Martinus Larsen Aasgaard

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18310950 BY MARGIT NYSETVOLD BAKKE NOTICE: This is not Rolfe Inge Holden's database. He took the Database I gave to his father Endre to view and make comments about. Endre promised me he would NEVER put it online. I guess you can't trust anyone anymore. ROLFE INGE HOLDEN IS NOT RELATED TO MARTINIUS OR MARIA.

BIOGRAPHY At the turn of the century Martinus Aasgaard was one of the best known and most progressive farmers and stockmen of Home Lake Township. He was born in Norway in 1858 and came to the United States in 1869 settled in Arena in Dane County, Wisconsin, where he worked for fifteen years. The name Aasgaard means "farm by the creek" in Norway is located north of Oslo near Lake Mjosa, the largest lake in Norway. He was married in Wisconsin and in April of 1885 they moved to Minnesota. All their worldly possessions were represented by fifty dollars in cash. His brother Ole, had come to Norman County before him and was teaching school in Home Lake Township, School District No. 44. He was rooming at the John Homelvig farm to which Martinus and his bride came with a rented team of horses and wagon. He returned the team to Ada, making the trip back on foot: twenty six miles largely covered by swamps and water. In the spring of 1886 Martinus Aasgaard homestead one hundren and sixty acres of land in Section 26, Home Lake Township; and in 1898 he bought forty adjoining acres to increase his holding. He carried out an extensive series of improbements, including new building, the erection of fences and the setting out of groves. One well known feature of the farm was a well built round barn. In those days farmers had no cream separators so they took their milk to a creamery to be separated--sold the cream and took the skim milk back home with them. In 1891 a creamery was established in Home Lake Township. It was located north of what was known as Home Lake--the only lake in Norman County. Martinus Aasgaard and Anton Lerud helped organize this creamery and were stockholder. A few years later this creamery was sold to the Twin Valley Creamery Association and they moved the building to a site north of Twin Valley where it awas operated for many years. Mr. Aasgaard helped organize School District No. 16 in 1886--to serve the children living farther south in the township. A new building was put up for $55--the lumber cost $278.18 and M. Aasgaard painted it for $5. The first teacher was Ole Aasgaard who received $105 for a three month term. The school year was divided into two terms: the first starting about March 10 and rumming to the first part of June--and the second from November first to the middle of January. Spelling, readin, writing, arithmetic, geography, grammar, and history were taught. Ole clerked in a general store in Twin Valley when he was not teaching and children loved to have him wait on them because he gave such generous helpings of candy for their pennies. Martinus was the first clerk of the school board of District No. 16 and held that position for several years. He was a life long member of Wild Rice Synod Church and served the congregation as trustee for several years. He died in 1904 at the early age of forty six years. In 1884 Martinus Aasgaard was united in marriage to Maria Larson, a native of Norway, coming from a farm near Eidsval in Eastern Norway. She was born in 1863. She came to America with her parents at the age of three years. The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took thirteen weeks. The first year in Home Lake Township was one of harships; credit was difficult to obtain and money was still more difficult to secure. Lawrence, the oldest of their nine children, was born at this time (1885). He grew up to the life of a farmer and in 1909 bought a farm of his own in Home Lake Township and married Hannah Albertson. Both are now deceased. They had six children. Inez, the second child of Martinus and Maria, was born in 1887. She was married to Warner Johnson and they had five children. They also farrmed in Home Lake Township and are now deceased. Mina was born in 1891 and was married to Ole Nysetvold, a contractor and builder, and they lived in Twin Valley. They are now deceased. To their union eleven children were born. Oliver was born in 1893 and he stayed at home and helped his mother farm until he died in 1922. Almer was born in 1895. He was drafted to serve in the first World War and gave his life for his country in France. Julia was born in 1897. She married Sidney Aamoth and they had two children. He died and later she married John M. Bentley and they had two daughters. Julia died and John has died also. Clarence was born in 1900 and was killed in an accident in 1928. Two sons died in infancy. The Aasgaard's were esteemed people in the community and were interested in the welfare of their family and were sympathetic to the needs of their neighbor's. Often, in the abscence of a doctor, an undertaker, or a pastor, Martinus acted in those capacities, doing the best he knew how to show concern for his fellow man. Norman County History Book 1976

Martinus Larsen and Anna Maria (Larsen) Aasgaard Martinus was born in Stange, Hedmark, Norway on April 29, 1858. He was the son of Lars Jensen Oerbaek Aasgaard, born February 18, 1830 in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway and his wife Marthe Krestine Olsdatter Brohaugh, born September 13, 1830 in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway. Pastor James Hulberg wrote the following about the family: “Lars Jensen and Marthe Krestine Brohaugh Aasgaard came to America from Norway in July 1869. They settled on the farm in Section 7, the Town of Hale, Trempealeau County, WI--later owned by Milo Rongstad. Lars and Krestine lived in Stange, Prestegjold, Stor Hammer, Norway as prosperous farmers on the Aasgaard Farm. Unlike many in Norway at that time, they had plenty of land and employed servants and laborers. They were content until they heard from some Brohaughs from America of the new-found paradise. One of the Brohaughs was Marte Krestine's brother, a pioneer educator at the Lutheran Seminary located at Red Wing, Minnesota. So they sold their land and prepared to bring their seven children to the new world. When they left Norway, they took the name of the Aasgaard Farm. They left Oslo on a boat called the "Anna Delieus" and eight weeks later landed in Quebec. The family suffered greatly on the trip from lack of food. One daughter died and had to be buried at sea. From Quebec they took a train to LaCrosse, WI. Lars had planned to settle in Goodhue County, MN where the land was level and the soil was rich, but in LaCrosse, someone talked them into going to Hale Township in Trempealeau Co. because it looked so much like Norway. The family had little money and no food, so they left some of their children along the way to work with various farmers. The children worked for room and board and one even got a bonus of a $2 pair of shoes! After Lars and Krestine were settled, the sent for their children. The Aasgaards found Hale Co. to be very hilly and regretted they hadn't gone to Goodhue Co. Lars walked 130 miles to Red Wing, MN and returned full of gloom because he had not settled there. He also walked to LaCrosse (60 miles) when they needed provisions.” The siblings of Martinus are as follows: 1-Othilde AASGAARD was born in Eidsvoll Akershus Norway. 2-Jens Larsen AASGAARD was born in Eidsvoll Akershus Norway 1854. Jens died 1950 in California. He married Alette LARSEN Sorlie in Wisconsin, 1877. Alette was born in Eidsvoll Akershus Norway 1860. She was the daughter of Hans F. LARSEN and Ingeborg Maria Andersdatter ROIESTUEN. Alette died 1936 in California. She was a sister of Mrs. Martinus L. Aasgaard (Anna Maria). 3-Olava AASGAARD was born in Eidsvoll Akershus Norway 1856. Olava died 1953. She married Gilbert (Gulbrand) PEDERSON in Albion Trempealeau Wisconsin, 1/29/1874. Gilbert was born in Norway 1852. Gilbert died 1928 in Wisconsin. 4-Ole Larsen AASGAARD was born in Stange Hedmark Norway 1860. He married Brita GRINDE in Twin Valley, Norman County, Minnesota. Brita died 1939 in Minnesota. 5-Inge Marie AASGAARD was born in Stange Hedmark Norway 1863. Inge died 1869 in Anna Delis Ship coming to America. 6-Laura Karen AASGAARD was born in Stange Hedmark Norway 1/16/1865. Laura died 9/28/1938 in Ashland Wisconsin, at 73 years of age. She married Anton Pederson SINRUD in Elk Creek Wisconsin, 11/17/1883. Anton was born in Norway 12/16/1858. Anton died 2/7/1948 in Ashland Wisconsin, at 89 years of age. 7-Mathilde AASGAARD was born in Eidsvoll Akershus Norway 1868. Mathilde died 1893. She married Ole O RONGSTAD. Lars’ parents were Jens Andersen Korslund b. 1795 and Mari Nielsdatter Oerbaek, b. 1793. Lars had 3 brothers, Niels Jensen Korslund, Bernt Jensen Korslund and Anders Jensen Oerbaek. Lars and his wife Marthe Krestine and their 6 children, Olava, age 13, Laura, age 4, Jens, age 15, Martinius, age 11, Ole, age 9 and Mathilde, age 11 months emigrated from Norway. The landed in Kvebek (Quebec). Marthe Krestine’s parents are Ole Kristoffersen Brohaugh b. about 1808 and Berthe Olea Jensdatter, b. 1811. Marthe’s mother died when she was six years old. Her father then remarried to Karen Andersdatter Langseth in 1838. They had 8 children, with one dying at a young age. Karen died in 1861. In 1869, Ole and his 7 surviving children from his second marriage immigrated to America. They left in April 23 and arrived in New York City on May 17th on the ship “Alepo”. From New York they traveled on to Red Wing, Minnesota, the last stage of the journey being made by river steamboat. The family lived in Red Wing for about a year. Ole then purchased an 80 acre farm near the village of Esdaile, in Pierce County, Wisconsin, just across the river from Red Wing. Martinus came to the United States in 1869 at the age of 11 years with his parents and siblings and settled in Arena in Dane County, Wisconsin, where he worked for fifteen years. The name Aasgaard, comes from the Aasgaard Farm in Stange in Hedmark, Norway, where the family lived before they immigrated to America. The name Aasgaard means "farm by the creek" in Norway is located north of Oslo near Lake Mjosa, the largest lake in Norway. He was married in Wisconsin and in April of 1885, to Anna Maria Larsen, b. 12/12/1863 in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway. Her parents were Hans F. Larsen, b. about 1804 in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway and Ingeborg Maria Andersdatter Roiestuen, b. about 1809 in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway. They came to America in 1867 and homesteaded near the town of Garfield, in Jackson County, Wisconsin. Anna Maria’s siblings are as follows: 1-Julia LARSEN was born in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway. She married Ludwig PERSON. 2-Albert LARSEN. He married Sena SNEVE. 3-Christian LARSEN was born in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway. He married Cleante JOHNSON. 4-Lewis LARSEN was born in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway. He married Ingeborg. 5-Indiana LARSEN was born February 8, 1854 in Eidsvold, Akershus, Norway. She married Andrew MOEN. 6-Alette LARSEN Sorlie was born in Eidsvoll Akershus Norway 1860. Alette died 1936 in California. She married Jens Larsen AASGAARD in Wisconsin, 1877. Jens was born in Eidsvoll Akershus Norway 1854. He was the son of Lars Jensen Oerbaek AASGAARD and Marthe Krestine Olsdatter BROHAUGH. Jens died 1950 in California. Martinus and his wife,Anna Maria, moved to Minnesota. All their worldly possessions were represented by fifty dollars in cash. His brother Ole, had come to Norman County before him and was teaching school in Home Lake Township, School District No. 44. He was rooming at the John Homelvig farm to which Martinus and his bride came with a rented team of horses and wagon. He returned the team to Ada, making the trip back on foot: twenty six miles largely covered by swamps and water. In the spring of 1886 Martinus Aasgaard homestead one hundred and sixty acres of land in Section 26, Home Lake Township; and in 1898 he bought forty adjoining acres to increase his holding. He was granted ownership in October of 1892. He carried out an extensive series of improvements, including new building, the erection of fences and the setting out of groves. One well known feature of the farm was a well built round barn. In those days farmers had no cream separators so they took their milk to a creamery to be separated--sold the cream and took the skim milk back home with them. In 1891 a creamery was established in Home Lake Township. It was located north of what was known as Home Lake--the only lake in Norman County. Martinus Aasgaard and Anton Lerud helped organize this creamery and were stockholder. A few years later this creamery was sold to the Twin Valley Creamery Association and they moved the building to a site north of Twin Valley where it operated for many years. Mr. Aasgaard helped organize School District No. 16 in 1886--to serve the children living farther south in the township. A new building was put up for $55--the lumber cost $278.18 and M. Aasgaard painted it for $5. Martinus was the first clerk of the school board of District No. 16 and held that position for several years. He was a life long member of Wild Rice Synod Church and served the congregation as trustee for several years. He died in 1904 at the early age of forty six years. The first year in Home Lake Township was one of hardships; credit was difficult to obtain and money was still more difficult to secure. Lawrence, the oldest of their nine children, was born at this time (1885). He grew up to the life of a farmer and in 1909 bought a farm of his own in Home Lake Township and married Hannah Albertson. Both are now deceased. They had six children. Inez, the second child of Martinus and Maria, was born in 1887. She was married to Warner Johnson and they had five children. They also farmed in Home Lake Township and are now deceased. (See Warner and Inez Johnson) Mina was born in 1891 and was married to Ole Nysetvold, a contractor and builder, and they lived in Twin Valley. They are now deceased. To their union eleven children were born. Oliver was born in 1893 and he stayed at home and helped his mother farm until he died in 1922. Almer was born in 1895. He was drafted to serve in the first World War and gave his life for his country in France. Julia was born in 1897. She married Sidney Aamoth and they had two children. He died and later she married John M. Bentley and they had two daughters. Julia died and John has died also. Clarence was born in 1900 and was killed in an accident in 1928. Two sons died in infancy, Phillip b.1903 and Joseph b.1889. They are buried in Wild Rice Cemetery. The Aasgaard's were esteemed people in the community and were interested in the welfare of their family and were sympathetic to the needs of their neighbor's. Often, in the absence of a doctor, an undertaker, or a pastor, Martinus acted in those capacities, doing the best he knew how to show concern for his fellow man. Martinus and Anna Maria are buried in Wild Rice Lutheran Church Cemetery. Flom 125th History Book 2002 By Margit Nysetvold Bakke

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