The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1938-09-22
Pioneer of
Little Sank
Passed Away
Funeral Service For
Torgen Bjerkan Held
Saturday Afternoon
BORN IN NORWAY
Was Charter Member
OF Long Bridge
Lutheran Church

Torgen Bjerkan, former resident
OF Little Sank Township, passed
away at the home of his son, Teo.
Bjerkan, at Osakis, Wednesday,
September 14th. Mr.. Bjerkan suf-
fered a fall injuring his hip in Jam
uary of this year and his health
gradually failed. He was seriously
i'll for two weeks.
At the time of death Mr.. Bier
kan was IS years and 10 months of
age. Born in Hevne, Norway, Nov
ember IA, 1852, he migrated to the
United States in 1870. In 1875 he
homesteaded in Little Sank Town
ship.
On Thanksgiving Day in 1880 he
was united in marriage to Johanna
Kluxdal, and to them was born four
sons and four daughters. Mrs. Bier
kan passed away four years ago and
two sons passed on in early child
hood. The surviving children are:
Mrs. VIM. Hipsher, (Ellen), of Min
neapolis; Theo. Bjerkan, of Osak-
is; Mrs. Adolph Peterson, Qnga),
of Minneapolis; Mrs. James Allison,
(Josie), of Minneapolis; Edward
Bjerkan, of Bremerton, Wash;
Miss Gyda Bjerkan, of Minneapolis.
There are also IT grandchildren
and four great-grandchildren who
survive.
Mr.. Bjerkan was a charter MEM
Der of the Little Sank Gong
Bridge) Lutheran Church, and he
was an active and useful citizen in
his community. He served as town
clerk of Little Sank Township for
IA years, and served one term as
county commissioner in Todd Coun-
ty, from his district. He was also
a director in the Gordon Scandina-
Wan Insurance Co., in which capac-
ity he served for three years.
Deceased resided continuously on
the family homestead in Little Sank
until April s, 1915, when he sold
the farm and moved to Osakis,
where he lived until April 2, 1920,
when the family moved to Sank
Centre. He made his home for
three years in this city.
A longing for the old homestead
led to the purchase of a tract Of
the old farm in Little Sank Town
ship, and he again moved back to
the old community on September II,
1923. He resided there until four
years ago, when he took up his
residence at the home of his son,
Theodore Bjerkan, at Osakis.
Funeral services were held Sat
urday afternoon from the home of
the son, Theo. Bjerkan, at Osakis,
at one o'clock, and at the Long
Bridge Church at two o'clock. Rev.
Thronson spoke in English and the
sermon in the Norwegian language
was given by the Rev. Strand.
Mrs. A. r. Blakey sang the solo,
"Jeg we'd mig in Soern" at the
home. The ladies quartet of the
church sang two numbers and Hell
mer Elan sang a solo in the Nor
wegian language, Den Store Hvide
F1ok." The services were largely
attended.
Out-of-town relatives at the last
sad rites were: Torger Sinness, OF
Devils Lake, N. D.; Mr.. and Mrs.
Lars Sinness and Ed Peterson, OF
Maddox, N. D.; Mrs. Ellen Ander-
son and Mrs. Ruth Crozier, Of Alex
andria; Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Hipsher.
Mr.. and Mrs. Adolph Peterson, Mr..
and Mrs. James Allison, Jean
Thomas and David Allison, Mr.. and
Mrs. Ed Lallak, Art Newquist, Mrs.
Lyle Bergman, Miss Gyda Bjerkan,
all of Minneapolis; Mrs. Carl Eek
berg and Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Christ
ensen, Of Sank Centre; Mr.. and Mrs.