Hans Joseph Thorsness was born in Dane County, Wisconsin on Sept 30, 1848, the son of John (Joe) Thorsness and Gtetlaugh Flesche. He died Feb 20, 1932 in Brookings County, South Dakota. Hans Thorsness moved from Dane County, Wisconsin to Filmore County, MN near the area of Spring Prairie. He married Inger Esse Peterson in Goodhue County, Minnesota in 1878. Inger was born May 3, 1857 in Wisconsin to Christian Esse Petersen and Anna Kristensdatter Fjaerstad. Inger died January 30, 1913 at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN from a goiter. She had been ill for some time.
In 1880, Hans Thorsness along with his two brothers, Carl and Sjur came from Rochester, Minnesota by covered wagon to the Lake Whitewood area in the Kingsbury County. Hans and Inger, and their young son Clarence, lived in their covered wagon until their sod house was built. Hans and his brothers' families were charter members of the Lake Whitewood Church in Kingsbury, County.
In 1891 Hans and Inger moved to the Lake Sinai area in Brookings County. They homesteaded a farm by Lake Sinai, where they farmed and raised 10 children and a grandson whose mother had died. Their land extended far out into the lake. For a number of years it was farmable, but was later under water. In 1904, the lake was dry and a road was built across it.
As a young man, Hans worked as a lumber jack, and he made many journeys riding the logging rafts down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Before marriage, Hans Thorsness studied for the ministry at Decorah, Iowa, for three years. During his married life, he was a farmer. Mr. Thorsness was one of the pioneer threshers. At first he used horses for power. About 1892, he purchased a return-flue engine, one of the first brought into South Dakota, and continued threshing. In a threshing accident he lost one arm up to about three inches below the elbow, but with this handicap he still could do the work as well as if he had two hands, holding things with the “stub” as he called it.
Hans and Inger joined the Norwegian Synod Lutheran Church at Sinai, which was erected in 1899, south of the new town of Sinai. Hans and son Herman, moved the church to Sinai. Hans served as musical director for many years at the church. He also served as clerk of his school district for many years and as town assessor.
Mrs. Thorsness took her turn serving at aid functions and being president at one time. Mr. Thorsness served as “Klokker” during hymn singing in the church for several years. Almost all of the brothers and sisters were members of the choir as they were all musically talented and could play almost any instrument handed to them, especially the violin. Many times they organized neighborhood parties and school programs with other musically talented neighbors, often with members of the Hans Erickson family.
Many times a pioneer woman had to be fast and being a mother whose family used horses very much, one accident when she had to act fast was one day when she was in a dugout cellar. A big black stallion walked across it. Hearing the noise, and seeing parts of the roof falling in, she discovered the rear parts of the horse, the hind legs and hoofs hanging there suspended from the ceiling in the dugout. Quickly Inger reached out and latched onto a keg, and she placed the keg under the hoofs. The horse must have felt something solid as with a spurt of effort he pushed himself up and out thus freeing himself of his predicament.
Around 1910 what was called the Thorsness building in Sinai was built by Chester and Alfred Thorsness. Chester made all the concrete blocks for the Thorsness building using a one block hand operated machine. The first meat market in Sinai was started there. Another important part of this business was an ice house near the back of the building filled with ice take from Lake Sinai each winter. In 1915 the family members still at home moved from the farm to Sinai and into the second floor of the building. Hans was appointed the town Marshall, and the jail was in the back of the Thorsness building.
In 1880, Hans Thorsness along with his two brothers, Carl and Sjur came from Rochester, Minnesota by covered wagon to the Lake Whitewood area in the Kingsbury County. Hans and Inger, and their young son Clarence, lived in their covered wagon until their sod house was built. Hans and his brothers' families were charter members of the Lake Whitewood Church in Kingsbury, County.
In 1891 Hans and Inger moved to the Lake Sinai area in Brookings County. They homesteaded a farm by Lake Sinai, where they farmed and raised 10 children and a grandson whose mother had died. Their land extended far out into the lake. For a number of years it was farmable, but was later under water. In 1904, the lake was dry and a road was built across it.
As a young man, Hans worked as a lumber jack, and he made many journeys riding the logging rafts down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Before marriage, Hans Thorsness studied for the ministry at Decorah, Iowa, for three years. During his married life, he was a farmer. Mr. Thorsness was one of the pioneer threshers. At first he used horses for power. About 1892, he purchased a return-flue engine, one of the first brought into South Dakota, and continued threshing. In a threshing accident he lost one arm up to about three inches below the elbow, but with this handicap he still could do the work as well as if he had two hands, holding things with the “stub” as he called it.
Hans and Inger joined the Norwegian Synod Lutheran Church at Sinai, which was erected in 1899, south of the new town of Sinai. Hans and son Herman, moved the church to Sinai. Hans served as musical director for many years at the church. He also served as clerk of his school district for many years and as town assessor.
Mrs. Thorsness took her turn serving at aid functions and being president at one time. Mr. Thorsness served as “Klokker” during hymn singing in the church for several years. Almost all of the brothers and sisters were members of the choir as they were all musically talented and could play almost any instrument handed to them, especially the violin. Many times they organized neighborhood parties and school programs with other musically talented neighbors, often with members of the Hans Erickson family.
Many times a pioneer woman had to be fast and being a mother whose family used horses very much, one accident when she had to act fast was one day when she was in a dugout cellar. A big black stallion walked across it. Hearing the noise, and seeing parts of the roof falling in, she discovered the rear parts of the horse, the hind legs and hoofs hanging there suspended from the ceiling in the dugout. Quickly Inger reached out and latched onto a keg, and she placed the keg under the hoofs. The horse must have felt something solid as with a spurt of effort he pushed himself up and out thus freeing himself of his predicament.
Around 1910 what was called the Thorsness building in Sinai was built by Chester and Alfred Thorsness. Chester made all the concrete blocks for the Thorsness building using a one block hand operated machine. The first meat market in Sinai was started there. Another important part of this business was an ice house near the back of the building filled with ice take from Lake Sinai each winter. In 1915 the family members still at home moved from the farm to Sinai and into the second floor of the building. Hans was appointed the town Marshall, and the jail was in the back of the Thorsness building.
Hans Joseph Thorsness was born in Dane County, Wisconsin on Sept 30, 1848, the son of John (Joe) Thorsness and Gtetlaugh Flesche. He died Feb 20, 1932 in Brookings County, South Dakota. Hans Thorsness moved from Dane County, Wisconsin to Filmore County, MN near the area of Spring Prairie. He married Inger Esse Peterson in Goodhue County, Minnesota in 1878. Inger was born May 3, 1857 in Wisconsin to Christian Esse Petersen and Anna Kristensdatter Fjaerstad. Inger died January 30, 1913 at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN from a goiter. She had been ill for some time.
In 1880, Hans Thorsness along with his two brothers, Carl and Sjur came from Rochester, Minnesota by covered wagon to the Lake Whitewood area in the Kingsbury County. Hans and Inger, and their young son Clarence, lived in their covered wagon until their sod house was built. Hans and his brothers' families were charter members of the Lake Whitewood Church in Kingsbury, County.
In 1891 Hans and Inger moved to the Lake Sinai area in Brookings County. They homesteaded a farm by Lake Sinai, where they farmed and raised 10 children and a grandson whose mother had died. Their land extended far out into the lake. For a number of years it was farmable, but was later under water. In 1904, the lake was dry and a road was built across it.
As a young man, Hans worked as a lumber jack, and he made many journeys riding the logging rafts down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Before marriage, Hans Thorsness studied for the ministry at Decorah, Iowa, for three years. During his married life, he was a farmer. Mr. Thorsness was one of the pioneer threshers. At first he used horses for power. About 1892, he purchased a return-flue engine, one of the first brought into South Dakota, and continued threshing. In a threshing accident he lost one arm up to about three inches below the elbow, but with this handicap he still could do the work as well as if he had two hands, holding things with the “stub” as he called it.
Hans and Inger joined the Norwegian Synod Lutheran Church at Sinai, which was erected in 1899, south of the new town of Sinai. Hans and son Herman, moved the church to Sinai. Hans served as musical director for many years at the church. He also served as clerk of his school district for many years and as town assessor.
Mrs. Thorsness took her turn serving at aid functions and being president at one time. Mr. Thorsness served as “Klokker” during hymn singing in the church for several years. Almost all of the brothers and sisters were members of the choir as they were all musically talented and could play almost any instrument handed to them, especially the violin. Many times they organized neighborhood parties and school programs with other musically talented neighbors, often with members of the Hans Erickson family.
Many times a pioneer woman had to be fast and being a mother whose family used horses very much, one accident when she had to act fast was one day when she was in a dugout cellar. A big black stallion walked across it. Hearing the noise, and seeing parts of the roof falling in, she discovered the rear parts of the horse, the hind legs and hoofs hanging there suspended from the ceiling in the dugout. Quickly Inger reached out and latched onto a keg, and she placed the keg under the hoofs. The horse must have felt something solid as with a spurt of effort he pushed himself up and out thus freeing himself of his predicament.
Around 1910 what was called the Thorsness building in Sinai was built by Chester and Alfred Thorsness. Chester made all the concrete blocks for the Thorsness building using a one block hand operated machine. The first meat market in Sinai was started there. Another important part of this business was an ice house near the back of the building filled with ice take from Lake Sinai each winter. In 1915 the family members still at home moved from the farm to Sinai and into the second floor of the building. Hans was appointed the town Marshall, and the jail was in the back of the Thorsness building.
In 1880, Hans Thorsness along with his two brothers, Carl and Sjur came from Rochester, Minnesota by covered wagon to the Lake Whitewood area in the Kingsbury County. Hans and Inger, and their young son Clarence, lived in their covered wagon until their sod house was built. Hans and his brothers' families were charter members of the Lake Whitewood Church in Kingsbury, County.
In 1891 Hans and Inger moved to the Lake Sinai area in Brookings County. They homesteaded a farm by Lake Sinai, where they farmed and raised 10 children and a grandson whose mother had died. Their land extended far out into the lake. For a number of years it was farmable, but was later under water. In 1904, the lake was dry and a road was built across it.
As a young man, Hans worked as a lumber jack, and he made many journeys riding the logging rafts down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Before marriage, Hans Thorsness studied for the ministry at Decorah, Iowa, for three years. During his married life, he was a farmer. Mr. Thorsness was one of the pioneer threshers. At first he used horses for power. About 1892, he purchased a return-flue engine, one of the first brought into South Dakota, and continued threshing. In a threshing accident he lost one arm up to about three inches below the elbow, but with this handicap he still could do the work as well as if he had two hands, holding things with the “stub” as he called it.
Hans and Inger joined the Norwegian Synod Lutheran Church at Sinai, which was erected in 1899, south of the new town of Sinai. Hans and son Herman, moved the church to Sinai. Hans served as musical director for many years at the church. He also served as clerk of his school district for many years and as town assessor.
Mrs. Thorsness took her turn serving at aid functions and being president at one time. Mr. Thorsness served as “Klokker” during hymn singing in the church for several years. Almost all of the brothers and sisters were members of the choir as they were all musically talented and could play almost any instrument handed to them, especially the violin. Many times they organized neighborhood parties and school programs with other musically talented neighbors, often with members of the Hans Erickson family.
Many times a pioneer woman had to be fast and being a mother whose family used horses very much, one accident when she had to act fast was one day when she was in a dugout cellar. A big black stallion walked across it. Hearing the noise, and seeing parts of the roof falling in, she discovered the rear parts of the horse, the hind legs and hoofs hanging there suspended from the ceiling in the dugout. Quickly Inger reached out and latched onto a keg, and she placed the keg under the hoofs. The horse must have felt something solid as with a spurt of effort he pushed himself up and out thus freeing himself of his predicament.
Around 1910 what was called the Thorsness building in Sinai was built by Chester and Alfred Thorsness. Chester made all the concrete blocks for the Thorsness building using a one block hand operated machine. The first meat market in Sinai was started there. Another important part of this business was an ice house near the back of the building filled with ice take from Lake Sinai each winter. In 1915 the family members still at home moved from the farm to Sinai and into the second floor of the building. Hans was appointed the town Marshall, and the jail was in the back of the Thorsness building.
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