Peter Lundberg and Anna (Aslaug) Kittleson (Haraldsdatter)

Edythe Kathryn Lundberg was born 7 April 1876 in Afton, Washington, Minnesota to Peter and Anna Lundberg.  Peter was an immigrant from Sweden.  As far as records indicate he came to the United States around 1868-70 as perhaps a railroad or lumber worker.  Anna (Aslaug) came from Norway with her family and settled in the Riverfalls, Wisconsin area where her family farmed.  Her older sister Kari Ellen had married Ole Drolsum in 1872 and they lived in Afton.  Perhaps he and Peter both worked in the logging camps.  It is possible Anna went up to stay with Kari Ellen and there met Peter.  A marriage record has yet to be located but Afton seems to have been their first residence.

Deed to property purchased by Peter and Anna Lumberg (Lundberg).

Peter and Anna were in Afton for the births of four children. Edythe was the second of six living children.  Anna indicated in the 1900 census that she had had a 7th live birth.   A birth record of the 7th child who most likely died as a baby or young child has yet to be found.

(Update: a death record for John Peter Lundberg, born to Peter and Anna Lundberg in St. Paul, Minn. has recently been found.  The baby died on April 7, 1881 at the age of five months.  Address of death is the same as Peter and Anna's address in the 1880 census.)

In 1880 Peter and Anna and their young family were living in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Here their fifth child and first son was born to them (See above information.)  He died at the age of 5 months from lung congestion on Edythe's fifth birthday.  What a sad and poignant memory for Edythe.  Shortly after that the family moved to River Falls, Wisconsin, possibly to be by Anna's family.  At this point it seems that Peter was struggling with several personal issues.  Finding a job seemed to be a problem.  Perhaps he had problems with alcohol.  One newspaper article on his death (below) mentions he was ill-clad, troubled and thinking of divorcing his wife.

Peter's obituary in 1885 indicates that the family had lived in River Falls several years, but that Peter had only resided there for 3 months.  He apparently was out of work.  In Jan. of 1885 he hung himself in a boarding house in St. Paul where he had gone to find a job.  He tragically left a young family of six children ages 12-1.

(The unknown word is probably not rich.  Most likely it is "large.")

Anna raised her family alone thereafter.  Her obituary talks about her being a dedicated mother, strong Christian woman and community member.She and her daughters were members of the Methodist church in River Falls.  Tragedy continued to stalk the family however.  Emma, daughter number three, suffered from "epileptic fits."  In a three year span between 1900 and 1904, Anna lost three of her daughters as young women ages 21, 22 and 23   Following are the obituaries for Lizzie and Emma.  

 Then in 1906 Anna herself succumbed to the same disease that had taken her three daughters and would also be the cause of death for her remaining three children.  Matilda had married and was living in Washington State.  Peter Jr. was also living elsewhere, in Bibon, Wisconsin.  Edythe was the lone family member left behind when her mother Anna died. 

 Virgina (Edythe's only daughter to survive into adulthood) made the following notes after researching information in the River Falls journal of 1906: