River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-04-07
DIED.

OF MartelI, March 81, 1914, OF old
age, Mrs. Karen Haugen, in her
96th year.
Grandma Haugen was the oldest
person living in the town of Martell
and in this part of Pierce county,
and one of the earliest settlers of
Martell She was born at Steensrud,
MEDIUM, Norway, January IS, 1909,
and was at her death one of the few
persons who could remember the
stirring events in Europe during
her early childhood. The effects of
the ambitions of Napoleon reached
into the homes of the remotest cor
ners of Europe and Mother Haugen
distinctly recollected the return of
the Norwegian soldiers from the
short campaign against Sweden in
1914. 1t fell to her lot to live under
four distinct governments. She
was born a subject of the king of
Denmark; then followed for a few
months the kingdom of Norway in
1914 under the crown prince Of Den
mark as the elected king of Norway;
then under the king of Norway and
Sweden after the union of the two
kingdoms by treaty of 1914; and for
fifty years as citizen of the United
States.
She was married to Peder N.
Haugen in 1910, her husband dying
in 1896. The oldest daughter, Mrs.
Steiner Thorson, died about twenty
years ago. Five children survive
her-Mrs. Christiane Herum and
Mrs. Nelly Malloy of Martell; Nils
P. Hangar, at present located at
Madison; Peter Haugen of Simpson,
Nebraska, and Charles P. Haugen
of Rush River, ST. Croix county.
She also leaves numerous grand
children and great-grandchildren,
many of whom reside in this vicini-
ty. Among her grandchildren are
Mrs Jacob A. Johnson of the town
of River Falls; Mrs. Nels Nelson
and Oscar Herum of this city; Theo-
dore M. Thorson, an attorney of
Superior, and Rev. P. E.Thorson of
Manitowoc.
The Haugen family came to this
country in 1854. After remaining
in Rock county, this state, year,
they settled in the town of Martell
in the spring of 1855 on land pur-
chased from the government, this
being before the enactment of the
homestead law. For nearly forty
nine years and until her death this
remained the home of Mother Hau
gen. Here she bore the vicissitudes
of frontier life, and here she also
enjoyed the many pleasures which
form such dear recollections in the
lives OIL Inc Ola SGLLlGIS.
She was indeed the model house
wife and mother, careful, tender and
sympathetic in all her relations and
the ideal of domesticity. These
made her feel keenly
the breaking off of old ties, and for
several years after coming to this
country she longed for the old as
sociations and wept over letters re-
ceived from home" With the
maturity and success in life of her
children and the development of her
home surroundings this cloud upon
her naturally cheerful temperament
passed away, and on the whole her
life was happy one. She retained
the full possession of her faculties
to the last, and remembered names
and events with wonderful accura-
cy, not only, as>is usual with very
old people, the occurrences of her
youth, but present events as we'll.
A firm believer in the doctrines |
and tenets of the Lutheran church |
as taught her in childhood she re-
manned throughout constant ad-
herent to it's principles, drawing
spiritual strength and comfort from |
her Bible and works of the church |
and visits from her pastor. She |
was patient and considerate to the
last, ready at any time to respond |
to the call of the Master, but willing |
to abide His pleasure.
Her two daughters and her grand |
daughter, Miss Clara Thorson, were |
with her and closed her eyes in the
long last sleep. Her youngest |
daughter, Mrs. Malloy, had at her
urgent request remained her faith
full companion and attendant for
many years, giving her daughters
tender care. This made it possible
to fulfil her own desire to spend
her last years on the old home
stead.
She was laid to rest by the side
of her husband at the Rush River
church cemetery on Saturday, April