Writings from David A. Larson

(I am typing this from a photocopy of Grandpa Larson's handwriting. Some of the handwriting is not clear and I have hesitate to make any assumptions by “correcting” or changing any spelling or wording,not wanting to change or presume to have knowledge of the exact interpretation. Karen Peterson)

In the year of 1868 some 5 or 6 families landed in Chariton, Iowa from Sweden in South Central part of the state, that being the end of the C.B.Q. Railroad at that time in the month of Oct. The(y) had sent a man ahead the previous spring to have a place ready for them to camp in and to their surprise they found only the floor laid to a shack. However some boards were gotten and they got busy to get walls and roof over it and rain beginning as it was and quite chilly. The(y) were practically all wet and then _____________ when they all got in there it was just like packed sardines than a bunk house. Among these families my parents and 7 brothers and sisters 3 girls 4 boys, one sister had died at 2 years of age. My youngest sister was two yrs at that time. My father went 2 or 3 miles to get some milk at an Inglish speaking family not knowing a word of inglish somehow making his wants known. While waiting for the same he fainted. The only time remembered of him fainting. And then the next thing to try and find some place where they could prepare a place to live in as winter was near at hand. This was 9 miles from railroad and 5 miles from railroad the opposite there was a Swede man living that had learned a little of the language. 3 of the men went to hunt him and the(y) located some land 5 miles from R.R. and built a small house all the families had children and the 3 families lived there together around one stove for over two years . After two years I arrived to increase the number however when I was 6 months old my father had succeeded to get a house of our own. While my parents did not have any material wealth they had put their trust in the Lord and that _____ than earthly ritches the children can very little understand what it is to them to have Christian parents thank God for all of them during my childhood and even in my youth I never had courage to go again(st) my parents will in outward appearance was always considered to be respectable, but God sees the ____ and that needed to be made clean would say there are secret sins I believe worse to over come than gross outward sins. Thank God he calls and calls again and at 18 years of age I could not withstand his calling any longer so surrendered to him. My mother asked me one evening if I did not want her to pray with me and we nelt ______. I did not get peace then but could not sleep before light came in I prayed that I would get some sign of that my sins were forgiven all answered prayers, my grace is sufficient for that _____on praying no other answer the third time I got that answer. My burden rolled off and I was a new creation in Christ Jesus. Oh how I rejoiced,but the Devil does not like that. He starts was against the soul and many a time I have laid slain but if we confess our sins to him he is just and faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. O' if we always would go to God's word and hearken to it in time of temptation how much anguish and guilt we would spare us but thanks be to God he does not leave us but he follows us with his loving mercy. At 23 years of age I was entered into marriage to Hannah Matilda Englund. We took our abode on my father's farm and resided there 13 years during this time we was blessed with 8 children. In 1906 we left my childhood home and moved to Canada and made our home in a new settled district, stuck up a tent to live in, started to work and prepare a home. Often the timber with __ and and saw to cut logs to build with the R.R. was 25 miles away and no good roads and not much money to buy timber for the month of August we left the tent and moved in our first house.1948