Josephine (Josie) Wickenberg ¹

  General Notes:

Josephine Wickenberg, b. a1883, Lake Lillian, MN, m. (1) Louis Ramsum, b. Norway, d. Mar 17 1924, Federal Dam, MN, m. (2) Olie Modine. Josephine died 1948, Edmonton, AB, Canada, buried: Tees, AB, Westling Cem.

Minnesota Death Index: Louis A. Ramsum, d. Mar 17, 1924, Cass Co. MN. CertID# 1924-MN-002130.

Written March, 2000, Robert I. Ramsum, (Grandson):

"Josie Wickenberg (Ramsum-Modin) 1883-1949 - (Her gravestone in The Saron Church cemetery, near Tees, Alberta indicates she lived from 1883 to 1949.) This would fit with the :information I have gathered from my father and uncles. My uncle Clarence Ramsum told me he could not find any record of a Josie Wickenberg born at that time but he did locate a history of a Josie Westling christened at about this time. Since Peter Wickenberg and Anna Westling were not married until Jan. 23, 1884, this would indicate that Josie was born before the marriage. Josie and her family moved to Canada, to settle on a homestead near Tees Alberta, in 1899.

"Grandma Josie was quite young when she married Louie Ramsum. She looks like a teenager in her wedding picture and my uncles suggest she was about 17 years old. This would indicate she was married about 1900. My father, George Ramsum, was born Nov. 30, 1905. There is some suggestion that there were other siblings who died shortly after birth. There is a headstone in the Saron Church cemetery near Tees, Alberta which has the surname RAMSUM (Lawrence, Agnes, Viola)The most logical explanation is that these were Josie's children. Reg Knight (my father' s cousin), says he remembers talk of a set of twin girls who died shortly after birth.

"My father, George, uncles Ernie, Clarence and Harold indicate they were born in Wetaskewan, Alberta, however, my father talked about growing up on a farm near Calmar, Alberta. In 1965 I met a fellow from Calmar (Jerry Philips) who remembers playing with my uncles as a kid.

"Sometime after 1916, when uncle Harold was born, the Ramsum family moved to Florida, USA. This was on the advice of Louie's doctor, who suggested he move to a warmer climate. I suspect he was having problems with his lungs as my family have a history of lung problems. Apparently the Florida climate did not help Louies health so they moved back to Minnesota within a year to be closer to Josie's relatives. However, my father and uncles took back some adventures with them that would excite their children's imagination for years. eg. riding sea turtles into the ocean., etc.

"Chester Daniel Ramsum was born Dec 1, 1919, in Hopkin, Minnesota. Probably the next year the Ramsum family settled on some land near Battle Point on Leech Lake, Minnesota. This land was apparently missed during the general land survey and was right next to an Indian Reservation. They never were able to get title to this land but were able to sell the Lodge they built on it in 1928 when they moved back to Canada. Louie and his sons proceeded to build a house and several cabins. They eventually turned the house into a Lodge and brought in hunters and fishermen who the boys guided on Leech Lake. Louie's health continued to deteriorate and he passed away in 1924 (possibly from pneumonia.) He was buried in near by Federal Dam, Minnesota. (In 1995 1 traveled to Federal Dam and was able to locate his grave in Fairview Cemetery.).

"After Louie's death, Josie continued to run the lodge with the assistance of her teenage sons (George 19, Ernie 14 and Clarence 13) For a couple of years. Eventually she went back to Canada to visit relatives and in 1928 decided to sell the lodge and move back to Canada. This was likely a major disappointment for her sons as they all spoke fawningly of their experiences at Leech Lake. This may have been a major factor in why none of them ever got along with their future step father.

"Shortly after returning to Canada Josie married Ole Modin and moved with her sons to Ole's farm near Bruce, Alberta. This was not a positive period for any of Josie's sons and I never heard one of them have a positive thing to say about their step father. George married Anna Kelm in 1933 and in 1934 moved with her to a homestead in Athabasca County, near Atmore, Alberta. This homestead proved to be a sanctuary for George's brothers as each of them spent a lot of time there in the next 10 years.

"During the 1940's Josie spent a lot of time in Edmonton, Alberta running a boarding house which she owned with her husband. Often her younger sons Chester and Harold would stay there when they were working in the city or were between jobs. Josie continued to live there until her death in the fall of 1949."


Louis: (The Alberta Cemetery Index lists a: Lorance and Viola Ramsum, no dates, in the Saron Swedish Lutheran Cemetery, Clive. Plot# 40,d) I assume related somehow

Children by Louis Ramsum:
i George Walter Ramsum b. Nov 30 1905.
ii Ernest (Ernie) John Ramsum b. Mar 10 1910.
iii Clarence Emanuel Ramsum b. Aug 30 1911.
iv Harold Francis Ramsum b. Jul 26 1916, Wetaskewan, AB, Canada, m. Oct 6 1950, in Canada, Linda Signe Holter. Harold died Aug 31 1996, Chilliwack, B.C. Canada.
v Chester Daniel Ramsum b. Dec 1 1919.

Josephine married Louis Ramsum circa 1900. (Louis Ramsum was born in Norway, died on 17 Mar 1924 in Federal Dam, Cass, Minnesota, USA and was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Federal Dam, Minnesota, USA.) The cause of his death was possibly pneumonia.

Josephine next married Ole Modin.