Tuesday, July 28, 2015

The Anna Stensruds that live(d)

So I did something yesterday.

I frequently find myself plugging into Google, searching, searching for something my heart knows I'll never find but my mind says "It's GOT to be there somewhere!  She has to be somewhere..."  Often I'll look to see if there's any news on my ex-husband - like if he's been convicted of anything yet, any legal trouble he might be having, that sort of snarky business - or people from my first marriage life that I don't have contact with anymore.  More frequently than is good for me, I look for Emily's birthmother.  Just to see if I can find out anything, maybe see a picture of Emily, discover just a snippet of what her life is like.  But no...those darn people who have protected their privacy so well by not creating Facebook pages or whatnot drive me bonkers.  This is how stalking is DONE these days!

But yesterday I plugged in Anna's name.  We didn't have a public memorial service for her.  We never wrote an obituary.  What was I expecting to find?  Maybe a birth/death announcement through a government or hospital based source?  Maybe someone took it upon themselves to write up something for the local paper?  Something.  Something that said "she was here".

I did indeed find some Anna Stensruds...but not mine.  There's one out there that made me blanch.  Some girl who Twitters by OhsnapitsAnna18 and writes things like "I might be a slut but I'm the slut your boyfriend wants".  Ugh.  I don't want my girl's name associated anywhere near her, capisce?
Most are Nordic women, no surprise I suppose.  But then there was this,

"Mrs. Anna Stensrud, daughter of Knute and Martha (Stamperstugen) Broughton, was born on May 12, 1873, in Westerheim Township, Lyon County, Minnesota, and passed away at the Clarkfield Care Center on January 17, 1969, at 8:30 p.m. at the age of 95 years.

She was baptized and confirmed in the St. Lucas Lutheran Church and was a lifetime member of the church and the Ladies Aid.

On November 16, 1893, she was united in marriage to Oscar J. Stensrud by the Rev. Knute Thorsteinson and to this union were born eight children.

They lived most of their married life in Westerheim Township except for a short time when they resided in Cottonwood. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Stensrud lived with her daughter, Mrs. Albert Pesek and a few years at the homes of her sons, Orvin and Marvin Stensrud. The last few years were spent at the Clarkfield Care Center.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two daughters, one sister and three brothers.

She leaves to mourn her passing, two daughters: Miss Maybelle Stensrud of Phoenix, Arizona, and Nettie (Mrs. Albert Pesek) of Taunton, Minnesota; and four sons: John of Cottonwood, Carl of Clarkfield, Orvin of Wood Lake, and Marvin of Minneota; 15 grandchildren; 43 great grandchildren; and a host of friends and relatives."

Ninety-five years old.  Married to the same man for 76 years.  Lived her whole life in Minnesota.  Forty-three great grandchildren.  Granted she married into the name but no matter.   Forty three.  Great grandchildren.   Now that's a life, my friends.

If only.

If only...

2 comments: