Kit Carson County, Colorado
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Kit Carson County Pioneers:

Edward Johanson Elgethun, 8 South 45 West



Edward John Elgethun was born Nov 22, 1878 in Mysen Ostfol, Norway to Johan F. Elgethun and Karen Johansen.


One descendant wrote:
" Edward J. Elgethun was born in Haerland Norway on November 22,1878 and was married to my grandmother, Anna Mathilde Olsdatter (from Rakkestad Norway November 25, 1882) on December 22, 1914.
The information that I have says that he was a bit of a wanderer and that he traded the homestead for a second deed on a movie theater in Denver. I do not know if the story is true. My father, John, born in 1918 in Minnesota, told me that he remembers moving many times by train with animals and machinery. My dad missed a year of school because of it. My grandpa and grandma had three children, John born on 7/7/1918, m Elsie Marie born 2/3/1920 and Alma 7/13/1923.

The picture enclosed is Alma(back left), John(middle), Elsie(Back right) and Anna Mathilde and Edward. His last name had been either Johnson or Johanson in Norway and he took the name of the family farm, Elgethun. Elg is a small moose in Norway and Tun is the farm yard. He was called Elgetun when he left Norway. His Ellis Island records are available. My father came to the U.S. with his older brother, Hans, who was a blacksmith in South Dakota. The arrived in Elk Point, SD. Hans taught my father to weld and he was a welder in the California shipyards during WW2 where I was born. He had a career as a farmer, shop welder and finally as a Steamfitter/Pipefitter in Minnesota.

Edward claimed two quarters in sections 19 and 20, 8S 45W, Kit Carson County, in 1913.

Edward J. Elgethun and Anna "Sarby" married on December 22, 1914 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He registered for WWI in Pipestone County, Minnesota, farming, born Nov 22, 1878, with Anna Matilda Elgethun.

Edward and Ann Matilda Sorby, both born in Norway, had Elsie Marie Elgethun in Lyon County, Iowa on Feb 3, 1923. In 1945 Mrs. Edward J. Engethun was 60, living in Lac qui Parle, Minnesota.

In 1930 Lac Que Parle County, Edward is 51, married at age 36, with Ann M. 47 married at age 32. John 11 was born in Minnesota, Elsie M. 10 in Iowa, and Alma C. 6 in South Dakota.

In 1940 Lac Qui Parle County, Edward is farming, 61, Mathilda 57, Alma 16. John is farming, 21, married to Dorothy 18, both born i n Minnesota.

Edward died in Washington County, Minnesota January 19, 1950.
Anna, born Nov 25, 1882, died in March 1970, last residence Stillwater, Minnesota.

JOHN

John, born July 7, 1918 in Pipestone County, died Nov 25, 2009 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, per one tree.

"Elgethun, John age 91, of Shakopee, passed away 11/25/09. Preceded in death by wife, Dorothy; daughter, Susan Hilde. Survived by sons, Edward (Judy) and David (Renee); grandchildren, John, Kai (Beth), Chris, Liv, Nicole (Mark) Spangler and Amy (Dennis) Weringa; 5 great-grandchildren. "
Memorial service is Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010 at noon
"Dr. Edward Elgethun, Class of 1961, Stillwater High School, was honored because he is inspirational as a scientist and scholar. His community leadership included the Boy Scouts in the United States and Great Britain. Elgethun used his leadership, skills and talents while an Air Force Academy cadet, where he studied Latin, Greek, English and math until being injured in service.
Elgethun's math and science education allowed him to apply algorithms for studies in space, satellite orbits, maneuvers and processing of satellite data. He served as a member of the Apollo 13 Orbit Design Team where he helped with the safe return of astronauts from space to Earth. He later became a chief engineer for SCITOR Corp. and designed and developed commercial satellites and respective analytics to eliminate errors in the field.
Elgethun is currently working with scientists at Sandia Labs in New Mexico to determine orbits of dark matter with a possibility of discovering a viable energy source. He was published in numerous scholarly journals and pioneered a new method of using satellite time measurement and dynamics to locate communication signals and sources of interference."


ELSIE

Elsie M. Hull 1920-2005 is buried in Phoenix National # 36494120, with Vernon W. Hull 1921-1982

ALMA

Alma Kari (Elgethun) Alldritt 1923-1990 is buried in Almelund, Chisago County, Minnesota # 36655181.


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