BioA: Evanson, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin (Golden - 1959)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Evanson, Breiseth, Matheson, Cissna, Larsen, Galstad, Olson, Geise, Jordahl, Ylvisaker, Heimstead, Appleyard, Mott, Kroll, Wuethrich, Mech, Biggs, Kopp, Dorski, Naedler, Grundahl, Haroldson, Williamson, Bollrude, Luvinski, Brusath, Hoffman, Kuleitz, Halverson, Spendler, Seehafer, Gunderson, Belland, Blusath, Karlson, Amundson, Gordee, Erickson, Crocker, Augustine, Waldhart, Potter, Dimka, Hagen, Ostling, Meredith, Zimmerman, Stanley, Dudei, Stocheck, Mueller

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) July 30, 1959

Evanson, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin (Golden - 16 July 1959)

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Evanson will celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary Sunday, August 2, at Calvary Lutheran Church, with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m., and a dinner served to members of the family and immediate friends about 5 p.m.

Edwin Evanson was married to Miss Syneva Breiseth in St. Paul, Minn., July 16, 1909; but because of the recent major surgery of Mrs. Evanson, the golden wedding celebration has been postponed.

Syneva Breiseth was born in Norway in 1889.  She received her grade school education in Norway and came to America in 1905, locating in Blanchardville, in southern Wisconsin.  Edwin Evanson was born in Norway September 1, 1885, received his grade school education and two years of military school training in Norway. After working on a farm in Norway, he came to America in 1907, locating in Rhinelander, where a friend of his youth had located earlier.

After working for a year in a logging camp and later in a saw mill near Rhinelander, he moved to Fergus Falls, Minn., where he joined a cousin on the Northern Pacific railroad.  A tornado, the worst he ever had seen, hit Fergus Falls, destroying a large railroad bridge, tipping over a freight train, and doing much damage to buildings and other property.

The next year he hired out with Swift and Co., and worked in a dressing and packing plant. His job was in the butchering department, and it was his responsibility to dispatch 1,000 sheep and 100 calves every day.  Later he was employed in the Great Northern Railway shop at St. Paul.

After their marriage in 1909, Mr. and Mrs. Evanson lived in St. Paul for three years and in 1912 moved to Argyle, where Mr. Evanson, a professional carpenter, built his own home.  In 1919, they moved to Clark County and located on a farm in the Town of Eaton, a mile east of Greenwood.  In 1932 they moved to Neillsville, renting the Hagen (or Ostling) farm, just north of the city and across from the present Maurice Meredith residence.

In 1936, they moved to the town of Grant, purchasing the Zimmerman farm on which they lived for 10 years, finally selling it to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Stanley.  During their residence in the Town of Grant, their home was burned to the ground in the fall of 1941, and Mr. Evanson rebuilt it.

In 1946, they purchased the Arnold Dudei residence on East Sixth Street and in 1947, after being away from the land of their birth nearly 40 years, they returned to Norway and spent two months there, visiting cousins and a brother and sister.

They sold their residence in 1952 to Mr. and Mrs. Joe Stocheck, and purchased the Mueller residence one-half block to the east.  Mr. Evanson made many improvements on the new residence.  He has followed the carpenter trade for nearly 50 years, starting at Argyle.  He assisted with the construction of barracks at Camp Grant in World War I; and at Camp McCoy in World War II.

At Badger City, near Baraboo, he assisted with the construction of buildings for the storage of powder, and has also, busied himself from time to time in construction work at Neillsville.

Mr. Evanson started hunting in Norway for turkey, elk, bear and other game.  In America he has continued his hobby and has hunted every year except the fall he made the trip to Norway.  He loves deer hunting and last year was successful in downing mule deer in Montana and in getting his buck and the camp meat for his group in Jackson County.

"My vision is perfect and I do not need glasses," Mr. Evanson said.

Mrs. Evanson attended high school and Business College at Rhinelander and has led an active life.  She has been on the hot lunch staff at Neillsville High School and has been in charge of dinners for many organizations in recent years.  Mr. and Mrs. Evanson are active members of Calvary Lutheran Church.

Their four children and their families expect to be present at the anniversary celebration. They include: Stanley, Mrs. Arne (Agnes) Matheson, Orville and Roland.

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----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) August 6, 1959

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Evanson observed their golden wedding anniversary Sunday with 150 relatives and friends joining with them at Calvary Lutheran Church.  Open house was held in the afternoon, and 75 relatives and other friends joined in the anniversary dinner at 5 p.m.

An afternoon program was held in the church dining hall with Orville Evanson as toastmaster.  Joe Cissna, a lay pastor of Greenwood, offered an opening and closing prayer.  The toastmaster delivered a short address in which he traced the history of his parents from their early life in Norway down to their 50^th wedding anniversary.  The other three children, Stanley, Roland and Agnes (Mrs. Arne Matheson) each spoke briefly of interesting events of the family.

Sherri Matheson sang "Two Hearts in One United," accompanied by Deon Larsen.  A reading was presented by Carolyn Evanson and Dennis, Duane and Jerri Lee Evanson delivered appropriate verses.  Wilfred B. Galstad sang, "I Love You Truly", accompanied by Kathleen Galstad.

The formal dinner at 5 p.m., Mr. Cissna offered a prayer before the meal and Rev. Kermit Grundahl of Minneapolis, a nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Evanson, delivered a closing message and prayer.

An anniversary cake was made by Mrs. Matheson and Mrs. Florence Evanson, and was trimmed by Mrs. Bernita Olson. The reception committee consisted of Mrs. Irene Geise, Mrs. Agnes Jordahl, Mrs. Nora Ylvisaker, Mrs. Lee Heimstead, Mrs. Melvin Appleyard, Mrs. Murel Mott and Mrs. Ervin Kroll.

Mrs. Jordahl served punch; coffee was served by Mrs. Ylvisaker.  Mrs. John D. Wuethrich had charge of the guest book.  Mrs. Melvin Appleyard cut the anniversary cake.

The dinner committee included: Mrs. Melvin Mech, Mrs. Kenneth Olson, Mrs. Laura Biggs, Mrs. Ted Kopp, Mrs. Thomas Dorski, Mrs. Hilbert Naedler, Mrs. Fred Appleyard, and Mrs. Allard Olson.

Relatives attending were: Mr. and Mrs. Milo Grundahl, Mrs. Anna Grundahl, Mrs. Henry Grundahl, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Haroldson of Mount Horeb; Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Williamson of Middleton; Mr. and Mrs. David Olson, Mrs. Robert Bollrude, Mr. and Mrs. Bennie Grundahl, Mrs. Gordon Olson and Ruth of Hollandale; Julius Haroldson and Viola Luvinski of Milwaukee; Mrs. Ellen Brusath of Blanchardville; Mrs. Mabel Larsen of Wittenberg; Mr. and Mrs., Arnold Hoffman, Mr. and Mrs. Glen  Kuleitz, Elaine M. Halverson, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Spendler of Wausau.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Halverson, Christine and Joan Halverson of Fenwood; Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Seehafer, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Gunderson of Marshfield; Mrs. Margaret Belland of Long Beach, Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. Otto Spendler of Stratford; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Blusath and Janice of Monroe; Mr. and Mrs. Otto Karlson; the Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth Grundahl, Patricia and Marcia Grundahl of Minneapolis.

All of the children were present and all members of their families with the exception of Arne Matheson, who was in Richmond, Va.  They included Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Evanson and Carolyn of Detroit Lakes, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Roland Evanson, Jerri and Jeffrey, of Mosinee; Mrs. Arne (Agnes) Matheson and Sherri, and Mrs. and Mrs. Orville Evanson and Dennis and Duane of Neillsville.

Out of town friends attending were: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Wuethrich, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Cissna, Mrs. O. J. Amundson, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gordee, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Erickson of Greenwood; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Crocker of Eau Claire; Mr. and Mrs. Elroy Augustine, Mrs. Edna C. Waldhart, Wallace Waldhart of Colby; Mrs. Adah M. Potter and Mrs. Victoria Dimka of Stevens Point.