Wilhelm died 7 Apr 1910 and Marie died 7 Jun 1926. Both are buried in the Frankville Cemetery.

Branhagen Century Farm

(Arthur Branhagen)

FIRST GENERATION: Thorston (Tosten) Anderson Brandhagen (1806-1883) was born in Gran, Hadeland, Norway and his wife Annie Sevelrud (1793-1887), was born in Toten, Norway, and died in Madison, SD. They came by ship in 1861 and on 15 Mar 1862 they purchased 80 acres for $1150 in Springfield Twp. and later another adjacent 80 acres.

They had 8 children: Peter died in Norway; Andrew, the oldest was 16 when coming to America; Nels (or Nils) was married to Reginald (Ragnil) Nelson and later Laura and lived in Bosque Co., TX; Caroline married M.FI. Gulbrandson; Isabel married T.A. (Truls) Enger (both Caroline and Isabel settled in Winneshiek Co.); Annie married Martin N. Lovstuen; Tom (Torger) married Ada T; Ole T. married Marien Lovstuen Olson - all of Lincoln Co., Territory of Dakota (South Dakota).

As they grew up, they attended the Brandhagen School (District No. 1, Springfield Twp.) built in 1862 situated in the northeast corner of the 40 acres south of the homestead. It was 20 feet wide, 30 feet long and the walls were 2 feet thick and it had home-made desks. Pupils enjoyed having spelling bees.

The Brandhagens were members of the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church.

Arthur Branhagen farm

SECOND GENERATION. Andrew Tosten Brandhagen (1844-1937) attended the Breckenridge Institute in Decorah and in Jan 1864 enlisted in Co. E, 38th Iowa Infantry where he served until Aug 1865. He was mustered out with an honorable discharge after serving among other places, in southern Texas. He returned home -changed his name to Branhagen - worked as a stonemason for 6 years and purchased the home farm on 18 Jun 1883.

Andrew married Oleanna Rognlien (1852-1923) on 4 Jul 1884. She was born in Toten, Norway. They had 3 children: Annie (1886-1951), William (1889-1967) and (delta (1896-1968). All attended Red Oak School and Washington Prairie Church.

Andrew built some farm buildings and others like the Methodist Church (built between the farm and Washington Prairie Church) which came from the stone in the Branhagen quarry (west part of the farm). He was school treasurer, township clerk, stockholder in Nordness Creamery and Nordness Telephone Co. As a trustee at church he helped make and sign the Articles of Incorporation.

In 1921 Andrew retired to a house on Maple Avenue in Decorah with his 2 daughters, Annie as housekeeper, and (della who was a telephone operator for 40 years with Northwest Bell. After his son William bought the farm in 1929, he often took the Rock Island train to Nordness and walked to the farm to help with things like driving the horses for the hayfork in haying. He was the last Civil War veteran living in Decorah.

THIRD GENERATION: William (Willie or Bill) A. Branhagen (1889-1967) grew up on the farm and attended the Red Oak School. He married Matilda (Tilda) Bringsjord (1895-1982) on 11 Jan 1917, and they lived in Decorah for about 5 years (1916-1920) where he had a vulcanizing shop on East Water Street. Three children -Arthur and twins Olga and Willard - were born there. Then Henry and Lester were born on the farm where they had moved in 1921, and purchased it on 5 Mar 1929.

They engaged in general farming - dairy cows, hogs and chickens. Willie had hounds for hunting coons, fox and wolves. He raised bees and sold honey, and sold seed corn from the farm, he cut trees for the telephone lines in the community and also serviced the telephones. The Branhagen Switch was on the kitchen wall and was filled with switches and bells operated by sister Idella until it was moved to the Nordness Telephone Co. offices in Nordness.

In 1925 Willie bought a 32 volt DELCO Light Plant so the farm now had electricity for lights. In 1928 he bought a John Deere General Purpose tractor on steel wheels; in 1930 bought a threshing machine and a newer one in 1931. In 1934 he bought a 2-row corn picker and shredder. He sawed wood for neighbors, too. In 1935 he purchased a I 1/2 ton truck for commercial trucking in the area as well as for use on the farm.

In 1944 after moving to Decorah Willie did carpentering, bought a saw mill and trapped gophers. He also kept bees for honey at his home on Winneshiek Avenue for a time. He and his wife Tilda enjoyed camping and fishing on the Mississippi.

FOURTH GENERATION: Arthur Theodore Branhagen was born 11 Jul 1917 in Decorah and moved to the farm at the age of 2 1/2. He along with his sister and brothers attended Red Oak School and were all confirmed at Washington Prairie Church by the Rev. Paul Koren. In 1940 he married his neighbor, a local schoolteacher, Elsie Clarissa Winger (26 Apr 1916-29 Aug 1995) and had two sons, Arlin and Darrel. On 23 Sep 1948 they purchased the 160 acre farm from William. (Note: Elsie passed away shortly after submitting this story.)

Arthur helped his dad on the farm with threshing, trucking, shredding, corn picking and sawing wood. Later on