Karl Johann Asplund

Charlie Asplund worked on the railroads out west before his mariage to Mathilda Bergquist. After a few years in the Saint Croix area, he moved to North Dakota with a few friends to try and start a new life. After having the necessary resources, he sent for his family to join him. He homesteaded on the Cedar creek in Slope County. His brother, Louis Asplund and family, also joined them. They each aquired 160 acres, and Charlie started work as a well-digger. On the morning of April 22, 1907, he laid out a birthday present for his daughter Ethel with a note telling her not to open the gift until he returned. On that particular day, he was digging a well for a neighbor, Joeseph Wanek. Mr. Wanek had been assisting Charlie for most of the afternoon. After dinner, the men returned to work. When the well had reached a depth of about fifty feet, Charlie noticed the presence of gas. He called Mr. Wanek to pull him up, to which he succeeded only fifteen feet until he lost his grip and had to run for help. He returned a few minutes later, but it was too late. He left behind a wife and two children. Ironically, Louis Asplund's wife died that same year. It was probably around this time that the two families moved back to the Star Prairie area. Although Louis's wife was brought back home to be buried, Charlie is still at Johnson Cemetery, in New England, North Dakota.