Spring 2013 - Norwegian-American Historical Association - St. Olaf ...

Page 7
100 Years Ago this Month
Mrs. Jenny de Besche, wife of Dr. Johan de Besche
of this city, died May 1st after an operation for
appendicitis. Her death came rather suddenly and
was entirely unexpected in our little colony. As
a matter of fact most of them did not know that she
had been taken to the hospital. Dr. de Besche
has made up his mind that as soon as he can get
his affairs arranged he will leave for Norway and
settle down in that country. He expects to leave
about the middle of July.
We had a visit here from Mr. C.J. Hambro, the
secretary of “Nordmansforbundet”. He comes as
the representative of that society and also for
the purpose of interesting the Norwegians in this
country in the exposition in Christiania next year.
He has been very enthusiastically received all
through the northwest and this is not, as is often
the case, newspaper talk, but genuine enthusiasm
and I believe his work will result in a great deal
of good.
Of course you know that North Dakota has appropriated
$10,000 to send a delegation to represent the
state at Christiania next year. A similar bill
appropriating $15,000 is now before the legislature
of this state and the chances for its adoption are
very good. The bill introduced in the Minnesota
legislature appropriating $25,000 was defeated by
a small margin in the house, although it passed
the senate, but in strict confidence I will tell
you that I have private information that a bill
will again be introduced in the extra session which
is to be held next fall and the bill will then
undoubtedly be passed.
A biography of Olaf I. Rove can be
found in History of Milwaukee, City
and County, Vol. 3. He was born in
Fredrikshald, Norway on 15 April,
1864 to Severin and Azora Rove. He
emigrated from Norway in 1884, first
to New York City, and later moved to
Madison, Wisc. where he attended
the University of Wisconson,
earning a law degree in 1890. Rove
worked for the Norwestern Mutual
Life Insurance Company. In 1906,
he was appointed vice consul for
Norway and received the Order of
St. Olaf in 1912 in recognition of
his work in the consular service. In
1914, during a four-year term as
president of the Sons of Norway,
he traveled to Norway to represent
the Norwegians of the United States
at the one hundredth anniversary
of the adoption of the Norwegian
Constitution.
Olav I. Rove is the adoptive greatgrandfather
of political advisor and
strategist, Karl Rove.
What a pleasure it must be to be a man to go in and
buy matches for $10, cigars for $50, etc. I would
really like to have the experience for once, that
is, provided either that I have money to spend so
that I would not miss it, or else that dollars were
not any larger than they are in your country.
With kindest regards, I am,