Elise Waerenskjold arrived in America in 1847 following in footsteps of her mentor Johan Reiersen. One of her travel companions, Wilhelm Waerenskjold would later become her husband. When first arriving in America she made a few stops but ultimately settled in Four Mile Prairie. It is here that she married Wilhelm and together they raised three sons and ran a farm. Although the farm was relatively successful, the onset of the Civil War caused hardship for the family. During this time Elise tried to earn extra money by teaching school and taking orders for a magazine. It was also during the Civil War the Elise experienced her greatest challenges. First one of her sons passed away and not long after her husband was assassinated by N.T. Dickerson over a personal matter. After these events Elise reflected on her religion, and in her writings we can see that she grappled with many questions regarding the institution. One such theme that appears is the issue of slavery and its relationship to her religious beliefs. “ I believe that slavery is absolutely contrary to the law of God, because the law commands us to love God and our neighbors as ourselves …”-Elise Waerenskjold To ease her mind during these hard times Elise tried to start a book club in Four Miles Prairie. Although ultimately unsuccessful it kept her mind on her humanitarian interests. In the following years she also kept up her interest in journalism and sent many articles to Norwegian and American newspapers about immigrant life. She was dedicated to preserving the history of immigrants among the first Norwegian settlements in America. It is because of this lifelong dedication that she earned the nickname, “the Lady with the Pen.” The attached pictures depict the Waerenskjold farmstead and the Four Mile Church.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:00:01 +0000
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