Cottonwood County MN Biographies--George Sivertson

"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"

Among the Norwegians who have come to Minnesota, and there have been many thousands, and have, through their industry and good management acquired a comfortable competency so that they are enabled to spend their old age in peace and plenty is George P. Sivertson, now living in honorable retirement in Westbrook, Cottonwood county.

Mr. Sivertson was born in Norway, April 3, 1849, and is a son of Sivert and Ellen (Pederson) Sivertson, both natives of Norway, where they grew up, were married and established their home. The paternal grandparents, Sigval and Elizabeth (Total) Sivertson lived and died in Norway on a farm, as did also the maternal grandparents, Benjamin Pederson and wife, and also the parents of G. P. Sivertson lived in the same community as the grandparents, spending their lives on a farm. They had three sons and two daughters, namely: George P., Conrad, Simon, Abel are all three living in Norway; Sarah died in that country. Simon is an officer in the Norwegian army.

George P. Sivertson was educated in his native land, and when twenty-one years of age came to the United States, in 1867, and located in Allamakee county, Iowa, where he remained until 1871 when he came to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, taking up a homestead in Highwater township, which he developed into a fine farm and carried on general farming successfully, until he retired from active life and moved to the village of Westbrook in the year 1902. During the two years of the grasshopper plague which destroyed his crops he was compelled to leave his farm and work out. He homesteaded eighty acres, later buying eighty acres of railroad land.

Mr. Sivertson was married on April 12, 1876, to Martha Langland, who was born in Norway, November 6, 1854, daughter of Knute and Anna (Bjargo) Langland, from which county she came to America in early life with her parents, the family locating in Madison, Wisconsin; then to Winneshiek county, Iowa, one year; then moved to Jackson county, Minnesota; later went to Winneshiek county, Iowa, and in 1871 came to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, where they remained to the end of their lives. The mother, two sons and two daughters were massacred by the savages, the father and two daughters, Julia and Martha, escaping. Mr. Langland bought railroad land, in Westbrook township. During the massacre, Martha was a little girl and was hid in a cornfield, escaping notice, but her sister Julia, who was tomahawked, survived. Mr. Langland died on his farm in Westbrook township some years ago.

To Mr. and Mrs. Sivertson seven children have been born, namely: Knute, John, Peter, Gertrude, Anna, and Mabel. They are all living at this writing except Josephine, the youngest, who died in infancy.

Politically, Mr. Sivertson is a Democrat. While living on the farm he served as school director for some time, and also was road boss occasionally. He is a member of the Lutheran church.