Simon Erikson Haarstad was born December 10, 1840 in Brandval, Hedmark, Norway. He married Hermana Oldsdatter Botner in 1863 in Norway. Hermana was born on October 8, 1837 in Brandval, Hedmark, Norway. The christening records for Simon and Hermana were found in the Norway Digital Archives. Hermana was the daughter of Ole Pederson Botner and Gunde Haagensdatter Digerness who were married November 22, 1835 in Brandval. After Ole’s death, Gunde married his brother Johannes Botner and they immigrated to America.
Simon was a farmer in Norway. In 1865, Simon, Hermana, and their daughter sailed for America. When they arrived in this country they settled in the Winneshiek county of Iowa where he once again took up farming.
In 1870, Simon and his family made the journey to Otter Tail county in a covered wagon pulled by an ox-team. In Trondhjem township, he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, and later added forty additional acres of “tree claim.” He build a log cabin on the land which was still standing in 1916 and was used as a granary. He cleared part of the land that he cleared to raise potatoes.
During the early years of homesteading, Simon was employed on a railroad near Duluth. As he prospered, he build a larger home which after his death was occupied by his son Joseph’s family.
Simon lived and died on his homestead. He passed away July 29, 1898. His wife Hermana remained on the homestead for her lifetime. He was a charter member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Rothsay, Otter Tail, Minnesota.
Simon and Hermana had eight children that lived to adulthood: Kari, Emma, Hilda, Olivia, Peter, Gustav, and Joseph. their youngest child, Ole, died at the age of four.