Niels Petersen GRUNNET

Niels' parents were born in Denmark. His wife Laura was herself born in Denmark. Niels was a merchant. He and Laura were married 26 Nov 1897 at Hutchinson, MN. In 1910, the entire family of 8 headed west by train to Idaho to stake a claim there. Niels had sold his interest in the general store (Hanson, Larson and Grunnet) in Hutchinson (or Stewart), MN.

Their claim was near a little town named Desmet, located a little south and west of Coeurd'Alene, Idaho (just across the border into SD). It was probably a 160 acre plot of land, as was the customary size. The rules required them to make certain improvements and live on the land for 3-4 years. It was wild country at that time, with two Indian tribes in the area; Flathead and Blackfoot.

As an interesting side note, the famous family of Laura (INGALLS) WILDER [b. 7 Feb 1867] had also lived in the area of SD (before it became known as Desmet), moving there c1877 by train, where Laura's father Charles INGALLS worked as bookkeeper at the railroad construction camp there. The town was named for Catholic priest Pierre-Jean De SMET, famous for his work with the Indians of the NW. Mabel's family lived in another town SE of Coeur d'Alene, ID but named for the same priest (others?). In her famous writings, Laura said "The land [there in SD] was enormous and still. The settlers had killed all the buffalo, and the Indians were gone. The men who were building the railroad left when winter began, but Laura's family stayed ... by springtime the quiet was gone. More settlers were pouring in. Almost overnight the old railroad camp became the crowded town of DeSmet, SD ... [the next winter] was the hardest anyone in DeSmet had ever seen. For 7 months there was a blizzard almost every day. Snow reached the rooftops and no trains could get through with supplies ... In the middle of the long winter, a young man named Almanzo Wilder [Laura's future husband] rode off into the countryside. He came back with a load of wheat that saved the settlers from starving to death" (40-4). By 1882, when Laura was 15, she was teaching at her own school in a nearby town (50). When she was 18 (Aug 1885), she married Almanzo and became a farmer's wife (52). Daughter Rose was born in Dec 1886 at De Smet, but Laura's 2nd baby died. Their house burned down and both parents became very sick, after which Almanzo limped for the rest of his life (57). Laura's parents stayed in DeSmet but Laura's family later moved to the Ozark Mtns in Missouri (59, left in 1885, tho they spent time in Vinton, IA in 1881, Spring Valley, MN in 1890, back in De Smet in 1891 and finally settling in Mansfield, MO in 1894). Laura wrote her 1rst book in 1930 at 63yo, followed by 7 more. She later said the 'golden thread' running through all her stories was courage, independence, cheerfulness and humor (62). She died in 1957 at 90yo. Hmmm, I wonder if Mabel and her family knew of the other De Smet or any of its residents (Laura Ingalls Wilder, Gwenda Blair, Putnam, 1981, 64pp, FHL).

In about 1914, they moved back to Stewart, MN (where daughter Mabel finished highschool). The family moved to Morningside, MN (a suburb of Minneapolis).

Niels died in his sleep shortly after his 66th birthday. A grandson (JCS) remembers it as the first funeral he ever attended, even remembering the song sung; Rock of Ages.

Note on Helen: She m. later in life after boldly moving out to Montana (by herself) to work as a teacher. She met and m. Alfred FREDERICKSON, a mill worker. She spent her last years at a Lutheran nursing home and d1999 at 95yo.

JCS remembers Uncle Emil (real name Emanuel, but he went professional by 'E. S. LARSEN') as a large, robust, very confident (domineering, maybe even arrogant) businessman. Tho Bob was the 'golden boy' i.e. most people's fave, one day Emil had little JCS sit on his lap and said 'THIS one's going to be successful'. Another time JCS showed him a new wallet or chage-purse he'd gotten as a gift, so Emil dug into his pocket and filled the purse w/change. JCS never forgot these things. Emil had a high position working with the DAYTON family department store company in Minneapolis, MN. At that time he was one of the few non-DAYTON people in senior mgt. A WORLD mag notice in the 27 Jul 2013 issue marked the 7 Jul 2013 passing of 88yo Douglas DAYTON, founding president of Target Corporation (which came out of Dayton Co), after a long battle w/cancer (pic included). He was an uncle of MN Gov. Mark DAYTON, and a 3rd-generation retailer who helped transform a family business into the 2nd-largest retailer (after WMT) in the US. He rcv'd a purple heart for his WWII military svc, then returned to the states to work as a store mgr in the family business. He became the 1st president of Target in 1960, which eventually absorbed the parent company, Dayton-Hudson, in 2000. Its very likely that Uncle Emil knew at least Douglas' father (and maybe even 15yo Douglas) in the late 1930s when JCS last saw Emil (in 1940 Emil would've been about 42yo and Douglas 15yo (b1925). Emil's older bro (hmmm, m. younger sis?!) Dave was also capable in business, running a large lumber (plus other products) company. These 2 had alot of sibling rivalry e.g. cars, homes, etc. but Emil usually came out on top. Get pics of these guys.

Myrtle and Dave's kids were Paul, Dave and Mary. The boys both became pastors in the Covenant Church (JCS' connection w/them is why C/M joined that church in Pasadena). Dave spent years in Rockford, IL, as pastor, then in Covenant Church admin and ldrshp, then teaching at TEDS and writing books, Paul in SF area [we visited in 1985]). Mary m. David GOERZ (d2013) who spent his whole career at Bechtel in SF-area. She now lives at a Vi there (Palo Alto).

Mabel's sis ('Aunt') Helen FREDRICKSON d. 20xx, last address was in Sidney, MT.

See also Grunnet and Larson files.

taken c1904; Niels, Laura, Florence and Leslie at rear of wagon, Enewald, Mary and family at front.
Store sign reads "Hansen and Grunnet General Merchandise, SELZ shoes, Always Best Values.

Another photocopy (from Jim G) looks like a newspaper clipping from 1897, which says 'Hansen & Grunnett
[General Merchandise store] have completed the erection of another large building adjoining their new store,
part of which will be used as a warehouse. Messrs. Fred Bannister and Arthur Richards have leased a part of
the building, and as soon as it is completed they will open a meat market therein'. The next item on the clipping
says 'MARRIED - At the Danish Lutheran church at Hutchinson [where C/G HOLM came from], yesterday,
by Rev. I. Gertten, Mr. N. P. Grunnet and Miss Laura Larsen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Larsen. Mr. Grunnet
is a member of the firm Hansen & Grunnet, who are now completing a new store building in this village, and the
newly married couple will reside here as soon as the building is ready to occupy'.

c1910 L-R: 8yo Mabel, 6yo Helen, 37yo Niels, 12yo Florence (back), 4yo Myrtle (front),
35yo Laura holding 1yo baby Robert, and 10yo Leslie. Probably taken in MN just before heading W to Idaho.

This is their house on the Idaho [160-acre] claim 1910-14, with [back l-r] Florence, Niels,
Laura and Leslie and [front l-r] Helen, Myrtle, Mabel, dog and Robert. Taken 1912.

This is nearby Tekoa, WA and was labelled (by Jim G probably) [These] 'Milwaukee Railroad
shops in Tekoa were where Grandpa [Niels i.e. Mabel's Dad] worked in winter'

Taken 1903 l-r: Leslie, Florence, Mabel

This picture is labelled 'DeSmet, Idaho' and it appears that it was a postcard, and the writing on the back is
'Dear Sister, This is a picture of the Indian mission where we get our mail. The little houses you see are all
Indian homes, a big Catholic church and academy. We go over there quite often. We can see all the buildings
from our front room window. We are all well and very busy. We have our garden all in now. We put in about 2
acres of vegetables, potatoes and ? Everything is up, but grows very slow. It has been warm here yet it
has been raining a good deal this last month. Love to all. Write.' Its addressed to Mrs E? M? Larsen in Stewart,
Minnesota. Probably written by Laura to her older sister Florence (who m. Emil LARSEN)

Here's a bigger version of it with enhanced 'Sepia' coloring

Taken c1915, l-r; Florence, Niels, Helen, Laura, Robert, Myrtle and Leslie (where's Mabel?)

c1935, Niels Peter Grunnet in downtown Minneapolis, where he worked as a shoe salesman
at the Leader Department store. JCS remembers as a boy being given 'a good deal'
on a pair of boots by his grandpa at that store [i.e. grandpa subsidized them].

Niels Peter Grunnet c1930

A newspaper clipping (from 'The Hennessey County Review' of Hopkins, MN) photocopy from Jim G) shows a 1939 obituary comment by a Mr. Parsons on the recently deceased Nels Grunnet; 'I used to see the pleasant, quiet man waiting for the car of a morning - and now I see him no more. Instinctively I felt that he would be a good man to live with altho I did not know him intimately and I am happy to be told that was the case. One who has benefitted much thru Mr. Grunnet's service, ableness and genuine manhood has talked to me of him since his sudden demise. And so again I say that a soul none the less expressive if not vociferous marches with us every day to our great edification'.

Another photocopy shows the wedding invitiation of daughter Mabel; 'Mr. and Mrs. N. P. Grunnet announce the marriage of their daughter Mable Lorraine to Mr. Clifford B. Sawyer on Tuesday 18 May 1926 [at] Mankato, MN. At home after June 10th, 518 Hickory Street, Mankato, MN.

Another photocopy shows the Marriage Certificate of son Leslie N. Grunnet to Grace H. Thompson on 14 Jun 1928. It was issued at Minneapolis, MN by George G. Valleuty [?] with witnesses Mr. and Mrs. C B Sawyer [i.e. Clifford and Mabel].

Sources:

"The Grunnet Family" by Niels Grunnet, Copenhagen, 1956 (in Danish)