Finnestad Ancestry

On July 26, 1913 Mary (Vallem) Sanderson, her husband Seward, 6 of their children and a nurse were on their way home when the vehicle died while crossing a railroad track near Sugar Grove, Kane County, Illinois.    Seward, the driver, attempted to crank the vehicle in order to start the engine while a train was approaching.   As he saw the Burlington Express #57 lights he yelled for the family to flee the vehicle.    Unfortunately Mary and Seward's daughter, Lillian was thrown forty feet from the vehicle and died.    Her sister Violet was found nearby but fortunately only received injuries as did their mother.    Everyone else survived with apparently no injuries. The Ashton Gazette reported the accident on the front page of their July 31, 1913 edition. Seward Sanderson was the driver, his wife Mary (Vallem) was in the front passenger seat with daughter Violet Myrle and son Charles LeRoy.     Sitting in the back seat were ...

Here is partial biography relating to the Sanderson family, mentioned in my last post.  Unfortunately, I do not have the pages that preceded this one. Seward Sanderson, who married Ole and Mari Finnestad's granddaughter, Ellen Marie (Mary) Vallem, the daughter of Rachel (Finnestad) and Lewis Vallem is shown in the upper left photo as a child.  Seward is sitting in a chair, located at the bottom right of the photo. Also from yesterday's post, Charles Sanderson, the grandfather of Mildred (Sanderson) Finnestad is depicted in the same photo, upper left hand corner.

Here is the grave marker for Mary Ellen (Vallem) Sanderson and husband Seward Oscar Sanderson. Mary Ellen (Vallem) Sanderson was the 4th child born to Rachel (Finnestad) Vallem and Lewis Vallem.    She was born April 29, 1879 in Alto township, Lee County, Illinois.   Mary Ellen died May 24, 1968 in Rockford Illinois and was buried at Union Cemetery, Lee County, Illinois. Seward Oscar Sanderson was born April 15, 1873 and died March 12, 1942. Mary Ellen was the granddaughter of Ole and Mari Finnestad.