Five Points Cemetery TALES THE TOMBSTONES TELL

Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - June 14, 1956

    It was in March of 1890, that the first burial was made in the Five Points cemetery in the town of Akan. This well kept cemetery is across the highway from the present Five Points church. It formerly was the site of the frame structure which was destroyed by fire. Evidences of its foundation may still be seen.

    Here in this cemetery sleeping away the years, are many of the pioneers of the Five Points area. The first burial to be made there was the body of Kittle Swanson, who died on March 1, 1890. Mr. Swanson, we learned, was a native of Norway. On his tombstone it says that he was 62 years of age and underneath his name are carved these words: "A precious one from us is gone, a voice we loved is stilled, a place is vacant in our home which never can be filled."

    That verse is a favorite one and appears upon stones in many cemeteries hereabouts. Mr. Swanson seems to be the only burial on his lot as no other names appear upon the stone. His burial in March 1890, was, as noted above, the first to be made there. However other burials followed in the same year. It must have been spoken about as mourners and friends stood about the grave, the only one at the time in the cemetery.

    On our trip to the Five Points cemetery we were accompanied as a special guide and to interpret or translate the words carved upon the stones in Norwegian, by our friend Charles Johnson of Richland Center. For instance upon the monument of Maren Hanson, who died in 1932, were these words: Jesus Annamer Sydere. Mr. Johnson said translated they were in English "Jesus Saves Sinners". On the monument at the grave of Andrias Olsen Steenseng was this: "Fodt Feb. 14, 1827; Dode, Feb. 4, 1904. Hvil L. Fred." This gave the date of birth and the date of death and the words "Rest in Peace."

    There were but few monuments upon the which the inscriptions were in Norwegian, but different spelling of names gets one a bit confused as to who is who. The graveyard stones have Hansen, Hanson or Munson, Monson, Munsen. First names are a guide but when there are three or four monuments with the same first and last names it is indeed a guess as to who is who.

    We found among other monuments one for Mr. and Mrs. Albert Monson, long time residents of Richland Center and of Five Points. Both now rest in the cemetery. Some 15 or more years ago this writer was at the cemetery with Mr. Monson and he pointed out the grave of Kittle Swanson and others who are buried there. Mr. Monson's parents are there along with other well known pioneers. Albert Monson kept store at Five Points for many years. Previous to his store keeping days he was a clerk in the H. B. Allan drug store in Richland Center. He also served as clerk of the courts for Richland county, and became postmaster at Five Points in 1898, following Nels Anderson, an uncle. While Albert was clerk of the court, the postmaster was a brother, Chris, and when Albert's term as clerk of courts expired he, Albert, became postmaster again and remained as such until the office was discontinued in 1911, and the mail was supplied by rural route out of Boaz; later out of Tavera, and at present it is out of Blue River. Mr. Monson erected a store building at Five Points in 1901. Mrs. Monson's parents were Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart Anderson, natives of Norway, coming to America in 1871, locating in the town of Eagle.

    Mr. Monson's parents were also natives of Norway, coming to America from the land across the sea.

    Either the second or third burial in the cemetery was that of Ingebor Marie Goplin, who was born April. 14, 1819, came to America in June 1877, and died in the town of Akan, May 24, 1890.

     John Johnson, long time resident of Richland Center, is also buried in the cemetery. Other names upon some of the stones are Goplen, Harris, Gulsrud, Eng, Hanson, Jacobson, Rognholt, Surrem, Bergum. There is, we believe, but one Civil War veteran buried in the cemetery. He is Ole Monson, father of Albert, who together with his wife Anna, rest beneath the sod, close to, the grave of their son. There are markers from World War I and II and the Korean War in the cemetery.

S.F.

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