Carl K. Lyseng and Ragna Foss
written by their girls
Carl K. Lyseng was born in Clinton. Minnesota,
to Knut K. and Anne Lyseng on November 30, 1886.
He immigrated with his parents to Canada in 1902.
They brought all their including cattle,
machinery and furniture with them by freight train.
At Regina the freight was too heavy so they had to
leave one box-car behind. Carl and Edward were in
charge of it while the others went on, Knut gave Carl
$5.00 so he and Edward could buy food. When they got to Moose Jaw they went to a section house to see if
they could buy some food. They managed to buy a
fresh loaf of bread which they ate heartily without
anything to drink, as water was unfit for drinking.
When they arrived in Calgary, Knut was waiting for
them so he could pay the freight charges. They went
on to Wetaskiwin where they unloaded everything.
Then they traveled by wagon to Knut's homestead
SWV4-13-48-21-W4.
Here, two families shared a
12x16 toot shack. Carl was so tired he slept sitting by
the door as it was so crowded.
Carl remembers that during that first summer he went to Wetaskiwin for supplies and there had been a
severe hail storm through the Bittern Lake area and
people were out picking up wild geese that had been
killed by the hail stones.
He also remembers that
when his sister Martha married Eilert Knudtson, he
led a cow (which was a wedding present from Martha's parents) behind a sleigh all the way to Donalda,
where the wedding took place. The trip took him five
days.
Carl worked with his Dad until he was 23 years
old. During that time he homesteaded
NE1/4-10-48-21-W4, where Fred Dyck presently
lives,
In 1907 he proved up his homestead and traded
it to his father for NW1/4- 12-48-21-W4, where his son
Ivan is presently living. Later he bought the rest of
the section namely E1/2 and SW1/4 of 12-48-21-W4.
On March 2, 1910 he married Ragna Foss of
Round Hill. Ragna was born on August 17, 1891 in Ishpening, Michigan, to Andrew and Hanna Foss. In 1909 Carl bought
his first steam engine, which was used for sawing
wood and lumber and for threshing. He traded it for a
new one in 1912 and it was used for breaking land.
sawing lumber and pulling stumps. Carl got his engineering license in 1912 and has had it renewed every
year until he was 90 years old, and it will be valid as long as he lives.
He now lives in Bethany Home and
on November 30. 1981 celebrated his 95th birthday
with most of his family present.
Carl and Ragna had four daughters and two sons.
They were Alna, Hazel. Klemmet, Emily, Ivan and
Dorothy. They continued to live on their farm for 57
years.
In 1967 Ragna became ill and had to reside at
Bethany Home. On March 2. 1980 they celebrated
their 70th wedding anniversary. Ragna passed away
in 1980 at the age of 89 years. The log house they had
lived in on the farm was donated to the Camrose
Museum by their son Ivan after Carl and Ragna had
both moved to Bethany Home, where Carl still resides in 1982.
During a short stay in hospital recently.
Carl was missing his usual T, V. programs. Canada
A.M. and the news broadcasts. Pretty good for a 95
year Old! |
