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now, there were times we boys of the tribe just
couldn't wait, and we raided the ice cream
inventory, our hot and handy hands served as
scoops for this early reunion "store boughten"
dessert.
This may be the age of computors in this year
of 1979, but don't ask this electrical wizard about
your "Roots". TV, Radio, Books and all of the
media have stressed how important it is to record
the past and the present for the future. How
fortunate our families are that members of our
relationship have taken the time and made the
effort to make this life's story of the past and
present a permanent record of our "Roots" for all
time.
Thanks for the memories.
Chester Midthun
(A note from Ethel and Otto--we are thankful to
people like you, Chester, and the others who have
contributed stories such as yours to make this
history book more interesting and more authentic.
Thanks).
ALMA OVEDIA (ANKALTRUD] MIDTHUN
1889-1967
Daughter of Christ and Tonetta
(Oimoen) Ankaltrud
written by Arlene Midthun Lee
In 1908 at the age of 19, Alma Ankaltrud
attended school for 1 year at Lutheran Normal
School in Madison, Minn. She spent her Christmas
vacation working at the hospital there because of a
desire to be a nurse. The next summer (1909) she
went to South Dakota and taught Parochial School
one month at Florence and one month at Wallace.
Still having the desire to become a nurse, she went
to Minneapolis, Minn. to work at Asbury (Metho-
dist) Hospital but got Lumbago so ended up as a
patient in that hospital. She then went to visit
Uncle Christ Sather in Modena, Wisconsin. His
daughter, Mary Sather, at the age of 25 became
very ill with headaches so Alma drove, with one
horse, to Nelson, Wisconsin to bring her back
home to Modena. Alma stayed there to care for
her and along with a Dr. Amundson was with
Cousin Mary Sather when she died of Cerebral
Spinal Meningitis. It was Alma's task to prepare
Mary's body for the funeral and drive horses to
Lyster Lutheran Church for the funeral service and
burial.
In 1910 and 1911, Alma taught Parochial
Schools in and near Modena-around the dining
room table, in Widow Sigre Peterson's home and
in an old log cabin in Lorendalen (Poor Valley)
where Uncle Christ Sather had lived. She also
taught on "top of the bluffs" and while staying
with a Severson family Carl Midthun came to see a
new team of horses and also met Alma sitting
under an apple tree, wearing a white and brown
checked princess style dress. That began other
visits in the orchard and a courtship which lasted 5
years.
Alma and Carl were married on April 19, 1916
and after a wedding trip to Chicago farmed near
Blanchardville, then near Daleyville, then bought a
farm east of Mt. Horeb during the Great Depres-
sion (1930). Their last few years were spent in Mt.
Horeb at 312 N. 2nd St. where Alma's brother Olaf
Ankaltrud and wife had lived from their farming
retirement until their deaths.
Alma had a beautiful singing voice and sang
solos all around the Mt. Horeb area. A pet project
in her later years was to rally relatives and friends
to clothe a Chicago family of 21 children!
Alma Ankaltrud Midthun-1889-1967 (died after
stroke)
Carl Midthun - 1891-1954 (died of cancer) -
both are buried at Perry Lutheran Cemetery,
Daleyville, Wis. Carl enjoyed raising and "break-
ing" horses!
ALMA (Oimoen) ANKALTRUD AND CARL
MIDTHUN BRANCH
Written by the Chester Midthun family.
Alma Ovedia Ankaltrud, the daughter of To-
netta Oimoen and Christ Ankaltrud was born Jan-
uary 25, 1889. She passed away in August, 1967.
She is buried at the Perry Lutheran Cemetery.
Carl Midthun, her husband was the son of
Anna Mikelson and Lars Midthun. He was born
July 24, 1889, at Nelson, Wisconsin. His burial is
at Perry Lutheran cemetery.
Alma Ankaltrud was a graduate     of the
Lutheran Academy at Madison, Minnesota. Upon
graduation she became a counselor at the Home
for Boys at Wittenberg, Wisconsin. She later
became interested in Christian Education and
taught Parochial schools. One of her assignments
led her to Nelson, Wisconsin where she met Carl.
They were married at Perry Lutheran at Daleyville
on April 19, 1917. They began their life together
on the Ankaltrud Homestead in Clay Hill. Their
family members are Chester, Tenney, Maynard,
Carlton and Arlene.
Their oldest son, Chester married Elaine
Schimmelpfennig on June 27th, 1937. Upon
graduation from the University at Platteville,
Elaine has taught in several schools in Southern