Dr. Johan Kristian Schreiner

by Madeline Anderson

Westby Area Historical Society

Probably one of Westby's most beloved and colorful first doctors, Johan Kristian Schreiner, was born in Oslo, Norway on Sept. 4, 1857. His parents were Christian Emil Schreiner and Bethye Gerhardine Bødker. Well educated, he attend Aars and Voss school, where he received his B. A. degree in 1874. 

Dr. Johan K. Schreiner

He began the study of medicine at Royal Frederick University (today the University of Oslo) in 1875 at the age of 18 and received his medical degree in 1881. At the time of his studies at the university, a letter came into his hands from Pastor Halvor Halvorsen of Coon Prairie who had written to the University requesting that a young doctor "of high scholarship and temperate habits" was needed at Coon Prairie.  

Answering that call was Dr. J. K. Schreiner. Having said his goodbyes to his family and his future bride, Ragnhild Christine Gjerdrum, whom he would send for if this place on the prairie in Wisconsin was to his liking, he prepared to leave Norway. On July 1, 1881, credentials in hand, he left Norway for America to begin his medical practice.  

He arrived at Coon Prairie sometime in mid-July of 1881and wasted no time setting up a practice. Dr. Schreiner placed an advertisement in the Vernon County Censor for July 27, 1881 that stated: "Dr. Schreiner, Norwegian physician and surgeon. Office at Rev. Halvorsen's residence on Coon Prairie. Office hours from 7 to 9 p.m., every day. Will be at T. Jerman's drugstore, Viroqua, every Friday, 2 to 5 p.m."  

A quote from Westby native son, Dr. Ludvig Hektoen tells of Hektoen's impressions of Schreiner when he first arrived at Coon Prairie. "One bright day in the summer of 1881 I visited the Coon Prairie parsonage. Old and young were gathered about the croquet ground to the west and south of the house. It was a lively and pleasant scene. Rev. Halvorsen himself was one of the players, and then there was a rather tall, slender young man of a distinctly foreign cast whose remarks and antics kept the company in a steady uproar of laughter. This colorful person was "den nye doktor'n fra Norge" - Dr. Johan K. Schreiner."  

In 1882, satisfied that Coon Prairie was a good place to live and practice medicine, Dr. Schreiner sent for his bride-to-be, Ragnhild Christine Gjerdrum, to join him. She left Christiania, Norway on July 8, 1882, for Coon Prairie. 

On August 15, 1882, Dr. Schreiner and Ragnhild Christine were married at Country Coon Prairie church with his good friend, Rev. Halvor Halvorsen performing the wedding. Witnesses at the wedding were Peder. P. Hektoen (Ludvig Hektoen's father) and Erling Ramsland (Westby pharmacist). 

In a news item about the wedding, the Vernon County Censor, August 16, 1882, states "Dr. Schreiner, during his residence on the Prairie, has proved himself to be a gentleman of fine attainments in his profession and has a brilliant future before him. Miss Gjerdrum is an accomplished young lady, who recently arrived from Christiana, Norway."

Dr. Schreiner lived with Pastor Halvor Halvorsen at first and had his office at the Coon Prairie parsonage. He also lived with the Peder Hektoen family on the farm near the Coon Prairie church and in Viroqua. Later, he and Christine, as she preferred to be called, would live in Westby.  

It was while living on the Peder Hekoten farm that Dr. Schreiner had a profound influence on the future career of young Ludvig Hektoen. Quoting from a pamphlet on Dr. Hektoen by Morris Fishbein, "Young Hektoen was much in his (Schreiner's) company during the vacation period. Perhaps this example and the encouragement from Dr. Schreiner were the determining factors in his choice of medicine as a career. The keen interest shown by Dr. Schreiner in daily work with his patients and his influence on those with whom he came in contact did much to make the career of a physician irresistibly attractive."

In June of 1884, Dr. Schreiner bought a two acre parcel of land located on Lot 16 in the village of Westby from Anton and Ella Syverson. There was either a house on this property or one was moved there. There is photographic evidence that shows this house with Christine and the Schreiner children in the photo, circa about 1898.

The Schreiner's were active socially and very involved in the community. There were numerous announcements in the Vernon County newspapers concerning visitors and entertaining. They also traveled to Madison several times as guests of Gov. Jeremiah Rusk and his wife in Madison. It was also reported that they were guests of Gov. James Ole Davidson and his wife Helen. 

Residence for Dr. J.K. Schreiner, Westby, Wis.

In 1885, Dr. Schreiner spearheaded efforts for a Syttende Mai celebration in Westby and was the president of this event. 

The Schreiner's would welcome their first child, Hildur Bethy Helene, on April 12, 1887. Two years later, their second child, Alf, was born on May 10, 1889. Their third child, Leif Gjerdrum, was born June 3, 1894. The fourth child was a fair haired daughter named Sigrid Alette. She was born on Dec. 12, 1896. 

Always seeking to improve his knowledge of new medical and surgical practices, Dr. Schreiner left Westby in June 1899 to study at the college of medicine and surgery in Berlin, Germany, making that the second time in 10 years that he had gone for further studies there. He also returned to Norway several times for more medical training.

When the Hotel Evans, billed as Westby's pride and glory, held a banquet jubilee event on New Year's Eve, 1901, the Hon. Andrew. H. Dahl was chairman of the event. The list of speakers read like a who's who of early Westby history. The toastmaster for the event was Dr. Schreiner. To quote the Vernon County Censor for January 8, 1902, "As toastmaster, Dr. Schreiner was a revelation - a discovery in fact. On introduction, neither speaker or toast were spared. The speaker's foible, hobby or fad were riddled with kindly sarcasm and the wittiest comment and similes. The doctor has discovered his vocation. Westby's most valuable and effective advertisement would be to found the office of 'traveling toastmaster', at a liberal salary and to place Dr. Schreiner's services as such." A. H. Dahl brought down the house by his comparison of Dr. Schreiner with George Washington stating that "The latter shed his blood for our country and Dr. Schreiner his hair "from excessive mental effort."

In the late 1890s, another beloved Norwegian doctor came to Westby. Dr. Johan (John) Bjorn Schee and his bride, Ulla Klerck, were married at the Schreiner home in 1898. Ulla Klerck's sister, Alette, was married to Dr. Schreiner's brother, Pastor Fredrick Schreiner. Pastor Schreiner arranged for Ulla to leave Norway and come to Westby. Ulla was trained as a midwife in Norway and  would begin practicing in Vernon County. It is said that the first child delivered by Ulla was the Schreiner's youngest daughter, Sigrid Alette in 1896. 

Drs. Schee and Schreiner would form a lasting friendship and partnership in 1902 when Dr. and Mrs. Schee moved from Blanchardville, to Westby. The partnership would last until Dr. Schreiner left Westby for La Crosse in 1919.

Christine Schreiner was a good match for her husband. She was well educated in Norway and seemed to have countless interests, musical and literary talents, many that coincided with those of her husband. Their four children were very well educated. Many trips were made back and forth to Norway to visit relatives and the children would accompany their parents on these trips.  

Christine was involved in the temperance efforts in Westby speaking out against the consumption of too much alcohol. In 1903, Andrew. H. Dahl appointed Mrs. Schreiner to a committee to make plans for a new Westby library to be housed in the old Temperance Hall on Main Street. She was well-read and often gave presentations to the Women's Literary Club of Viroqua.  

One of the papers that she presented to this club was reprinted in the newspaper in the 1890s and very eloquently relates a journey back to Norway that she and her husband took. While they loved their new home in Westby, the longing for times in Norway is evident in her writing. "Coming near Christiana, we know every bay and island, having rowed and sailed there from childhood till we were twenty-four years old. It was with tears in our eyes that we passed our childhood homes, Blegoen and Karlsborg."

Having seen Dr. Schee's lovely home being built in 1902, Dr. and Mrs. Schreiner hired the same young English architect, Albert E. Parkinson, to build their home. It was a beautiful 3-story home situated on nearly 2 acres of land surrounded by trees and a two level lawn. There was an architect's image of the home in the Sept 20, 1904 Sparta Herald that shows the house and states that it is "probably the finest residence in Vernon County." In the same newspaper is a drawing of Parkinson's design for the new Bekkedal-Unseth building in Westby.

Dr. Johan K. Schreiner

Courtesy of the Norwegian-American Historical Assoc., Northfield, Minn.

A man of strong beliefs, Dr. Schreiner also tried his hand at politics, running for the State Assembly in 1906 on the Democratic ticket. Vernon County was very Republican and he lost to his Republican opponent, D. Frank Main.

On August 15, 1907, the Schreiner's hosted a reception for their 25th wedding anniversary from 3 to 11 p.m. in their new home. Many invitations were sent out. A notice in the Sparta newspaper said it was one of the largest and most elaborate receptions Westby had ever seen with about 600 people from all parts of the area attending this reception.   

There are several often-quoted colorful stories about Dr. Schreiner. He apparently seemed to delight in injecting a bit of profanity in order to irritate his good friend, Pastor Halvorsen. It seems both Schreiner and Halvorsen were lovers of good horses, "but the Bishop (refers to Pastor Halvorsen) drove conservatively while Schreiner tore like mad. On one combination trip in the winter time when Schreiner was putting on an especial burst of speed, Rev Halvorsen anxiously inquired: "But, Doc, what would happen if we were to have an accident at this speed?" "We'd all go to hell," he replied. To which the Bishop rejoined: "Then I am not going along with you," and rolled out of the sled into a convenient snow drift." This was from the Vernon County Censor from May 31, 1951.

A Westby Times article from April 29, 1999 by Ellen Pederson relates the following: "It is well known fact that a large majority of old-time Scandinavians in Westby chewed snuff or 'snoose'. One of Dr. Schreiner's patients, anxious about his health and particularly worried about continued pains in his head, asked, "Doctor, do you suppose chewing snoose would cause injury to the brain?" The Doctor's classic sarcastic reply was, "Certainly not, no one with brains would chew it."

Mid-year 1919, Dr. Schreiner sold his beautiful home in Westby and moved his family to La Crosse. In La Crosse he continued to practice medicine, associating himself for the next two years with two other Norwegian born doctors who were good friends and colleagues of his, Dr. Christian Christiansen and Dr. Adolph Gundersen.

Mrs. Schreiner had been in ill-health for awhile and a year after leaving Westby she passed away at her home in La Crosse at the age of 63 on August 2, 1920. Ragnhild Christine Gjerdrum Schreiner was born March 18, 1857 in Christiania, Norway. Her parents were Jorgen Herman Gjerdrum and Helene Margrethe Lange. The following is a quote from her obituary. "Hundreds who loved her living, mourn her dead. Among us all in Westby she ranked always a woman of culture, refinement, sympathy, a kind neighbor, devoted mother and a true friend." Her funeral was held at Coon Prairie church in Westby, with Pastor Halvorsen officiating. She is buried in Coon Prairie cemetery.

In the fall of 1922, Dr. Schreiner went to Norway to visit family and friends. Most of his time in Norway was spent working as a supply physician in various districts in the Telemark region. When he returned to Wisconsin very briefly in 1924 he paid a visit to friends in Westby.

In late fall 1924, in failing health, he would return to his beloved Norway for the last time. He was in the hospital in Oslo from Christmas 1924 until March 1925.

A telegram was sent to his son, Leif, who lived in Two Rivers, to come to his father's bedside in Norway. Leif got there two days before his father died at Rikshospital in Oslo on March 16, 1925. The sad news of Dr. Schreiner's death was sent back to his former practice partners and friends, Dr. John Schee in Westby and Dr. A. Gundersen in La Crosse.  

A funeral service for Dr. Schreiner was held in Oslo at Oslo Domkirke on March 21, 1925, the same church where he had been baptized sixty-seven years earlier. Dr. Schreiner was cremated and his remains were brought back to Westby for burial beside his wife, Ragnhild Christine, in Coon Prairie cemetery. A private family burial was held at Coon Prairie cemetery on April 26, 1925.  

His obituary reads in part: "For 38 years this tall, splendid, stalwart, honest Viking rode over the hills and valleys of Vernon and other counties ministering to the sick and dying and comforting them by his splendid, honest personality as well as by his advanced knowledge of therapeutics."

Dr. Schreiner in his Westby front yard

A year after his death, a memorial service for Dr. Schreiner was held on Sept 6, 1926 at Coon Prairie with the Rev. J. O. Holum officiating. Rev. Holum read a sketch of Dr. Schreiner's life. Rev. Christian Brandt Bestul (Pastor and Mrs. Halvorsen's son-in-law) spoke, along with a colleague of Dr. Schreiner's, Dr. Henry Jackson Suttle of Viroqua, among many others.

The following telegram from his friend, Prof. Julius E. Olson of the University of Wisconsin in Madison was read: "I am pleased to be told that there was commemoration held in Westby today in honor of the deceased Dr. Schreiner. I knew him as a proud Norwegian and a dutiful citizen of Leif Erikson's Vinland. He could sometimes be gruff, but in reality was a warm hearted, helpful and thoroughly honest man. He rose high among our Norwegian pioneer doctors. All honor to his memory."

Dr. Schreiner was survived by his children, Hildur Molitor, Leif, Alf, and Alette Trainer and his brothers in Norway, Kristian Schreiner, professor at the University of Oslo; Frederick Schreiner, pastor at Ringebu; Karl Schreiner, pastor at Vestre Aker church in Oslo; Anderas Schreiner, wholesaler and importer in Oslo; and Aksel Schreiner, chief of the telegraph system of the Bergen railroad in Trondheim. 

While Dr. Ludvig Hektoen could not attend the memorial service, he sent a tribute to be read at the service. It reads in part: "I never think of him without a feeling of gratefulness to him. He favored me with his friendship ever from the first time I met him and it was his example that aroused in me the wish to study medicine. If I could take part in the exercises next Sunday I would emphasize again his long, hard and faithful service as a physician, his ideals of conduct, his kindness of heart, and his distinctive personality. And I would pay tribute to Mrs. Schreiner. Together Doctor and Mrs. Schreiner contributed much of permanent value to the advancement of the Westby community."