General Notes

Simon Peder Guthu emigrated to America in 1867 from a small town called Vincin, just outside of Lillehammer, Norway. He came to America with only a bicycle and a violin. He settled in the Iola area. He also composed music for the violin, and it is said that he had beautiful handwriting when he wrote his music. That was told to my Father, Leslie, by Jeanette Thoe Meyers.


Simon Pedersen Restad, age 21, emigrated to the U.S. March 26, 1867. (Faberg p.r. 1855-1867, p. 510a, no. 12.)


   Simon worked as a surveyor for Waupaca County. His photo with his surveying equipment is filed. His obituary also included in file.
   According to his granddaughter June Steinbarth of Fond du Lac: "We used to go to Iola quite a bit. Grandfather lived in an old farmhouse for awhile. He used to tap maple trees and make this maple sugar candy.
   After that, he homesteaded the island on Hatch Lake (1927) in Iola. He was in his seventies at that time. My mother used to worry about him, and then we'd have to go there and yoohoo across the lake. He'd have to come with his boat to take us back over to the island. He had built a little cottage where he lived there. After he died, bootleggers and things got over there and they wrecked everything."
   "Grandfather used to ride his bike to New London. The last time he did, at 82 years, something happened to his bike outside of town. Instead of stopping and telephoning someone to come get him, he pushed it all the way in, and it was too much for him. He died at our house. I was 8 years old."
   Info from Leonard Guthu of Iola: Research from genealogist in Norway gives Simon's parents names as well as information on Simon's brothers and sisters. Simon emigrated to the USA March 26, 1867, at age 21. Before coming here, he worked as a tailor in Norway. He was also a blacksmith and a carpenter.
   According to info in papers from Leonard Guthu (unknown who those papers are originally from), Simon came to US in 1852, not 1867. Which is correct? Simon and Helen made their home in the township of Harrison, Iola, WI.
   From Viola Reinicke of WisconsinRapids (1993): "Simon was caught as a stowaway on a ship and was held at Ellis Island, N.Y., until information on him was recieved from Norway. Once they knew his record was clear, they let him go."
   Letter from Leonard Guthu:" According to my father, Benjamin Guthu, Simon was born Simon Pedersen but dropped the "sen" and kept Peder as a middle name and used Gutu as a last name and put an "h" in it because of the English language."
   Simon's obit attributes 31 grandchildren to him. Also a sister, Mrs. R.G. Carpenter.
   From Sylvia Schulz: "My grandfather Simon homesteaded an island in Hatch Lake near Iola, WI. He lived there, alone, in that cottage he built himself. After his wife died. When he and his wife were keeping house, he had built a big house for his family in Helvetia township, (a Norwegian name), out from Iola a few miles."
   "He would go all over the county on his bicycle."
   "He went back over to Norway to visit his family. He was riding his bicycle in the mountains there, and he fell and broke some ribs. He didn't go to a doctor; he just borrowed his sister's corset and laid low until they healed up." He brought that bicycle back from Norwat with him.
   "The last time he biked in from the island, he rode his bicycle as far as our house in New London, and then was taken by car to Uncle Arthur's in Appleton. The bicycle was hanging in our basement at New London for a long time. Grandfather died a couple months later at Uncle Arthur's house. He died from just old age. He was a tough old bird."
  Found listed in the Plat book of Helvetia 1898, the farm for S.P. Guthu 149.4 acres, Sec 6, Township 24&25 North, Range 12E.

Facts about this person:

Funeral & Burial    March 23, 1928/29
Buried, Riverside Cemetary, Iola, WI