Anderson - Amundson Cemetery

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Anderson - Amundson Family History
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~ Anderson -Amundson Cemetery ~

The Anderson-Amundson cemetery, also known locally as the "Hillside Cemetery", is located along the west side of Hillside Road about 500 feet south of the Hillside Road/County A intersection south of Rockdale, Wisconsin. It is a rectangular area measuring 53.5 feet along Hillside Road and 31 feet back from the road, and is at the northeastern corner of the present Ted Mickelson farmhouse area which once was part of the Bjørn and Abel Catherine Anderson homestead.

It was selected in 1850 when both Bjørn and son, Bruun, died in the cholera epidemic. About 1982, Ted Mickelson showed us his land deed. It carefully "cut around" the cemetery area. Evidently, in 1886, following the death and burial of Abel Catherine, her youngest son, Albert C. Amundson, obtained the transfer of this plot of land from Martin Hollo, then owner of the old Anderson farm. Abel Catherine had passed the farm to Rasmus, who had sold it subsequently to Martin Hollo. As it happens, Mrs. Ted Mickelson advised us that she was a descendant of the Hollo family.

This indenture, made the twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six between Martin L. Hollo of the County of Dane and State of Wisconsin, unmarried, party of the first part, and Doctor A. Amundson of the same place of residency, party of the second part,

Witnesseth, that the said party of the first part, for and in consideration of One Dollar, to him in hand paid by the said party of the second part, the receipt whereof is hereby confessed and acknowledged, have given, granted, bargained, sold, remised, released, aliened, conveyed and confirmed and by these presents does give, grant, bargain, sell, remise, release, alien, convey and confirm unto the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns forever:

The following described real estate, situated in the County of Dane and State of Wisconsin to wit: Part of the South East quarter of the North West Quarter of Section No. Two (2) in Township No. Five (5) North of Range No. Twelve (12) East. Said part are (sic) for a Family Cemetery and is only to be used for that purpose, bounded as follows viz; Commencing one and one half rods West from the North East corner of the said South East quarter, running South three (3) rods and four (4) feet, thence West one (1) rod and fourteen feet and six (6) inches, thence North three rods and four (4) feet, thence East to the place of beginning.

Together with all and singular, the hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging, or in anywise appertaining, and to all the estate, right, title, interest, claim or demand whatsoever, of the said party of the first part, either in law or equity, either in possession or expectancy of, in and to the above bargained premises, and their hereditaments and appurtenances.

To have and to hold the above premises as above described with the hereditaments and appurtenances, unto the said party of the second part, and to his heirs and assigns forever. And the said Martin L. Hollo, for himself and his heirs, executors and administrators does covenant, grant, bargain and agree to and with the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, that the above bargained premises in the quiet and peaceable possession of the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns against all and every person or persons lawfully claiming the whole or any part thereof, by, through or under him and none other, he will forever warrant and defend.

In witness whereof, the said party of the first part have hereunto set his hand and seal the date and year first above written.

Be it remembered that on the 21st day of June AD 1886, personally carne before me the named Martin L. Hollo, to me known to be the person who executed the above Deed, and acknowledged the name to be his free act and deed for the uses and purposes therein mentioned.

In 1973 Albert Amundson's second son, Alvin R. Amundson, notified an unspecified list of family members (probably the then-writers of the "Andersonia") as follows:

"I have set up the trust fund for the care of the cemetery where our grandparents are buried which is about 4-5 miles south of Cambridge. I have it all in fine shape and will expect the Church Cemetery Association* to keep it that way. I am sure they will do so. They seem entirely satisfied with the sum that I gave them. Thought I'd better do it while I was alive and kicking and seeing that I know the men in charge. They put the money in the regular church fund, as the cemetery fund to which it should be deposited, is responsible to the Dane County Court."

* (of the East Koshkonong Lutheran Church, located west of Hillside Road on Church Road about 1/2 mile north of the Hillside/County A intersection.)

Therefore the family cemetery is actually under the ownership of the descendants of Albert C. Amundson, supported by the gift of Alvin R. Amundson to the East Koshkonong Lutheran Church. Today's descendants are Albert "Bud" Amundson and Eleanor Amundson Brown. As of the 1985 Family Reunion, a bronze plaque is being prepared for installation at the cemetery. The actual "unveiling" is expected to take place on October 31, 1985, exactly 100 years after the death of Abel Catherine. The arrangements and the wording of the plaque were developed and approved by Ken and Eleanor Brown.

This small family cemetery is located at the intersection of what is now Dane County Trunk A and Hillside road. It is separated from the surrounding field by a low concrete wall with an iron fence embedded in it. Inside the cemetery is a bronze plate, four feet square, containing the following inscription:

Bjørn and Abel Catherine with two sons and two daughters settled on a homestead adjacent to this site in 1841 after emigrating from Norway in 1836 with two sons. Two daughters and four sons were born here, including a son by a second marriage.

Bjørn and the second son, Bruun, died during the cholera epidemic of 1850 at which time this cemetery was dedicated. Catherine married Ingebrigt Amundson in 1854. A son, Rasmus B. Anderson, was the father of Hannah Burena. Martin Hollo, a subsequent owner of the farm deeded this cemetery site to Albert C. Amundson, only child of the second marriage.

Erected 1985 by the living members of more than 1,600 descendants of Abel Catherine on the centennial of her death.

Perpetual care provided by Alvin R. Amundson, a grandson, through agreement with the East Koshkonong Lutheran Church Cemetery Association"

The historical marker (designed by Kenneth Brown, husband of Eleanor Amundson) is mounted on capped, hollow, stainless-steel posts, 10 feet in length, filled with and buried in concrete 4 feet deep with a cross-bar between the posts and 5 "ladder" cross pieces on each post. The bronze plate itself is mounted with flat-head stainless bolts and double-nuts with ball-peened threads on a heavy sheet of stainless steel with a raised surrounding stainless steel framing. We wanted it to last. It is a good thing we did. During the winter a few years later a truck slid on some ice and went out of control. It crashed through the cement wall and traversed the length of the cemetery before hitting the marker. The marker stopped the truck. There is a dent in one of the posts, but it is still standing firmly. Go check it out for me the next time you are in southeastern Wisconsin.