Individual Details

Peter Raanes Olaus Jacobson

(9 Aug 1844 - 15 May 1932)

A PIONEER HISTORY
OF
BECKER COUNTY MINNESOTA
INCLUDING
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ITS NATUAL HISTORY
AS EMBRACED IN THE MINERAL, VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL KINGDOMS, AND A HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY; ALSO, INCLUDING A LARGE AMOUNT OF VALUABLE HISTORICAL INFORMATION COLLECTED BY
MRS. JESSIE C. WEST.
AND NUMBEROUS ARTICLES WRITTEN BY VARIOUS EARLY PIONEERS RELATING TO THE HISTORY OF THE SEVERAL TOWNSHIPS OF BECKER COUNTY
BY ALVIN H. WILCOX
PIONEER PRESS COMPANY ST. PAUL, MINN 1907
Chapter XXIX. History of Cuba Township.
By B.O. Bergerson.
Peter R. Jacobson.
Peter R. Jacobson was born in Helgeland, Norway, on the 9th of August, 1844. He was married to Olava Pederson, who was born in 1842. In May, 1866, they started for America in a sailing vessel, and after a voyage of nine weeks they landed in Quebec, Canada, from which place they went to Farmington, Dakota County, Minnesota. They lived in this vicinity until the spring of 1871, when they started for the Northwest, intending to go to North Dakota. When they got to Fort Ambercrombie they left their teams to look around over the Red River valley. Appearances indicated that the country about there was liable to overflow, so they started for the rolling country to the northeast and finally came to the place where Audubon Village has since been built, where they camped for a while. After looking the country over for a week, they selected the southwest quarter of Section 10, in the Township of Cuba, on the 22d day of June, 1871. They still live on this same land, hale and hearty, and have one of the best farms, and some of the best buildings in the country. Their home is sheltered with a fine grove of timber, where snows and storms have no terrors for them.

Lake Park Journal, Thursday, 19 May 1932, p1
Aged Pioneer Couple Claimed by Death Early Sunday Morning
Funeral services are being held for Mr. and Mrs. Peter R. Jacobson today. Saturday evening Mr. Jacobson called his daughter, Mrs. J. H. Lorentson, into the bedroom and told her that he and his wife would die early Sunday morning. He then told her that he would like to have the funeral services in the grove on the home farm, with Rev. P. Eidsaa of Fargo officiating. Burial will be made, according to his request, in the Church cemetery.
Death came at 3:40 A.M. Sunday morning to Mr. Jacobson and his wife died an hour later. Death came as a result of old age and from the flu which the couple contracted some time ago.
Peter Jacobson was born in Helegland, Norway August 9, 1844 being 87 years of age at the time of death, and Mrs. Jacobson was born in Helegland, Norway June 6, 1842 being 90 years of age.
They were united in marriage on May 8, 1866 and came to America on their honeymoon by a sailing vessel which took nine weeks to make the voyage. they landed in Quebec, Canada. From there they went to Farmington, Minnesota, where they lived until the spring of 1871, when they felt the urge of the Northwest. They started by oxen for North Dakota, but on arriving at Fort Ambercrombie they looked over the Red River valley and found that the river was about to overflow, so they started for the rolling country in the Northwest of Minnesota and finally came to the place where Audubon is now located. Here they camped for awhile and later selected the northwest quarter, section ten, in the township of Cuba, where they located on the 22nd of June 1871. Here they lived until death claimed them. From wild land they built one of the best farms with the best buildings in the county. The home was sheltered with a fine grove of trees and winter storms held no terror for them.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson were the parents of eight children, four girls and four boys, of whom four of them have proceded them in death. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. L. P. Strom of McIntosh and Mrs. J. O. Lorentzen of Lake Park and two sons, Jacob of Hendurm and Paul of fort Yates, North Dakota. there 30 grandchildren and 22 great gradchildren who acted as pallbearers, the girls for Mrs. Jacobson and the boys for Mr. Jacobson. Mr. Jacobson leaves besides these to mourn his loss, four brothers, Ivan of Horace, N.D., Claboe, Julius and Anton of Perley and one sister, Mrs. Mork of Winger.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary on Mothers Day, May 9, one week before their death.

This article is from "Nord-Norge", September 1932, page 25 & 26. The article is in Norwegian and was translated by members of Nordlandslag in 2005. The article contains a picture of the Jacobson home and pictures of both Peter and Olava.
The photos are of a pair of long-time members of Nordlandslaget and their home at Lake Park, Minnesota. As noted in the last number of "Nord-Norge" these two people have "wandered over to the other side." We were not able to bring you these pictures in the last issue, but present them now for the readers to be aware of the two hich have gone away and their home in Lake Park, Minnesota. This is a spplement to the earlier report presented by Mr. Jacobson's son-in-law, N. J. Jenson. [More like a brother-in-law, Olava and Jensne were half-sisters.]
Given the more intimate knowledge of these two who passed away the editor would like to give his own comments on Mr. and Mrs. Jacobsons' life and pasing. I was well acquainted with them. These people lived in their own home for over 60 years. Where they, along with their children, engaged in a very good family life. Certainly the pioneer's life was often time hard work and filled with problems, but they were lucky and were able to have a welcomimg home and in their later years, they lived in good economic circumstances surrounded by their children who with joy visited their home and thereby helped bring a liveliness and appreciation. Their position in life spread as the afternoon sun streamed over their lives. They both reached a great age. Mr. Jacobson became 87 years old and Mrs. Olava Jacobson lived to be 90. They were able to take care of themselves and to carry on their daily needs. Last Mother's Day, the 8th of May, a celebration was held honoring their 66th wedding anniversary.
The last winter was hard for them. They got the flu and which in combination with their high age led to that their life forces were broken. They hoped and desired to be ready to "wander out of life together" and that wish was fulfilled.
Saturday the 14th of May in the afternoon Mr. Jacobson called his daughter, Mrs. John Lorentson, who was at home and had responsibility for checking on them as both were now bedridden, and said that he and mother were going to die early Sunday morning. He also said that the funeral should take place in the area near the house and that the burial itself should take place from the home and from there to the cemetery in Lake Park. Sunday morning at about 4:00 Mrs. Olava Jacobson died and when they told him that she was dead, he said "God be praised." He asked what time it was, fell into a comma and a little bit afterwards, Peter Raanes Jacobson did and he followed his wife in her journey home. The funeral service itself took place from the home, where a large group of peope had gathered together. Old neighbors and friends and a large number of relatives were present and followe the pair to their resting place at the cemetery at the Norwegian church in Lake Park. Pastor Eidsaa from Fargo conducted the ceremony. Pallbearers wer six granddaughters for Mrs. Jacobson and six grandsons for Mr. Jacobson.
It can be said that Mr. Jacobson was a quiet, loving man, personalbe, which together with a good and loyal wife lived a quiet life without doing any ill. Mr. Jacobson wrote often original long pieces for "Norldands Avis" in Hemnes and also in "Nord-Norge". A long letter from him can be found in number 45 of 1927; That covers a time about his travels to America and his days as a settler in the area until the time he settled near Lake Park where his family home was founded.
It took a long time and hard work, but he was able to get the land worked up to become a fine farm and on which they built a beautiful home as shown in the picture and where they lived their last years incomparative ease. With a heartfelt "live well" from the author to the remaining friends and relatives "your quiet, serious word will lead us on life's path and your work here on earth a holy rememberance will become." And I in thankfulness recall their good goodness.
N. J. Jenson, Hudson, Wis.

Find-a-Grave Memorial #79752913 provides the biography of Peter's father, Jakob Klæbo.
Jakob Olaus Peterson Klæbo was born on the farm Strømsnes in Hemnes, Nordland, Norway. He was the son of Peder Hendrich Klæboe (1778-28 Oct 1857) and his wife Randine Olsdatter Klæboe. He was the fifth child of seven known children born to them. His father was a farmer and a skipper. 
Jakob had the following siblings: Christianna Bergitte 1805-16 Jun 1850 (Nils Johanson born 1804), Ingeborg Anna born 1806 (Lorentz Davidson ca 1800-19 Feb 1870), Jacobine Pedersdatter 26 Sep 1808-1808, Anders Dass Pederson born 1812 (Marin Catrine Johansdatter), Christence Elizabeth Pedersdatter born in 1818 and Iver Johannes Notler Pederson born 29 Apr 1825 (Petrine Christine Caroline Pedersdatter..daughter of Andrine H. Pederson who secondly married Jakob.) 
Jakob built boats and furniture in his walk-out basement. His ancestors had been involved in trade between northern Norway and Bergen. They were descendants of the pastor/priest Peter Hanssen at Klabü so were able to read and write. This allowed them to become involved in the free enterprise of trade along the northern shores. 
Jakob first married Ingeborg Kirstine Hansdatter on July 16 1843 at the Hemnes Church in Hemnesberget. They became the parents of the following children: Hans Heitman (Hoines) 1 May 1841-death unknown (Adriane Petrine Hansdatter born 2 Mar 1850), Peter Raanes Olaus 9 Aug 1844 – 15 May 1932 (Olava Andrene Petrusdatter 6 Jun 1842-13 May 1932), Iver Christian Anker 11 Feb 1847-1940 (Karen Hanson Thoreson 1845-1930), Edvard Anthon 3 Mar 1850-18 Mar 1853, Emilia Antonette 30 Apr 1853-14 Apr 1862, Jacob Julius Strøm 23 Jan 1856-12 Jul 1933 (Karen Nicoline Johanneson 1 Jun 1873-10 Apr 1948) and Johan Christian 1 Apr 1862-1 Apr 1862). These children all used the surname Jacobson.
Jakob’s first wife, Ingeborg passed away about a month after the birth of her last child on 6 May 1862 at their farm Laukhella in Hemnes. She is buried in Hemnesberget, Norway. Jakob married a second time on July 26, 1863. His second wife was Alexandrine Helena Pederson. She used a shortened for of her first name, Andrine. They lived at Laukhellen a subfarm of Brennberget. 
Together they had three children as follows: Iver Johan Klabo Jacobson 11 Aug 1864-12 Jul 1940 (Bertha Margarethe Johnson 29 Oct 1877-31 Oct 1926), Randine Ibertine Jacobson 7 Mar 1866-27 Mar 1953 (Peter Anton Mork 5 Jan 1860-20 Sep 1952) and Anton Christian 10 Jul 1868-24 May 1940 (Sigrid “Sarah” Olson Bosol 1 Jun 1870-6 May 1944). 
Jakob Olaus and Andrine, as well as Julius, I.K., Dina and Anton left Norway and came to Lake Park, MN in 1882. One of Jakob’s older sons from his first marriage, Peter Raanes Olaus Jacobson had come earlier to the Lake Park area. Jakob and Andrine stayed for some time with Peter and his family. 
They eventually left and traveled to Perley, MN to live with J. Julius Jacobson. They resided there until Jakob passed away 11 Mar 1897. Funeral services for him were held at the Bethania Lutheran Church 16 Mar 1897. 
A homemade concrete marker was made for Jakob and Andrine. It simply said Moder and Fader. After several years the words were breaking apart and falling off. So the grandchildren collected some money and purchased a new granite stone which now states their names and years of birth and death. 

Events

Birth9 Aug 1844Hemnes, Nordland,Norway
Christen25 Aug 1844Hemnes, Nordland, Norway
Marriage8 May 1866Hemnes, Norway - Olava Andrenne Petrusdatter
Death15 May 1932Lake Park, Becker County, Minnesota
BurialLake Park, Becker County, Minnesota, Lake Park Cemetery

Families

SpouseOlava Andrenne Petrusdatter (1842 - )
ChildIngeborg Jacobson (1867 - )
ChildJulia Olivia Jacobson (1868 - 1868)
ChildJacob Jacobson (1871 - )
ChildClabo Peter Jacobson (1874 - )
ChildJulia Olivia Jacobson (1876 - 1945)
ChildPaul J. Jacobson (1881 - 1953)
ChildAnnette H. Jacobson (1883 - )
ChildJoseph Jacobson (1884 - )
FatherJakob Olaus Klaeboe (1816 - 1897)
MotherIngeborg Kjerstine Hansd. (1818 - 1862)

Endnotes