Personal Info________________________________________
Father: Arne Tveit
Born: August 5, 1882 Hardanger District Norway
Died: February 8, 1929 Iowa City, Iowa Age 46
Parents: Lars & Martha Tveit
Mother: Anna Christine Larsen
Born: October 27, 1890 Troy Township Wright County, Iowa
Died: July 9, 1936 Fort Dodge, Iowa Age 45
Parents: Jens & Bertha Larson
Married: July 17, 1907 for 21 years
Buried: Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove, Iowa. Tveit Family Plot.
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Arne Tveit was a good looking man with thick, wavy, dark hair. Having come to America from Norway as a young boy with his parents, he carried with him a strong sense of responsibility which manifested itself in his reputation as a dependable worker. Throughout his life as a farmer, he retained a sensitivity for the well being of his family and spared little effort to provide them with a better life.
Anna Larsen was born in America. Her parents were both from Norway and met in the U.S. Anna can best be described as an ambitions and energetic person. Her outgoing nature coupled with her zest for life made her many friends.
While Arne was twenty-four years old when the two were married, Anna was only sixteen. Farming is not an easy profession, and the arrival of a baby daughter soon afterwards made for a busy life. While Arne worked in the fields, Anna tended the garden, raised chickens and of course did the cooking. It was not uncommon for her to bake 8 loaves of bread at one time. In the winter she would make homemade ice cream.
Three daughters and a son were born to the couple. For a few years, Anna’s mother Bertha also lived with them. This caused some problems as it did not take the children long to discover that mother Anna could not punish them if they quickly hid behind grandma “Besta”, as they called her. In Anna’s view, Bertha was spoiling the children and it was perhaps best for everyone when Bertha later remarried and moved out.
Norwegian was spoken in the home until the children were school age when it was decided they needed to start speaking English. Like other important matters, the parents were undoubtedly firm in their efforts to teach the children the new language.
As the kids grew older, Anna would make most of their new clothes. One of her best efforts involved the girls’ confirmation dresses. Her ability and willingness to help her family was to continue long after the children had left home; she was both a mother and a friend.
One day while trying to shoe one of the horses, Arne received a hard kick that threw out his back. He eventually was unable to work, which meant Anna and the children had to attend to the chores. His injury caused Arne to be bedridden at times, and he would cry over his inability to help his family.
In 1928, tragedy struck when daughter Arlene succumbed to a weakened heart. During her final moments, the family gathered around and prayed the Lord’s Prayer. Arlene then kissed her mother goodbye and passed away. Eight months later there was another blow when Arnie died after having gone down to a hospital in Iowa City to try and have his back fixed.
Anna rebounded from this double loss, raising the remaining children into adulthood and continuing to enjoy the company of friends. Hers was not a spirit easily broken! Sadly, she was also destined for an early death, on the operating table during a hysterectomy. The summer of 1936 when this happened was miserably hot, which forced an early funeral. Many people were unaware of her passing until after she was buried.
A testimony to the depth of friendship Anna could inspire can be found in the reaction of an old acquaintance who visited Anna’s oldest daughter a few weeks after the funeral. She had not seen Anna for years, but still felt enough of a bond that tears came to her eyes as she recalled what a good and close friend Anna had been.
Children of Arne & Anna Tveit Beatrice Lurene (Nielsen) – Housewife Born: October 11, 1907Died: July 20, 2004 Mildred (Campbell) – Housewife Born: December 31, 1908Died: Septmber 29, 1998 Arlene Tveit Born: February 11, 1911Died: June 10, 1928 Leslie Tveit – Farmer, Livestock Hauler Born: November 23, 1913Died: Septmber 4, 1997
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