Mary Urness Gilbertson (1851) - Otter tail Co., MN

Dear Listers! The Norway-Heritage site turns out to be just wonderful! So many highly devoted researchers come together to solve huge challenges. And today I would lke to try another one, among the «toughest» I can offer: Maren Christiansdotter Urness, born in Hafslo, Norway Mar. 20, 1851, illegitimate daughter of Metta Olsdotter Urness (1824- ) and Christian Olson Kinserdal (1825-1889), emigrated with her mother to Wisconsin in 1854. Her two uncles, Nels O. Urness (1826-1862) and Ole O. Urness (1828-1862) were among the victims in the Indian massacre of New Ulm, MN in 1862. I have never managed to figure out what happened to the mother Metta, but Maren, in America known as Mary Christie, moved, according to the Holden Lutheran church records, in 1863 to Goodhue Co., MN, and she married at Red Wing, MN Dec. 10, 1870 to Peder Gulbrandson from Sagbråten in Nord-Aurdal Co., Valdres, born there Mar. 5, 1845, had emigrated in 1865. Peder took the name of Peter Gilbertson, and the young couple settled on a farm in Oscar township, Otter tail Co., Minn. However. in the Star Tribune newspaper dated Dec. 12, 1877 we read: «Peter Gilbertson, of Otter Tail county, was last week convicted of an attempted rape on a girl under ten years old, and sentenced to nine years and ten months in the penitentiary». Prison records which I have received, show he was discharged on Feb. 13, 1886! The 1880 census shows Peter Gilbertson, a married farmer, aged 35, as a prisoner at Stillwater, MN, while Mary and the children were still on the farm in Oscar township, Otter tail Co., MN - this is near Rothsay, MN, and their children, except for Mary's oldest (illegitimate) daughter, were all christened in the «Hedemarken and Hamar parish» near Rothsay, MN. The children were: * Johanna Marie, born Goodhue Co., Minn. Sep. 29, 1869, father: John Andreasson Tornaes of Red Wing, Minn. * Olina, born Otter tail Co., MN June 2, 1872 * Marie, born Otter tail Co., MN July 8, 1873 * Julie, born Otter tail Co., MN Nov. 2, 1874 * Christian, born Otter tail Co., MN Mar. 12, 1876 In March 1881 the farm was sold by a Sheriff's deed, a mortgage foreclosure sale, and the family is «gone»! In 1886 Peter Gilbertson returned from prison, and under the name of Peter NELSON «of Yellow Medicine Co., MN» he remarried at Marshall, MN Sep. 23, 1893 to Else «Helen» Jorgenson Skinlo, born in Gloppen Co., Norway Sep. 21, 1859. She emigrated in 1886. Peter subsequently «took back» his Gilbertson name, and the couple llived several places, including in Marietta, MN, in SD, in Elbow Lake, MN ending up in 1914 at Dalton, Otter tail Co., MN where Peter died June 17, 1919. Helen Gilbertson died at Dalton, MN July 25, 1953. Peter and Helen had several children, including a son Julius, whose WW1 draft card has an interesting note saying his father was «insane»: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6482/images/005253066_04393?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.264389007.1621079734.1618435785-390650824.1612707015&pId=29841650 I have been in contact with descendants of this 2nd family of Peter's, but noone living today ever heard about Peter being married before and having children!! Obviously a very well kept secret! BUT, the case doesn't end there. Something of the very first that Peter Gilbertson did as he came out of prison, was to sue Mary for having betrayed him. The case filed in Otter tail Co., MN is dated Nov. 19, 1877: «Peter Gilbertson, Plaintiff vs Mary Gilbertson, Defendant The above named plaintiff complains and says, that his name is Peter Gilbertson and that his age is forty two years 2nd That the defendants name is Mary Gilbertson and her age is 36 years 3rd That the plaintiff and defendant intermarried at Red Wing in the State of Minn. in the year 1871, and that the plaintiff then became and now is the husband of the defendant 4th That the plaintiff and defendant moved to Otter Tail County, Minn in the year 1871 or 2 and that they have continued to reside in said State ever since except as to the defendant who has been absent in Dakota Territory for the last six years 5th That the said defendant did in the year 1881 at Fargo in the Territory of Dakota Mary(!) one Severt Knutson, and that she did continue to cohabit with said Knudson for a long time thereafter as husband and wife 6th That the said defendant Mary Gilbertson has for the last three or four years commited abultry(!) with divers men and has kept and been an inmate in several houses of prostitution in Fargo, Hilsboro and Portland all in the Terrirory of Dakota, without the knowledge or procurement of the plaintiff Peter Gilbertson 7th That the said defendant Mary Gilbertson did desert and abandone the plaintiff Peter Gilbertson six years ago and that she has not lived with him since. Wherefore the plaintiff demands that the marriage x tbonds of matrimony now existing between the plaintiff and defendant may be desolved and that he have Judgment of absolute divorce, from the defendant» To what extent we can believe a man who came out after almost 10 years in prison, may be a good question, but he was represented by a lawyer! We also do know that Mary several times was called to court to witness, but she apparently NEVER showed up! My personal theory is the following: Mary may well have taken off to ND, but her children may have been raised in some orphanage and adopted? You can tell from this documentation that I have spent considerable time researching the destiny of Mary and of her children, and if anyone can solve this «mystery» finding Mary and her children, I am willing to offer that person a copy of volume #12 of the Luster County History Book Series to appear later this year! Thanks a million in advance! Very sincerely yours,