LOMMEN - HAMMERSLAND HISTORY
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
February 10, 2012
2012 is the CENTENNIAL of Harold Martin Hammersland's ARRIVAL IN AMERICA !!!
Marie Hammersland Reyner interviewed Clarice Hammersland Larson in LaCrosse, WI and edited this information using documents and writings of other members of the family also.
SAM & HAROLD HAMMERSLAND IN IOWA
Preface:
The question that we have always wondered about is how Sam Hammersland happened to be working on the Lommen farm. Our reason, of course, is the fact that our father (Harold M. Hammersland) came there to visit his brother, and in that way he met our mother.
How did Sam Hammersland happen to be at the Lommen farm near Ossian Iowa as a hired man?
We know that Sam came to America and somehow arrived in Ossian, Iowa, likely by train. Clarice remembers that he asked someone where he might get work and that person directed him to the Lommen farm because they thought a hired man might be needed there. This is logical because Ole T. Lommen had been injured and was unable to work. In 1906, Grandpa Lommen was driving a buggy when a bird scared the horses and caused them to go into the ditch. His head was injured by the spokes of the wheels. Ole T. remembered everything from before the accident and nothing after. He did not even know Harold Hammersland and always asked who he was. Later both Sam and Harold joined the service as a way to gain citizenship.
Olava received a telegram from Sam on April 4,1918 saying “Come.I will meet you at noon on Saturday”. So she quickly packed and took the train via Ossian, Elgin, Cedar Rapids and St. Louis and was in Little Rock, AR in time to get arrangements made and they were married there at 3:00 pm on April 6, 1918 in the courthouse. He had gotten a 10-day leave so they went to Hot Springs for their honeymoon. (Information from Olava's diary written in Little Rock). One month and 5 days later he left for his duties in the service and gave his life soon after being sent to France.
Sam's obituary in the Ossian Bee states: “Solomon Hammersland was born July 2,1889 in Bergen, Norway where he grew to manhood. At the age of 21 years he came to Ossian, Iowa, (1910) where he remained until September, 1917, when he entered the service of his adopted country. He first went to Camp Dodge and later was transferred to Camp Pike. (which was 8 miles from Little Rock, AR). In June of 1918 he was sent to France and directly to the front. On July 20th he went over the top with Co. B 102 Infantry, 26th Division in the big offensive near Chateau Thierry, July 22,1918 he was killed in action in front of a machine gun nest which he had helped to capture. (The exact location is 187.3---264-3 French map 1:20,000 His first burial was at that location. An army report states that his body was moved to 2 other burial locations before being buried 3 years later at Stavanger Lutheran Cemetery, rural Ossian, IA). He was the first soldier from Ossian to give his life in the World War, and to perpetuate his memory the local post of the American Legion was named in his honor.” The report sent to Olava with exact details calls the battle of Chateau Thierry a turning point in the war.
Did Sam and Harold enter the army at the same time? No. Army records show that Harold enlisted on May 26, 1918 and received his naturalization on June 17,1918. He left for foreign service on August 16,1918 and returned June 4, 1919. He was in the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Force) Haute, Alsace: Oct. 7, 1918 to November 5, 1918. So Harold was not yet in France when Samuel Hammersland was killed in action at Chateau Thierry on July 22,1918. We have a letter Harold wrote to Agnes stating that he had not heard from Sam. The letter was censored by cutting out every reference to location with what appeared to be razor blades. Harold Hammersland served in France for the last nine months of WW I.
Did Sam work at Lommens quite awhile before his marriage in Little Rock , Arkansas to Olava?
Samuel Hammersland's obituary states that he was born July 2,1889 in Bergen, Norway where he grew to manhood. He came to Ossian, Iowa when he was 21 (1910) where he remained until September, 1917 when he entered the service of his adopted country. He became a naturalized citizen before going to Europe. So he may have worked for Lommen's about 7 years. Obviously he and Olava fell in love during that time and planned their wedding.
Did Harold Hammersland also work as a hired man for Lommen’s? Sylvia Hammersland Belschner said she thought that he did. This was during a conversation with Marie on April 26, 2012. Harold arrived in America on July 14,1912. One great story that Harold Hammersland told about arriving in New York City from Ellis Island in 1912: He and another guy were walking the streets. (He had only $1.00 when he came through Ellis.) A cook at a small cafe saw them and asked “Are you boys hungry?” They said yes and he made each of them a huge plate of fried onions. “Pop” never lost his love for fried onions. He then made his way to Boston and then sailed about three years along the East Coast, mostly to the West Indies for bananas but also to Columbia, South America once and a stop in Mexico one time. So he may also have worked as a hired man at the Lommen’s from late 1915 to his enlistment in May of 1918.
THE LOMMEN FAMILY
Did Olava go to Chicago to learn medical technician work before or after her marriage? She graduated as Valedictorian of her 1910 class at Lutheran Normal School in Sioux Falls, SD. She taught 10 years. She attended Harwell Business College in Little Rock, starting immediately after her marriage. She worked as a stenographer and bookkeeper for Brandon and Turner Wholesale Stove Works in Little Rock. She finished a course as Lab Technician at Glomset Laboratory, Des Moines, IA and worked as a Lab Tech in Jewish Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky in the fall of 1923. She attended Chicago Lutheran Bible School 1927-1928. Spring of 1927 she did Parish Work for Moreland Lutheran Church, Chicago, IL. She also kept books for Hoffman Hardware Store on Madison St. in Chicago.
Was it because of their parents’ illness that Olava and Olai came back home to the farm? Yes. At some point Olai was at Camp Dodge and his mother, Anna had him deferred so he could come home: possibly relating their need for his help to his father's accident which was many years before in 1906. Grandma Lommen let Olava know she was needed at home. Seems like it was when she was in Chicago.
What are your memories of the aunts and Uncle Olai working on the farm? Women did the work and Olai sat in a chair in the parlor. After milking he would carry the pails to the shanty to separate it after he started the engine. Olava carried the cream cans down to the springhouse by the road. Olai carried the skim milk to the hog house for the hogs. Barbra took care of the chickens so she got the egg money. The chicken house was way down the hill so they carried water from the tank half way down the hill. Olai got the hog money. Olava got $10,000 when Sam was killed in action. Since she carried the cream down the hill she may have gotten cream money. Gardening was both Barbra and Thora helping, but Clarice recalls Grandma only walking around. Olava would put on long sleeves and overalls plus big hat, to pick the wonderful red raspberries. Other than that, they always wore dresses. As you came up through the yard there was an arch of morning glories into the garden. In there were little paths where we could walk very carefully through the flowers. One kind was a big fluffy poppy. Closer to the gate were the California poppies, zinnias, pansies and also a bed of pansies just by the summer kitchen. They cooked there so as not to warm up the house. There was a pump off the South porch where we washed dishes. There was also a pump in the house and this was drinkable. Off of the porch was a closet that contained every bag from cereal boxes carefully folded. There were also balls of strings possibly from the meat market. We laughed about the group of strings in a cheese box because they were marked: “strings too short to save”. It was a good idea to be saving, but this may have taken frugality too far. That closet was a mystery. The rule in our upbringing was that you never opened closed doors.
Do you have memories of meals? Such as: Olai drinking his coffee out of the saucer where he had poured it to cool. He also cracked up saltines and put buttermilk or milk over them and ate them. He took the back stairway to his small bedroom at the top of that stairway, or in the center bedroom. Sometimes the small one was for the hired man. The “telephone room “ was at the bottom of those steps. There was a china closet and a couch in there as one of the places to lie down for a 15-20 nap or rest which everyone took after lunch.
Was the school Barbra went to in Decorah called the Breckenridge School? Yes, but she learned dressmaking at Mrs. Evenson's Dressmaking Shop in Decorah. She went to people’s homes. She made wedding trousseaus, complete with wedding dress and clothes for future needs. Barbra did a lot of sewing. Alice, Sylvia and Clarice could look in the catalog and pick out what they wanted and she would measure them and make newspaper patterns. A lot of them were jumpers. We might have been 6,7,8, When they were a bit older they ordered pink organdy dresses for the 3 of them, probably from a catalog. This would have been younger than confirmation. Alice and Clarice were confirmed together in white dresses that were ordered. Pop would take them up to Olava's on Friday and Olava would take them to Ossian on Saturday for confirmation classes and then they would go home after church, many times after a big dinner at Lommen's. Ada and HHH were also confirmed together earlier.
What were Barbra's other duties around home? She was in charge of the cooking. They would brown roast real well to seal the juices in. She was an excellent cook. She would take a garden fork and go dig a new hill of potatoes on August 2, which was Grandma Lommen's birthday and they had planted early, aiming to have some ready then. She would also bring carrots or other vegetables to go with the meal when they were ready. Also recall them churning butter. They turned the handle on a glass jar. Also earlier using a wooden barrel. Clarice remembers Grandma using butter paddle to get all of the milk out of the butter and shape it onto a saucer, possibly with a design on it. They always had the butter on a plate with a knife on it.
Threshing was unbelievable. At least a dozen men came for huge meals. They had everything you could think of from beef roast to pies: always pies! They would wash up using the pump on the south porch or even on a bench out on the lawn using porcelain wash dishes, soap and gray linen towels with stripes down each side. After eating too much, they lay out on the lawn to rest. After you just got the other meal cleaned up it would be time to make afternoon lunch. There would be a dishpan plum full of sandwiches with a dishtowel over the top and a fresh chocolate cake that would be taken up by the threshing machine. The man who had to be up on the top had the dirty job. Neighbors helped each other. When they left one place they blew a big horn and that was the signal that the machine was coming down the road.
Did Thora ever go to a school? Yes, Breckenridge School in Decorah. (John Breckenridge was principal at the public school and saw a need for country kids to have more of an education than they could get at the local schools. So in 1874 he started such a school and when he died in 1899 he was in his prime of teaching there. - Google)
What do you know about Thora's marriage to Ben Nelson? The first place I remember them living was east of the Lommen farm. Nels Nelson, a cripple lived with them so Thora had to help care for him. Laura was married to Andrew Nelson on March 20, 1928. Their sister was a Westwick so Laura and Andrew lived over past the place where Dan Burkhart's live now in 2012. This is east of the Hammersland farm in Dover Twp. Thora and Ben lived there later. They also lived north of Decorah. There is a great story that Sylvia and Alice or Clarice remember about going to a movie with a couple of neighbor boys while the girls were visiting Thora north of Decorah. Clarice once helped wash the separators cleaning out gray slimy stuff and she threw it and it landed on Alice's face. Also they lived just south of the Lommen farm. May have lived there by Moen place about 1945. Thora made Marie matching underwear and dress of scratchy feed sacks. Then after retirement Thora and Ben lived at 305 E. Broadway.
Did Thora & Ben live on E. Broadway some time before Olava and Barbra moved there? Yes. Thora and Barbra were born on March 5, 1882. Barbra lived until 1956. Thora lived until 1965. Laura lived from 1884-1937. Andrew lived from 1882-1939. Ben died at age 79, having lived from 1871-1950. Another sister of Ben and Andrew was Mrs. John Mork. (Helen) who lived near West Union. Also Mrs. Martin Westwick of West Union and Mrs. John Westwick of Mason City, and 2 brothers Jacob Nelson of Clermont and Lauris Nelson of West Union.
Was Thora and Ben's baby named? No, the gravestone at Stavanger just says “Baby Nelson – May 27,1924 “ She lost it because she refused to go the Doctor and hospital. Would he or she have been close to Clara Lommen in age? No, Clara died in 1904 of pneumonia. Mom always thought she should not have picked Clara up out of her bed when no one was looking.
Do you remember going to Olava's room and getting candy or some such from her round suitcase? I remember going to Olava's room right at the top of the steps and boxes were stacked to the ceiling. Barbra had sets of pillowcases that may have been her hope chest. She did so much sewing. They had geraniums at every window. Grandma had a corner china closet in the dining room where the regular dishes were kept and a jar of lemon drops. Later they would not give lemon drops to kids because they thought they would choke. There were very fancy older dishes up on the higher shelves.
What do you recall about Grandma Anna Huglen Lommen? I would have been about 14 when she died. I remember her being in bed and we would help her to the table for meals. I do not recall her walking anywhere without people helping her. She did not go many places. We girls would take turns staying up there when there was not school. Mostly remember her being in bed in the room off the current living room. Do not recall Olai helping her at all. She was a happy, but not smiling person. They would brush her long hair and roll it around their hand into a bun. They all had snow white hair except Olava. They all seemed to have some natural curl. May have braided it for over night which could have made the curls.
What do your recall about Grandpa Ole T. Lommen? I just picture him sitting in captain's chair in the dining room.
Do you know anything about the Lommen journey to America? No. (Elizabeth Koren Diary gives 15 references to the Thrond Lommen's so that is a good picture of their life near Washington Prairie).
Did you get to go stay overnight up at Lommen's? Did you help with care of the grandparents? No, my job was to call the others if they needed help. They maybe went to the barn. They helped Grandma to walk. Mostly she tried to go upstairs but finally had to stay in the bedroom downstairs. Sometime, Alice and Clarice were in the little bedroom that is now Gladys' kitchen. There were 2 small beds that they slept on, and once they jumped from one to the other and Grandma came and said they were naughty girls. Grandpa sat in the dining room so he could see or be part of what was going on. The photo of G & G Lommen would have been after the accident. It was taken outdoors.
Did you ever play games with the grandparents or the aunts or uncle? Yes, “Authors”.
Do you recall the funerals of the grandparents? Ole T. Lommen died July 14, 1930. Remember Grandpa Lommen in his coffin in the living room. It was all dark and Olava lifted me up to see. I was 5 years old. Don't recall Grandma's. She died Oct. 7,1939. Remembers Laura's, she died Sept. 15,1937, because we 3 girls were flower carriers. It was at Stavanger.
THE HAROLD HAMMERSLAND FAMILY
What do you recall of living on the farm by Ossian and the move to the Dover farm? None. On the new farm, you stepped down into the living room and we rarely had a fire in that parlor stove. Clarice was 4 when they moved to Dover.
Did you help care for the babies? No, we always had a hired girl. Edna Helgerson told Marie later how amazed she was at the springhouse with the cooler that could keep meat cold. She made lots of good cookies. I am not a cookie person (Clarice).
Did you start to school in Ossian? No.
What are some memories from Dover Center or the farm? HHH would head right for the shop without helping at all. Mom allowed that. Once Clarice had been up on the hill driving the horses for the hay loader. Syl fell through the opening to the concrete below. She had been watching the hayfork unload when she backed up. She broke her arm. Emma Quass Ney was a good teacher. Once you were married you could not teach anymore. Harriet Hand liked art work.
What were the lunches you took to school either there or to Dover Center? Ada made all the lunches and got us out the door and up the hill before the folks came in from the barn. Remember that Hanford would be on one chair and Mom on the other, behind the parlor door to work on homework. He would be sleeping while Mom read the lessons to him.
Lunch or Lard pails? Clarice said her own children had poor country school teachers. Clauson School was 2 miles so they had to walk. Just under 2 miles so they couldn't get rides. Finally they went to Chaseburg.
What were your jobs on the Dover farm? When there had been floods, we cut the corn so it would not be stuck in the mud. Dolly kicked Pop and broke his leg. Did you drive or ride Polly or Dick? Outside the barn door we could get on the horse. If 2 got on they would get a wild ride to Roses. Irey would sometimes come over to talk. Irey always had something worse than any other. Mabel had a funny sense of humor.
What are some funny memories? Ada and I slept in the bed. Alice and Sylvia on the cot that might fall down. Sometimes we would all plan to jump in bed with Ada. She would yell: ”Mama make these kids behave.” .
How do you picture Mom when you think of her as a young busy mother? Many times all would get ready to go somewhere and she would stay home. Lots of times we would have Sunday dinner after church with lots of food at Lommen's and when Pop said time to go we'd head for the car because it was chore time. Hanford lots of times sat in front. What HHH wanted, he got, like sitting by window.
How do you picture Pop as a farmer and father? Only time Pop put his arm around me was when Pop was driving, he put one arm around me and said, “I can steer with my knees”.
What do you think is our greatest heritage from our ancestors? Faith and Education.
The Lommen family sent Laura to Lutheran Normal School. Laura taught many years. She went 1 year to LNS and had to go by train to Sioux Falls. Olava went 4 years to LNS and graduated in 1910. Agnes went 4 years to LNS and taught a few years. They instilled interest in getting college education. Of course Gulbrand T. Lommen, great uncle of Hammersland siblings, was one of 3 incorporators of Luther College, was on the Bd. Of Trustees and building committee.
How did you get to High School? Hanford drove a little green coupe. He took the back part off and put in a rumble seat. He would do wheelies over by the Catholic Church until the police came. Alice and Clarice drove the 34 Chevy, taking turns every other day after HHH graduated. Once they had 2 flat tires in one day. Left car at the edge of town because the folks did not want us driving over by the high school. Clarice's Junior year Alice was a freshman. One time we were supposed to get a punch bowl down by the fairgrounds so I put one foot on the porch and the dog let out a yell. I took off – no punch bowl. Any Rose boys ride along? Going to Luther League Charles was in the back seat and he said “Home James.” We still use that phrase even though we did not know the origin.
When Clarice and Alice were in High School, arrangements had been made for them to stay with Miss Gee when the weather was bad. They had a card to eat at the Empress Cafe. Alice and Clarice could eat supper there and then go to Miss Gee. She had newspapers under the mattress so every move made a noise. She had newspapers all over everything where she had the upstairs was closed off. She later had a Balkan museum with artifact from her travels there. She was a friend of Mom's from a literary – poetry writing group. Ada had stayed at Amy Richard’s home and had to practice piano faithfully. It paid off.
CLARICE HAMMERSLAND LARSON
Did you take part in plays and music? Clarice sang in the choir, girl's glee club and small groups for contest, but did not play a band instrument.
Did you and Alice take string lesson from Archibald Souden? Clarice the violin, Alice the cello.
Did she take her cello to college? She tried out on cello but got into the St. Olaf choir all four years so that was better anyway.
Was your high school graduation in the gym? Yes, maybe all of us had it there.
What are your favorite memories about Waldorf? The reason I went to Waldorf College in Forest City was that we went to Bible Camp at Clear Lake and Odvind Hagen came there and recruited. At least 6 of the girls from there signed up. Ada went 1 year to Waldorf. Clarice and Sylvia went 2 years and got teachers’ certificates and Norma went 1 year and also got a certificate to teach. The folks took them to Forest City the first time, then they took the train from Calmar. Sometimes they rode the mail truck from Garner to Forest City. Did you sing in the choir under Mr. Hagen? Yes, He would have Clarice sing an octave higher than the others but she could not do that the last year. Sylvia and Norma also sang in the choir. Did you have choir tours? Only to Minneapolis because of gas rationing. Did you stay in homes? Cheap hotels: “not the top of the line”. Do you recall any favorite numbers the choir sang? “Beautiful Savior.” Concerts ended with it.
Did you teach anywhere before Clermont Larabee School? One year Vacation Bible School and took Marie along to the Paulson and Anfinson schools. It was so good for kids. Long enough to learn and enjoy things: at least 2 weeks.
How did you meet Harold? At Edna and Johnny's who lived up by Montauk. Marie recalls, “Harold hanging me on the clothes line or over his shoulder”. Also the evening at Johnny and Edna's at the Larabee home half way up the hill, was memorable: They made wire recording of all of us. I know Alice and Erling were there, but were you? Clarice was not there. Pop sang Silent Night in Norse and Alice sang “He Shall Feed His Flock”. Marie sang, “When I've Done the Best I Can”. The whole group must have sung something. Harold re-recorded much of it to tape. Then we put it on a master tape that should probably be put on a CD now.
June 16, 1946 was the first of the weddings. Marie thought it was the most exciting day and seems to remember eating a nice meal in the church basement. Her dress was crepe with a tiny net collar. Was it Audrey Dahl that was flower girl with me? Yes. I don't know the color of our dresses. We have the photos of Sylvia and Ada in long formals from high school events, by the driveway to the barn. Marie also remembers having the Larson brothers playing games in the parlor that night and there was a terrific lighting storm because it had been a very hot day.
Did you live in Manchester first? Was it upstairs? Yes, to work for Larson Roofing (Johnny and Millard) there, Russell , brother of Ed (Harold's Dad) branched off from Clermont. Until fall. Baking in double pans, Clarice would make loads of cinnamon rolls and cakes. It took lots of bread to make French toast for all the Larson family.
Then did you move to Ettrick? Yes, in the fall of 1946 for 3 or 4 years. I remember the baptisms of your kids. Was the name of the church French Creek Lutheran? Yes. Marie will never forget how Harold and Clarice laughed when she took the knob from the out house door because the bull scared her. (The outhouse was conveniently placed in the cow pen!!)
Marie also remembers being at Middle Ridge and David thinking the trike had taken his toe off and the lady asking if he liked her hair because he stared at it. He said “No” to her question.
Marie thinks she got to go along to look at the Chaseburg farm. What year did you move there? 1954
The kids all went to Westby? No, Elaine and Dennis went to Luther High in Onalaska.
There is a log cabin inside the walls of your house? The center and even the kitchen is log. (Arvid leaves lights and furnace on now while Clarice lives in LaCrosse). They remodeled the porch about 5 years ago. Garage and family room were built when David was about confirmation age. Before that there was a pantry with only a window and only the front door as an entrance.
How many cows did you milk? Oh, at most it was 40. When it was in a bucket, for straining we had to lift the full bucket up and then a water tank where we would get those large cans into the water. After Harold was working at Otis she would have the kids balance a can in the water and she would pour the milk into that. She did that for years which is probably the reason for both knee and shoulder problems.
Did you have chickens and how many? Oh, sure; 200 dozen eggs each Friday delivered on a route in LaCrosse. Weighed each egg for small, medium, large (55 cents a dozen for large).
Only one goat? No, we had a lot. Twins sometimes. All of them were given away. They would climb on top of the hay bales. Grand-daughter Jessie loved them. That was after the cows were gone. Arvid had a zoo: banties, white ducks and brown ducks followed around. Something killed Molly the goat. The goats were Arvid's pay for helping with milking and other chores at the neighbor: George Tish was a neighbor who brought horse and buggy for us for a ride one year.
Your flower gardens came later? Yes, after chores slowed down. Did you do field work on the ridge? I don't think so but helped to unload lots of hay. Boys were big enough to run the tractors and help. They were not really old enough to help much with the large amount of milking right after moving to Chaseburg. Arlen was six. Had the 3 boys when we moved over there. Clarence lived with them 5 years. He grew tobacco and never helped with the milking. He would quick take the bathroom when he saw Clarice coming up from the barn after milking so she had to wash up at the kitchen sink.
Thank you to Clarice for helping with this recording of some of the family events.