Ernest Gustav Peterson
Sept. 23, 1880- 1964
Ernest G. Peterson was born as Ernest Johnson (John’s
son—get it?) in Kristvalla Kalmar Sweden
to John Laurence Peterson and Maria Erickson on September 23, 1880. (info “verified” by Ernest’s application for
retirement annuity in 1945—these are dates and spellings he gave.)
In 1967 Gordon, Georgina and Pat visited the church where he
was baptized.
The story goes that Ernest, a two-year-old, tried to climb
out a porthole on the boat trip to America in 1883. If he hadn’t been pulled back, this story
wouldn’t happen.
The family settled in Westboro, WI where John and Maria went
on to have more children: Carl, Angus, …..
The landscape there resembled what they left behind in Sweden.
Ernest’s first grade report card was for “Ernest
Johnson.” On later report card he was
Ernest Peterson.
The school house was by the Nelsons’ and Peterson’s farms
and was the site of Saturday night socials and square dancing. People would walk the 2-2 ½ miles from
Westboro to attend, walking down the railroad tracks. The music was guitar, banjo, violin and mouth
organ.
Ernest noted in a 1940 diary that on May 31, 1890 he became
a naturalized citizen through his father.
On February 27, 1894, T.F. Williams, M.C. wrote “Ernest
Johnson has been successfully vaccinated.”
{what vaccinations were given them?)—original note
1896—age 16—pay slips from Heidrick & Matso Lumber Co.
Inc. He was working for $1.15/day or
$30/month.
1899—“Chelsea, Wis. Oct 23, 1899. Rousseau & Shepard Co. Manufacturers and Wholesale Dealers in
Lumber—Hemlock a specialty”. Evidently
also had a company store. One column was “July 1 Balance due you 10.66”
followed by dates and items purchased (e.g. Hat .50, cash 2.00, Peaches
.30, 1 pr shoes 1.35). Aug 17 John L
(chg to Ernest) feed 1.43. By the end of
the two pages, Ernest owed the company $6.98.
At some point when Ernest was working in a sawmill, he lost
a finger.
1902
Deed No. 4178--Wisconsin Central Railway Company. This indenture, Made the second day of July
in the year one thousand nine hundred and two by and between the Wisconsin
Central Railway Company…and Ernest Peterson of Chelsea of the County of Taylor
State of Wisconsin…That, for and in consideration of the sum of Two hundred
(200) Dollars…The northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section
nineteen (19), township thirty three (33) north, range two (2) east of the
fourth (4th) principal meridian: containing forty (40) acres more or
less
1904—diary—details of what he did on the railroad. January 14 entry: electric light
1906 diary written in “Laird & Lee’s Diary and
Time-Saver” contains his daily activities working on the railroad. There is very interesting information at the
beginning of the diary.
The Wenthe Railway Correspondence School, Freeport, Ill
certifies that Ernest Peterson has completed the General and Special Studies
required and has pass with High Credit the examination prescribed for the
Locomotive Firemen’s course. We
recommend him as a Fireman who is thoroughly conversant with modern railroad practice,
the underlying principles thereof and the duties of the position to which he
aspires. Dated at Freeport, Ill., this
16th day of May A.D. 1908
(Signed) Sec’y.
It may be at this point that he moved to Illinois and became
a fireman on the Illinois Central Railroad.
Because of the missing finger, he could not become an engineer. (source:
Gordon oral history)
1909 is covered in “Leachman’s Diary.” It also contains his activity on the
railroad.
April 25 party at Aug. Nelsons
April 28 party at
Mrs. Swansons
May 1 party at
home
May 2 party at
Smiths -----leading up to:
May 3 left for Mont.
On 11:30 train (brother Ferd was already
in Montana)
May 4 he went thru
Abbotsford and on to Mpls, St. Paul
May 5 delayed at
Hope, ND later mentions a “small
snowstorm in Shelby”
May 6 delayed at
Frazer
May 7 arrived in
Libby at 3:15—“find it a dull place”
“went to work in sawmill”
In an undated ledger seeming to bridge years from 1912-14 he
kept thoughts, quotations, even rules for social games.
On pp. 174-76 is written his poem about leaving the beautiful state of
Montana. Evidently he got over the “dull
place” he’d first experienced.
In a list of the “speed record of the swiftest moving things
on earth” he wrote that “Aeroplanes fly
100 miles an hour.” He had a list of the
richest (iron mine in Sweden) and deepest (2,314 feet) mines on earth.
There were also several pages of games, some with rules. Ever hear of “an elephant market” or “Brother
I’m Bobbed” or “laugh and go to foot”?
He has the rules for them!
1913’s time book says he “went to camp” logging, most likely
Sept. 6 he attended pie social at schoolhouse
Sept. 11 “wage raised”
On October 22 he went to camp 19, returning home November 26
for a few days. On November 30 he went
back to camp, coming home April 2.
This seems to contradict what Gordon had told. He said his dad took a job a railroad section
foreman when he returned from Montana.
In 1914 he seemed to be still working at the mill or
somewhere in the lumber industry. But on
Sept. 23, he wrote a one-word entry: wedding.
It was his 34th birthday and he married Alma Nelson. He did take a week off from work. For a wedding present they received a cow
from Alma’s parents. They first lived in
Queenstown, a “suburb” of Westboro.
Queenstown was populated by people who worked in the mills.
On September 30 Nels Nelson, Ernest’s grandfather died. At that time, Ernest was working at the mill.
1915
Jan .4 cut 22
hardwood logs5 cut 19 logs
7 paid Life Ins. $33.62
In March he started in the sawmill
“Banknote Pd. 4-16-15”
In May he bought a stove; borrowed money from the bank
October 4—with the number circled in red—“baby born 11.30
10 ½ lbs.” [Gordon]
He took the following day off.
Dec. 5 “surprise
party on E. Peterson by Church members
$16.00” (baby shower?)
Dec. 8 “had Dr. for
baby”—no mention of problem or its solution
1916 diary showed hours worked; income, outgo; weather
Nov. 2 Augusta
Nelson and Frida Blomberg visiting (was Frida his sister?)
1917
April 6 “War
declared on Germany”Nov. 8 helped dad butcher pig
Dec. 31 cutting logs for dad
November 18, 1918—postcard from the War Department, Local
Board for the County of Taylor, Medford, Wis.
Notice of Classification: IV-A
His ledger contained a long discourse, seemingly copied but
no source given, how J. P. Morgan bought newspapers to influence the war
effort, appointing editors to “censor” the news in his favor, i.e. supporting
the war machine.
1920 picture of
Gordon and baby Beverly
Inserted into 1906 diary are 1923 notes. Mostly R.R.
1924
Warranty Deed –H.G. Kiger & Emma Kiger his wife to
Ernest Peterson for Lot 10 Josephs Add to Westboro. August 13.
“for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar and other valuable
consideration”
1933
In 1933 the railroad section at Westboro was eliminated and
rather than bump someone else, Ernest took a section foreman job in Cadott
where there was a vacancy. Ernest didn’t
drive, so Gordon drove him back and forth on weekends. In May 1934 the family moved to Cadott. The first house they rented for
$15/month. They then moved to the house
they purchased (where Emery and Barb live now).
1940 diary: “May 31, 1890
Circuit Court of Taylor Co.
Medford The date above when I was
naturalized thru my Father.”
He must have had an accident at work. On Feb. 2 he went to Doctor. On 3rd he” went to Chippewa—claim
agent here.” On 4th back to Dr.
On 5th he “Left for Mpls on #1. Arrive St. Paul 4.20. left on G.M. arrive Mple 5.00. on 6th “arrived 1435 Soo
Bldg 9.10 AM –at chief Surgeons office at 2 PM.” Next day “got up 6,15 AM—left Mpls 7.30 on
#2. Feb. 8 “First National & Soo
Linde Bldg claim office 14th floor—Chief Surgeon.” He also notes that the Woolworth bldg. has
escalator. He took taxi to Venons Hotel
for 25 cents where his room was 2.50.
He went thru the Woolworth store &
Penneys store—Sears Foshay Tower about 30 stories high—office in Medical
Arts Bldg 2nd floor—xrays 13 floors up.
Oct. 15, 1940 State
Bank of Medford: Enclosed find our draft
for $650.00 to cover payment in full of the Zentner transaction. [is this the house in Cadott?]
1944
1945
February 4 “biggest snowstorm” and continued above duties.
April 3 storm all day
WORST STORMROOSEVELT DIED. APRIL 12 3:45
June 8 VACATION
June 14 END OF VACATION
Aug 1-7 vacation
Nov. 30 last day
Dec. 1 RETIRED (no more entries for the year)
Ernest retired from the Soo Line Railroad with an average
monthly pay of $116.84. His annuity paid
him $56.20. On the application dated
December 20, 1945 he listed Alma Nelson
as his wife (no middle name), father: John Laurence Peterson; mother: Maria
Kristina Peterson with his place of birth Kristvalla, Kalmar, Sweden; DOB Sept.
23, 1880. He started
Jan. 1, 1937 for the Soo Line [Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault St. Marie] and
retired Nov. 30, 1945 as Section Foreman in the Stevens Point Devision. Designated beneficiary witnesses were Geo. A.
Miller and Esley Bates.
He must have challenged the annuity part as he received a
letter dated March 3, 1947 which stated he was not entitled to an annuity of
more than $56.20.
1946
United States of America Railroad Retirement Board
Certificate of Service Months and Wages.
Retirement credits: 119 months,
$30,149.97 in wages.
1947
Diary notes of activity at church—janitorial, weddings—also
when Gordon and Beverly would come home
for the weekend
Letter from lawyer dated April 3, 1947 re: estate of John L.
Peterson. It concerned the selling of
the real estate belonging to this estate.
His sister Emma Scott seemed to be in charge and thought $1600 could be
secured [Maria Christina Peterson lived with Emma and her family after John
died.] The letter requested he sign the quit claim deed; the name of the
grantee was blank “so that if it should develop that somebody else was
interested in paying more, the name can be inserted.”. The lawyer already had the power of attorney
for Ferd Peterson and his wife. Other
heirs were “local” so their signatures could presumable be gotten when the property
sold. “When the sale is made your Sister Emma thinks that some reasonable
amount should be used to put up a grave stone for your parents. Kindly advise what your opinion is on that
subject.”
In Oct. he noted “janitor work $37,50, clean church $28.00=$65.50,
(supplies) $5.09—rec’d check $70.59—from other notes this would be a quarterly
payment so this would be for July-September
From December 8-13 he made 2-3 trips to the church daily “to
fire up” with the same the following week.
In December he noted 17 services, 1 wedding, 1 funeral.
1948
Mostly janitor work and clean church. He got $1/day for firing the furnace, $1.50
for janitor work. He worked on the
parsonage steps for 10 hr. @ $.60/hr.
1949
Monday, March 28
new Grandson
December 7, 1949—Medford lawyer’s letter to Angus, Carl,
Ernest and Ferd re: John L. and Christine Peterson Estates. It seems there was a problem clearing the
title to the property. One involved “the
Rust title in Westboro, which titles are a complicated mess. It happens that it could be proven that the
title had been in the family for more than thirty years, so an affidavit of
adverse possession was drawn and placed on record; there were various other
complications to perfect the title, but all has now been taken care of. From the statement you will note that the
balance remaining is $832.95; that balance we have divided as follows: 1/3 to
Emma Scott, under the deed of the mother to herself covering the dower of the
widow… $277.65 Difference of $555.30 in
five shares, 1/5th is EACH
$111.0” [there is a detailed
itemization of the final costs to settle the estate including funeral and
burial]
1950
[in the person information part at the beginning of the
diary: “In Case of Accident or Serious Illness, Please, Notify by Telegraph or
Telephone…..” Under personal
information: Size of Hat 7 ¼ Collar
17 Size of Shirt (blank)
Sleeve Length (blank) Size of
Gloves (blank) Shoes 9 ½
Make of Watch (blank) My Height
is 5 ft 9 in My Average Weight
is 185
]
The 1950 diary is mostly weather info and church caretaker info
Feb. 16 Diesel train
#21 hit car running on track. 1 man
killed. Justice miscarried. 2 drunks
1953
July 17 Christ
Goetz sick
Aug. 1 Christ Goetz
diedAug. 4 Christ Goetz funeral
As janitor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Cadott, he also
rang the bell before the service and during the Lord’s Prayer. Emery remembers that he also had a seat next
to the organ and pulled a leather strap which pumped the bellows of the organ.
(That organ was replaced by a pipe organ in 1954.)
1954
Feb 19 television
first in here
Feb. 21 Mrs. Chris
Goetz died of stroke Sunday eveningFeb 26 Mrs. Goetz funeral 2 PM
April 10 Douglas Kris Peterson born
May 13 Douglas baptized
Aug. 13 hurt ribs
Aug. 19 xray ribs 2 ribs broke #1&5
Sept 1 Elmer Scott died [brother-in-law]
Sept 4 funeral 2 PM big attendance at the home & church
Sept 19 anniversary party here. 45 for dinner [40th]
Oct 13 Ferd & Lennie arrive here at noon
Oct. 14 Gordon took them to Scotts in eve.
Oct 17 Family reunion at Scotts
Oct 19 Ferd & Lennie leave for home Gordon took them to train at Eau Claire
Oct 25 Brother Angus died Mon. eve.
Oct 28 Brother Angus buried Thurs. P.M. from Luth Church Westboro
1955 Monday was wash day, Friday or Saturday scrub
day—duly noted each week.
March 15 star
dogged moon
April 23-May 11 notes dr. visits
May 20 confirmation day [Pat?] entertain relatives at Gordon’s for dinner
June 22 T.V. out of order 5:45 PM 2 yrs. 4 mo.
June 25 T.V. repaired 8 PM
July 12 my wife’s birthday 65 supper at Gordon’s
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