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George Olsen Froseth (1871-1930)

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Case File: Froseth Family (1930)

George Olsen Froseth was born on 18 Jan 1871 in Wisconsin to Ole Johnsen Froseth and Ingeborg Pedersdatter. His parents had previously lived on a farm called Frøseth in Støren, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway, from which they adopted their surname. He was the youngest of six children, his siblings – all born in Norway – were John (1854), Randi (1857), Sigri “Sarah” (1859), and Peder (1863). The family set sail on the ship Tönsberg from Trondheim, Norway on 24 May 1867 and arrived in Quebec, Canada in July. By the time of the 1880 census they were living in Rock Creek, Wisconsin. By this time his father, only 54, was paralyzed and died the following year – while the cause is unknown, this would have left the care of the family to George’s older brother John. In May of 1900, at age 29, George was described as “a bright and intelligent young man, but addicted to the liquor habit and at times becomes irresponsible”.  For this, he was sent away by his friends and family to the Northern Hospital for the Insane.  By 1905 he was back in Washburn with his mother and brother. In 1916, while working for the post office in Washburn, Wisconsin, he married the pretty and popular Edith Baker, a clerk for the post office in her home town nearby.  They married and had four children in what appeared to be a happy marriage and home life.  

 Vitals & Events
 Event  Date  Place  Notes
 Born  18 Jan 1871  Wisconsin  to Ole Johnsen Froseth (1826-1881) & Ingeborg Pedersdatter (1835-1919)
 Census  1880  Rock Creek, Wisconsin  with his parents and siblings
 Committed  21 May 1900  Oshkosh, Wisconsin  He is committed the Northern Hospital for the Insane by his brother, “addicted to liquor”.
 Census  3 Jun 1900  Oshkosh, Wisconsin  inmate at the Northern Hospital for the Insane
 Census  1905  Washburn, Wisconsin  with widowed mother and siblings
 Census   1910  Washburn, Wisconsin  with widowed mother and brother John
 Marriage   27 Sep 1916  Bayfield Co., Wisconsin  to Edith Estelle Baker
 Census  1920  Washburn, Wisconsin  with wife and son
 Census  28 Apr 1930  Washburn, Wisconsin  with wife and four children
 Died  21 Oct 1930  Washburn, Wisconsin  killed himself after killing his wife and four children
 Immediate Family Members
 Relation  Name  Birth Date  Birth Place   Death Date  Death Place
 Father  Ole Johnsen  9 Aug 1826  Støren, Norway  15 Jul 1881  Dunn Co., Wisconsin
 Mother  Ingeborg Petersdatter  11 Mar 1835  Soknedal, Norway  1 Nov 1919  Washburn, Wisconsin
 – brother  John Olsen Froseth  12 Jan 1855  Støren, Norway  1 Jan 1932  Washburn, Wisconsin
 – sister  Randi Olsdatter Froseth  6 Dec 1857  Støren, Norway  6 Jul 1903  Washburn, Wisconsin
 – sister  Sigri Olsdatter Froseth  17 Jul 1860  Støren, Norway  21 Feb 1925  Washburn, Wisconsin
 – brother  Peder Olsen  18 Jan 1863  Støren, Norway  ?  Canada or US
 Wife  Edith Estelle Baker  27 Apr 1880  Washington Co., Minnesota  21 Oct 1930  Washburn, Wisconsin
 – son  John Neil Froseth  9 Sep 1918  Hennepin Co., Wisconsin  21 Oct 1930  Washburn, Wisconsin
 – daughter  Adelaide Irene Froseth  30 Aug 1921  Bayfield Co., Wisconsin  21 Oct 1930  Washburn, Wisconsin
 – son  George Baker Froseth  30 Aug 1921  Bayfield Co., Wisconsin  21 Oct 1930  Washburn, Wisconsin
 – son  James Owen Froseth  15 Sep 1924  Washburn, Wisconsin  21 Oct 1930  Washburn, Wisconsin

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Posted by:
Gideon Rockwell