A Civil War connection

DL woman fascinated to learn more about her great-grandfather, who fought in Civil War

By Vivian (Makela) Sazama

“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” –Abraham Lincoln

For Carol Grina of Detroit Lakes it has been a joy to review her Great Grandfather’s extensive documentation of his Civil War history and later, homesteading in Otter Tail County.

Carol Grina of Detroit Lakes cherishes the information she has on her Great Grandfather’s Civil War history. Carol is a holding photo of Nils Peterson, who volunteered to fight in the Civil War on June 2, 1861 at the age of 36. Photo by Vivian Sazama

“I never knew him, of course,” she said, “but it’s been fun to learn about my mother’s grandfather Nils Peterson’s history.” Carol credits a family member in accumulating and organizing much of their shared history. “I’m hoping to continue on the process and create a storyline, so that it’s easier for our descendants to follow,” she said.

Nils, originally known as Nils Petter Petterson while in Norway, was born in 1824 in Kongsberg, Buskerud, Norway. He immigrated to America in 1860, at age 36, going to Fond du Lac, Wis. where on June 2,1861 he volunteered for the Company K, 3rd Wisconsin Infantry, 15th Regiment, Captain Hawley Company, to battle in the Civil War. The 15th Regiment was a Norwegian Regiment, with over 90 percent born in Norway. Abraham Lincoln was known to quote: “I know the Norwegians, no immigrants have served America better than they.”

Nils’ regiment served in the Shenandoah Valley in West Virginia where he endured “hard marching” and exposure, taking part in some of the greatest battles of the war. He sustained severe injuries, including ruptures to his right side and “diseases of the lung,” to the point of coughing up blood, which was to affect him for the rest of life. He also suffered deafness from his time in the war.

Carol Grina cherishes the pictures of her Grandparents, Christian and Amelia Peterson.

From the winter of 1862 to mid April 1863, Nils received treatment in an Army camp hospital, until he was brought to Carver Hospital in Washington D.C.

“He got to shake President Lincoln’s hand when Lincoln walked through his ward,” said Carol.

After his release from the hospital, Nils went back to Madison, Wis., then went on to Faribault, Minn., where he lived for two years. His records show that he was discharged from the Army on July 15, 1863. He traveled to California, Idaho, and Montana before returning to Minnesota.

Otter Tail County boasts the most lakeshore in Minnesota and was described as the “Garden of Eden” at the time and was first settled by many Civil War veterans. When Nils, the handsome Civil War veteran, moved to Otter Tail County, he met Bolleta Amelia Meberg, who was born in 1846, and whose family had also immigrated from Norway. He was 46 and Amelia was 24 when they married in 1871. After their first son, Samuel, was born they moved to Maine Township near Waterstreet Bridge, where their second child, Sophie, was born. In 1883 they settled in Aurdal Township where their three younger sons were born. The area was to become known as “Cabbage Hill,” due to the cabbage field developed there in later years. The couple began farming and raised five children – Sam, Sophie, Christian, Adolph, and Freddie.

Because of Nils’ war injuries, it was difficult to farm, especially as he aged, and in 1888 he applied for a veteran’s disability pension. He finally began receiving a pension of $125 per month in 1892.

The nearby Stavanger Lutheran Church was established in 1882 during the time when Nils and Amelia were homesteading and became an important part of their life. In 1888, Nils and Amelia became members. Amelia was known to be an active and faithful member, always willing and ready to do good, according to her obituary. Nils passed away in 1908, at age 83, after which documents show that Amelia then had to apply for a widow’s pension.

Nils and Amelia’s fourth child,Christian, known as Christ, Carol’s Grandfather, was born in 1881, and married Marianne Nelson Jorstad, born in 1886, who grew up in Underwood. The couple first lived in Fergus Falls where he worked in a casket factory for a while before moving to a farm near Nils and Amelia’s farm, where Carol’s mother, Florence, and her brother, Lloyd, were raised. Sadly, Lloyd passed away from a gun accident at the age of sixteen. Carol’s mother loved going to visit her Grandmother Amelia, accompanied by her pet lamb Bess. She remembered the aroma of barrels of apples stored in the attic from several fruit trees in the yard.

Grina’s Great Grandfather Nils Peterson, shook the hand of President Abraham Lincoln while recovering in the Carver Hospital in Washington D.C.

“Grandmother Marianne passed away from cancer before I was born,” said Carol, “so I never knew her.” Christ was to marry again, however, she also passed away. He then married Hilma Knudson, which Carol says she saw as being the only wife of Grandfather Christ that she knew, and she loved her.

Hilma had been a widow and had a son who went missing in action in the Korean War.

“I remember going to their house after school one day before he went to Korea and he told me, ‘Come listen to this.’ He started a record playing with the song, ‘Dance With A Dolly (With A Hole in Her Stocking)’ and was dancing away!” she said. Sadly, he went missing in action and never returned.

In 1918, Great Grandmother Amelia moved into Fergus Falls where she lived for 16 years. Carol’s mother, Florence, lived with Amelia for a school year because her one-room school didn’t have a teacher for that year. She remembered having waffles, which were a special treat.

Carol’s mother Florence married Paul Danielson, who grew up on what is now the Red Horse Ranch and they attended the same school.

“Mom would say that she could see dad’s farm from the farm where she grew up, which was on a hill,” said Carol. “Dad helped build the Friberg Dam. His mother was commissioned to provide lunches to the dam workers.”

Carol’s parents moved to a farm about eight miles north of where they grew up.

 An inscription at the top of Grina’s Great Grandfather Nils Peterson’s  tombstone is in Norwegian and says, “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Mt. 5:9

“There are a lot of good memories at that farm,” said Carol. “Our neighbor was a teacher and was a big influence on me. She was a leader in 4-H also and taught me a lot about speaking and leading,” she said. “I enjoyed teaching choruses and flannelgraph stories at a very young age at Tonseth Church Sunday School.”

Carol attended a one-room school, District #129, through sixth grade, then attended seventh grade in Pelican Rapids.

“I wanted to stay at Pelican Rapids, but at that time bussing to Pelican wasn’t provided, so I ended up finishing high school in Fergus Falls,” she said.

Carol’s long family history in Otter Tail County has provided the foundation to what was to become a long life of ministry. She married Dennis Grina, who was raised in Northwood near Grand Forks, ND. They met in Fergus Falls where Dennis was working at a summer job for Otter Tail Power in between his junior and senior years at the University of North Dakota and Carol had just finished high school. Carol went on to nursing school at the Wahpeton State School of Science, where she graduated as a LPN in 1961. During their courtship, one of their favorite places to go to was at the Phelps Mill, near Underwood. Her great aunt Sophie had lived across the Otter Tail River from the mill. Sophie’s son, Andy, and his wife also had lived on a farm near the mill and Carol’s grandfather Christ’s brother had a small restaurant there as well.

“Phelps Mill has a lot of great memories and meaning for me,” said Carol. “I’m really glad it has become a historic site and can be preserved.”

Civil War veteran, Nils Peterson, and his wife Amelia with their children in Otter Tail County. Contributed photo

One of the many pursuits Carol has enjoyed over the years is writing poetry inspired by nature and bringing her grandchildren along hiking trails with Dennis. One such excursion was the bog walk at Bemidji State Park.

“We were on the bog walk and I asked my grandchildren to try to come up with words that rhyme with bog,” she said. “I ended up writing a story with all the rhyming words they came up with.” Many years later, Carol published the story into a children’s story book, with illustrations by local Detroit Lakes artist Anna Lassonde.

In 2012, Carol and Dennis celebrated their 50th anniversary with their children and grandchildren at Phelps Mill, bringing even more special meaning to Carol.

From the fjords of Norway, through the hardships of the Civil War, and the trials of homesteading a new land, came a life rich with history and meaning. It is Carol’s hope that this love of her roots will be passed on to her family in the years to come.