‘Tales from Pioneers & Soldiers Cemetery’ Archives
Great niece and husband honor relatives, who died in childhood, with words, flowers, and stone markers
Until 2015 graves were unmarked for 140 years along with 2,280 others in “Potter”'s Field” October 15th was one of those perfect days in the Cemetery. The weather was glorious and the trees were at their most colorful. It was perfect in another way, as well. Linda Leraas Ray and her husband, Steve Ray, had markers placed on the graves of two children who died in the 1870s. It took some effort to find those children since the Cemetery”'s records were not accurate. The little girl”'s last name was spelled Luirass instead of Leraas, and the little boy effectively had no last name at all””his last name appeared as Andreas which was his middle name. Linda and Steve were certain that the children were buried in Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery and after a little sorting and re-sorting of our spreadsheet, we found them. The children, Annie Mathilda Leraas and her brother Lars Andreas were the children of Linda”'s great-grandparents, Ole [...]
“”¦when every leaf is a flower.”
Johannes Kulstad. Mr. Kulstad was born in Norway in 1820 and died in Minneapolis on July 11, 1908. He lived at 3435 Cedar Avenue.  Photo courtesy of his family.This intriguing photograph capturing the very essence of most Norwegian stereotypes is of Johannes Kulstad who was born in Norway in 1820. He came to the U.S. in 1883 to live with his son, Ole Kulstad, in Red Wing. He was 63 at the time and none of the censuses give an occupation so he may have been retired. Or...he might have helped Ole, who was a tailor. One of Ole”'s daughters was listed as a “tailoress” so it was probably a family business. The family moved to Minneapolis sometime between 1905 and 1908 (when Johannes died). He was living ay 3425 Cedar Avenue when he died on July 11, 1908 at 88 years of age. He was always listed as a widower so a guesstimate is that he emigrated after his wife died back in Norway. So far from home, he died in his new country. By [...]
“The Tribune and I Swat the Fly”
”¢ Dr. Holl was born in New Ulm on August 19, 1862--on the very day that the Dakota Conflict came to New Ulm. His mother must have been in labor during the battle.”¢ Newspapers always spelled his name Hall that people would know how to pronounce it and it made him sound a little more American.”¢ Dr. Holl was voted out of his post by the city council in 1913 despite a letter of support signed by more than 100 doctors in the city. While in private practice for the next five years he wrote an informative daily column on health and medicine, “Health and Happiness,” for the Minneapolis Tribune.”¢ In 1918 he accepted the post of superintendent of Minnesota”'s Ah-Gwah-Ching Tuberculosis Sanitorium near Walker. He remained in that position until his death in 1928.”¢ He was an amazing, if somewhat eccentric, man. He and Annie only had one daughter and she died in infancy--the baby is buried in Layman”'s. Peter and Annie are at Hillside with [...]
