Individual Details
Hans Johannessen Lien
(28 Jun 1831 - 7 Aug 1887)
From Ken Lien - Jan. 2010:
Hans Johnson (Johannessen) Lien (6/28/1831-8/7/1884) was born at Røros, Norway. He emigrated to Hesper, Iowa in 1854. His family, except for the oldest son followed 2 years later. They were known as Johnson’s until 1870 when they went back to their farm name because they were having trouble getting their mail. He married Gjertrude Burresdatter Nysetvold (known in America as Gertrude Burreson) from Haltdalen, Norway. Her parents brought her family to Hesper, IA in 1856 where her father was known as Burre Olson. In 1860, Burre Olson led a wagon train that settled the Norwegian Settlement north of Jackson, MN. Hans and his wife went along. In the fall on 1861, Hans Johnson and his brother in law, Ole Burreson, enlisted in a company of cavalry that was raised for the Civil War at Jackson. It was known as Company B of the 2nd MN Cavalry (Brackett’s Cavalry). The story of this unit is detailed in the book ”Brackett’s Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry” by Kurt D. Bergemann, 1996. Hans was promoted, first to corporal and then to Sargeant. The unit fought for two years in Tennessee and then were at the battle of Killdeer Mountain in ND against the Sioux in 1864. While they were away at the war, White Lodge and 50 Indians, who had their Indian Village at Lake Shaokatan in Lincoln County near Hendricks, attacked the Colony at Jackson on Sunday morning, August 24th, 1862. The family only escaped because they were at church. Seeing empty cabins, the Indians turned NW rather than risk a firefight with the colony. The families fled back to Hesper where they remained until 1873, when the Hans Lien family moved to Delavan, MN. Later, in 1879, they came to the Lake Hendricks Colony where Hans’ son, Burre (pronounced Bare-re) was the first public school teacher in the township. Hans settled on the quarter section of land directly to the east of Singsaas Church. On May 20th, 1889, Hans’ widow Gertrude obtained a patent on the farm. Bernard Lien once said that Hans had long black wiskers and a bum leg from the Civil War. However, he doesn’t have a beard in the only picture of him taken about 1873. Hans was a delegate from Calvary Church on March 20, 1883 to the Konferentse Synod convention. Calvary was accepted into the Synod at that convention.
Hans’ death notice from the Brooking County Press, 14 Aug 1884, states: (Norway publishes death notices rather than obituaries and this is a death notice in Norwegian tradition).
Died: - At his home in Prairie Farm on Thursday, Aug. 7th, Hans J. Lien, aged 53 years. Mr. Lien came to this country from Norway in 1854 and served as a volunteer in the late rebellion. In 1879 he removed from Minnesota to this county and settled in Prairie Farm where he resided to the time of his death. He was a prominent man in county affairs and was universally respected by all those who knew him. We extend sympathy to the bereaved family
Julian Hexem had the following story about Hans Lien which came from the old timers. Hans and 2 sons were at first buried in the grove on the Arnold Eggen Farm 1.5 miles straight north of Hendricks along with some other early pioneers still buried there. But after Singsaas Church was built, the family decided to move all three to the church cemetery. So, they dug up the graves and put the coffins on a wagon. Then they hitched a team of horses to it but the horses refused to move because of the smell. So, a team of oxen was substituted and they pulled the wagon to the church.
Gilbert Lien took over the farm after Hans died. Gilbert is also known to have lived in Brookings in the early 1890’s as Beulah Anderson said her mother worked as a household servant at that house. It is thought that the Hans Lien family was trying to get the sons thru high school and college by boarding in Brookings. Gilbert died in July, 1900 in Sioux Falls where he was thought to have been a roofer and real estate agent. Newspapers listed his death as being due to brain aneurysm but there were rumors that this was a coverup for either a sucide or murder. After his death, Toby Sand was on the farm. About 1920, Gilbert’s son Bernard took over the farm. He lost it during the depression, but bought it back at a land sale in 1935 with a loan from the federal land bank. In 1963, it was sold to David Thomsen.
Hans Johnson (Johannessen) Lien (6/28/1831-8/7/1884) was born at Røros, Norway. He emigrated to Hesper, Iowa in 1854. His family, except for the oldest son followed 2 years later. They were known as Johnson’s until 1870 when they went back to their farm name because they were having trouble getting their mail. He married Gjertrude Burresdatter Nysetvold (known in America as Gertrude Burreson) from Haltdalen, Norway. Her parents brought her family to Hesper, IA in 1856 where her father was known as Burre Olson. In 1860, Burre Olson led a wagon train that settled the Norwegian Settlement north of Jackson, MN. Hans and his wife went along. In the fall on 1861, Hans Johnson and his brother in law, Ole Burreson, enlisted in a company of cavalry that was raised for the Civil War at Jackson. It was known as Company B of the 2nd MN Cavalry (Brackett’s Cavalry). The story of this unit is detailed in the book ”Brackett’s Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry” by Kurt D. Bergemann, 1996. Hans was promoted, first to corporal and then to Sargeant. The unit fought for two years in Tennessee and then were at the battle of Killdeer Mountain in ND against the Sioux in 1864. While they were away at the war, White Lodge and 50 Indians, who had their Indian Village at Lake Shaokatan in Lincoln County near Hendricks, attacked the Colony at Jackson on Sunday morning, August 24th, 1862. The family only escaped because they were at church. Seeing empty cabins, the Indians turned NW rather than risk a firefight with the colony. The families fled back to Hesper where they remained until 1873, when the Hans Lien family moved to Delavan, MN. Later, in 1879, they came to the Lake Hendricks Colony where Hans’ son, Burre (pronounced Bare-re) was the first public school teacher in the township. Hans settled on the quarter section of land directly to the east of Singsaas Church. On May 20th, 1889, Hans’ widow Gertrude obtained a patent on the farm. Bernard Lien once said that Hans had long black wiskers and a bum leg from the Civil War. However, he doesn’t have a beard in the only picture of him taken about 1873. Hans was a delegate from Calvary Church on March 20, 1883 to the Konferentse Synod convention. Calvary was accepted into the Synod at that convention.
Hans’ death notice from the Brooking County Press, 14 Aug 1884, states: (Norway publishes death notices rather than obituaries and this is a death notice in Norwegian tradition).
Died: - At his home in Prairie Farm on Thursday, Aug. 7th, Hans J. Lien, aged 53 years. Mr. Lien came to this country from Norway in 1854 and served as a volunteer in the late rebellion. In 1879 he removed from Minnesota to this county and settled in Prairie Farm where he resided to the time of his death. He was a prominent man in county affairs and was universally respected by all those who knew him. We extend sympathy to the bereaved family
Julian Hexem had the following story about Hans Lien which came from the old timers. Hans and 2 sons were at first buried in the grove on the Arnold Eggen Farm 1.5 miles straight north of Hendricks along with some other early pioneers still buried there. But after Singsaas Church was built, the family decided to move all three to the church cemetery. So, they dug up the graves and put the coffins on a wagon. Then they hitched a team of horses to it but the horses refused to move because of the smell. So, a team of oxen was substituted and they pulled the wagon to the church.
Gilbert Lien took over the farm after Hans died. Gilbert is also known to have lived in Brookings in the early 1890’s as Beulah Anderson said her mother worked as a household servant at that house. It is thought that the Hans Lien family was trying to get the sons thru high school and college by boarding in Brookings. Gilbert died in July, 1900 in Sioux Falls where he was thought to have been a roofer and real estate agent. Newspapers listed his death as being due to brain aneurysm but there were rumors that this was a coverup for either a sucide or murder. After his death, Toby Sand was on the farm. About 1920, Gilbert’s son Bernard took over the farm. He lost it during the depression, but bought it back at a land sale in 1935 with a loan from the federal land bank. In 1963, it was sold to David Thomsen.
Events
| Birth | 28 Jun 1831 | Roros, Norway | |||
| Marriage | 14 Apr 1858 | Hesper, IA - Gjertrud Børgesdatter Ramlo | |||
| Death | 7 Aug 1887 | Brookings, Brookings, SD |
Families
| Spouse | Gjertrud Børgesdatter Ramlo (1835 - 1913) |
| Child | Jonas Hansen Lien (1874 - 1899) |
| Child | Emma Lien (1872 - 1952) |
| Child | Eitard Lien (1881 - 1881) |
| Child | Ida Elizabeth Lien (1877 - 1878) |
| Child | Carl Hanson Gerhard Lien (1870 - ) |
| Child | Burre Hansen Lien (1859 - 1928) |
| Child | Johannes Hansen Lien (1858 - 1883) |
| Child | Edward Hansen Lien (1867 - 1926) |
| Child | Gilbert Hansen Lien (1865 - 1900) |
| Father | Johannes Pedersen Lien (1805 - ) |
| Mother | Eva Axelsdotter Garmager (1805 - 1889) |