SURNAME "F" BIOGRAPHIES

MICHAEL J. FARLEY

Michael was born in August 1840 in Ireland. He enlisted as a Private in Company F, 11th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment on 23 September 1861 and mustered out on 15 October 1863. He enlisted again in the same Company on 19 May 1864 and was mustered out on 4 September 1865. He started receiving a pension on 31 December 1863 and his wife, Maria, started receiving a widows pension in 1908. In 1890 and 1900 Census reports he is living in Barnsville. Michael died in Clay County on 8 March 1908 and is buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Barnesville.
Burial, Tombstone Picture

JOHN FAY

John was born about 1823 and enlisted as a Private in Company C, 9th New York Cavalry on 3 September 1864 from Waddington, New York and was discharged on 6 June 1865 at Winchester, Virginia. In 1890 he lived in Felton and on 22 August 1891 he started receiving his pension. No other information could be found on John.

HAROLD HERBERT FICK

Harold was born to Charles Henry and Frieda Richter Fick on 27 December 1920 in Vergas, Otter Tail County, Minnesota. He was one of at least 13 children.
Harold lived in Moorhead and at the time of his enlistment in the U. S. Army he was working at Twin City Creamery. He married Jeanne Winnifred Jenson on 12 April 1941 in Cass County, North Dakota. They had one child, Harold Gene born on 11 June 1944.
Little could be found about Harold's military time other than he was killed in France (some genealogy records indicate in Basse Normandie) on 18 July 1944 and at the time he was a Sargent. There is one entry on his FindAGrave Memorial that he served with Company E, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division which was involved in the Battle of Normanday at Saint-Lô.
Harold was originally buried in France but was reinterred in 1947 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

Burial, Tombstone Photo, Links to Some Family Members


PETER OLESON FISKUM

Peter's name has appeared as Peder Fiskum, Podarcos Fiskum, and the 1890 Veterans Schedule and his pension indicates he used the alias, Peter Ohleson. He was born 9 October 1836 in Grongs, Prestegjeld, Norway to Ole Olson and Bertha Maria (Svensdatter) Fiskum. After his arrival to America in 1858 he lived in Minnesota shortly then went to Dunn County, Wisconsin. After the Civil War he married Sophia Bertilson in Norway, Fillmore County, Minnesota on 7 January 1869. They lived mostly in Clay County until after 1910 when they moved to McHenry County, North Dakota. In the census reports of 1880, 1890, 1895, 1900, and 1910 the family is living in Clay County. In 1920 he was living as a widower with his son Martin.
While in Dunn County he enlisted into the Civil War as a Private on 23 April 1861. He was discharged on 27 January 1863. His service was with the 5th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment in Company K. He started receiving the Civil War Pension on 29 May 1884 in Minnesota.
From MCHENRY COUNTY: Its History and Its People 1885-1985 this article: "Peter & Sophie (Bertilson) Fiskum by Agnes Roebuck,
Peter Oleson Fiskum was born on October 9, 1836 near Trondhjem, Norway. He came to the United States and served in the infantry during the Civil War. Sophie Thorson [Thoreson] Bertilson was born at Ringerike, Norway on April 4,1846 and came to the United States when quite young. She and Peter were married on January 7, 1869. They lived in Minnesota where their ten children were born, then moved to the Balfour [McHenry County, North Dakota] area in the early 1900's where their children were reared and educated. Their children were: Betsy Marie (1869-1958) married Martin Greners Myhre; Ole Bernhart (1872-1960) married Josephine Tedora Severtson; Swen Ragner (1874-1962) married Anne Bergstad; Peter Alfred (1876-1964) married Emily Aspelund; Olina (1878-1951) married Martin Aanrud; Magnus (1880-1957) married Christine Starr; Petra Sophie (1882-1969) married Hans Skari; Otto (1885-1970) married Esther Aspelund; Georgine (1886-1975) married Gust Peterson; Adolph (1890-1976) married Ella Mathilda Bergquist."
From History of Clay and Norman Counties, Minnesota, Volume II - Biographies this biography: "PETER O. FISKUM,
Peter O. Fiskum, a farmer of Tansem township. Clay county, was born in Norway, October 9, 1836. He is a son of Ole Olson and Bertha Maria (Svensdatter) Fiskum, both natives of Norway, where they spent their lives on a farm. They were parents of five children, three of whom, Hannah, Tver and Ole Olson, remained in Norway, and Marin and Peter O., twins. Marin came to America in 1866 and located in Iowa, where she married Ole H. Larson, and there she spent the rest of her life, dying some time ago.
Peter O. Fiskum spent his boyhood in Norway, where he attended school. He came to America in 1858, locating first in Houston county, Minnesota, where he went to school one month. He worked on a farm there. After spending one winter in that county he went to Mononie [Menomonie], Dunn county, Wisconsin, where he worked in a saw-mill and there he worked until in April, 1861, when he enlisted in Company K, Fifth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He was sent South and saw considerable service, but was taken sick before Richmond, Virginia. He spent some time in the government hospital at Philadelphia and when released was discharged from the service on account of disability. After his experience as a soldier he went back to Spring Grove, Houston county. Minnesota, later to Fillmore county, this state [Minnesota], where he resided until 1871, when he removed to Clay county, bringing his wife and child in a prairie schooner, drawn by an ox-team, the trip requiring a month. He located on his present farm in Tansem township, taking up a homestead, one-fourth of section 12. He began life here in typical pioneer fashion, broke the wild prairie sod with his oxen, put up a group of buildings and planted crops. After living on the place eight years he bought one hundred acres of railroad land, on which he has erected his present home, barn and other excellent buildings, which land adjoins his original homestead. He has brought it all up to a high state of improvement and cultivation and has been very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser. He is one of the best-known residents of his township, having lived here since the early pioneer days, or during a period of forty-five years, during which time he has lived to see the country develop from the wild plains to one of the foremost farming sections in the state. He helped organize Tansem township and was the first clerk of the township. Later he served as justice of the peace and as assessor several years, and also served as county commissioner for eight years. As a public servant he gave entire satisfaction to all concerned, being prompt, able, painstaking and courteous. He has always taken an abiding interest in the affairs of his township and has helped promote its welfare along general lines from the first. He is a stockholder in the Farmers' Elevator Company at Pelican Rapids. He has been very successful in a business way and is one of the substantial men of his community.
In 1869, in Fillmore county, this state [Minnesota], Mr. Fiskum was married to Sophia Bertilson, who was born in Norway, from which country she came to America with her parents when young, the family locating in Fillmore county, Minnesota. Her parents were Berthel [Bertil] and Ragnal Thorson [Ragnil Thoreson], both natives of Norway, where they grew up and married, immigrating to the United States in 1860 and establishing their home in Fillmore county, Minnesota, where they resided until 1876, when they removed to Otter Tail, county, spending the rest of their lives there. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fiskum: Betsie M., Ole B., Sven R., Peter A., Olive, Magnus, Petra, Otto, Georgia and Adolph, all of whom are living [Note: links to all of these children and their families are contained in the FindAGrave Memorials for Peter and Sophia].
Politically, Mr. Fiskum is a Republican. He has never been a seeker for political offices. He helped organize the Grong Lutheran church. Mr.Fiskum recalls many interesting reminiscences of the early days in this locality. The first time he took wheat to mill to have ground into flour, he was compelled to go to Alexandria, making the long journey in a wagon drawn by oxen, the time required being eight days."

Peter's Burial, Tombstone and Family Photos, Links to Some Family Members
Sophia's Burial, Tombstone and Family Photos, Links to Some Family Members


CHARLES ARTHUR FJAER

Charles Arthur Fjaer was born on 8 August 1930 in Barnesville to Arthur Albin and Clara Gullickson Fjaer. His siblings included Carol, Gladys, and Odin C.
Charles enlisted in the U. S. Navy for the Korean War as a Hospital Corpsman. In August 1952 he was serving in Company B, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Ddivision in Irwon-dong, Korea where he was killed in action on 12 August 1952 while tending his wounded comrades near Irwon-dong, Korea. He received multiple wounds as a result of a bunker being hit by a mortar shell.
Burial, Tombstone Photo, Family Links
Click Image for Larger View


REUBEN FREEMAN

Reuben was born on 7 May 1826 in New York. Family information this writer found is: his wife Hannah was also born in New York in April 1823. They had three children, daughters Medora born 1849 and Alfareta born 1851 (died at an early age) and son Reuben M. born November 1861 in Minnesota. In 1880 the family was living in Township 137, Range 85 (later Humboldt Township) and in May 1885 and 1900.
In the Civil War, Reuben was a member of Major E. A. C. Hatch's Minnesota Independent Cavalry Battalion. He was in Company F, having enlisted on 22 July 1864. He was disability discharged on 4 April 1865. He started receiving his pension on 19 March 1897 and after his death Hannah started receiving a widow's pension on 18 April 1906.
Reuben died on 11 March 1906 at Maine, Otter Tail County.
The FindAGrave system has Reuben buried in two places in Dakota County. This burial lists minimum information whereas this burial has a tombstone picture with links to family.

NELSON HENRY FULTON

Some records have Henry N. Fulton. Nelson was born in Pennsylvania in June 1840. In 1885 he was living in Parke (some records Rollag) and in 1890 and 1900 in Hawley. He died in Hawley on 2 December 1901 and is buried in Rice County. He initially enlisted as a Private in Company I, 22nd Indiana Regiment on 15 August 1861 and then transferred to 2nd Independent Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery on 18 November 1862. Before being mustered out on 16 August 1865 he was promoted to Corporal. Nelson is listed in 1901 as being a past Commander of Grand Army of Republic, L. H. Tenney, Post No. 103 which was located initially in Hawley and then moved to Moorhead. He started receiving his pension on 16 August 1901 and his wife, Susie, started receiving a widow's pension on 13 February 1902.
Burial, Tombstone Pictures.