Bella Eugenia Nestegard Tolman (1888-1915)

Bella Eugenia Nestegard

by Cathy Jo Archibald Gillice

 



Bella was my great-grandmother, the mother of my mom's mom. She died when my grandma was a preschooler, about 9 months after giving birth to her second child. Her father blamed her husband for her death and they were estranged afterwards. But her death is reported to be due to TB of the bone. Could it be possible that she was also pregnant and that is why her father blamed her husband?

My mother has asked several doctors about this 'TB of the bone' and the usual answer is "there is no such thing". She did get one doctor who said that this refers to the final stages of TB. Bella was only twenty-seven when she died. From pictures I can see a strong resemblance to her daughter, my grandmother Ethel. 

She was born in Minnesota, the only daughter (with two brothers) of an immigrant, and a first generation American, from Norway. I do have about 15 pages of genealogy information about her parents and their descendants which I will share at a later time, or with anyone who asks. (cgillice@gmail.com)

Bella is one ancestor that I could have known (time-wise) if she had lived. I often wonder about what might have been. But of course, things happen and life is what it is. The following are the details for those who are interested in the actual genealogy.

 Bella Eugenia Nestegard

DOB: 24 Dec 1888 in Luverne, Rock, MN, USA
DOD: 14 Sep 1915 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon, USA,

Oregon Death Index: 

Tolman, Mrs. Belle

County: Lane

Death Date: 14 Sep 1915

Certificate: 5125

Burial:

Eugene Pioneer Cemetery, Blk 411  plot 6

Her parents: 

Father:  Knut Larsson Nestegard

DOB: 27 Dec 1855 in Al, Buskerud, Hallingdal, Norway.

      Born at Gjoto, crofters place on the farm Over Sando.

DOD: 16 Aug 1938 (age 82 years 4 months and 11 days). Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, USA.

    At time of his death, Knut lived in Mountain View, King, Washington.

Physical characteristic: He always had a large mustache.

Buried: 18 Aug 1938 in Sumner Cemetery, Sumner, Pierce, Washington.

Occupation: Farmer

Immigration:

He immigrated 4 May 1877. He left Christiania, (now Oslo), Norway and arrived in NY, destination Redwing, MN. He settled in Rock County, MN

Cause of death:

      He died in Pierce County Hospital of the following:

Strangulated right intestinal hernia,

Regenerative myocarditis,

Senile dementia,

Emergency herniotomy, where he died in surgery.

Mother: Sunneva Sveinsdatter Sanderson

DOB: unknown at this time
DOD:  1897 in Wallingford, Emmet, Iowa, USA

She also is found as; Sona, Susan, (and various other misspellings).

Married:  1886 in Luverne, Rock, Minnesota

Sunneva’s parents: They married 1853 in Norway  View event

      Father: Svein Sanderson Heggeset
               DOB: 1826  Norway
     DOD: 1877

     Mother: Aase Eriksdatter Haajordet
    
DOB: 1828 Minnesota
     DOD: 1917 (age 89)

     At age 50 (1878) Aase moved to Clinton, Rock, Minnesota, USA

Siblings of Bella:  (be watching for more information on these family members later)

1) Sander Knut Nestegard (1891-)- He ended up in Montana. Ethel Tolman Smith (his niece) and Art Smith once went to visit him in Montana. When Bernice (Ethel’s daughter) met his grandson Carlton Nestegard*, she said he looks exactly like Uncle Glen (Ethel’s brother). 

2) Lewis Nestegard (1886-1950) – It is believed that he never married.  It is also believed that he was an undercover detective for the FBI or some other Federal agency? (This information is from Bernice C. Collingwood Archibald)

     *Note: Bernice has been to a Nestegard family reunion in Washington, and has corresponded with Nestegard cousins to obtain some of this information.

1910-One year before she was married:

Bella is in the back row on the right

1910 US Census record:  

Bella E Nestegard

Age in 1910: 21

Estimated Birth Year: 1889

Birthplace: Minnesota

Relation to Head of House: Help

Father's Birth Place: Norway

Mother's Birth Place: Minnesota

Home in 1910: East Sunnyside, Yakima, Washington

Marital Status: Single

Race: White

Husband:

George Earl Tolman 

 

George much later in life

DOB: 10 Oct 1884 in Union Grove, Meeker, Minnesota, USA  

(Cathy has a copy of this death certificate).
DOD: 17 Sep 1950 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon, USA

Occupation: Farmer. Lane county road department supervisor x 30 years

Marriage:  

12 Jan 1911 in Tacoma, Pierce, WA

The original says”

This is to Certify that George Earl Tolman of Sumner, Wash. and Bella Eugenia Nestegaard of Puyallup, Wash. were by me united in Marriage on the twelfth day of January in the Year of our Lord 1911 at Tacoma, Wash.” this is signed by J.O. Horigen, Lutheran Clergyman, and witnessed by: Herbert H. Purvis and Bertha Nestegard.

This wedding occurred at Mountain View Lutheran Church

[It appears that the handwriting is the clergyman’s, but the witness signatures are not. Therefore it is assumed that the clergyman misspelled Nestegaard, and it should be written Nestegard as Bertha wrote it, and we can assume that she is accurate].

[It is thought that Bertha Nestegard is Bella’s cousin, the daughter of Ole (brother of Knut) and that she married Herbert Purvis].

[*This original document is in the possession of Cathy Jo Archibald Gillice (great-granddaughter of Bella)].

 Children:

1) Ethel Florence Tolman 

DOB: 30 Jun 1913 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon,
DOD:  25 Sep 1998 (Age 85) in Springfield, Lane, Oregon 

 Ethel is on the lower left side, 

little boy on the right is Glen Tolman, 

the woman is Jessie Tolman (married to Arthur Tolman)
the older girl is Jessie and Art's daughter.
This was taken after the death of Bella, when
the children lived with Jessie and Art until George remarried.

Ethel’s Marriage #1  (Ethel=age 20)

William Aaron Collingwood (1908 – 1970) married in Aug 1931 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon. (Divorced abt. 1943) 

Children from this marriage:

Bernice & Josephine top photo

Ed and Richard  in lower photo

1)      Bernice Catherine Collingwood  (19 Nov 1934 –  ) 

     Married Thomas Ernest Archibald

2)      Josephine Elizabeth Collingwood  (29 Aug 1936 –  ) 

     Married Harold Donald Burrelle

3)      Richard Aaron Collingwood (2 Apr 1939 - ) 

     Married 1) Judy Smith, 2) Gertrude Hiner

4)      Edward Earl Collingwood (17 Jan 1942- ) 

     Married 1) Catherine Gesme 2) Shirley Hoffman

Marriage #2 (Ethel, age 35)

     Harvey Eugene Banker married in 1948. (Divorced 1953).

     in Lane County, Oregon, USA

Child of this marriage:

Juanita Irene Banker (Juanita was born with cerebral palsy)

DOB: 30 Jan 1949 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon, United States
DOD: 10 Feb 1951 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon, United States

 

Marriage #3 (Ethel, age 40)

Art & Ethel Smith

Charles Arthur Smith (Abt 1907-1972) on 11 Feb 1954.

     in Yakima, Yakima, Washington, United States.

Art died in 1972, just before his 65^th birthday, in LaPine, Deshcutes, Oregon where they were planning to retire in just a few months. He died of a heart attack. (Cathy Jo Archibald Gillice has a copy of this marriage certificate). 

 Marriage #4 (Ethel, age 62)

Ethel & Dan Archibald

 Daniel Leonidas Archibald (1902-1993) on 12 Dec 1975 in      

Lane County, Oregon. USA.

(Dan was Ethel’s eldest daughter, Bernice Archibald’s father-in-

law). (Cathy Jo Archibald Gillice has a copy of this marriage certificate).

2) Glen Delbert Tolman 

Glen Tolman, about 4 years old

DOB:  4 Jan 1915 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon

DOD: 2 Mar 1976 in Caldwell, Canyon, ID

Glen Tolman

Marriage #1: Lois Smith 

    Child of this marriage:

 Grace  Darlene Tolman  (about 1937- about 1967)

Darlene Tolman

She was an only child. She died by falling off an out-of-control horse, onto a highway hitting her head.. 

She was married to Ray Bruce. She had four children

Marriage #2: Mary Davis

Mary and Glen Tolman

Things I remember about Uncle Glen:
He was a quiet man, at least when I was around him (I was only a child). When he died he was working, delivering mobile homes. He was on a trip for work and died of a heart attack sometime during the night, while in his motel room. He was traveling through Idaho at the time, but he lived in Eugene, Lane, Oregon.

I will address other members of the Nestegard/Sanderson branch of our tree at a later time.