McCallson (Mickelson) Family History

The McCallsons come from Norway. Julia was the youngest of about six children, and she was born shortly after her family arrived in America. To Americanize their family name of Mickelson, most of Julia's siblings took on the name McCallson.

They settled in the Newburg area of Minnesota, in Fillmore County (southeast area, not far from Iowa and Wisconsin -- see photo below). This wasn't far from Spring Valley, MN where the famous Laura (Ingalls) and Almonzo Wilder family lived for a while, from Little House on the Prarie.

Julia played the church organ for the Methodist church. She married Tore (Tom) Wegner Christianson, and they settled in the next town over from Newburg: Mabel, Minnesota, where they had a small farm off of one of the main roads.

Julia and Tom had about five boys and one girl (Charles, Walter, Marshall, Wagner, Ernest, Loren and Millie). Just about all their children moved to North Dakota. One son, Ernest, had Down syndrom, and was institutionalized in Wisconsin. Their youngest son, Loren, died of lead poisoning in his early twenties.

Dona Christianson Martin recalls visiting Julia and Tom's farm in Mabel as a young girl. Tom was helping her to build a bird house, and she hit his thumb with a hammer. He yelled in pain, but didn't get too upset with her. Marlis Christianson Wigestrand recalls Julia coming to live with her parents (Marshall and Kate), when Julia was old. Marlis was a young girl and Julia became senial, and was always trying to get out of bed. Marlis said she was scared of her grandmother.

Relatives still live in the Mabel, Minnesota area today. The gravestones of Julia's parents are still standing in the Newburg cemetary.

L-R, Charles, Walter, Loren, Wagner and Marshall Christianson. Brothers circa 1910. Earnest and Walter Christianson, brothers of Marshall. Circa 1900. Julia (McCallson) and Tore (Tom) Wegner Christianson. Mabel, Minnesota, circa 1880s Tom and Julia Christianson, circa 1920s Four generations: Julia McCallson Christianson, Doris Christianson Wischnack, Elston Wischnack and Marshall Christianson, circa 1935

To request copies of these photos or if you have additional photos you could share with us, please contact Troy Wigestrand at Troywi@hotmail.com. Thank you!