head hurts badly, so does my right hip." Coroner Webber took the bodies from the Union Station to his undertaking establishment as soon as they arrived. FAMILIES NOT NOTIFIED The two men killed about eleven o'clock and at one o'clock neither family had been notified. Shortly after one o'clock one of the trainmen heard that no one had brought the sad news to the homes so he drove out himself and preformed the unpleasant duty. Albert Lea Times Enterprise June 1,1921

DOUBLE FUNERAL A double funeral was held Monday afternoon at the First Lutheran church over the remains of Nels Hagen and Bernt Evenson, the two section men who met sudden death last Saturday morning when fast passenger No. 5 running five hours late, struck their motor car. Short services were held at 1:30 P.m. at their homes on Pleasant Avenue. Interment took place at the Lakeview Cemetery north of Fountain Lake. Albert Lea Enterprise June 1, 1921