Oscar Dahlgren (b. January 16, 1893 – d. August 29, 1970)
Oscar , the sixth child of Olof and Helena Dahlgren was born in rural Malung, Roseau County, Minnesota. He was raised on the farm along with his siblings, John, Axel, Charley, Hannah, and Thilda. His oldest sister, un-named, had died the day she was born, in Sweden, before any of the other children were born.
When he was about 12 years old, he and his older brother, Charley, contracted scarlet fever, a streptococcal bacterial disease. It is treatable with antibiotics, but they were not available in 1908. Charley died from his severe sickness, but Oscar survived. Thereafter, however, he would be troubled by epilepsy.
His name is listed with other family members in US and Minnesota State Census records from Malung, Roseau County, Minnesota, in 1895, 1900, 1905, and 1910.
Oscar’s 1917 US Military Draft Card confirms that he was “subject to epileptic fits”. It appears that Oscar may have gotten a job as a railroad worker in Minneapolis. This 1920 US Census document for a property in that city lists Oscar Dahlgren as a Lodger in the building and working as a railroad laborer.
This 1930 US Census document from Malung Township in Roseau County, Minnesota shows 37 year old Oscar living with his retired parents, who had returned from Minneapolis and purchased property a couple miles from their previous farm. Oscar is listed as a laborer and shop machanic.
Oscar’s mother died in 1936 and his father died in 1938. By 1940, he was living with his sister, Hannah and her husband Frank Thompson and their children, Elmer and Millicent, as seen in this 1940 US Census document. He was listed as a farm laborer. His 1942 US Military Draft card lists his address as Malung, Roseau, Minn., and his employer as Adolph Johnson, Roseau, Minn. By 1950, Frank and Hannah Thompson had moved off the farm in Malung, and so had Oscar. But he apparently was not ready to move to town because the 1950 US Census lists Oscar living in Golden Valley Township in Roseau County. No employment was listed for him. He was living in a one room house, walking distance from his nephew, Omer Espe. Oscar did not have his own family, but was often included in family events with his siblings and their families.
At some point he did move to the town of Roseau, the county seat of Roseau County. He rented a room in the Golden Hotel for a while, and lived at Eventide Home, a retirement home in the former Budd Hospital building for several years. He died in the Roseau Area Hospital on August 29, 1970. His remains were buried in Salem Cemetery, according to HIS OBITUARY, printed in the Times Region newspaper. At the time this was written (2024) the location of Oscars grave remains unmarked, and a flood in the town of Roseau, Minnesota in 2002 caused some of the Helgeson Funeral home records to be destroyed.
