Written by John Torrance

East Alma at one time was part of a larger township called Humell. In 1896 Alma Township was divided in Alma and East Alma. The township is located right on top of the Pembina escarpment. The east half is woody, with large coulees which flatten out when they get below the hills. The timber is a mixture of oak, poplar, ash and birch and wild fruit trees, Juneberry, wild cherry, chokecherry, wild cranberry and wild plums. The pioneers made good use of them canning and preserving them for winter. The western half of the township is mostly tillable. The eastern half was settled largely by Scandinavians as it reminded them of their homeland, Norway. The rest of the township was settled largely by Scotch, Irish, English and Icelanders.

The first town board meeting was held on June 8, 1896. Officers were Jon Gislason, Mark Close, supervisors; George McComb, chairman; R. B. Laing, treasurer;. Charles Farrow, assessor; Bethel Waind, Justice of Peace; James O’Brian, constable; and John McKay, commissioner of conciliation. Road overseers were Jon Rusford, Norman McKay and James Torrance.

They met in houses until 1904 when the townsite was purchased from Sigvart Olson for $11 for a quarter acre. They bought a building from W. O. Cilley for $150 which sat where the C.C.C. Dam is now and moved it to the site. The building was sold to John Torrance in 1969, who has used it for a garage. The voters do their voting now in Milton at the fire hall. The present board consists of Duane McKay, chairman; George Lindtwed and Otto Sperling, supervisors; John Torrance, clerk; and Verna McKay, treasurer. It is interesting to note all are descendants of original pioneers.

Several forms of wildlife are found in the township; coyotes, coons, white-tailed deer and within the last few years moose and elk. There are also some wild turkeys. George Hjelmstad shot a black bear in 1905.

The soil is largely black loam, very productive. The eastern part of the township grubbed from woodland is of a whiter texture and is more stoney. Two county gravel roads bisect the township.

The Indians from Walhalla and Devils Lake had a trail from northeast to southeast across the township crossing the coulee north of Milton, which became known as Indian Crossing. Traces of the trail can still be seen by the bush in the northeast part of the township.

Written by Carol Goodman and Verna McKay

The establishment of individual places of worship was of prime importance to our homesteaders, usually occurring soon after they secured their homes and means of survival. Before actual buildings were built on the prairies, the congregations would meet in homes and in the first schools. Three churches — one Methodist, one Presbyterian, and one Lutheran — served the early settlers of East Alma Township. The congregations do not exist today; however, the church buildings erected by those settlers have served in other capacities as well! Two of the former churches are presently being used as a home and as a granary on the same farm, and the third was used for many years by a congregation near Fairdale.

In 1895, Rev. D. J. Sykes, after being ordained by the Presbyterian Presbytery of Fargo, received a call to serve as pastor of the Milton Presbyterian Church. He soon discovered a Scotch settlement adjacent to the McKay School north of town, so he began Sunday afternoon worship services at the school. Sunday school classes were also held. Services continued in this manner until a new church was built in Section 16, just northeast of the present day John Torrance farmstead.

According to information submitted by Mrs. Blanche (McBride) McGauvran, taken from the McBride land abstract the following pertinent information is quoted: First Presbyterian Church in East Alma by Gordon McComb, President of the Board of Trustees. Mortgage date is May 11, 1898. Land space Vi acre taken 10 rods north and 8 rods west and consisting of 80 rods, SE corner of the NEVi of Section 16, Township 160, Range 57. Acknowledged by Elizabeth and John McBride before Joseph Powles, Notary Public, Cavalier County, North Dakota. Be it also known the sum of $500, a loan from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America by Roy Hart, Vice President; and A. S. Kuler, General Secretary. The local treasurer of the Church Erection Fund, George McComb. It is alsonoted that in 1934, or 36 years later, the total mortgage was fully paid.

Founders included the families of John Matheson, Pete Matheson, John McKay, Angus McKay, Norman McKay, Angus McLeod, Neil McLeod, Dan McLeod, Tom Sadler, Tom Robinson, William Stewart, Andrew Stewart, George McComb, Malcom McLeod, John McBride, William McBride, the McAllen family, Henry Sehrt, Robert and John Waind, James Hunter and James Torrance.

The East Alma Presbyterian congregation became part of the town parish and continued active until about 1926. During the 1930s, the building was moved to a site near Fairdale where it served as the house of worship for the Soper Presbyterian congregation until it was purchased by Russell O’Hara, where he moved it to Adams, has remodeled it and is using it for a repair shop.

The Methodist Church in East Alma Township was located approximately one mile south of the Glen Goodman farm on the east side of the road. The exact date that the congregation was established is unknown, but it did exist prior to 1900. Steve and Mundi Goodman recall their Sunday school attendance at the Methodist Church. An existing Methodist record book that begins in 1903 states that "R. W. Adair was appointed to the work in October 1906," and at the beginning of his pastorate the East Alma Church was closed. Church records of 1906-07 list as official members from East Alma: Mrs. Wilson Hunter, John Stephenson, John Waind, William Bruce and Rachael Hunter. John Bruce is listed as a member ‘‘from the old record book." Mr. Wilson Hunter ‘‘transferred from McLain, a church on the Walhalla circuit." Other members mentioned in the records were William Stewart, Mrs. Jane Robeson, Mary Waind, and Mrs. Dorothy Parker. A 1915 issue of the Milton Globe states that "Hans Skrogstad was remodeling the former East Alma Methodist church into a home on his farm," and it stands there yet today. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Skrogstad are the present occupants.

The West Mountain Lutheran congregation was organized in 1887, and before the church was built six miles northeast of Milton, worship services were held in homes in the community and in the McKay School in East Alma Township. The Rev. Ole E. Ruste was one pator who served the congregation in about 1895, and he held services in the Norwegian language in the McKay School. The church was built in 1899 in Section 14 of East Alma Township on land donated by Sigvart Olson and Lars Walstad. The Ladies Aid was organized the same year and the Luther League in 1929. Charter members of the congregation included Mr. and Mrs. Lars Walstad, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Hjelstad, Mr. and Mrs. K. Christopherson, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Thoreson, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Skrogstad, Mr. and Mrs. Nels Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. Sigvart Olson, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Stabo, Mr. and Mrs. Matheas Solberg, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Olson, Mr. and Mrs. Evan Dahl, Nels Hauge, Mr. and Mrs. William Olson, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hanson, Mr. and Mrs. Mikkel Olson, Andrew Amenrud, Mr. and Mrs. J. Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Jacobson. The congregation remained active until 1963, when the church was closed and most of the members at that time transferred to Milton Lutheran. The church building remained on its site until November 1975 when Howard Skrogstad moved it to his farnj and remodeled it for use as a granary. The organ was purchased by Walt McLeod. The original pews were also purchased and remodeled by Mr. McLeod. A section of the church's white-and-gold painted woodwork from the altar has been stored locally. The cemetery grounds have been maintained in recent years by the West Mountain Cemetery Association. Howard Skrogstad is president of that organization and Russell Dunford is secretary- treasurer.

Written by Carol Goodman

Four one-room prairie schools once stood to educate the children and grandchildren of the East Alma pioneers. In 1962, the daughter of one of those pioneers, Marguerite McKay Bird, wrote the history of the McKay School and entered her composition in the "Unwritten Dakota Tales Contest," sponsored by the Dakota Territorial Centennial Commission; she won honorable mention for her efforts. Her description of the McKay School could include all prairie schools of the era. She writes: "Summers were too busy for anyone to think of schooling, but during the winter months of 1883-84 small groups of English- speaking children (of the first pioneers) gathered in the different homes to ‘read a little, write a little, and figure a little’'according to what time the busy mother in each home could give them. The Scandinavian parents did the same for their children, their own language being given preference." The school buildings that were later constructed were of the one-room type, usually with separate entrances for boys and girls. The teacher sat at a simple desk in front on a platform. (The platform also assisted the smaller children in reaching the blackboard!) Students sat two to a desk and often studied out loud, as "proof to the teacher that they were (studying)!" A shelf for lunches and hooks in the wall for coats could be found in the back of the room. Early blackboards were made of cloth. Pioneer teachers were fond of writing a "motto" at the top of the blackboard each morning, for the pupils to copy in their best handwritting and memorize. At recess, favorite games were "Drop the Handkerchief," "Last Couple Out," and "Anti-I-Over." Contributors to Mrs. Bird’s article recall spelling matches, arithmetic matches, box socials and beginning each morning with the Pledge of Allegiance and "America." Often, teachers went beyond the basics of reading and writing and spent many hours talking with the pupils about the world around them. A partial list of East Alma school teachers includes: Jona Goodman, Laura Dyer, Margaret Wilson, Fannie Waind, Gladys Bruce, Minnie Ottem Goodman, Sylvia Johnson, Lenore Olson, Daisy Pithey, Norma Matheson, Mina Schroeder, Florence Rogers, Pearl Lindell, Annie Lindell, Ella Lotten Goodman, Annette Tetrault, Patricia Hogan Slama, Alice Brezina, James Lewis, Verna Grimson, Helen Hjelmstad, Myrtle Hjelmstad Slama, Alex Falconer, Lena Taarud, James Young, Annie Mclver, Emma Gilbert, Effie Beaton, Rose Haight, W. J. Storie, John A. McKay, J. T. Haight, Mary McKay, Harvey Farnham, Gudmunder Grimson, Sarah Campbell, Lizzie Wakeford, Ameliz Gaugstad, Violet Waind, Rachel McKay, Ada Mikkleson, Jessie Matheson, S. G. Steinolfson, Marie Berger, Jennie McQuarrie, Gudrun Goodman, Lillian Gislason, Bertha Steinolfson Laing, Mayme McLeod Miller, Anges McLeod, Florence Livingood, Winnifred Sunderland Stewart, Byrdie McKay Melville, Lydia Crockett, Mary McLarty, Marguerite McKay Bird, Bertha Kallestad, Thea Lein, Eleanor King, Ruth Oss, Doris Rourke, Erling Logeland, Iva Lou Hanson Sunderland, Kathleen McKarten, Delores Steinolfson, Bertha Thoeson, Lola McKay Throndset, Elizabeth McBride, Alice Thomasson, Alice Morrison, Lois Torrance and Evelyn Arneson.

Originally situated one mile east and four and one- half miles north of Milton, the Dyer School was named for homesteader Andrew Dyer who was an active member of the East Alma school board. The land where the school stood is now owned by Jack Landry. Classes at the Dyer School began in the 1880s, and continued until approximately 1920. Bertha Steinolfson Laing was the last teacher. The school then stood vacant for several years until the mid-1940s, when it was moved to Hay Township for use as a country school there. In 1964, the Dyer School was purchased and donated to the Cavalier County Historical Society by two couples from Langdon who wished to see a country school preserved for future generations. The school was moved temporarily to the parking lot by the Cavalier County Courthouse, and then to the County Museum site at Dresden. The school has been restored and furnished, and several items used by early-day students have been donated.

The Bruce School (also known as the Rushford School and the Gillespie School) was also begun in the 1880s, and was the place of learning for many children who lived just north of Milton. It sat approximately one- half mile southeast of where Otto and Linda Sperling live today. Among the children who attended this school were Ben and Mattie Berger, all the children of Herman Bjarnason, and the children of the Lingenfelter, Duncan, Grimson, Rushford and Hultstrand families. One of the teachers was Mayme McLeod Miller; she is shown in the accompaning photo with her students. In later years the school was moved to the Ole Landsgard farm north of Milton and remodeled for use as a home. Several area people recall the community dance held at the new Landsgard house when it was finished.

Johnson-Goodman School

Located three-quarters of a mile south and one mile east of the Glen Goodman farm on land formerly owned by Stephen Johnson, the Johnson school also opened late in the nineteenth century. The first building burned in the early 1900s and a second school was then built on the same spot. Families who sent their children to the Johnson School included Stewarts, Hjelmstads, Saundersons, Goodmans, Veers, Skrogstads, McBrides, Andersons, Pettersons, Gislasons, Gilbertsons and Melvilles. Myrtle Hjelmstad Slama was the last teacher when the school closed in the fall of 1950. The school building was put up for sale and was purchased by Grimsi Goodman for $250, and then moved to the Goodman farm. There it was attached to the grain elevator for use as a seed cleaning plant, and still on the site in 1983.

Extensive information about the McKay School is available thanks to the efforts of the previously mentioned Margurite McKay Bird, who was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John McKay. The McKay School had its beginnings in March 1885, at an organizational meeting at the farm home of John McKay who lived in Section 26 of what was then known as Hummel Township. A Board of Directors consisting of Mr. McKay, Nels Nelson and Hans Olson was elected, Severt Sylvannus was appointed clerk, and one acre of land was purchased from Neil McLeod in Section 23. Until the new school could be built on that one acre, classes were held for the 1885 term in the doubleclaim shanty built on the line between the claims of Angus McKay and James Torrance. The first teacher was Mr. Alexander Falconer, a native of Scotland, who walked the 24 miles from Walhalla "seeking a school." His salary was $15 a month; Mr. Falconer found lodging at the home of Neil McLeod for $1 a week, slept with two small boys, and did his own laundry! In May 1886, Mr. Falconer and his 34 pupils moved into their new school. The McKay School continued educating the children of East Alma for 68 years until it was closed in 1954 when the district was attached to the Milton School District. Mrs. Lola McKay Throndset and Lois Torrance were the last teachers, and they were the granddaughters of the settlers who loaned their doubleclaim shanty for the first term of school. The McKay School, 97 years old in 1983, still stands on the spot where it was built.

Compiled by Verna McKay

The East Alma Homemakers Club was organized October 15, 1930, at the home of Mrs. R. D. Hunter. The seven charter members were: Mrs. R. D. Hunter, Mrs. Wilson Hunter, Mrs. R. C. Laing, Mrs. Grimsi Goodman, Mrs. G. H. Melville, Mrs. H. Landsgaard and Mrs. R. B. McBride. During the first year Mrs. Neil McLeod, Mrs. Chester McKay and Mrs. J. R. Torrance joined. The first officers were Mrs. R. D. Hunter, president; Mrs. Grimsi Goodman, vice-president; Mrs. R. B. McBride, secretary- treasurer; Mrs. H. Landsgaard, chairman of reports; and Mrs. R. C. Laing and Mrs. Garnet Melville, project leaders.

Over the years, about 34 women were members of the club at various times, but the membership was usually about 14 or 15.

Written by Edward Berger

Can you imagine yourself getting up daily long before daybreak and braving the cold and winds of winter to make a fifteen-mile trip, on foot, along your trapline?

Well, that is exactly what Jess Tschabold did for over seventy years! Mr. Tschabold, who has trapped most every kind of fur bearing animal to be found in North Dakota, began his trapping career as a youth of thirteen. Jesse B. Tschabold was born April 25, 1878, near Elkhart, Indiana. The family moved to Dakota Territory when he was two- years-old and settled four miles east of Milton. Jess was raised by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Theopholis Tschabold. Theopholis was a Union veteran of the Civil War.

Aside from his trapping, Jess worked on farms in the Milton area; among them some years for John Thompson, a neighbor who was cripped with arthritis, and also Jess was crew foreman with the Charlie Plain Farms. Jess married Mathilda Dahl, a daughter of the Evan Dahls in East Alma. They had one son, Orval. Mrs. Tschabold passed away in the early 1900’s. Some years later Jess married Ethel Evans and they had six children. The second Mrs. Tschabold was injured in an automobile accident in 1937 and passed away shortly after. Jess remarried in 1942, the former Ann Seboe. In later years Jess moved from the Milton area to a farm west from Park River. He farmed and lived there until his death on January 6, 1970, at nearly 93 years of age.

A few years before his death Jess Tschabold was interviewed by an area newspaper reporter and the following quotations and information are from that interview.

"Paul Skrogstad showed me lots of tricks," was Mr. Tschabold’s reply when asked who taught him trapping. "He knew everything about trapping and taught me a lot." Mr. Skrogstad was Mr. Tschabold’s trapping companion for many years and together they shared many experiences. During the winter of 1917 they set out to trap skunks which they took alive, penned them up and fattened them on horsement until "the price was right." That winter they trapped 121 skunks and after fattening and conditioning them on horsement "skinned them out" and sold the hides for about $6 a piece. A bonus from this venture also netted them about $7 per horse hide. The horse carcasses were given to them by area farmers!

In more than 30 years of operation in the Milton area, along the north branch of the Park River, the tricky Canada lynx, the big timber wolf, the beaver, raccoon, mink and weasel all fell prey to the Tschabold traps. Wolves were the most profitable, often bringing $25. In the olden days when there was plenty of game, Mr. Tschabold said that many times he could not carry a day’s catch home so he would have to stop, build a fire and skin out the animals and carry home only the pelts. Once in 1924 in five days time he trapped 96 muskrats and sold them for a good price.

In his last years, although Mr. Tschabold was still frisky as a man 30 years his junior, quickly explained to the reporter that his reduced activity and shortened trap lines were in no way a concession to advancing age. "There’s just not much left to trap anymore," he said, shaking his head sadly, "and what there is around is being taken by those fellows with snowmobiles and rifles. There’s no sense in going out every day and checking a long trap line."

B. K. ANDERSON FAMILY

Bjorn K. Anderson was born January 16, 1889, near Hallson, the son of Bjorn and Kristine Anderson. He had one sister and five brothers.

Ellevina Elin Guttormson was born January 8, 1895, the daughter of Ellefur and Elin Guttormson. She had two brothers and three sisters.

Bjorn and Ellevina were married at the Joe Hall home September 15, 1913. They had ten children: Gudrun, Mrs. Gisli Davidson, lives in Milton and has 10 children; Ellen, Mrs. G. A. Johannesson, now widowed and a retired Gardar postmaster, has a son and daughter; Beatrice, Mrs. Kenneth Thomasson, lives in Chicago and has retired from Sears Roebuck and has one daughter; Ethel, Mrs. Albert Stauss, lives in East Grand Forks and has two daughters and five sons; Henry, deceased, lived in Washington with his wife, Mary, and had six sons; Steve, died while serving in the U.S. Navy; Alice, Mrs. Ulmer, had two daughters, one deceased; Joyce, Mrs. James Rochester, lives in Washington and has six children; Elton, lives in Redding, Calif., with his wife, Joan. They have a son and daughter. Ruth, Mrs. Gordon Aldrich, lives in Washington and has two sons.

Bjorn (Barney) had a limited education and was orphaned while young and then made his home with the Myrdals. When he was 18 years old he had his right arm severed in a circular saw accident. His determination and will power and desire to learn to use his other arm and hand helped him to become proficient in driving a car, tractor and other machinery. He handled horses, hunted coyotes, painted houses, inside and out, and was very seldom heard to complain about his handicap.

Ellevina was also orphaned while young and when she was 10 years old went to live with the J. G. Hall family.

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson spent about 10 years of their married life in Saskatchewan, Canada, returning to the United States in 1928. They had a store in Union, N. Dak., for one year. They then moved to Milton so the family could attend high school. Gudrun, Ellen, Beatrice, Henry and Ethel graduated from Milton. The family then moved to Washington where the younger children received their education. Elton did come back here and lived with Ellen at Gardar and graduated from there.

Bjorn died in August, 1970, and Ellevina in March, 1966.

JOHN ANDERSON FAMILY

Laura Othilde Walstad and John Martin Anderson were married July 23, 1925, at Grand Forks, N. Dak.

John Martin was born at Havn, Norway, on February 28, 1881, and he passed away on January 20, 1977, in Park River. He farmed near Park River from 1903-1923. He had five children with his first marriage.

After his marriage to Laura Walstad in 1925, they moved to Milton and farmed from 1928-1957. They retired from farming in 1957 when they moved back to Park River.

John and Laura celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at Park River in 1975.

The Andersons had two daughters, Lois Orlaine and Margaret Ann.

Lois was born on February 29, 1928. Lois graduated from Milton High School in 1947 and attended Mayville State College in 1947-1948. She taught school from 1948-1952. Lois is married to Russell Dunford. They have three children: Ramon Arlo, Kevin James and Karen Lois. They live at Milton.

Margaret Ann was born November 13, 1930. She graduated from Milton High School in 1948. After graduating from high school she completed the Nurses Training Course at the Grand Forks Deaconess Hospital in 1951 with a Registered Nurse Degree. She has four children: Sean Darcy, Katherine Laura, Margaret Marin, and Bridget Ann. Margaret Ann is married to Joseph Ditschler. They live in Minneapolis, Minn.

Laura Anderson passed away June 10, 1983.

SEVER ANDERSON FAMILY

Sever Anderson was born in Dalsland, Sweden, February 29, 1876, the son of Anders and Emma Danielson. He left his home in Sweden in May of 1897 at the age of 21 years and came to America, arriving in Milton and worked in the vicinity and in Minnesota, while proving up his homestead west of Langdon. He kept his homestead for five years and then sold it and returned to East Alma Township, buying a farm five miles north of Milton in 1904 where he farmed for forty years.

He married Kaia Sather at Langdon on August 27, 1910, and continued to farm until the death of his son, Albin, who died November 30, 1944. He then sold his farm in 1945, and moved to Osnabrock where he lived for nine years. After the death of his wife, he sold his home and moved back to Sweden in 1954. He had two sisters and one brother, Martin, living in Sweden, a brother, August, living at Osnabrock, a brother, William of East Alma Township and later at Osnabrock, and a brother, Joseph, in Saskatchewan, and a brother, Albin, a missionary in China.

They all went back to the home they left as young men and enjoyed to see and visit with one another, as they were all living at that time.

Sever Anderson passed away on July 17, 1972, in a rest home in Dalsland, Sweden.

OSK TEITSON ASMUNDSON FAMILY

Osk Teitson was born in Hunavatnsysla, Iceland, in 1855, where she grew to womanhood. About the year 1882 she came to America to join her family that had gone two years earlier. She finally reached Pembina, North Dakota, after three weeks on the ocean and a long train ride. There she was met by a former neighbor, Magnus Davidson, who took her to her parents’ cabin in Thingvalla Township and a happy reunion with her family. Later in the year her father, Teitur, was struck by lightning while herding cattle. A year or so later she married Asmundur Asmundson. They homesteaded east of Eyford, but were forced to leave as their claim was contested. So they rented a cabin and took work wherever available. To them were born five girls and four boys. Then in 1901 when the youngest son was two years old, Asmundur became ill and died.

Osk and the older children worked to keep the family together with the help of neighbors. The year 1912 they were able to buy 160 acres in East Alma Township, section 36 in Cavalier County, just west of Pembina County. Here the children grew up. About 1930 they rented the neighboring farm of Ingibjorg Thordarson, where the family later moved and made their home. Osk passed away September 29, 1934. The year 1942 Teitur, Bertha and Magnus decided to quit farming and they all had jobs with Boeing’s at Seattle, Wash., later making their homes at Milton, N. Dak.

Following is a brief history of the brothers and sisters who as this is written have all passed away.

Rosa was born November 13, 1883. She married Bjorn Jonasson. Their children: May, Anna, Ena, Gudrun (deceased), Bertha, Rosa and Bjorn (deceased). Bjorn Jonasson passed away in the year of 1920. Rosa later married Svein Gislason of Gardar, N. Dak. They had a daughter named Halldora.

John, born December 30, 1886, was married to Sigrid Olason at Hensel, North Dakota. They lived in the Hensel community until they moved to the state of Washington. Their children, Gudrun, Osk, John and Asmundur, all live in Washington state.

Anna was born April 13, 1887, married Sigurd Bergman and lived in Park River, N. Dak. Their children were John, Fredrik (deceased), Florence (deceased), Esther, Anna and Kristian. Illness struck and Anna died, two years later Sigurd died. Six children were orphans and all sought refuge at their grandmother’s farm.

Kristin was born March 21, 1889. He passed away when he was a young man.

Teitur was born August 19, 1891, served in the first world war, worked in Seattle, Wash., during second world war, and later made his home in Milton.

Thura, born March 21, 1892, married Ed Thordarson and lived in Gardar Township. They had two children, Lillian and Theodore. Ed passed away when the children were young. Thura later made her home and worked for many years in Milton.

Gudrun, born October 14, 1895, married Walter Johnson of Edinburg, N. Dak. Their children were Ernest (deceased) and Joyce.

Kristbjorg (Bertha) was born April 12, 1897. She never married. She grew up in this area, worked in Seattle, Wash., and later made her home in Milton and Mountain communities.

Magnus, born August 12, 1898, married Anna Davidson. Their children were Kenneth (deceased), Rodger, Margaret, Harland and Sharon. Magnus lived most of his life in Milton, N. Dak.

HERMAN BJARNASON FAMILY

Herman Bjarnason and Juliana came from Iceland July 1, 1888, and landed at Quebec, Ontario. They went from there to Winnipeg. Herman’s travels took him from Ontario to North Dakota where he worked in the Mountain and Crystal areas for five years. Juliana went to Churchbridge, Saskatchewan where she worked and stayed with Herman’s sister. Herman made the trip back to Canada to see Juliana twice in those five years.

In the fall of 1892 Herman returned to Churchbridge where he filed a homestead, built a home, and raised cattle. Herman and Juliana were married February 11, 1893. By the following spring they decided they were not satisfied with their homestead and they sold out. They then traded ten head of cattle for a team of horses and a wagon.

That year, in May, they began their journey to North Dakota in the covered wagon. They entered the United States at Hannah, and farmed at first in the Mountain area. Herman lost his first crop to hail and rust. This discouragement caused him to seek a new beginning and in 1894 he filed a homestead on the farm three and one half miles north of Milton in East Alma Township. He lived . and farmed there until his death.

Herman and Juliana had five daughters and four sons. They are: Mrs. Ole (Ethel) Einarson, Mrs. Alfred (Laufey) Gustafson, Mrs. Lyn (Elvera) Brown, Mrs. James (Laura) Brown, Ina, Arman, and Cecil, who never married, Oscar who married Esther Emery, and Helgi who married Sylvia Duel. Herman and Juliana also raised a granddaughter, Laura Brown, and a great grandson, Otto Sperling. Arman lived and farmed on the home place until his death. Ina also lived all her life on the home farm. Cecil farmed in East Alma Township on the Poust farm and also owned a business in Milton for a time.

Herman contributed a great deal to the community with the music from his accordion. He played for many dances at the community fun hall.

Herman and Juliana belonged to the Fjalla Lutheran Church where they were charter members. Herman was secretary for the church for 52 years and was also assessor for 30 years in East Alma Township.

HILBERT BELL FAMILY

Hilbert Bell, together with his parents and sister, moved to East Alma Township in 1933 from Wales, N. Dak. He lived in East Alma until 1943. Hilbert’s mother died in 1940 and his father died in 1941. His sister, Mae, married and left the community.

Hilbert left in 1943 and after working for some time in the Aleutian Islands moved to Broderick, Calif., where he spent his last years.

JOHN BRUCE FAMILY

John Bruce was born in 1860 in Lermanagh County, Ireland. He left Irelan/d when a young man, coming to Drayton, Ontario, where he lived for seven years. He was married to Mary Ann Stephenson in Ontario, in 1890, and moved with her to a farm in East Alma Township where he lived until his death. Mary Ann Bruce passed away in December, 1957.

Three children were born to them: Gladys (Mrs. George Watt), now deceased; Mae (Mrs. Lloyd Smith), now deceased; William (Bill), now a resident of the Good Samaritan Home in Osnabrock. As a young man, Bill lived in Saskatchewan, Canada, and then returned to the Milton area and farmed the family farm. He was also a beekeeper, and produced and sold honey in the surrounding area.

He married Elizabeth McLeod, daughter of Angus McLeod, in 1916. She passed away shortly after this marriage.

JOHN CHRISTOPHERSON FAMILY

John Christopherson, son of Krist and Johanna Christopherson, was born in Norway, December 5, 1874. He came to this country with his parents at the age of nine years. In 1901, he married Ingeborg Hjelmstad, who also was born in Norway in August, 1878. Her parents were Hans and Beate (Walstad) Hjelmstad. She came to this country at the age of five when her parents settled in the Milton area. John and Ingeborg lived in the Milton area, with the exception of nine years when they went to Palermo to homestead.

The couple had six children. Hulda Josephine was born at Milton January 29, 1903. She married Carl Olson and they settled in the Osnabrock area. Conrad was born June 28, 1904, and died at the age of seven in April, 1912. Henry was born January 14, 1906, at Milton. He married Anne Kempel and raised a family in Milton. Esther Beatrice was born February 27, 1908. She married Frank Sehret. They farmed in the Milton area, but lived at Walhalla. Clara was born December 30, 1910. She married Ole Markholt who farmed near Hoople. She now lives in Park River. Conrad Alfred was born January 28, 1916. He was so tiny when he was born, his parents didn’t expect him to live. Ingeborg would bath him with olive oil and wrap him in cotton. She kept him in a shoe box on the oven door. Conrad lived and farmed by Milton until his death May 26, 1971.

John Christopherson died October, 1917, and Ingeborg died June, 1951.

EDWARD DAHL FAMILY

Edward E. Dahl was born February 17, 1871. He came from Norway at the age of eleven years to the Milton, ND, vicinity. He was a farm laborer and also worked with masonary.

He was married to Carrie Evanson Simonson in 1893, who had come from Hamar, Norway. Children by Mrs. Dahl’s former marriage were Sam Simonson and Mrs. Bert Levin. To the Edward Dahl’s four sons were born: Ivan, Martin, Adolph and Carl.

Ivan was in the service in World War I. After he was discharged, he started farming. Martin was a farmer at Ray, North Dakota. Carl farmed by Park River and Adolph worked with the R.E.A. while in the Langdon area. They are now all deceased.

HARLAND DENNISON FAMILY

Harland Dennison was born in Thornetdale, Yorkshire, England, July 24, 1855. He spent his childhood, youth and young manhood in his native country. In 1876, he married Emily Warwick. The Dennisons came to America in 1882 and located first at Crystal, ND. Later they moved north of Milton and homesteaded in East Alma township, where they lived until 1916, moving then to Concrete, ND, to enjoy retired life.

Mr. Dennison was well known in this part of the county and had a reputation as one of the best veterinarians. He passed away January 27, 1927. Mrs. Dennison passed away in 1926.

The couple had 12 children and five of them lived in nearby towns — Mrs. Alex McKay of Concrete; Mrs. Clarence Cilley of Sarles; Mrs. William Duncan of Clyde; Thomas of Fairdale and Harley of Concrete.

Harley Dennison was born at Concrete, ND, June 3, 1898. Susie (Graetz) was born in Minto, ND, on March 15, 1906. The couple were married in October, 1931. They had three children — Lois, born October 10, 1932; Charles, born October 23, 1933, and Tom, born June 25, 1935 — who were born at the time they moved to East Alma Township in the spring of 1936. After moving to Langdon in 1943, two other children were born — Harland Richard, June 4, 1946, and Shiela Ann, March 18, 1950.

The family lived in Northwood, ND, and also at Walhalla, ND, before moving to Lewiston, MT, in 1952. Harley was employed in various bakeries during these years. While in Lewiston, Susie worked a number of years in the kitchen of St. Joseph’s Hospital. She died in 1975 at Lewiston and Harley died at Havre, MT, in 1976.

Lois is married and has a son and a daughter. She lives in Hamilton, MT.

Charles lives in Westmont, IL, with his wife and three sons. He works for Rexnard Industries.

Tom died in Moore, MT, in 1977. His wife preceeded him in death. They had no children.

Harland Richard is a master electrician and has his own business in Lewiston. He and his wife have no children.

Shiela is a social worker for Adams County in Denver, Co. She is not married.

ANDREW DYER FAMILY

Andrew Dyer and Margaret Mulligan Dyer were born in Dublin, Ontario in 1863 and 1865. Shortly after their marriage on January 15, 1889, they came to the Milton area, Dakota Territory, and filed for a homestead. They were apparently lured by the tales of how, by homesteading, good farm land could be obtained in Dakota Territory, U.S.A. One would gather that much discussion preceded this venture as other relatives also came from Dublin.

The homestead was located about 5 Vi miles north of Milton. Through the years they bought adjoining land until they had acquired 520 acres, all in East Alma township. It is believed that their first home was a log cabin in which they lived for a couple of years. To this union were born six children. Myrtle - 1892, Della - 1894, Laura - 1896, Ella - 1898, Eva - 1900 and Lawrence - 1903.

The children attended the nearby country school known as the Dyer School, which is now located on the museum grounds at Dresden.

Open-hearted hospitality characterized the Dyer home. It was said that Mrs. Dyer could make a meal out of nothing and that her baking powder biscuits would melt in your mouth. Andrew entertained with his fiddle and Mrs. Dyer would dance the Irish Jig.

Neighborliness existed amongst the pioneers. Work was exchanged when needed. Some women were always willingly available where there was sickness or if a new baby was about to be ushered into the world. The kindness and concern of neighbors was exemplified at the time that Mrs. Dyer had the misfortune of having her nose kicked off by a horse. One story teller said that the coming of the neighbors was comparable to the gathering at the County Fair.

Ella married Edward Siguaw, a neighborhood young man in November, 1919. They moved to Cathay, ND, where he was a rural mail carrier. They had two children.

Myrtle, Della and Laura trained for teachers at Sacred Heart Academy in Fargo.

Myrtle taught at Fessenden, ND, where she met her future husband, a farmer, Calvin Neuenschwander, and married him April 13, 1914. They had four children.

Della also taught at Fessenden, ND, where she met her future husband, Otto Kramer, a farmer, and married him July 1921. They had four children.

Laura taught at Cathay, ND, finishing a teachers unexpired term. She then entered sales work in ladies’ ready-to-wear. She advanced from selling to an executive position which she held until retiring. Laura never married.

Eve trained for a nurse and nursed in Grand Forks and Valley City previous to her marriage to Harold Purdie in March 1926. They had one son.

Lawrence clerked in hardware stores, but spent most of his working life selling furniture, until entering World War II. Folliwing the war he worked at Boeing in Seattle. He married Lucille Elliot in May 1929. They had one adopted son.

In the early 1920’s the family moved to Fargo. Andrew, who was suffering with cancer, was close to medical treatment.

Several years later, they moved to Valley City. Mr. Dyer passed away on Feb. 10, 1929. After that Mrs. Dyer made her home with her married children. She passed away Aug. 27, 1935, at Fessenden, ND.

All members of the immediate family are deceased. There are 12 grandchildren, including one adopted grandchild. Eleven survive and four of those live in North Dakota.

Submitted by granddaughter Margaret Neuenschwander Morrison, 1983.

BOYD EAGLESON FAMILY

Boyd Keith Eagleson was born April 1, 1942, at Milton. His parents are Bill and Jona Eagleson. He was raised on the family farm south of Milton. He attended rural grade schools and graduated from Milton High School in 1960. He attended NDSU at Fargo for five quarters.

Marcia Dianne Goodman was born August 7, 1947, at Langdon to Glen and Verna Goodman. She was raised on the family farm north of Milton and graduated from Milton High School in 1965.

Boyd and Marcia were married at Grand Forks on May 8, 1965. In December of 1964 Boyd joined the North Dakota National Guard and was a member for nine years obtaining the rank of staff sergeant. In July of 1966, Boyd became a member of the North Dakota Highway Patrol and they were stationed at Towner for ten years. While they lived at Towner, Boyd was active in chariot racing, trapshooting and wildlife clubs. Marcia held various jobs as secretary in the sheriff’s office; worked for two attorneys; was receptionist at the clinic; and worked for two years for a wildlife biologist. Boyd resigned from the patrol on April of 1976 and they have been farming north of Milton ever since along with running a cow-calf operation.

At present, Boyd is serving as president of the Milton school board; is commander of the local Legion post; has served on the parish council; is Webelos leader for the scouts; and is member on the board of directors of the Good Samaritan Home in Osnabrock.

Marcia has served as president of the PTO; secretary for the parish council; and is a member of the Legion Auxiliary. In the fall of 1980 she attended UND at Grand Forks for one semester. Their family belongs to the Milton Lutheran Church.

Boyd and Marcia are the parents of:

Chad William was born on August 25, 1965, at Cavalier. He graduated from Milton High School on May 15, 1983. He was an honor student and is listed in the 1981- 1982 edition of Who’s Who Among American High School Students. He was a two year letterman in basketball; participated in the senior class play; was class officer for three years; sang in the chorus and served on the annual and paper staffs. He attended Boys’ State in 1982; went to Washington, D.C., on an educational trip and attended the Farm Bureau citizenship seminar in Bismarck his junior year.

Ross Boyd was born on July 18, 1966, at Cavalier. He had leukemia and died at the age of four years and ten months on May 28, 1971, at Rugby.

Andrea Jo was born May 2, 1970, at Rugby. At present she just completed the seventh grade at Milton. She is an honor student and has participated in baton for five years; dance for two years; girls’ basketball; cheerleading and plays trumpet in the band.

Sean Brady was born February 5, 1972, at Minot. Presently he has completed the fifth grade at Osnabrock Grade School. He also is an honor student; plays the saxophone in band; belongs to the pee wee baseball team; is a Webelos scout; trapshoots in the summer and has played basketball for two years.

Jace Boyd was born September 17, 1981, at Cavalier.

RAY FETSCH FAMILY

Ray Fetsch, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Fetsch, and Marilyn Fischer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Fischer, all of Langdon, were married at Mt. Carmel, N. Dak., on May 12, 1959.

Ray and Marilyn lived in Langdon where both were employed until May of 1960 when they moved to the Milton area. Ray was employed by G. S. Goodman. He is still employed there and the family lives on the Goodman farm.

Ray and Marilyn are the parents of two sons and three daughters: Kevin Paul graduated from the Milton High School in 1978 and will graduate from North Dakota State University in May of this year with a degree of A.B.S. in Agricultural Economics. Kent Lee is five years old.

The girls are Cheryl Rae who graduated from Milton-Osnabrock in 1980 and from Aaker’s Business College in Grand Forks in August of 1981. She is employed as a medical secretary at the Medical Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Forks.

The second daughter, Darla Marie, graduated from Milton-Osnabrock in 1981 and from Aaker’s Business College in August of 1982. She is a secretary for Acme Electric at Grand Forks.

The third daughter, Lorie Ann, is a junior at Milton- Osnabrock High School.

CARL GILBERTSON FAMILY

Carl Gilbertson, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ole Gilbertson, was born Sept. 9, 1888. He attended grade school and grew to manhood in the Barnesville, MN, area.

Carl was a veteran of World War I. He went into the service in June, 1918. He fought in the Argonne Forest and was on the battlefield when the Armistice was signed. He was discharged in June, 1919.

Carl farmed at Barnesville after he returned from service until 1927. He came to Milton in 1929.

In December of 1930 he married Jennie Herseth, daughter of Hans and Julie Herseth of Milton. Carl and Jennie farmed north of Milton where they lived until 1944, then moved to Barnesville, MN, where they farmed until 1959, when they retired and moved into the town of Barnesville. Even though retired, Carl went out to the farm and worked a lot helping his sons.

While living in the Milton area, Jennie and Carl were members of the West Mountain Lutheran Church north of Milton. Jennie was a member of the East Alma Homemakers Club and the American Legion Auxiliary.

Three boys were born to Jennie and Carl: Harvey, Joseph, and Gordon. Gordon, their youngest son, died in June, 1954, as a result of injuries suffered in a car accident. Harvey and Joseph live in the Barnesville area.

Carl passed away Feb. 19, 1976, in the Veterans Hospital in Fargo. Jennie still resides in her home in Barnesville.

THOMAS GILLESPIE FAMILY

Thomas Gillespie was born August 25, 1887, in Milton, N. Dak. He was the seventh child born to early Milton pioneers, Charles and Susan Gillespie. On December 24, 1907, he married Nan Elliot in Winnipeg, Canada. Nan Elliot was born in 1887 in Inverness, Scotland. She came to Canada from Scotland in 1903 when she was sixteen years old, landed in Vancouver after a long trip from Scotland by boat, and was met by her uncle, George McKenzie, who brought her to Milton vicinity and lived there until her marriage.

They lived with Mrs. Charles Gillespie on the family homestead for the first two years, until their first son, Thomas John, was born in 1909. The Gillespies then moved to Moosejaw, Canada, for about one and a half years, where their second child, Susan Ann, was born in 1910. Thomas then moved his family back to Milton to farm. They were to reside there the rest of their lives.

Their next four children were all born and raised in Milton. Dorothy May, born in 1912; Robert Allen in 1913; Marjorie Ruth in 1915, and James Charles in 1917. Robert Allen died at the age of five in 1919.

Although the Gillespie farm was a very busy place with Nan raising six children, and a flock of turkeys and chickens, and Thomas busy with his animals, (sheep, horses, pigs, etc.), they also ran a very successful ice business. Tom Gillespie was noted for having the finest quality of ice in the state. He supplied many towns in the county including Langdon, Wales, Dresden, Osnabrock and others nearby with carloads of ice. The ice came from pure water springs in the coulee near the Charles Olson farm a mile north of Milton. Ice was also taken from the river five miles northwest of Milton on the Lars Dahl farm. Ice was hauled from the river to town on sleighs pulled by teams of horses. Mr. Gillespie employed many men and a half-dozen teams in his business.

In 1918, the Gillespies moved to town during the flu epidemic. At this time Thomas ran a livery and was busy hauling doctors to the many flu victims. After the epidemic, they returned with their family to the farm.

Thomas Gillespie passed away on January 6, 1946, after suffering a severe heart attack. He was 59 years old. The summer after his death, Mrs. Gillespie returned from a weekend in Grand Forks to find eleven tractors and fourteen men on her farm, putting in the crop. Her sister- in-law, Mrs. Wesley Hunter, and her niece, Mrs. Charles Hunter, were providing food for the men. This type of neighborly help is common practice in the Milton community.

After Thomas’ death, Nan sold the farm and lived in town. Here she operated a gift shop in her home for some time. Mrs. Gillespie died February 10, 1972, and is buried next to her husband in the Milton Memorial Cemetery.

GISLI GISLASON FAMILY

Gisli and Ragnheidur Gislason were born in Husey, Skagaferdi, Iceland, and came to America in the 1880’s.

The Gislasons were the parents of four daughters: Olina, who died in 1902; Gudfinna, Mrs. Pete Wirth, who had one son, Ray, who taught in Milton for two years and is now teaching in Minneapolis; Sigurbjorg, Mrs. Millie Blan; and Ingebjorg, Mrs. Ole Haug, who had four sons.

Mr. and Mrs. Gislason came to East Alma and settled there in 1883. Mrs. Gislason died in 1917 and Mr. Gislason in 1901.

JONATHAN GISLASON FAMILY

Jonathan and Gudrun Gislason were married in 1887. They lived on a farm in East Alma Township. Their farm buildings were situated near the brow of the Pembina Hills affording them an excellent view of the valley. They called their home "Odin’s Throne."

Jonathan was the son of Herdis and Hallgrimur Gislason. Both Jonathan and Gudrun were born in Iceland. Jonathan died in 1917 and the family left the farm in 1921 when Gudrun went to Grand Forks and lived there for a time, later moving to Washington to be with some of her children. In 1946 she moved to West Los Angeles to be with two of her sons and she died there in 1947. She is buried there.

Jonathan and Gudrun were the parents of nine children. The seven boys were: Dan, Ingimar, Con, Gerhart, Mundi, Trivisti, and Julius. Julius died in an accident in the Dakoa Mill in Grand Forks in 1924. The two daughters are Mrs. Sterling (Lilja) Whitmer of Quincy, Wash. Lilja taught in the Milton school for several years. She was a violinist and vocal soloist. The younger daughter, Mrs. Earl (Herdis) Field, lives in Seattle, Wash. She attended high school in Milton.

BERNIE GOODMAN FAMILY

Bernie and Carol Goodman farm in partnership with Glen Goodman in East Alma Township. Bernie, a great- grandson of Stefan Goodman who homesteaded Oakview Farm in 1881, represents the fourth generation of the family to farm the same land. Part of Bernie’s farm includes the homestead claim of Jon Gudmundson, who sold his 160 acres to his brother, Stefan, and then re-settled in Canada in the late 1890’s. Bernie and Carol built a new home in 1977 near the original homestead house built by Jon.

Bernie is the second son of Glen and Verna Restad Goodman, and was born August 2, 1946. He graduated from Milton High School in 1964, attended North Dakota State University, and graduated from there in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics. He had received his military commission upon graduation and entered the U.S. Army at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, in September, 1968. He was also stationed at Ft. Carson, Colorado, before serving with the 1st Infantry Division and 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, September 1969- September 1970. Following his military service, Bernie attended graduate school at NDSU and obtained his Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics in 1972, and began farming that spring. He has continued his involvement with the U.S. Army Reserve and presently holds the rank of captain. Bernie is a licensed pilot and has his private and commercial rating.

On May 31, 1969, Bernie married Carol F. Stabo, born March 11, 1947, and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stabo. She graduated from Milton High School in 1965 and from North Dakota State University with a degree in Home Economics in 1969. Following graduation she worked as Assistant to the Dean of Students at NDSU, and from 1972-1975 as public relations representative for Western Electric Company at the Nekoma ABM site.

Bernie and Carol have two sons, Gregory Garth, born January 11, 1977, and Brett Daniel, born February 23, 1980.

GLEN GOODMAN FAMILY

Glen Goodman was born October 31, 1920, on the family farm in East Alma Township. He is the eldest son of Grimsi and Minnie Goodman. He attended East Alma school No. 1 through the sixth grade, then attended school in Milton where he was graduated in 1937. Following that, he attended NDSU in Fargo for two years until he began farming with his father in 1940. Glen and Verna M. Resad, who grew up in the Calvin-Hannah area, were married in Milton in November 1943. They had three children: Dennis, Bernie, and Marcia (now Mrs. Boyd Eagleson). Dennis, who graduated from Milton High School in 1962, ^!! attended the State School of Science in Wahpeton, and who had worked in the area as a welder, died in 1975. His three sons, Darren, Brian, and Travis, now reside in Fargo.

Glen has been active in various community organizations, and served as East Alma Township j supervisor for 22 years, as well as on the Milton School Board for 10 years. In 1963, 1967, and 1969 he served as a representative in the North Dakota Legislature. Since 1958 he has been on the Cavalier Rural Electric Board and also served on the Soil Conservation Board from 1958 until 1982. In 1970 he was appointed Cavalier County Commissioner and was elected in 1974, 1978, and 1982. He served on the Cavalier County Social Service Board as of 1970, and represents Cavalier County on the North Central Planning Council and on the Lake Region District Health Unit. He is a member of the Farm Bureau, Milton Masonic Lodge, Langdon Scottish Rite, Kem Temple of Grand Forks, Royal Order of Jesters, the Kutchina Club of Phoenix, Knights of Pythias of Osnabrock, Elks, and >the Eagles Club of Langdon.

Glen and Dale Goodman farmed together until Dale’s death in 1971; since then Glen has farmed with his son, Bernie, and since 1976, also with his son-in-law, Boyd Eagleson.

Glen and Verna resided part-time in Modesto, Calif., from 1976 until 1982, when they moved to Langdon. Verna, who was a member of several musical groups prior to her marriage, also was active in many community affairs. She was a charter member of Milton’s Eastern Star and was Worthy Matron in 1958. The Goodmans were members of the Milton Curling Club and the square dance club, as well as the Saddle Club.

G. S. (MUNDI) GOODMAN FAMILY

Born December 15, 1896, Mundi Goodman is one of the six children of Stefan and Kristin Goodman, early homesteaders in East Alma Township. Mundi grew up on the homestead, and in 1919 he and his brother, Steve, purchased a section of land from a man from Milton, a Mr. Goodbody. The brothers farmed together until 1935. Mundi expanded his farm to eight quarters which is now being farmed by his son, Jerry.

Through the years Mundi had been very involved in community activities. He served on the Milton School Board for 40 years and was on the board of directors for the First Bank of Langdon for 30 years. He was a charter member of the American Legion Post 179 of Milton and a member of the Cavalier County Last Man’s Company of World War I. He was honored in 1977 for 50 years of membership in the Masons and Scottish Rites. He received the soil conservation award in 1954 and won first place in the feed class in the 1960 State Barley Show.

Mundi and Runa Johnson were married in 1936. Runa was active in church and American Legion Auxiliary. She sang at many community events. Mundi and Runa were charter members of the Milton Chapter of the Eastern Star. Runa passed away in 1967. Mundi passed away in 1983.

Their son, Jerry, continues to farm near Milton. He attended the Wahpeton School of Science in 1961-1962, and North Dakota State University during the winter of 1963-1964. He and Monica Readel were married in 1982.

STEFAN GOODMAN FAMILY

One of the early pioneers in what is now East Alma Township was Stefan (Gudmundson) Goodman who filed on a homestead two miles east and six miles north of Milton in the year 1881.

Stefan was born January 16, 1850, in Iceland. In 1877, Stefan, accompanied by several others, immigrated to the United States, settling first in Milwaukee, WI. Because of prior experience, Stefan was able to secure employment in a store, and he held this position for four years. It was from his employers in Wisconsin that he learned to speak English.

In the early summer of 1881, Stefan and others from the area went to Dakota Territory where two years before many Icelanders from Shawano County, Wisconsin, had gone. The earlier Icelanders had filed on land near Hallson, Mountain and Gardar, but Stefan went farther west and filed on land in present-day East Alma. Stefan’s mother then came from Iceland to live with him. She lived until approximately 1905, and is buried at Akra. Also, a brother, Jon, filed on land to the west of Stefan’s (now owned by Bernie Goodman).

On June 12, 1888, Stefan married Kristin Grimson, born May 7, 1869, a daughter of Steingrimur Grimson and Gudrun Jonsdotter Grimson. Mr. and Mrs. Grimson and several of their children came to Dakota Territory from Iceland in 1882. Because she had become ill with typhoid fever, Kristin did not join her family in America until 1885.

Stefan passed away March 9, 1899, after a short illness, leaving his wife and five young children. A sixth child, Steve Goodman, was born two months after the death of his father. Kristin and the children continued to live on the farm, first hiring help to put in the crop and later renting for two years. At the age of fourteen, the eldest son (Grimsi) took over the farming operations in partnership with his mother and with the help of his brothers and sisters. In 1915, the old log house was replaced with a large eight-room home that has been continuously lived in, first by Kristin and family, then by the Grimsi Goodman family, the Glen Goodman family, and now by the Boyd Eagleson family (Marcia Goodman).

Stefan and Kristin’s six children were Gudrun (1890- 1962), a home economics teacher; Jona (1892-1979), who married Svein Peterson and lived most of her married life at Bottineau; Lula (1892-), also a teacher who is Mrs. Phil Erlandson of Astoria, OR; and Grimsi, Mundi and Steve (see related stories).

Kristin Goodman spent four years in Milton after Grimsi’s marriage and then moved to the farm home of her son, Mundi, who had purchased land near Milton. She lived there until his marriage in 1936 when she again moved to Milton and maintained a home with her daughter, Gudrun. Kristin died September 8, 1958, at the age of 89 years.

On July 18, 1981, the descendents of Stefan and Kristin Goodman celebrated the 100th anniversary of the homestead.

STEINGRIMUR (GRIMSI) GOODMAN FAMILY

Grimsi Goodman was born June 5, 1889, on the farm in East Alma Township where his parents, Stefan and Kristin Grimson Goodman, natives of Iceland, had homesteaded. Grimsi’s father died when he was 10, and by the time he was 14, he was farming in partnership with his mother, assisted by his brothers and sisters. He continued to farm all of his life, expanding the size of the original homestead and developing a herd of Shorthorn cattle.

During his lifetime, he was a charter member of the Cavalier County Farm Bureau, one of the original

supervisors of the East Cavalier Soil Conservation Association, a director of the Red River Valley Potato Growers Association, a director of the Cavalier County Fair, a director of the Cavalier Rural Electric Cooperative, and also, with his brothers and son, organized the Milton Telephone Company in 1951 (later sold to United Telephone). He was also active in township affairs, a member of the Fjalla Church, and a member of Milton Lodge No. 48.

On July 16, 1919, Grimsi married Minnie Ottem of Osnabrock, born August 10, 1894, the daughter of pioneers in that area. They lived on the homestead farm from the time of their marriage until Grimsi’s death in May of 1958.

Six children were born to Grimsi and Minnie, two of whom survive today, Glen of Milton (see related story) and Richard John of Potomac, Maryland. Richard received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees from North Dakota State University and his Doctorate in agriculural economics from the University of Minnesota. ® He and his wife, Jo, have two grown children, Ross and Ruth. Richard is currently a vice-president of Continental £ Grain Company.

Grimsi and Minnie’s four other children included: Clarice Mae, who died in infancy in 1923; Kenneth Stefan, a graduate of NDSU in chemistry who died as a young adult in 1949; Dale Allen, who attended UND and served with the U.S. Army in Germany and was farming at home at the time of his death as a result of a motor vehicle accident in September, 1971; and Dorothy Ann, Dale’s i twin, a graduate of St. Olaf College, who died in December, 1974. She was married to Tom Rogers of Grand Forks and is survived by four children who reside in the Chicago area.

Minnie, who moved into Milton in 1959, passed away in November, 1978, at the age of 84.

S. K. GOODMAN FAMILY

Stefan K. (Steve) Goodman was born May 25, 1899, two months after his father’s death; Steve was the youngest of the six children born to Stefan and Kristin Goodman, early homesteaders in East Alma Township. Steve grew up on the family farm, and in 1919 he and his brother, G. S. (Mundi), purchased one section of land from a Mr. Goodbody. They then farmed together until

Steve purchased three quarters of land in 1935 (two from Beth Waind and one from the C. W. Plain estate). Over the years Steve expanded his farm to seven quarters which, since his retirement in 1976, has been worked by his great- nephew, Bernie Goodman. The farm is located one mile east and two miles north of Milton. Steve built his new home on the farm in 1935. The construction was done by Herman Koppang for $ 1,500!

He was married to Ella Lotten, a school teacher, in 1931. Both have been involved in community activities and organizations. Steve was honored in 1977 for 50 years of membership in the Masons and Scottish Rites and is a member of the Greater North Dakota Association. Both Steve and Ella are charter members of the Milton Chapter of the Eastern Star and have been active in the Farm Bureau, with Ella serving on the Women’s Board of Directors for two years. Ella is an accomplished artist.

Steve received the soil conservation award in 1957. (when he began farming his land, there were three trees on the entire farm!) In 1968 he and Ella won a two-week trip to Spain and Portugal for raising the highest yielding oats in North Dakota and Minnesota, over 133 bushels per acre.

Two daughters live in Minnesota. Shirley Rockwell, a nurse, lives in Bloomington with her husband and six children. Betty Goodman, a social worker, resides in Burnsville.

S. S. GRIMSON FAMILY

Snaebjorn (Barney) S. S. Grimson was born in Iceland in 1867, and came to North Dakota in 1882. He married Anna Eastman in 1899. She was born in Iceland and came with her parents, John and Gudlaug Eastman, to Akra, ND, in 1881. They homesteaded north of Milton in East Alma Township and spent most of their lives there except the last few years when they lived in Milton. They were members of the Fjalla Lutheran Church.

They were parents of twelve children, of whom four survive. They are Leonard and Margaret (Mrs. John Fricke), both of California; Pearl (Mrs. Donald Bingham) of Missouri; and Steingrimur (Stan) of Oregon. Other children who are now deceased include Franklin (died in infancy), Lilja (died young), Gudlaug, Gudrun, Olive (Mrs. Flarry Reinders), Lilja, John and Franklin.

Mr. Grimson passed away in 1935 and Mrs. Grimson in 1964.

FRANKLIN GRIMSON FAMILY

Franklin Grimson was the third generation of his family to occupy the homestead four miles north of Milton. Of Icelandic descent, he was born Nov. 1, 1900, and educated in the rural schools of the area.

He married Verna Irwin, Rolla, in 1936. Verna, who was born July 3, 1906, was the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gillespie, another Milton pioneer couple. She was a graduate of Valley City State and taught school in the western part of the state for several years before her marriage. Verna and her twin sister, Vera, frequently visited their Gillespie, Hunter and Sunderland relatives in the area and in 1936 both girls married, Verna to Franklin and Vera to Bert Bowles who lived "on the next farm over.’’ All their lives they were asked teasingly which one married for love and which one married to avoid breaking up the set.

Verna and Franklin were a popular couple, active in Presbyterian and Lutheran churches, Eastern Star, square dancing, curling and other local activities. He served as a director of the Farmers Elevator in Osnabrock and Borg Home in Mountain. She was also treasurer of the Fjalla Cemetery Association for many years.

STEINGRIMUR GRIMSON FAMILY

Steingrimur Grimson was the son of Grimur Steinolfson and his wife, Gudrun, in the county of Borgarfjardar, Iceland. He was born in 1831. In 1860 he married Gudrun Jonsdottirfrom Reykholtsdal.

In 1882 they came to America. First they lived in Boston for a short time and then came to North Dakota having traveled by waterways from the east. For four years they lived with Grimur Thordarson near Gardar and in 1886 they homesteaded in East Alma Township.

Steingrimur and Gudrun were parents of 13 children, some of whom died in childhood. The eight who lived to maturity were: Jon, who was a minister and remained in Iceland; Grimur, lived in Calgary, Canada; Snaebjorn farmed near Milton: Gudrun, married G. Gudmundson and lived in Point Roberts, WA; Kristin, married Stefan Gudmundson and lived near Milton; Steinunn, married Fredrik Reynholt and lived in Grand Forks; Karitas, married Fred Kelley and lived in Grand Forks; Gudmundur, was a lawyer, served as states attorney in Cavalier County and later was a supreme court justice in the state of North Dakota.

THEO GROVUM FAMILY

Ted Grovum was born April 19, 1895, in Dundee Township, rural Hoople. He was married to Elida Stransburg, who was born June 27, 1898, in Dundee Township. They were married July 25, 1927, at

Vancouver, WA.

They farmed in the Hoople area and Milton area for a few years until they sold the farm at Hoople and moved to the farm at Milton. This farm was located 6 miles northeast of Milton, and 3/4 mile south of the West Mountain Church.

The Grovums lived on this farm until 1941, when they sold the farm to Emil Olson and moved into Milton. From there they moved to Seattle where they lived for four years during World War II. Ted was employed in a defense plant.

After the war they moved to Grafton where Ted was employed at the State School for 15 years. Elida was employed as a Foster Grandparent there for a few years.

Ted Grovum died March 3, 1973. Elida Grovum died November 18, 1974.

The Grovums had four children. Orville Grovum, born May 7, 1930, lives in Hawley, MN. He and his wife have seven children. Orville is employed by Northern Plains Steel in Fargo.

Leland Grovum, born July 9, 1933, lives in Grand Forks. He is employed at the University of North Dakota. He has three children.

Bernice, Mrs. Jack McMartin, was born January 8, 1932. She farms with her husband two miles southwest of St. Thomas. They have three children.

Yvonne, Mrs. Morgan Olson, was born October 25, 1937. She lives in Puyallup, WA. They have four children.

THORLEIFUR GUNNARSON FAMILY

Thorleifur Gunnarson was born November 1 1, 1846, near the western coast of Iceland, north of Reykavik. His parents were Gunnar Jonson and Kristin Gudmundsdottir. At an early age Thorleifur went to foster parents, Jon Thorleifson and his wife, Hildur Jacobsdottir. His foster mother died and his foster father remarried. His new wife was Kristine Einarsdottir, widow of Jon Kristjanson. Thorleifur’s foster father took over the management of his wife’s homestead and Thorleifur went with him to his new home. When his foster father died, Thorleifur took over the management of the farm and farmed it from 1875 to 1887.

Thorleifur had married Sigrid, the daughter of his foster father’s second wife, Kristine. Kristine’s father had been well off and helped Thorleifur and Sigrid to move with their family to America in 1887. They first went to Sayreville, NJ, where they lived for a short time before going to Duluth, MN, where they lived for one year, before moving to North Dakota. Thorleifur worked as a hired man for a year and then began farming on the Pembina Mountains, northeast of Milton, and lived there until the death of his wife in 1898. He then quit farming and began working as a carpenter and builder. He made his home during the last years with the Gudrun Finnson family, north of Milton.

Thorleifur and Sigrid had seven children, two sons and five daughters, all born in Iceland. Four daughters & reached maturity but died within a short period of time: Kristin (Mrs. Steinolfur Grimson), born in 1875-died in 1900; Helga, born in 1877-died in 1896; Ragnheidur, born in 1879-died in 1895; Ingibjorg, born in 1881 -died in 1897. it Briet, born in 1880, married Oddur Dahlman of Gardar. They lived most of their married life in Tacoma, WA. Briet died in 1960. Jon, born in 1884, worked in Milton, g Nekoma, worked on the railroad and homesteaded in Saskatchewan, and then went to Detroit, MI, where he was j| employed in the automobile industry until he retired. He spent his last years at Tacoma, WA. He died in 1978. Gunnar, born in 1886, worked in Saskatchewan and | farmed in Gardar and Milton areas. He died in 1948.

Thorleifur was an excellent workman and a splendid carpenter in wood and iron. He had learned both skills after he came to America, and employed both skills in the Milton and South Olga area. He was exceptionally dependable in all that he undertook. He was a quiet, friendly man.

Thorleifur died April 8, 1918, at the home of Mrs. Gudrun Finnson, near Milton, ND. He was buried in the Eyford Cemetery with his wife and daughters, with Reverend Paul Sigurson officiating.

HARLAN HANSON FAMILY

Harlan and Gladys Hanson are both graduates of Milton High School. Harlan played basketball with a very successful team. Gladys played in the band, was a cheerleader and salutatorian of her class. They met after Harlan returned from serving in the Army in the Pacific Theatre. After many dates in the Star Theatre and the Royal Arch they were married in the Milton Lutheran Church. They have three sons: Handt Adam, Holden Matthew and Hugh Geoffrey.

In 1953 they purchased the Nat Walstad farm. On this farm was a big, old farmhouse, in which they had many square dance parties, Halloween parties and the like. In 1959 they built a new home one mile west on the same farm. This was the year that Gladys received a power saw for her birthday and a cement mixer for Mother’s Day. She learned to use both of them. When they had part of the sub-floor on, they drove around and picked up friends for a genuine "Come As You Are Party.’’ That New Year’s Eve they had a masquerade costume party for the Promenders Square Dance Club. Since that time they have added more acres to their farm by buying the Anton Hjelmstad, Allert Morken and Christofferson farms. Gladys worked as a postal clerk for many years and was appointed postmaster on November 10, 1973.

Harlan and Gladys are members of the Milton Lutheran Church and have both served on the church council and taught Sunday school, with Harlan serving as superintendent for most of the 20 years he taught. He served as both congregational and parish president. Gladys served as ALCW President and is a member of the choir. Both served as president of the P.T.O. and Promenaders Square Dance Club and are now serving as co-presidents of the Border Belles and Beaus Square Dance Club of Langdon. Harlan served on the Cavalier County Selective Service Board for 20 years. He was clerk of the school board and advisor to the Blazer’s Car Club.

Harlan and Gladys are both active in the American Legion and Auxiliary. Harlan has served as Adjutant, Sergeant-at-Arms, and three separate terms as Commander of the Milton Post. He was elected Third District Commander and Department Vice Commander. When the American Legion decided to build a new posthome, Harlan spent most of the winter of 1973-74 doing donated carpenter work on that project. Fire damaged their hall in December of the same year, so Harlan again spent another winter doing carpenter work, re-doing the interior of the hall. In the Auxiliary Gladys has served as vice president and president. When she completes the tenure of office she now holds she will have served as Historian for 20 years. She is presently president of the Third District. Gladys has also served as area director for two years for N.D. NAPUS, a postmaster’s organization.

Their sons, Handt and Holden, are both graduates of Concordia College and their histories appear separately. Hugh Hanson, like his brothers, is musically gifted. He became the organist at Milton Lutheran the summer after he was in 7th grade. He is also organist at Hitterdal Lutheran. He sings in the choir, has been the pianist for the Milton-Osnabrock Community Choir Contatas. He sings in the chorus, sings solos and plays a trumpet in the band at school. He took 4th place in the State American Legion Oratorical Contest, was president of the junior class, a Boys’ Stater, Carnival King and attended many International Music Camps. He presented his Senior Piano Recital on May 1 and graduated with honors from high school on May 15, 1983.

ABRAHAM HAWBAKER FAMILY

Abraham Hawbaker and Catherine Shelley were married October 12, 1889. They lived and farmed in Pennsylvania until 1901 when they moved to Franklin Grove, IL, in 1908 where they farmed and lived until February of 1917 when they moved to the Milton area. They bought the John Waind farm, which is now the John Torrance farm. Five girls were born to them: Minnie Etta, Stella Belle, Ida Rebecca, Viola Grace and Hazel Blanche. Catherine Hawbaker died on January 27, 1925. Mr. Hawbaker lived on the farm for a number of years. He died on January 7, 1939.

Minnie married Cecil Knouse. They lived most of their lives in and around Harrisburg, PA. They had six children.

Stella married Ralph Richwine. They lived for a few years in Illinois and then they too came to North Dakota and lived on the Dick Waind farm. Then they moved south of town where Bill Gross now lives. Later they went back to Pennsylvania and spent the rest of their lives. They had five children.

Ida married Harry Stern. They lived on Saddler farm, now Richard Kendalls, for a few years and then moved to Midland, ML They had seven children.

Viola married Chester McKay and they lived on the Angus McKay farm until Chester died in August of 1964. They had two children, Lola, who married James Throndset. They had three children. James is deceased, and Lola is living in Langdon. Duane married June Anderson and they have one son, Jeffery.

Hazel married Joe Murray. They farmed for many years near Osnabrock and are now living in Cavalier. They had three children.

HANS O. HERSETH FAMILY

Hans O. Herseth was born February 2, 1856, in Harmar, Norway. Hans was a carpenter by trade.

On November 4, 1881, he was married to Julie Nelson in Ringsaker, Norway. They had been married 23 years when they decided to move to America. They arrived in New York September 4, 1904, and came by train to Milton and to East Alma Township where Lars Walstads (Julie’s sister) had a place ready for them to move onto.

The Herseths had 12 children, all but one of them born in Norway. Three of them came to America before their parents: Nels, Ida and Hilda. One daughter, Dena, who was married at the time her parents left, remained there. The seven children who came with their parents were: Anna, John, Oscar, Ole, Ragnhild, Peter and Jens. One daughter, Jennie, was born in Milton. Two boys, Peter and Jens, died when they were quite young. They are buried at the West Mountain Cementery, north of Milton.

Hans brought his carpenter tools along with him from Norway and did carpenter work when he first came here. They he worked for Hans Halvorson, who was the banker in Milton, and owned a farm north of Milton. In 1914 the Herseth family moved to the Ole Lykken farm, south of Milton, and they lived there until 1917, then moved back to north of Milton, where he bought some land and also rented some land. Hans also did harness and shoe repair work.

On November 4, 1931, Hans and Julie celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary at the West Mountain Lutheran Church.

In October 1932, they moved into the town of Milton. Hans continued doing some shoe repair work.

Julie died January 22, 1937, after which Hans went to live with his daughter, Mrs. Edwin (Ragnhild) Axvig. He died April 18, 1937. They are both buried at the West Mountain Cemetery.

ANTON HJELMSTAD FAMILY

Anton was born to Hans and Beate Hvalstad Hjelmstad in Ringsaker District, Norway, on March 31, 1882. He immigrated with his parents and three older 1 siblings to North Territory in 1883. When Anton was 21 years old he left Milton with Jess Tschbold and John Christopherson to file claim on land by Palermo, ND. Later in life he would often hold one of his children in his lap and tell them of the escapades of homesteading in an unsettled land, of breaking the virgin prairie soil with a team of oxen pulling a walking plow and of how when caught out in a severe blizzard the oxen would put their noes to the ground and find their way home. You would give them lots of rein and shield yourself from the bitter wind. Anton traded this land for land north of his father’s homestead close to Milton.

He married Anna Nelson at Lakota, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1915. No wonder Christmas Eve was always "special" at their house. Anton and Anna had six children: Myrtle, Helen, Alvin, Clarice, Ruth and Gladys.

Anton was a good violinist and spent many Sunday afternoons playing on his violin while one of his daughters would "chord" on the piano with him. During long rainy spells he would play his violin as he paced the floor, stopping now and then to look out the window to see if the rain was letting up. Anna had a "green thumb" and loved to raise flowers. She also liked to sew, which was good since she had to remodel a lot of hand-me-downs for her five daughters.

Anton passed away while mowing his lawn on August 29, 1957. He died "working" at the age of 75, never having spent a day in the hospital. Anna lived on for 19 years as a widow and having lived through many of life’s trials. When she broke her hip she said "this too will pass," but after slipping into a coma for six weeks she was called home on June 7, 1976.

Anton and Anna were members of West Mountain Lutheran Church and later transferred to the Milton Lutheran Church when they retired from farming and moved into Milton in 1948. They are both buried "on the hill" in the Milton Community Cemetery.

HANS HJELMSTAD FAMILY

Hans Jorgenson Hjelmstad was born in Ringsaker District, Norway, December 1, 1855. He married Beate Thoresdatter Hvalstad in the Ringsaker church on December 1, 1876, on his 21st birthday. The Hjelmstads soon had a farm known as Void, which became the surname of their children born in Norway. However, this was changed after they immigrated to the United States. The Hjelmstads left Norway on June 8, 1883, with their four children and "one on the way" to make a home in the "new world." These children were Jorgen, also known as George, Ingeborg, Kristine and Anton. When they arrived in Dakota Territory, near the future townsite of Milton, the land was not yet surveyed and there were at times unfriendly Indians lurking around. Even though these pioneers endured many hardships they also had the joy of close neighbors. The Hjelmstads lived on one hill, her brother, Lars Walstad, on another and Ole Thoreson on the third hill. This took place four years before the railroad came to Milton, as recorded in a book written by Dr. Luella Hall, "One Man’s Descendants." Luella Hall was a relative and the niece of M. O. Hall, who founded the town of Mohall, ND.

For the first few years Hans was known by the surname Jorgenson as recorded on the deed to his land. Also the Hvalstad name was changed to Walstad. The older children were known by the surname Hanson before taking the name Hjelmstad. Hans and Beate begot nine children, four born in Norway. Their first American son died unnamed as an infant. The last four children were Thora, Inga, Hulda, who died at three months and Johannes, also known as John. Beate died October 13, 1895, when her youngest child was only 4 years old. Hans lived until January 19, 1933. Jorgen was a great hunter and trapper and he shot the bear which was served at a "Bear Feed" at one of the hotels in Milton. He died July 19, 1919. Ingeborg was married to John Christopherson and died May 5, 1951. Kristine died October 11, 1918, and was never married. Anton was married to Anna Nelson and died August 29, 1957. Thora was married to John Solberg and died January 10, 1971, the last member of the Hjelmstad family to die. Inga was married to George Solberg and died March 24, 1926. Hulda died November 28, 1889, as an infant. John was an excellent violinist. The neighbors could often hear him playing his violin on summer evenings. He died February 11, 1961, and was never married. They were all members of the West Mountain Lutheran Church and they are all buried in the West Mountain Cemetery.

The land that Hans Hjelmstad homesteaded on has been owned by blood relatives for 100 years and is now owned by Gladys Hjelmstad Hanson, granddaughter of Hans.

WESLEY HUNTER FAMILY

Wesley and Mabel Hunter were both children of prominent, early pioneers. Wesley was the son of Wilson and Isabella Hunter and Mabel was the daughter of Charles and Susan Gillespie. They were married June 8, 1910, at Mabel’s home.

Wesley was an extremely active man and had a varied career. Some of his many jobs were working in an elevator, barbering, hauling ice with his brother-in-law, John Gillespie, cutting wooden fence posts and driving for Laings livery barn. This involved driving salesmen and their wares from the Milton depot to surrounding areas. After Wesley and Mabel’s marriage, Wesley worked for the Fargo Bridge and Iron Company, hauling steel and other construction materials to bridge sites, covering an area from St. Thomas to Hannah.

In 1914, Wesley and Mabel with their son, Charles, along with Art Deibel, went to Saskatchewan, Canada, to homestead a claim. Some of their experiences there included a three-day buggy trip to the nearest town, Shaunavon, for supplies and a run in with horse thieves on the journey back to North Dakota. This happened one evening while camping in a ravine. A gang of thieves tried to make off with all the horses. With the help of an angry mare, whose colt had been stolen, Wesley, armed with a .38 revolver, stood them all off and saved the horses, while Mabel and Charles watched from under a hay rack. The following spring, Wesley contracted to haul steel crocks for an extension of railroad from Wildrose to Grenora.

While Wesley was completing this job, Mabel and Charles were living in Appam, in a tent which had been previously owned by Fred Hulstrand, photographer. Wesley then started hauling lumber from Wildrose to Appam, where he built a livery barn and a house. While living in Appam, Wesley ran a dray line and operated a standard oil bulk station. He also ran a livery barn and rented three farms, which kept the family well occupied in their spare time. Every year, for the six years they lived in Appam, the family returned to Milton in a 1913 Model T to celebrate Wesley’s birthday, and coincidentally Independence Day.

Upon the death of Wesley’s father, he sold all his holdings in Appam and returned to Milton to farm. Wesley and Mabel lived there for the rest of their lives. Wesley and Mabel farmed in East Alma Township for 26 years. Wesley was a member of East Alma Township board, an original member of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration Committee and a member of the Woodman Lodge. Mabel was well known for her cooking skills, having spent many years cooking in a cook car while Wesley was operating his steam thrasher, and in later years running the lunch stand in the Milton Curling Club. She was a member of the Royal Neighbors and Presbyterian Ladies Aid. Wesley and Mabel belonged to the Milton Presbyterian Church. Besides their son, Charles Wesley, they had another son, Robert Wilson, who died in infancy. Wesley passed away July 9, 1966, at the age of 78. Mabel passed away November 12, 1979. She was 89 years old.

Wesley and Mabel had celebrated their golden anniversary together June 8, 1960, with many family members and friends in attendance.

JOHN S. JOHNSON FAMILY

John S. and Gudlaug Sigurveig (Veiga) Johnson were married on June 30, 1932. They farmed in East Alma j Township, four miles east and two miles north of Milton.

John was born in Pembina County, about one and one-half miles from his present farm, on December 2, 1897. He was the eldest of nine children in the Sveinn Johnson family. He attended elementary school in Eyford Township, Pembina County and farmed in the Milton area 9 until his retirement in the 1970s.

Veiga was born in Akureyri, Iceland, on February 20, 1910. She was the youngest of eight or nine children. Her mother died shortly after her birth and her father, Kristjan Johnson, immigrated to the United States when she was two years old with six of his children. They settled in the area of Olga Township, north of Milton. She attended and graduated from Milton High School before she and John were married. Veiga died on December 28, 1966.

John and Veiga had four children, all of whom is attended East Alma No. 3 elementary school and a graduated from Milton High School. Each of them worked on the farm or did part-time work in the Milton and neighboring communities in their growing-up years.

John Keith (Keith), born July 30, 1933, worked for Jordan Construction Co. for four years following high school then attended the University of North Dakota and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He has worked for the City of Grand Forks since 1959 where he is an assistant city engineer. In 1960 he married Elizabeth Jean (Jean) Christopherson. They live in Grand Forks and have three children: Patti (Mrs. Timothy) Straub, Wade and Mark and one grandson, Jonathan Straub.

Sidney Warren (Warren/Sid), born March 13, 1935, did construction and other work and served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957, spending one year in Germany. He is currently engaged in construction work. In 1962 he married Cheryl Brasseur from Oslo, MN. They live in Tigard (near Portland), OR, and have three children: Scott, Rodger and Michelle.

Jonathan Theodore (Theo/Ted), born April 28, 1938, did farming and construction work, then attended Wahpeton State School of Science. He is currently engaged in construction and design work. In 1957 he married Carole Watt. They live near Portland, OR, and have three children: Shelly, Kim and Michael.

Edith Joanne (Edith/Edi), born October 30, 1939, attended Wahpeton State School of Science, graduated with an LPN degree and worked as a nurse. She currently operates a sewing shop. In 1962 she married Darwin Mathews in Grand Forks. They live in Hutchinson, MN, and have two children: Terri (Mrs. Gary) Lhotka and Kevin and one granddaughter, Michelle Lhotka.

KRISTJAN S. JOHNSON FAMILY

Mr. and Mrs. Kristjan S. Johnson moved to the former Kris Kristofferson farm March 23, 1925. Mr. Johnson was the former Jona Olgierson. For the first 10 years, they lived in a log cabin, which was on the site. They farmed there over 40 years and Kris also worked as a mechanic for a time, both at Mountain and mostly in his shop at home.

They raised a niece, Edith, who is now Mrs. Darwin Mathews, and lives at Hutchinson, MN. Darwin works at the hospital and Edith owns an alteration shop. They are the parents of two children: Terri (Mrs. Gary Thotka) and Kevin. Terri and Gary live in Silver Lake, MN, and have a daughter, Michele.

Kris died in a farm related accident in 1968 and Jona now lives in Cavalier, ND.

STEPHEN JOHNSON

Stephen Johnson was born December 28, 1887, in East Alma Township, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Johnson, area pioneers. He farmed in the Mountain- Milton area until retiring and moving into Milton.

He was a member of the Milton Masonic Lodge and had been awarded a life membership in that organization. Stephen died March 12, 1972.

ARNE KNUTSON FAMILY

Arne and Mary (Coles) Knutson were raised in the Vang and Osnabrock area, respectively. They were married in 1931 and had four children: Earleen, born 1934; Arvid, born 1937; Marabeth, born 1945; and Deborah, born 1949. In November 1932 they moved to East Alma Township to the "Old Eighty" which was originally settled by a Jacobson family. Arne worked for a farmer during the summer and cut firewood and fence posts during the winter to sell.

In the fall of 1942 they moved one mile south to the "Bell Place" and began farming. This place was originally settled by the Ruste family during the late 1880s or early 1890s and later occupied by the Walstad family and then by the Bells.

In 1952 they moved to Mountain to be near a high school but Arne continued to farm the Bell place until it was sold to Russell Dunford in 1968. The "Old Eighty" now belongs to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Earleen (Knutson) Hebert passed away in I960; Arvid lives in Park River and has three daughters; Marabeth (Knutson) Hunter lives in Mountain and has four sons and one daughter; and Deborah (Knutson) Hunter lives in Grand Forks and has three sons and one daughter.

ROBERT C. LAING FAMILY

Bertha Steinolfson and Robert C. Laing were married in Grand Forks, ND, on February 14, 1919.

Robert (Bobbie) was the son of Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Laing of Milton, born in Milton September 20, 1888. He farmed in East Alma Township on the farm homesteaded by his father.

Bertha was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Grimur Steinolfson of the Mountain area where she was born November 13, 1896. She attended Mayville State Teacher’s College and taught in the Mountain area before coming to Milton area to teach. After she and Bobbie were married she continued to teach for several years.

Bobby and Bertha were members of the Milton Presbyterian Church. Bertha was a charter member of the East Alma Homemakers. Bobbie served on the township board for several years. For many years they owned a threshing outfit and spent the fall months threshing for the neighbors. Bertha, with the help of a hired girl, cooked for the crew which consisted of 25 or more men.

Bobbie and Bertha moved into Milton in about 1950 and lived in the house now owned by Mrs. Nora Thrugstad. Bobbie passed away May 28, 1953, and Bertha on February 14, 1968.

WILLIAM HARRISON LAWSON FAMILY

William Harrison Lawson was born June 30, 1892, at St. Thomas, ND. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I in France.

Following his discharge from the Army, he went to Manitoba to visit his brother, found employment there, and met and married Alice Ringland in 1925. They moved to Concrete, ND, in November of 1926 and to East Alma in 1930. They had six daughters and two sons.

Joyce, who is Mrs. Vernon Strand of Moorhead, MN, and they have three daughters, two sons and seven grandchildren.

Mereda, is married to Gene Roder of Langdon, and they have three daughters and nine grandchildren.

Jack, who lives in Glendive, MT, has two sons, a daughter and two step-daughters.

Ida (Glaser), who lives in Malibu Beach, CA, has a son, a daughter and one granddaughter.

Gretta, is married to Bruce Buller, and lies in St. Paul, MN. They have a son and a daughter.

Frances, is Mrs. Danny Watts of Mankato, MN. They have four daughters and a step-daughter.

Muriel, is married to Roy Harris of Powell, WY, and are the parents of two girls and two boys.

Grant, was killed in an auto accident on Memorial Day in 1959.

Jack, served in the Army in Korea during that conflict, and Grant was serving in the Marine Corp in Formosa when he was discharged late in 1958. Jack moved to Powell, WY, after his discharge. Harrison and Alice moved there in November 1955.

Harrison died in July 1970 and Alice is living in a Powell Nursing Home.

JAMES LAWTON FAMILY

James and Johanna Lawton homesteaded on a farm in East Alma Township in the Dakota Territory in 1886. The farm is about two miles east of Milton.

The Lawtons had six children: Charles Lawton (1872- 1933); Ros B. (Mrs. Sollitt) (1873-1932); Arthur T. (1878-1956); Mary A. (1880-1886); Ethel M. (Mrs. Melbourne Close) (1881-1932); and Florence Lawton (Mrs. Tummonds) (1884-1955). Art Lawton and Ethel Horn were married in February of 1904 and later moved to Tessier, Sask. Charles lived in the Tessier area for 25 years. Later Charles Lawton had a harness shop at Drayton.

In 1889, James Lawton sold the farm to Mark Close, who lived on the farm until 1907. Melburn Close then purchased the family farm and lived there until 1919. In 1920 Melbourne Close married Ethel Lawton and they moved to Milton.

When James and Johanna Lawton left their farm here, they moved to Tessier, Sask., where they farmed until the time of their death. Johanna died in 1923 and James died in 1910.

CLARENCE LINDTWED FAMILY

Clarence Lindtwed was born in Sangeman County, Illinois, in 1900. He came with his parents to Milton in 1913 and has resided on the home farm since that time. On July 10, 1939, Clarence and Irine D’Heilly, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul D’Heilly of Cavalier, were married at Olga. Irine was an active member of the East Alma Homemakers Club and Clarence has been active in the Milton Rural Fire Department and Milton Curling Club. He has also been a director of the Milton Memorial Cemetery Association since 1965. Clarence and Irine have six children.

Their daughter, JoAnne, is married to Cecil McCoy of Wahpeton, and they have six children.

George, married Elaine Henderson of Fairview, MT, and they have three children. George and Elaine live on the home farm.

Wilma, married DuWayne Rodacker of Fessenden, ND. They have four children and live in Minneapolis.

Charles, married Vicki Prosper of Kansas City, KS, and have two children and live in Kansas City.

Alice, married Albert Landsgaard of Langdon. They live at Breckenridge, MN, and have five children.

Helen, married Larry Pederson of Elbow Lake, MN, and now live in Champlin, MN. They have two sons.

Clarence and Irine are now semi-retired and living on the home farm which is now operated by their son, George. Clarence and Irine have 21 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

EDWIN LINDTWED FAMILY

Edwin Lindtwed, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Simon Lindtwed, was born in Illinois in 1893. He came with his parents and brothers to Milton on March 17, 1913, where they settled on a farm six miles north of Milton. Edwin was engaged in farming all his life and still resides on the farm home with his brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Lindtwed.

Edwin and Marie Danielson of Hay Township were married in June of 1933. Marie passed away in 1937.

Edwin served as treasurer of East Alma Township for 15 years.

GEORGE LINDTWED FAMILY

George Lindtwed, son of Clarence and Irine, was born July 24, 1940, in Cavalier, ND. He graduated from Milton High School, then attended N.D.S.S.S. for two years. The following year he attended an agriculture short course at N.D.S.U.

On June 30, 1962, he married Elaine Henderson from Fairview, MT. They have three children. Randall Scott, born March 7, 1965; Ryan Shane, born July 9, 1967; and Renee Shannon, born November 2, 1972. They are living and farming in the Milton area.

SIMON LINDTWED FAMILY

Mr. and Mrs. Simon Lindtwed and their three sons, Edwin, Charles and Clarence moved from Farmingdale, IL, and arrived at Milton on March 17, 1913. They settled on their farm six miles north of Milton where Clarence and Edwin continue to reside. Charles died in the flu epidemic of 1918.

Mrs. Simon (Annie) Lindtwed died July 15, 1933. Simon Lindtwed died December 20, 1933.

Edwin Lindtwed married Marie Danielson of Hay Township in June of 1933. Marie passed away in 1937.

JEROME LYKKEN FAMILY

Jerome Allen Lykken, son of Leo and Dorothy (Jonasson) Lykken, was born on May 25, 1951, at Grafton, ND. He is the eldest of four children and has two sisters and one brother. The sisters are Susan (Mrs. Joe Gratton) of Osnabrock and Pam (Mrs. Allen Jonasson) and brother Ernie, both of Milton.

Jerry attended school in Milton for 12 years where he graduated from high school and was confirmed in the Milton Lutheran Church. Ater graduating from high school in 1969, Jerry was a student at the North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton. In May 1971, he received a degree in auto mechanics. On June 26, 1971, Jerry and Lois Moen were married in the Concordia Lutheran Church in Edmore, ND.

Lois, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest O. Moen of Edmore, was born on April 4, 1951, at Devils Lake, ND. She has one sister, Linda (Mrs. Dave Knutson), of Rock Lake, ND. Lois attended school in Edmore and upon graduation from high school she was enrolled as a student at Jack’s Hairstylist College in Grand Forks. She graduated on August 13, 1971.

After their marriage, they lived in Grand Forks for a few months where Jerry was employed at Rydell Chevrolet. On February 10, 1972, Jerry left for Fort Leonard Wood, MO, to complete his basic and advanced training in the National Guard. Lois spent three months in Waynesville, MO, with Jerry, while he finished his service training.

July 9, 1972, Jerry and Lois moved into their first home in Cavalier, ND, where they were both employed. Lois worked at Leone’s Beauty Shop for the next four and one-half years, while Jerry worked at Gregory Ford, Cavalier Implement, Mayo Construction and Arctic Enterprises.

In the spring of 1975, Jerry realized his dream of becoming a farmer. After working for his father for one year, he acquired some land to rent and machinery of his own.

September 1976, following harvest, the Lykkens moved from Cavalier to the D. W. McKay farm, north of Milton. Life on the farm was different for Lois, but Jerry was very well acquainted with this area, having spent his childhood and adolescent years just across the road on the "Bob Laing" place and had often visited with Dave and Verna McKay.

Jerry and Lois have three children. Tammy Kaye was born December 22, 1971, while her Mom and Dad lived in Grand Forks. Michelle was born December 9, 1973, while the family lived in Cavalier and Jeffrey was born June 22, 1978.

The summer of 1982 saw two major investments for the Lykkens. The family purchased eight acres of land on which their house and buildings sit from Dave and Verna McKay. Lois also purchased the Gust Johnson house in Osnabrock and remodeled it into a beauty shop. The Hair Care Beauty Salon opened for business on August 26, 1982.

The Lykken family continues to farm and reside at their farm home north of Milton.

DONALD (DAN) MacDONALD FAMILY

Dan MacDonald was born at Barvas, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, August 4, 1884, to John and Mary Matheson MacDonald. The family came to North Dakota following his father’s death in 1890. They made their home in East Alma Township from 1892 until 1904, when the mother moved to the Crystal area. By that time Dan had gone to St. Paul and found work at Macalester College caring for the heating system and becoming greatly interested in steam engines.

Dan married Laura Stearns, daughter of David and Minnie West Stearns, November 30, 1911. The couple went to Rostern, Saskatchewan, to live. Three sons: David, Donald and Allan were born to them there. The family moved to Milton about 1919 and a fourth son, Ira, was born in 1920.

Dan and his brother, John, opened a car dealership and sold Oakland, Studebaker and Maxwell cars. They built a brick building to serve as a place of business and garage. This business failed in the late twenties.

Laura Stearns MacDonald died January 9, 1922, and is buried in the Crystal City Cemetery. Dan and the three older sons remained in Milton. Ira went to live with his mother’s sister, Edna, in Montana where he remained until 1927.

After the dealership failed, Dan did construction work and in 1928 became manager of the Peavey Elevator in Glyndon, MN. In November 1928, he married Agnes Walstad Strand. She had one son, Harland. Agnes and the boys moved to Glyndon in 1929 when a home became available.

In 1930, Dan was made superintendent of construction for Peavey Co. and the family moved to Fargo. The family moved to Minneapolis in 1949 and Dan continued in elevator repair and construction in southern Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. A major project was a grain and feed mill for General Mills in LaCrosse, WI.

Dan retired at the age of 75. He and Agnes moved to le Masonic Home in Minneapolis in 1972. Dan died there ugust 15, 1978, at the age of 94 and is buried in the Milton Memorial Cemetery.

Agnes continues to live at the Masonic Home. She had taken over caring for five growing boys and a husband often away on the job in a most efficient way. Always hospitable the MacDonald home was a center of activity. Agnes found time for everyone. As grandchildren came along, they too were loved and pampered.

Of the family, Harland died August 31, 1939, and is buried by his father, Harry Strand, in West Mountain Cemetery.

David graduated from NDSU in 1933. He died December 16, 1970, and is buried in the Milton Cemetery. His family lives in California.

Allan died in Utah in 1981 and is buried there. His family lives there.

Donald and his family live in Minneapolis.

Ira graduated from NDSU in 1941. He and his wife live in Columbus, OH. Several of his family live in other areas.

JOHN MacDONALD FAMILY

Mrs. John MacDonald (Mary Matheson) came to North Dakota from Barvas, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, in 1892, following the death of her husband in 1890. Her parents, John and Annie McLeod Matheson, had immigrated to Ontario, Canada, in 1874. In 1879 a couple of the sons came to Dakota Territory, the next year the parents and the rest of the family also came. The father and two sons homestead in what is Crystal Township in Pembina County.

Peter Matheson went to Scotland to accompany his sister and family of seven, aged three to sixteen, to North Dakota to join her parents, brothers and sisters. The MacDonalds made their home in East Alma Township from 1892 until 1904 when Mrs. MacDonald moved to the Crystal area to live with her mother who was disabled. The older ones of the family were gone from the home by this time. Catherine was married, John and Donald (Dan) had gone to St. Paul — John to begin study for the ministry and Dan to work in the heating system of Macalester College.

Mary Matheson MacDonald passed away in 1937 at the age of 87 years. She is buried in Milton Memorial Cemetery as are her sons, Donald (Dan), Peter and Alexander and daughters, Mary and Catherine. John is buried at Buffalo, ND, and a daughter, Annie, in West Point Cemetery near Crystal, ND.

VILMAR MAGNUSSON FAMILY

Vrlmar (Bill) Magnusson was born July 8, 1908, in Thingvalla Township of Pembina County. Aldis (his wife) was born at Park River, ND. They were married November 3, 1938, at Grand Forks, ND.

They purchased the Ben Berger farm located four miles east of Milton on Highway 66, in East Alma Township, in 1940 and resided there until 1968 when they moved to Gardar, ND. Bill was then employed by Fred and Kenneth Olafson for 17 years, retiring in 1981.

While living on the farm, it was often a haven for stranded people because of blizzard conditions, including mothers and their babies who were on their way home from the hospital. They also had many deer hunters at their place during the time they lived there because of the good hunting area. They raised small grains, purebred hereford cattle and also had a herd of holstein milk cows.

Bill and Alids had three children. Their son, Willmar, served in the Korean War and was stationed at Okinawa. He was a PFC and served from 1954 to 1956. He now resides at Park River, ND.

Joan Magnusson is now Mrs. Hankey, and also lives at Park River.

Cheryl, is married to Richard Foseide and they reside at Cavalier, ND.

Bill Magnusson died on November 15, 1982, at the age of 74.

Bill was a member of the Vikur Lutheran Church at Mountain, ND, and served on the church council and the cemetery board. He was also at one time a member of the Milton Saddle Club and the Milton Rural Fire Department.

JOHN B. MATHESON FAMILY

John B. Matheson, born at Rothsay, Scotland, January 4, 1878, came to the Linked States with his parents, John and Annie Black Matheson, along with four sisters, Mary, Jessie, Margaret and Euphemia. His brother, Neil, was born after arriving in the U.S.A. John died December 14, 1958.

Mary Ann (Minnie) McLeod, born at Milton, ND, on a farm February 5, 1887, the year Milton was founded, to Angus and Mary McLeod, pioneer farmers. She taught school in Cavalier County schools, also worked at the post office in Milton before her marriage. She died December 7, 1962.

John and Mary Ann were married at Milton, ND, June 24, 1908, living in the Milton area all their married life, with the exception of early two or three years spent on a homestead near Plaza, ND. They farmed and later on was employed by Cavalier County constructing roads. There were eight children born to them. One died in infancy (Kenneth), the other seven attended school and graduated from Milton Public School.

Lucille (Mrs. J. G. Langford) lived in Menomonie, WI, was a nurse, died in 1973; Viola (Mrs. G. J. Majovski) lives in Glendale, CA, employed as a nurse; Maurice, U.S. Navy World War II veteran, lives in Larimore, ND, and is retired; Betty (Mrs. Sanford Lee), lives in Larimore, ND, retired; John, U.S. Army World War II veteran, lives in Langdon, ND, is an RR Agent; Robert, U.S. Army World War II veteran, lives in Bethesda, MD, employed as a mechanic; and Allen, U.S. Army Korea veteran, died in 1974 at Larimore, ND.

ROBERT "BROCK" McBRIDE FAMILY

Brock McBride was born at Paisley, Ontario, on April 13, 1881, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John McBride. When he was about 18 months old he came with his mother, by train, to Pembina where a family friend brought the family to Cavalier, and there they were met by Brock’s father who took them to their home in East Alma Township on a stone-boat pulled by oxen.

Brock attended East Alma school, and tried to enlist in the Navy at the age of 17, but was not tall enough. He remembered when his father took him along to Milton to watch the first train arrive there in 1887.

On February 20, 1905, Brock married Nell Carey who had come to Milton in 1902 to teach in one of East Alma’s schools. For a while, Brock and his brother Thomas farmed the McBride homestead, but in 1908 Brock "took up" land at Glasgow, Montana. He was joined there by wife Nell, and their children Blanche and John. Their son Edward was born there in 1909. They stayed there for three years, and then returned to Milton, and Nell taught for awhile. They then purchased the George Walsh homestead, where two more children were born, Elizabeth and Ellen.

Brock served for some years as clerk of East Alma Township, and Nell served a while as treasurer.

The McBride’s children all graduated from Milton High School. Blanche graduated from Mayville College and taught for 39.6 years. She married Edgar McGauvan, who farmed, and they are now retired at Devils Lake, ND. They were married Nov. 27, 1942.

Edward, born June 25, 1909, joined the Army after high school and rose to the rank of major by the time he retired at the end of 30 years. He was an army hospital administrator. He married Marg M. Cummings, and they have two children.

John attended Wahpeton School of Science, where he studied sheet metal work, and then worked at Albert Lea, Minn., Bremerton Ship Yards, and after the war, became lead man of the sheet metal department at Hormel Packing Co. at Austin, Minnesota. He married Mary O’Shaughnessy and they had three children. He died in 1969.

Elizabeth attended Minot Teachers College after high school, and received a B.A. degree in special education, and taught for thirty years. She married Ervin Dalzell, and they have six children.

Ellen attended St. Michael’s School of Nursing at Grand Forks and graduated as an RN. She served in the U.S. Army and followed the nursing profession until retiring in 1980. She married Gerald Quirk and they have eight children.

JOHN MCBRIDE FAMILY

John McBride was born at Paisley, Ontario, on May 24, 1850, the son of William McBride. His grandfather, William Cassels, had come from Scotland in the early 1800’s and was the first instructor of a school at the present site of Toronto.

John first studied for the ministry, and then became a school instructor, teaching for some time in the Paisley area. He was a graduate of a Toronto, Ontario, college.

About 1871, John married Elizabeth Meikle at Owen Sound, Ontario. She was born July 4, 1851, at Union, New York, the daughter of Andrew Meikle. Elizabeth worked as a tailoress in New York City before moving to Toronto.

In 1881, John came to Dakota Territory, and homesteaded in Section 15 of East Alma Township. His first home was of pole construction, banked with dirt, and with a sod roof. He established a post office in his home which was known as "Alma Post Office." He sometimes walked to St. Thomas for the mail.

In November of 1882, John’s wife and four of their children, William, Bertha, John and Brock, came by train to Pembina where a friend met them and brought them to Cavalier. John met them there, and brought them to their East Alma home on a stoneboat pulled by oxen.

Three more children were born to the McBrides after their settling in East Alma. They were Elizabeth, Thomas and Francis.

Although John McBride’s plan was to "make his fortune" in North Dakota and then return to Ontario, he became involved in political life in North Dakota, and stayed.

When 75 North Dakota citizens met at Bismarck on July 4, 1889, to draft the constitution of the new state, John was one of the delegates representing Cavalier County. The Milton area was well represented at that convention, as Joseph Powles of Milton was also a delegate.

At this convention, William H. H. Beadle was chosen as superintendent of education, and John McBride was chosen as his assistant. John fought for the clause which would establish the 16th and 36th section of each township for educational support.

John was elected the first senator from Cavalier County to attend the first legislative assembly of the new state of North Dakota.

The 1888 edition of the Milton Globe also lists John as one of Cavalier County’s commissioners, and in addition, he was a Justice of the Peace.

JOHN McCURDY FAMILY

John McCurdy was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1846 and in the early 1880’s moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, continuing on to the Pembina Mountains in North Dakota. He was a veteran of the Fenian raids of 1886 and one of the earliest settlers of the Milton community.

Mr. McCurdy moved back to Winnipeg in 1921 were he resided until the time of his death on February 14, 1933. He was preceded in death by his wife. Five sons were born to the couple, all of whom resided in the southern part of Manitoba.

ANGUS McKAY FAMILY

Angus McKay was born in Riplely, Ontario, April 12, 1860. He came to North Dakota and homesteaded in East Alma Township; he and James Torrance shared a "double-claim" cabin. This building was a frame shanty, or rather two shanties, otherwise known as cabins or shacks. The two were built very close together, the exact center being directly on the line between the two "claims." The two men had cut the dimensions from small logs found along the face of the hill. The lumber had been hauled from St. Thomas, and sods were cut to lay along the outside walls for "banking." Inside was one large room, but each man had his own bed on his own side, so each could sleep on his own land. Mr. McKay returned to Canada and was married March 9, 1892, to Ellen Stroud at Lucknow, Ontario. Eight days later they left Canada to make their home here; they lived on their farm north of Milton until October, 1918, when they decided to leave the farming to their sons, Chester and David, and they purchased the W. H. Sollitt home in Milton, where they lived the rest of their days. Mr. McKay passed away January 30, 1929; and Mrs. McKay passed away at her home Sept. 6, 1942, after having suffered a paralytic stroke which had kept her confined to her bed for some years.

Eight children where born to the couple: one son, Willie Clarence, died in infancy. Of the others, four are now deceased.

Mrs. S. G. Stinolfson (Margaret) of Milton. She had three daughters: Helen (Mrs. W. W. Wild, Milton, now deceased); Lorraine (Mrs. L. P. Wild) of Milton, and Mrs. Stuart Nelson (Delores) of Wahpeton, ND.

Mrs. D. M. McLeod (Martha) of Milton. Members of her family are: Dean, Valley City, ND; Mrs. Elmer (Fern) Schill, Lakota, ND; Floyd, Milton, ND; Robert, Great Falls, MT; and Mrs. Albert (Jean) Peebles, Calvin, N.D.

Chester McKay, Milton, was married to Viola Hawbacker. They lived on the McKay family farm and after his death, Mrs. McKay moved into Milton where she still resides. They had two children: Mrs. James (Lola) Throndset of Langdon, ND, and Duane of Milton.

William McKay enlisted in the U.S. Navy January, 1920, and was honorably discharged in 1923. He reenlisted in November, 1942, and served in the South Pacific area until January, 1943 — during this time he saw 10 months of continual combat duty, and his ship was also bombed. He died in a Seattle Naval Hospital, August 31, 1944.

The remaining members of the McKay family are:

David W. McKay of Milton. He married Louise Diebel of Milton and they had one son, Allan Dean, who resides in Devils Lake, ND. Mrs. McKay passed away December 22, 1938. In 1948 David married Verna McLeod Zerr; they have one daughter, Mrs. Gary (Judy) Larson of Grants Pass, Oregon. The McKays farmed in East Alma Township and own the farm which was known as the Thomas Robison farm and also the John Sehrt farm in South Olga Township. In 1976 they purchased the Mrs. Ethel Robb residence in Milton and reside there now.

Byrdie McKay married Garnet Melville of Concrete, ND, in 1928 — they moved to Valley City several years ago. After Mr. Melville’s death she moved into Valley City.

Mary McKay married Erling Logeland of Nevis, MN. They have just observed their 57th wedding anniversary. They both taught school for many years and moved to Bismarck, ND, after their retirement. They have two children: Mrs. Wallace (Joyce) Kennedy of Bloomington, MN, and David of Bismarck.

DONALD CHESTER McKAY FAMILY

Donald Chester McKay was born January 1, 1897, in East Alma Township in the farm home of his parents, Angus and Ellen Stroud McKay. He had three brothers and four sisters. He was the fourth born.

Chester was a member of East Alma schoolboard and the township board for many years.

He married Viola Grace Hawbaker November 2,1921. They were married in the Hawbaker home where John Torrances are now living.

Chester and Viola farmed and lived on the Angus McKay homestead in East Alma. Chester farmed up to the time of his death August 9, 1964.

Viola Grace Hawbaker was born Sept. 19, 1897, in Upton, Penn. The daughter of Abraham and Kathrine Shelley Hawbaker. They came to Milton in 1917. Viola had four sisters. One sister, Mrs. Joe (Hazel) Murray, is still living.

Chester and Viola had two children. Lola Catherine, born June 14, 1923, and Duane William born Nov. 11, 1928.

Viola now resides in Milton. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church, U.P.W. and the Hilltoppers Senior Citizens Club.

She has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

JOHN McKAY FAMILY

John McKay was born at Holyrood, Kinloss Township, Ontario, on June 20, 1855. He was the second oldest child of Donald and Rachael McKay. His early childhood was spent in Kinloss; when about 10 years of age he moved with his parents to Huron Township in the same province where he grew to manhood.

He married Margaret McLarty on Dec. 26, 1877. In March, 1882, he came to Dakota Territory and was followed by his family in September of the same year, where they settled in the homestead which was his home until he died in September of 1924. An infant son died in Lucknow, Ontario. Other children of this family were: Earl, Mary, Margaret Ann, Rachel (Mrs. Milne); Marguerite (Mrs. A. W. Bird); Ruth (Mrs. Russell Steffy); Nina (Mrs. Mortenson); and Arthur.

WILLIAM McLARTY

William (Bill) McLarty was born at Ripley, Ontario, on Aug. 14, 1870. He came to the Milton area in 1889, and after serving in the Spanish-American War, he returned to Milton where he farmed for some time in East Alma Township, and also worked for area farmers. He never married, and passed away at Milton in 1945.

ANGUS McLEOD FAMILY

Angus McLeod was born October 7, 1846, to Donald and Flora McDonald McLeod at Barvas, Scotland. He married Mary McLeod, daughter of Neil and Mary McKaskill McLeod, at Barvas on January 8, 1874.

Of their ten children, Christie, Kate, Mary and Flora were born in Scotland. They came to America, and to the Milton area in 1882. They homesteaded in East Alma Township and were issued a United States Patent on land now owned by Harlan Hanson and Gene and Charles Soli. They later lost that and in 1908 they bought two quarters of land from John Thompson, east of where they had been. In 1913 Angus and Mary deeded this land to their son, Neil. Much later these same two quarters of land were owned by Delbert Morrison, a grandson of Angus and Mary. They are now owned by Lawrence Sondeland.

Six more children were born to Angus and Mary after they came to Milton — Daniel, Neil, Elizabeth, Minnie, Margaret and Agnes. They were all raised in the Milton area. Christie married Alex McLeod and lived at Winnipeg, Manitoba; Kate married Alpine McKechnie and lived in Alberta, Saskatchewan; and Agnes married Douglas Hall and lived in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mary, Neil and Daniel were never married. Mary died in 1917 at the age of 40. Neil died in 1918 at the age of 29. All three lived their entire lives at Milton. Elizabeth married William Bruce and lived in Milton. She died in 1916 at 22 years of age.

Flora married Murdock Morrison, Minnie married John B. Matheson, and Margaret married John G. McLeod and all lived and reared their families in the Milton area.

Mary died in July, 1919 from a ruptured blood vessel, at the age of 66. Angus died in December, 1919, from heart failure, at 75 years of age. Their children are also all deceased now.

DAN (SUKEY) McLEOD

Dan (Sukey) McLeod was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch McLeod. The family lived west of Crystal in Pembina County until 1912 when the family moved to Winnipeg. There were six children in the family: Bert, Neil, Dan, Alex, Peggy and Mary Jane. The four boys all worked in the Crystal area.

Dan purchased a farm in East Alma Township where he and his brother, Bert, made their home. Dan was a well- known business man and also tried his hand at mining Bentonite on his farm in the early 1930s. A few carloads of raw Bentonite were shipped out from Hensel, but the business did not flourish as the cost of operation proved unprofitable.

Dan died of a heart attack in 1935. His brother, Bert, returned to Winnipeg.

DANIEL McLEOD FAMILY

Daniel and Annie McLeod homesteaded in East Alma Township in 1882. Annie came from Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Daniel came from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.

Daniel and Annie were the parents of two sons, John and Murdoch, and two daughters, Leone and Mayme.

John, Murdoch and Leone are deceased. Mayme (Miller) resides in the Pembilier Nursing Home in Walhalla.

DONALD (DAN) McLEOD FAMILY

In 1886 Donald and Christy McLeod, along with their young son, Malcolm, arrived in East Alma Township from the Isle of Lewis just off the coast of Scotland. They filed a homestead claim on a quarter of land just south of the present S.K. Goodman farm. Another son, Donald Martin (Dan) was born in 1888. Christy passed away in 1906 and Donald in 1936.

Dan married Martha (Mattie) McKay in 1916. They had seven children: Feme, Kenneth, Dean, Floyd, Robert, Gerald and Jean. Kenneth died when he was two years old from spinal meningitis and Gerald when he was only a few days old from pneumonia.

Dan and Mattie farmed in East Alma Township where all the children except Jean attended school and graduated from Milton High School. Jean attended school and graduated from the School for the Deaf at Devils Lake.

The family moved to Milton in 1942. Dan was self employed doing carpenter work and painting. He also worked for the G.T.A. elevator and as a gravel checker for Cavalier County. Dan served for many years as city assessor.

Feme attended Mayville State Teachers College and taught in the county for several years. She married Elmer Schill in 1946. Elmer managed elevators in the county before moving to Lakota to manage the Peavey Elevator. Feme and Elmer still live in Lakota. They have four children.

Dean joined the Army after graduation. He saw action in the Pacific during World War II. Upon returning from the Army in 1946 he married Doris Soli. He began working for the REA and moved to Valley City where he has been employed by Minnkota Power Company. They had seven children.

Floyd taught school in the Milton area after graduating from high school. He joined the Air Force. Upon returning from the Air Force, Floyd resumed teaching and attending college at Mayville, Valley City, and North Dakota State University. Floyd married Doreen Thomasson in 1960. They moved to Fargo where Floyd taught school. They returned to Milton in 1976. They have three children.

Robert joined the Air Force in 1951. Upon his discharge he attended Valley City State Teacher College and U.N.D. He taught school at Sykeston, N.D., and Glendive, Montana. He married Irene Simons in 1961. He is presently assistant superintendent of schools at Great Falls, Montana. They have three children.

Jean attended the School for the Deaf at Devils Lake. Upon graduation she attended Aaker’s Business College and worked in Fargo and Valley City. She married Albert Pebbles in 1962. They farm in the Calvin area and have

three children.

Mattie McLeod passed away in 1976. Dan lived for a time in his home in Milton after Mattie’s death. In 1977 he entered the Good Samaritan Home in Park River where he resided until his death in 1981.

NEIL McLEOD FAMILY

Neil McLeod, Sr., was born on the Island of Lewis, Scotland in 1844 and when he was 19 years old, came with his mother to Ripley, Ontario. They made their home there for several years, during which time he was married to Mrs. Jennette (Jessie) Smith McDonald. The family then came West to Winnipeg where they lived for about three years, before coming to Crystal, N.D., where they had relatives. In 1881 Mr. McLeod came with his mother and family to this area where they "squatted" on two quarters of land. We have been told the procedure for acquiring land then was to pick a plat at the Land Office in Grand Forks; everyone "squatted" on the land they had chosen on the plat, built a shack and settled in. The actual filing was done later, when the land came into market — notaries on horseback made the run over the countryside, bringing the filings to the settlers for their signatures — the best rider had the most filings to turn in to the Land Office to get his portion of the already paid filing fees. Later, when the settler had made the necessary improvements, each went to Grand Forks to get his title and patent. The early years were hard, there were no roads then, the nearest store was at Mountain, N. D. Mr. McLeod is reported to have walked there and carried a 100 lb. of flour and a roll of tarpaper home — all supplies had to be carried. Later when the trees were grubbed out and a road of sorts was made the pioneers went to Hamilton, N. D. to sell their grain and bring back supplies by ox team.

All members of the McLeod, Sr., family are deceased:

Murdock and Margaret McLeod died many years ago.

John McLeod was born in Ontario — he was married to May McComb of Milton in 1901. He was a threshing machine operator in the days of the big steam "rigs" for many years in this area. The family home was in Calvin, N.D. — they spent their last years in Bellingham, Wash. Mr. and Mrs. McLeod had ten children.

Neil McLeod, Jr., was born Dec. 14, 1879, in Tiverton, Ontario, and came with his parents and other family members to the farm in East Alma Township when his father homesteaded. He was married to Lavina Sehrt, June 20, 1916, at the Sehrt family home in South Olga Township. They had two children: Verna (Mrs. D. W. McKay) and Walter, both of Milton. Mr. McLeod passed away in 1952 and Mrs. McLeod in 1965. Walter McLeod still farms the family farm — in 1971 he purchased the former Dr. A. F. Elliott residence in Milton and resides there now.

David and Mary McLeod were both born at Milton. David married Arvilla Murta and they lived in Milton for many years until moving to Bellingham, Wash. They had three sons, Gordon and Cecil, both deceased and William of Seattle, Wash.

Mary McLeod was married to Milton Wilson, they both died during the flu epidemic in 1920, leaving two small daughters: Margaret (Peggy) now Mrs. Clinton C. Stiles of Spokane, Wash.; and Ilah Mary (Mrs. Lloyd Murray) of Osnabrock, N.D., who is deceased.

GARNET MELVILLE FAMILY

Byrdie McKay of Milton and Garnet Melville of Concrete, N.D. were married in 1928 and moved to the farm in East Alma Township known as the Andy Dyer farm in the early days, and later on was owned by Dr. L.H. Landry of Walhalla. The Melvilles lived there until 1945 at which time they moved to a farm near Valley City, N.D. They had three children: Ronald, Barbara and Gerald. Both sons served their country during World War II, Ronald in the Army and Gerald in the Navy. Barbara attended the University of North Dakota and is a registered nurse, she is now Mrs. Charles Anderson and she and her family live at Lancaster, Wis.

Gerald Melville is deceased and his wife, Mrs. Vivian Melville and four children live on a farm near Oriska, N.D. Mr. Melville passed away some years ago, and after her son, Ronald, passed away, also, Byrdie Melville moved into Valley City, N.D. where she now resides.

JOHN MONSON FAMILY

John Monson was born in Sweden in 1875, and came to America in 1893. His wife, Ida, was born in Sweden in 1878 and came to this country in 1900. They were married in Illinois in 1903 and farmed there for some time. In 1921 they, along with their children, came to Milton and purchased a farm two miles north of Milton from Helmina Erickson. They also lived on the Allert Morken and Jim Jobe farms, and for a time lived on a farm in Osford Township. They moved to Osnabrock where they lived until deciding to move back to Illinois in 1843.

John Monsons had three children. Margaret married Douglas Albright, and she now lives at Decatur, 111. Mr. Albright is deceased. They had one son.

Philip was married twice. He first married Muriel McGauvran and they had two sons, Bill and Jack. Philip was a salesman for a chain of food stores. He died at Fargo in 1965.

Melvin served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, spending two years in the Pacific, and three months in the European theatres. After service he was employed by the Standard Oil Co. for 23 years, and then spent 12 years working for Rockwell International. He and his wife, Lillian, have four children, Wanda and Donna, who are twins, and sons Leon and Scott, and three grandchildren.

ALLERT MORKEN FAMILY

Allert Morken and Ida Haug were married in 1917 at Osnabrock, ND. In 1919, they bought the Swanlaw farm north of Milton. In 1924, they moved to Milton where Allert drove an oil truck for Mr. Gemmill.

In 1928, Allert and Ida bought the farm previously owned by Ida’s brother, Carl Haug, north of Milton.

Ida died in 1950. Allert lived on this farm until his retirement. He later sold his land in East Alma to Harlan Hanson, and his Alma land to Sidney and Marvin Hanson.

He lived with his daughter Joyce until his death in 1980. Allert and Ida had two daughters, Joyce and Alice.

Joyce was born in 1933. She graduated from Milton High School in 1952. She married Glen Eagleson in 1952. Glen was in the army from 1953 until 1955. After farming near Union, they moved to Seattle where Glen is employed by Boeing Aircraft. They have four children, Larry, David, Randy and Shelly, all of Seattle.

Alice was born in 1918, and she graduated from Milton High School in 1936. She taught in the Milton area for eleven years, and she married Kristian Thomasson in1941. Kris spent 1942 to 1946 in the army. After farming five years with Allert Morken, they moved to LaGrange, 111. Alice and Kris are now retired and living in Wisconsin. They have four children and six grandchildren.

NELS NELSON FAMILY

Nels Nelson, who was also known as Nils Nilsen, was born in Norway about 1857. Before he left Norway, he married Hellene Peders’dotter Hagen, who was born in Norway on July 28, 1853. When the Nelsons left Norway and came to America, they spent some time in Wisconsin, perhaps because Hellene’s sister Kiersti and her husband Peder Brohilden lived near Galesville, WI.

The Nelsons were some of the first pioneers to come to the Milton area, arriving in 1882, and filed a claim in section 23 of what became East Alma Township. About four years later Hellene’s sister Karen and her husband, Ole Nelson Stabo, arrived from Norway and settled on a claim nearby. Hellene, Kiersti and Karen had two sisters Rangdi and Mari, who stayed in Norway.

The Nelsons were charter members of the West Mountain Lutheran Church. When their daughter Clara had her 13th birthday, Mr. Nelson traveled to Grand Forks, ND, where he purchased two organs. He gave one to his daughter for her birthday, and presented the other organ to the West Mountain Church. Clara then took lessons and became the organist for the church.

Available information indicates that the Nelsons had four children, Clara, Ida, Clarence and Henry.

Clara married Nels Herseth in 1905, and after a short time at Milton, they moved to Battleview, ND, where they farmed.

Ida first married Christ Hanson, and they had one daughter, Ella. After Mr. Hanson died, she married Hans Overboe, and they had a son, Howard Nuell.

Clarence and Henry Nelson never married and lived most of their lives in the Milton community. While no dates are available, it is believed they both died in the late 1920s.

Hellene apparently died shortly after 1900, and Nels died in the mid-1920s. Although there are no grave markers, it is known that both are buried in the Milton Memorial cemetery.

CHARLES A. OLSON FAMILY

Charles left his home in Waupan, WI, stopping for a time in Hamilton, ND, before moving on to Milton in 1890.

In 1893 he purchased half interest in a meat market, owned by his brother, Albert Olson, and assumed active charge of the business. Charles, better known as Charley, delivered meat with a horse drawn buggy to cook cars at threshing time. He also drove the hearse for many years for the local undertaker, had an interest in the livery stables, farming and race horses. Two race horses he owned were Oaken Heart and Oak Bud. Both were entered in many races, including races at the Cavalier County fair.

Clara Nelson came from Milton from Decorah, IA, in 1891 at the age of 19 to help with the care of the children in the home of Congressman and Mrs. H. T. Helgesen. Mrs. Helgesen and Clara were sisters. She taught school in the Wild School and also in the Milton School. It was during this time that she met Charley Olson.

In 1893 Clara returned to Decorah to spend some time with her parents. In 1895 Charley followed, and they were married on July 3, 1895. They returned to Milton to make their home. Charley and Clara built the house that is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rusten. They bought a farm one mile north of Milton, and moved there in 1908, where they lived and farmed until 1937. During this time they shipped cattle on consignment to South St. Paul, MN, for the Farmers Union.

Charley and Clara were the parents of five children, Willard, Lenore, Irvin, Adeline and Luverne. Willard married Lily Olgeirson Hanson, both now deceased. Their children are Vivian, Joyce and Louise. Irvin married Alveretta Hutchinson; they now live in Grafton, ND. Their children are Jay, Carol, James, Douglas and Rick. Luverne married Thelma Ramberg Strommen; they live in Milton. Their children are Bonnie, Linda, Marcia and Keith.

Lenore Dedman Wesner lives in Costa Mesa, CA. Her son, Charles Dedman, made his home with his grandparents, Charley and Clara Olson, for many years while he attended the Milton Public School. Charles (Chuck) attended the University of North Dakota, where he majored in accounting. He graduated in 1955, was in the service for two years, and then worked for various companies in jobs that took him to California, Chicago, Dusseldorf, Germany. At present he lives in California with his wife Dorothy, where he is in business for himself.

Adeline married George Jacobson of Osnabrock, ND, where they still have their home. Their daughter, Jeannette, married Marvin Lundeby of Osnabrock. George and Adeline have two grandsons, Steven and David Lundeby. Steven and David are the only greatgrandchildren of Charley and Clara Olson living in the Milton-Osnabrock area.

In November of 1937 the Olsons moved back into Milton and they lived in the Helgeson house, now owned by Donna Flack. They lived here until their deaths. Charley died September 3, 1942. Clara died June 19, 1951.

SIGVART OLSON FAMILY

Sigvart Olson came from Norway to Wisconsin with his family in 1871. In 1881 Sigvart came to North Dakota and homesteaded in East Alma Township.

His first home was a sod house, which was occupied for thirteen years. Before his marriage, school was held in this house for older boys during the winter. The teacher received $14 per month plus room and board.

In 1888 Sigvart married Maria Nilson who had come from Norway in 1887. Sigvart helped organize and build the West Mountain congregation and church of which they were life-long members.

Some of their closest neighbors in the early days were Ole Stabo, Nils Nilson, Lars Walstad, Neil McLeod, Sr., John Waind and Ole Swanson.

The Olsons had nine children. Ole died as a young man in 1920.

Marian married Hans Skrogstad and they farmed in East Alma Township. Both are now deceased.

Manda married Nat Walstad, and they also farmed in East Alma Township until his death in 1953. In later years Manda lived in Grand Forks, ND, and died in 1982.

Julia married Carl Lundeby, and they farmed near Osnabrock until their retirement. Carl died in 1973, and Julia, who is now 90 years old, resides in a nursing home at Wheaton, IL.

Carl A. Olson served in World War I, and after returning to Milton, he married Hulda Christopherson. After farming for awhile on the home farm, they moved near Osnabrock, where they farmed until retiring. Carl died in 1976, and Hulda now lives in Osnabrock.

Norris Olson farmed the home farm from 1926 until 1966, when he moved to Milton and retired. He passed away in 1982.

Melvin Olson joined the navy in 1920 and passed away at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station a few weeks later.

Conrad Olson grew up on the home farm and lived with his mother and brother Norris until she died in 1955. He farmed a nearby quarter of land which he purchased in 1940, until 1980 when he rented it out. Since 1955, he has resided on his farm near Mentor, MN.

Sigvart Olson and his two sons, Ole and Melvin, all died during a period of a few days during the flu epidemic of 1920.

RALPH RICHWINE FAMILY

Ralph and Stella (Hawbaker) Richwine were married in Illinois and farmed in the Franklin Grove area for a short time before coming to East Alma Township in 1918. The parents of Mrs. Richwine, Mr. and Mrs. Abe Hawbaker, and her sisters had come to the area in 1917.

The Richwines lived on the Harvey Pfoutz farm (west of the present John Torrance farm) and on the Dick Waind farm (north of John Torrance’s). They farmed in this township for some time, then moved out to Osford Township to the farm now occupied by the William Gross family, and then moved back east to Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Richwine are both deceased.

They had four children: Edna (Mrs. Thuma); Lucille (Mrs. Cleaver), Glen and Carl and they live in the Carlisle, PA, area.

THOMAS ROBISON FAMILY

My father, Thomas Robison, came to farm in North Dakota from Blythe, Ontario. He came by way of Cavalier, ND, and staked a claim north of Milton. He was accompanied by his brother William. My sister Irma has told the story that the ox cart now in the Heritage Center in Bismarck is the one used to come from Blythe to Cavalier. This cart was later sold to a man from either Walhalla or Bathgate named Andrews. The cart is in the museum ashaving been given by Mr. Andrews. According to Irma, the cart sat on the old capitol grounds and was removed when the capital burned. This information has not actually been verified.

After the land was claimed, Thomas went back to Ontario to get his bride, Janet Dunbar, 19. They lived at first in a log cabin in Milton. Janet had a brother, Joe, who farmed at Dresden. My father later built a house that still stands today, about seven miles north of town.

Children born to Thomas and Janet were Roy Alwin, Irma Agnes, Stanley William, Eva Blanche, Charles (Eva’s twin who died at nine days of age and is buried at a gravesite near the farm), Ruby Irene, Willis Lyle, Helen Leone, and Doris Fern. All the children are deceased except for me.

Irma married Harry Berryman in Milton and later moved to Montana. She is buried in Salt Lake City, where she spent the latter part of her life.

Stanley enlisted in World War I and served in France. At his and the other servicemen’s homecoming, a big party was given at the Bob Laing farm.

Eva married Syvert Dahl, who came from Bagby, MN. He was a meat cutter in the butcher shop next to Ofstedahl’s candy store in Milton. Eva, Stanley and Roy are all buried in Bend, OR.

Ruby frequently played piano for country dances in the area. She married Alton Hewitt and lived in Grand Forks. She is buried in Salt Lake City, where she was residing at the time of her death.

Willis married and lived in St. Paul where he worked for Northwestern Bell for thirty years.

Doris taught in North Dakota, Montana and California. She married Merle Ball.

The family moved from the farm into town in approximately 1922. The four youngest children attended Milton High School. I graduated in 1926 and went to Minot State Teachers’ College and taught at Osnabrock and Langdon in country schools and then received a standard teachers’ certificate and went directly to McClusky and taught there for six years. At McClusky I met Edward J. Booth and we were married in 1936 in Bismarck at St. George’s Espiscopal Church. We had two children, Jane Louise who married Roger Youngs and lives in Hinsdale, IL; and Pamela Leone, who married Ward Nelson and lives in Forest Grove, OR. The Youngs have two children, Mary Elizabeth and Gretchen Anne, and the Nelsons have one son, Mark Christopher.

Submitted by Helen Robison Booth

DAN RUSHFORD

Information provided to the Historical committee in regard to Daniel Rushford states that he homesteaded near Osnabrock. The 1912 Atlas shows that Daniel Rushford owned land in the southwest part of section six, in East Alma Township. There is no available records as to the year he came to this area.

Dan never married, and there will be those who can remember that in his later years, Dan lived in Milton in a small house northwest from the school. He died in 1950.

JOHN RUSHFORD FAMILY

John Rushford homesteaded three miles north of Milton in 1882. He was married to Cordelia Siguaw, and they had nine children. Most of the children were born at Milton and are now all deceased.

LEVI RUSHFORD FAMILY

Levi Rushford was born in Ontario, Canada, and came to Milton in 1882. He homesteaded two miles north of Milton. On January 26, 1903, he married Louise Patenaude at Martintown, Ontario.

In 1909, they left the Milton community and moved to Svold, ND, and later to Cavalier, where he died on July 5, 1937.

REV. ERIK O. RUSTE FAMILY

Rev. Erik O. Ruste was educated at a German Lutheran Seminary at St. Louis, MO, and came to East Alma Township before 1899, and served as pastor of the

West Mountain Lutheran Church. He built a log cabin about one and one-half miles east of the West Mountain Church, and later built a frame addition to this home. Besides serving the West Mountain congregation, he also served several other Lutheran churches, as well as doing a little farming.

The Ruste family left this area in the early 1900s and moved to South Dakota. Although there may have been more children, it is remembered that they had a daughter named Ericka, and two sons, Rudolph and Larry.

Perhaps their Christian upbringing and heritage is best portrayed in the words of this poem that was composed and written by Rudolph Ruste, the son, in 1912.

"LAST OF THE VIRGIN SOD"

We broke today on the homestead The last of the virgin sod,

And a haunting feeling oppressed me That we marred a work of God.

A fragrance rose from the furrow,

A fragrance both fresh and old,

It was fresh with the dew of the morning,

Yet aged with time untold.

The creak of leather and clevis,

The rip of the coulter blade,

And we wrecked what God with the labor Of countless years has made.

I thought while laying the last land,

Of the tropical sun and rains;

Of jungles, glaciers and oceans

Which had helped to make the plains.

Of monsters, horrid and fearful,

Which reigned in the land we plow,

And it seemed to me so presumptuous Of man to claim it now.

So when today on the homestead We finished the virgin sod,

Is it strange I almost regretted

To have marred that work of God?

By Edward Berger

HANS SKROGSTAD FAMILY

Hans O. Skrogstad was born to Ole and Sigri Paulson Skrogstad on September 1, 1867, in Altnasfjord, Norway. He received his education in Norway. The family came to America in 1881, and settled in Calumet, Michigan, where they lived for seven years. As a young lad, Hans worked in the copper mines in Calumet. Seeking to move on, the family left Calumet in 1888, when they came to North Dakota and settled on a farm southwest of Mountain, in Pembina County. About a year later, Hans moved to Cavalier County and purchased a farm in East Alma Township, where he resided until his death in 1944. The farm was solid oak when he bought it and he grubbed it all out by hand. In about 1917, he purchased the Methodist church which was located about two miles northwest of his farm. He moved it to his farm, using eighteen strong horses, and converted it into a house. That house is still on the farm.

On March 16, 1910, Hans was married to Marian N. Olson at Rugby, ND. She was the daughter of Sigevart and Maria Nelson Olson, East Alma Township pioneers. Marian was born June 2, 1890. She received her education in East Alma school District No. 3. She was known in the community as a fine seamstress, having worked for a time at Rugby. Hans and Marian were members of the West Mountain Lutheran Church. She was an active member of the Ladies Aid, and she taught Sunday School for many years. Marian joined the Milton Lutheran Church in 1963. During his lifetime, Hans was active in community affairs, holding offices in both the school and church. Hans and Marian were parents of six children:

Mrytle (Mrs. Johnny Nygard), deceased; Irene (Mrs. Manley Tollefson) of Osnabrock; Hellen (Mrs. Joe Widness), Grand Forks; Howard of Milton; Evelyn (Mrs. Julius Hanson) of Murdock, MN; and Melvin of Fargo.

Hans passed away June 21, 1944, and Marian passed away October 21, 1979. Both are buried in the West Mountain Cemetery, northeast of Milton.

HOWARD SKROGSTAD FAMILY

Howard Orland Skrogstad was born to Hans and Marian Skrogstad of East Alma Township on May 29,1918. He was baptized December 26, 1918, by Rev. Olafson at Mountain. He was confirmed by Rev. L. M. Skunes on September 2, 1934, at the West Mountain church. When Howard once refused to ride with Rev. Skunes to confirmation class, and instead, walked to the church on his stilts, Rev. Skunes voiced the following Norwegian comment, "Naar smaa gutten faar sin vi, saa graat han ikke," or, "when a small boy gets his way, he doesn’t cry."

Howard was educated in East Alma School No. 1. He also sang in the West Mountain choir for many years, as a dedicated bass singer. He started farming at the age of fifteen, after his father was forced to retire because of a stroke.

On September 6, 1942, Howard was married to Mabel A. D. Flom, daughter of Herman and Anna Flom who lived in Tiber Township of Walsh County. Mabel was born July 28, 1917, and baptized August 17, 1917, by Rev. Adolph Krogstad. She was confirmed by Rev. J. T. Langemo at the St. Stephen Church during Rev. Arne Herleikson’s illness. Mabel remembers that the cooks who worked in the cook car of the Flom threshing rig would give her and her sisters pieces of pie or pudding when they visited the cook car. She and her sisters also sang together for Luther League programs. She also remembers that when she was small, her mother gave her and her two sisters geranium slips to plant. When she was unable to push the tiny plant into the dirt, she took a knife and sharpened it, and her sisters have never let her forget it!

Howard started working for the Goodman Farms in 1941, in addition to his own farming, and worked for three generations, Grimsi, Glen and now Bernie. While working there, he experienced the transition in agriculture from the old steel-wheeled tractors to the modern four-wheel drives, and enjoyed the privilege of driving their latest and largest equipment. He retired from his employment there in 1981, and states that he enjoyed those years as his employers were good to him.

Howard purchased the home farm from his mother in 1975, and retired from farming in 1979, and disposed of his equipment by having an auction in June of 1980.

Howard and Mabel continue to live on their farm, and Howard enjoyed a highlight in his life when he was granted a permit to hunt moose in 1979, and accompanied by some of his friends, he bagged a 1,000 lb. moose.

Howard and Mabel are the parents of four children: Merlin, Eunice, Melva and Sharon. Although former members of the West Mountain Lutheran Church, Howard and Mabel are now members of Milton Lutheran.

Merlin Harold Skrogstad was born at Grafton. He received his education in East Alma Schools No. 1 and 3, and after attending two years at Mountain, graduated from Milton High School. He worked at Langdon and

then enlisted in the Army. He spent two years at Ft. Sill in Oklahoma, where he studied electronics, and then worked as an electronics technician for the Civil Service at Ft. Sill. He was married to Jone Lee on Sept. 3, 1966, at Duncan, Oklahoma, where they make their home. Jone’s first husband was killed in an auto accident, and she has two daughters by that marriage, Rosemarie (Mrs. Dave Hyatt), and Sandra (Mrs. Randy Warner). Jone is co-owner of a restaurant, and Merlin’s hobby is collecting old cars.

Eunice Fern was born at Grafton, and after attending country school in East Alma, she attended school at Mountain, and then graduated from Milton High School. She attended Aaker’s Business College, and worked for St. Francis Hospital, Polk County State Bank and the Norgas Co. in Crookston. She married Marlyn Duden on April 18, 1964, and they live in Crookston. He is employed by Burlington Northern in Grand Forks. They have two children, Brenda Kay and Brian Keith, and one daughter died in infancy.

Melva Lou was also born at Grafton, and after attending country school in East Alma, she graduated from Milton High School. She also attended school for a while in Mountain. She attended Dakota Business College in Fargo, and was married to Ellerd Boe of Edmore on Nov. 19, 1966. He works for Bell Telephone and Melva works for Laney’s Plumbing and Heating. They live in Fargo, and are the parents of three children: Lisa Mary, Christine Diane and Ross James.

Sharon Dianne was born at Grafton and attended the Milton Public School where she graduated from high school. She attended the University of North Dakota for four years and two summer terms. She married James Sprague on May 22, 1971. They live in Bloomington, Ind., where they own and operate their toy and cabinet shop. They have one son, Jeremy Jason.

MATH SKROGSTAD FAMILY

Math Skrogstad was born May 12, 1868, in Dover, Norway, and came to the United States as a youth. He lived first in Chicago, 111., where he was employed for two years in a furniture factory. In 1889 he moved to Calumet, Michigan, where he worked in a saw mill for a number of years. His wife to be, Marit Hanson, was born on December 25, 1862, at Dover, Norway. In April, 1889, she came to America, coming to Calumet, Michigan, at which place she was united in marriage to Math Skrogstad on November 2, 1889. Eight children were born to this union. They came to the East Alma community June 5, 1905.

Math was engaged in farming for many years. They were members of the West Mountain Church. Math was a church secretary for a number of years and a member of the Township Board for nine years.

Marit died February 10, 1936, at the age of 74 years. Math died December 10, 1943, at the age of 75 years.

Their children were: Sigrud, born January 3, 1899, died March 23, 1942, at the age of 43; Amelia (Molly), born September 11,1894, died April 4, 1960, at the age of 66; Gyda, born October 13, 1982, died December 11, 1960, at the age of 68; Mildred, born August 19, 1901, died November 7, 1981, at the age of 80; Alice, the youngest and only one living, was married to Bernard Hanson and lives in Columbia Falls, Montana.

GEORGE SOLBERG FAMILY

George Solberg, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Matheas Solberg, was born May 4, 1891. He grew up in East Alma Township and married Inga Hjelmstad on February 27, 1918. They farmed in East Alma Township. They had two sons, Harlan, who was born May 29, 1920, and Ivan, born October 16, 1922. Harlan died on December 21, 1967, and Ivan presently lives at Racine, Wisconsin. Harlan and Ivan never married.

George Solberg died on March 11, 1945, and Inga died March 24, 1926.

JOHN SOLBERG FAMILY

John Solberg, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Matheas Solberg, was born on August 24, 1881. He married Thora Hjelmstad on October 26, 1910. They lived and farmed in East Alma Township. Thora was born on December 1, 1884.

John died on November 1, 1941, and Thora died on January 10,1971.

The Solbergs had three children: Henry, Gladys and Gordon. Henry was born on January 9, 1911, Gladys was born on August 9, 1913, and Gordon was born on April 17, 1918. Henry and Gordon attended East Alma schools. They never married, and have farmed the home farm where they continue to live.

Thora and John Solberg

Gladys also attended East Alma schools, and married James McDonald of Cavalier on January 29, 1934. They continue to make their home at Cavalier, and have eight children, sixteen grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren.

MATHEAS SOLBERG FAMILY

Matheas (Matt) Solberg and his wife, Gina, came to East Alma Township from Norway in 1886, where they lived in section one. They were charter members of the West Mountain Lutheran Church, where they are buried.

They had four sons, Chris, John, George, and Hja- Imer.

Chris Solberg was born in 1879 and died in July, 1944. He never married and lived on his parents’ farm.

John married Thora Solberg, and they farmed in East Alma Township.

George married Inga Hjelmstad and also farmed in East Alma Township.

Hjalmer was born April 11, 1889 and died on May 21, 1972 at Frazee, Minn.

GEORGE SOLI

George Soli was born at Vang, N. D. on March 25, 1902 the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Soli.

On March 2, 1924 he married Ruth Kjennerud, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ludwig Kjennerud. Ruth was born in Oslo, Norway on August 27, 1900. Along with her sister, Asta, and a cousin, Ruth left Norway and came to the Vang area in 1912. Ruth enjoyed a trip back to her homeland in the late 1960s.

George and Ruth farmed at Vang until 1942 when they purchased the Charles Olson farm one mile north of Milton where they made their home and farmed the rest of their lives.

George died in May, 1970, and Ruth passed away March 10, 1975.

George and Ruth had five children, Allen, Doris, Elaine, Charles and Gene.

As a young man, Allen became interested in flying and together with some friends purchased a Tailorcraft plane and established an air strip on the Soli farm adjoining Milton on the north. They also built a hanger and a drive-in cafe. After some time, Allen was employed as a private pilot for the Dan Dugan company, and then worked as a pilot for North Central airlines, which later became Republic Airlines. He is married to Marjorie Cox, and lives at Rapid City, S. Dak. They have four children.

Doris attended Milton schools and married Dean McLeod. They live at Valley City, N. D., and have seven children.

Elaine also attended Milton schools and married Gene Schreier. They live in Iowa and have four children.

Charles received his education at Milton and married Charlotte Hunter of Milton. They operate a store in Langdon where they live and have four children.

Gene attended Milton schools, and after serving in the Navy Air Corps has farmed at Milton and also operates an aerial crop spraying business. He married Maryann Spears and along with Maryann’s five children, have made their home at Milton and also have a home at Las Vegas, Nevada.

LAWRENCE SONDELAND FAMILY

Lawrence was born on February 18, 1920 to John and Birdie Sondeland at Auburn, N. D. John and Birdie Sondeland with their sons, Lawrence, Gordon, John and their daughter, Evelyn, lived around the Grafton and Mountain communities for many years. After graduating from the Grafton Public School, Lawrence joined the U.S. Air Force and served in the B-24 Bomber Squad, 8th Air Force in England. Pam was born to John and Ivy Acott on

Aug. 9, 1923, at Dageham, Essex, England. After finishing high school she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force where she was a parachute packer during World War II. Lawrence and Pam were married on January 1, 1945 in Colchester, England. After they both completed their military service, they returned to North Dakota in the spring of 1946 where they farmed a year with his parents near Mountain before they moved to their own farm near Milton.

In the spring of 1947, Lawrence and Pam purchased land from Teitur Asmundson located in Section 36 of East Alma Township of Cavalier County. It was here that they raised their eight children for the next 24 years.

While living in the Milton community, they were members of the Milton Lutheran Church. Lawrence was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the school board, and the East Alma Township Assessor for many years. Janice, Michael, and Jane graduated from the Milton Public School before the family moved to the Edinburg community in the fall of 1971. Peter, Dale, Karen, James and Wendy graduated from the Edinburg Public School.

Janice is living in Rock Springs, Wyoming with her husband James Poppe of Mandan where she is a Home Economics teacher and he is a pharmacist for Skagg’s Drug Store. They are both graduates of the North Dakota State University in Fargo. They have four children: Julie, Jennifer, Jeffrey, and Jack. Michael is married to Colleen Ficek of New England. They are currently living in Cavalier with their two children, Laci and Derek.

Michael is the Pembina County Soil Conservation Agent and Colleen is employed at the Cavalier Greenhouse. He is a graduate of the North Dakota State University in Fargo.

Jane is married to Paul Morin of the Milton-Walhalla communities. They are living in Walhalla where Paul is farming and Jane is a secretary at the Walhalla Public School. Jane attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and Paul attended the State School of Science in Wahpeton. They have three daughters: Kristi, Renae, and Jill. Peter is married to Julie Hylden of Park River. They are currently living in Edinburg where they are both working for J. G. Hall and Sons. Peter attended the University of North Dakota and Julie is a graduate of the Hairdesigner’s Academy in Grand Forks. Dale married Shelly Stabo of Edinburg and they are living in Edinburg where Dale is farming and Shelly is employed at the Edinburg Superette. Karen is a graduate of Aaker’s Business College in Grand Forks and is presently working as an insurance secretary for the 1st National Bank in

Grafton. James is a student at the State School of Science in Wahpeton and is farming. Wendy will be a freshman at the State School of Science in Wahpeton this fall.

They are now living in the Edinburg community where Lawrence has served on the school board, is now treasurer of the Valley Landfill, and is the mayor of the city. Presently, Lawrence is farming with his sons, Dale and James, in the Milton area. Pam is active in the Trinity Lutheran Church.

OTTO SPERLING FAMILY

Otto Herbert Sperling, Jr., was born in Jamestown, ND, on May 12, 1948 to Otto Sperling, Sr., and Laura (Brown) Sperling. Otto moved to the Bjarnason farm near Milton to live with his great-grandparents, Herman and Julianna Bjarnason, when he was four months old. When his great-grandparents died, he was raised by a great-aunt and great-uncle, Ina Bjarnason and Arman Bjarnason.

Otto attended grade school and high school in Milton where he graduated in 1966. He then attended the State School of Science in Wahpeton for the winter quarter during 1966-67.

He and Linda Jonasson, daughter of George and Olive (Johnson) Jonasson, Milton, were married on August 23, 1968, at Calvary Lutheran in Grand Forks, ND.

Linda was born August 13, 1950, at Langdon, ND. She lived on a farm seven miles east of Milton until she was five at which time her family moved to town. Linda attended grade and high school at Milton, graduating in 1968. Linda has three sisters — Mrs. Gary (Carole) Watt, East Grand Forks, MN; Mrs. Robert (Georgia) Sitzman, Naperville, 1L; and Mrs. Jerry (Barbara) Melby, Bowbells, ND; and five brothers — James, Kansas City, MO; Ronald, Thompson, ND; Wayne, Colorado Springs, CO; and Warren and Daniel, Milton, ND.

Otto worked for Sunderland Construction Company when the couple was first married. Later, when the ABM missile complexes were being constructed, he began work for the Morrison-Knudson Company. He returned to the Sunderland Company when the missiles were phased out. He now works for Close Construction Company of Milton. Linda was employed by the Milton and Osnabrock School systems from 1979-1982.

Otto and Linda own and live on the original Bjarnason homestead in East Alma Township and actively farmed the land from 1970-1977 along with Otto’s other work.

Both are members of the Milton Lutheran Church where Linda is active in the A.L.C.W., Sunday School, and church council, having served as president of the church council in 1979. She also works as parish secretary for the Milton United Parish. Linda served as parade chairman for the Milton Bicentennial Celebration in 1976. Otto is a volunteer fireman and has been on the East Alma Township Board since 1976. He was president of the Milton Coulee Cruisers Snowmobile Club and president of the curling club when they were active.

The couple have a daughter, Kirsten Leigh, born December 31, 1968, and a son, Brannon Otto, born March 23,1972.

CALMER STABO FAMILY

Calmer was born May 24, 1895, on the farm in East Alma Township. This farm was the homestead of his parents, Ole and Karen Stabo, who had come from Norway some years previous. He attended East Alma School No. 3.

He met Jean McLarty and they were married December 20, 1920. Jean and Calmer lived on the farm where he was born. He farmed with his father for awhile, and then he and Jean assumed full farming operations and continued to do so until they retired. Calmer’s father made his home with them until he died.

Jean was born November 6, 1900, near Milton. She lived near Fairdale for awhile, but most of her life was spent in or near Milton. Jean attended schools in the area.

Jean belonged to the Milton Presbyterian Church; Calmer belonged to the West Mountain Lutheran Church. They were both active in church affairs.

At the time of retirement they moved to a home in Crystal where they lived until Calmer died in 1974. Jean sold the home and moved to Edinburg and lived there until her death in 1982.

Calmer and Jean Stabo were the parents of four children, Evelyn, Clifford, John and Mary who were twins. Clifford died in 1933 at the age of eight. Evelyn, Mary and John all graduated from Milton High School. John entered the service in March 1951 and was honorably discharged in December 1952. He served during the Korean Conflict and spent considerable time working in communications on the front lines. John married Eleanor Nupdal of Hallson in October 1953. They are the parents of three children, one daughter and two sons. They are all living in the Edinburg area. John has worked for Nodak Rural Electric Coop for 27 years as crew foreman. Both John and Eleanor are very active in community affairs.

Mary Stabo married Melvin Skrogstad of Milton in October 1947. They lived in the Milton area, some time in Minnesota, and later moved back to Milton. Mary and Melvin presently reside in Fargo where they have been for many years. They are the parents of three boys and four girls. Most of their family live in the Fargo area. Mary has worked in the schools and hospitals. Her husband is in construction.

Evelyn Stabo attended Mayville College and taught in the Walhalla and Crystal areas. She married Charles O’Sullivan in August 1944. They farmed in the Crystal area until they moved to Seattle in 1966. Evelyn continued her education there and graduated from Seattle University. She has taught in parochial schools in Seattle since 1967. They are the parents of nine children, two boys and seven girls. Most of the children live in the Seattle area except for one in North Dakota, one in Indiana and one in Nevada.

The life of Jean and Calmer Stabo saw many changes, many good times and of course, the depression. Theirs was a time of sharing, helping others, and the whole family being together whenever possible.

OLE N. STABO FAMILY

Ole Nilson Stabo was born at Grandhadlund, Norway, on January 10, 1861, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Nils Myrebakken. He grew up there, and on December 28, 1883, he married Karen Pedersdottir Hagen. Karen was born in Norway on April 18, 1857. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Peder Hagen. A son, Nels, was born to Ole and Karen in 1884.

In 1886, the Stabo family sailed to America on the ship "Polynesian." They arrived by train at St. Thomas, ND, and walked from there to the home of Mrs. Stabo’s sister, Mrs. Nels Nelson, six miles northeast of Milton. Mr. and Mrs. Stabo then claimed land in the west one-half of Section 28 in East Alma Township, where they built a sod house and a sod barn. The house had a board floor and glass windows.

About 1895 the Stabos purchased a claim in Section 15 of East Alma Township near the West Mountain Lutheran Church. They were charter members of this church.

While building his first log house on this claim in Section 15, Mr. Stabo lived in a "dug-out" house which he constructed in the bank of a ravine. The family moved after he completed the log house. Mr. Stabo later added a frame addition to this house and also built a barn to replace the first log barn.

Mrs. Stabo was often called upon to help with sick neighbors, as she was known to be a "practical nurse." The Stabos had six sons and three daughters.

Nels, born in 1884, married Petra Moe, and they lived most of their lives at Cass Lake, MN. Peder was born in 1887 and died about 1898. Martha was born in 1887 (twin sister to Peder). She married Christ Afseth, and the lived in Montana and at East Stanwood, WA.

Carl was born in 1889 and married Gyda Gire. They farmed in the Milton area throughout their entire lives. Rangna was born in 1891. She married Oliver Gire, and they lived at Milton. Clara was born in 1893. She married Louis Larsen, and they farmed in Minnesota. Clara is still living. Calmer was born in 1895. He married Jean McLarty, and they farmed the home farm. John B. was born in 1897 and died about 1898. John M. was born in 1899 and died in 1927.

Mrs. Ole Stabo died on May 9, 1916, and Ole passed away on April 11,1940.

ROBERT STEWART FAMILY

Robert (Old Bob) Stewart was among the earliest settlers in East Alma Township. "Old Bob" was born in 1839. He and his wife, Sophie, had eight children — Mrs. John McKenzie, Mrs. Leonard Stavee, Mrs. Ed Taylor, Mrs. Martin Skaro, Mrs. John Christofferson, Robert, John and Ed.

He was best known for his cheerful disposition, always possessing a ray of sunshine wherever he went.

He moved to Seattle, WA, in 1925 where he died on September 21, 1928.

WILLIAM STEWART FAMILY

William Stewart left his home in Ormiston, Quebec and decided to go west in the 1880s. He came to the Milton area and settled in East Alma Township.

He met and married Katherine Phillippe, who came from Ontario to this area. They were married in East Alma in 1886, and spent 40 years together on their farm in East Alma Twp. Mrs. Stewart worked hard, but managed to establish a happy and loving home, where friends were always welcome.

Five children were born to the Stewarts — Ella, Ethel, Laura, Lillian and George.

Ethel, the oldest, helped a lot with the farming. She moved to Canada where she married Edwin Rodger. They settled on his homestead in Saskatchewan. They farmed and established a post office. Ethel continued as postmistress until 1947. She passed away in 1959.

Ella became a teacher. She also moved to Canada where she taught school, married Lon Christenson. They operated a grocery store. She passed away in 1934.

Laura was also a teacher and she moved to Canada. She married Lester Hunt, who operated a garage. She is in a nursing home in Alberta.

Lillian made many visits to Canada but always returned to North Dakota. She worked in Grand Forks, where she married Carl Jacobsen. She still lives in Grand Forks.

George remained on the farm with his father. He married Anna Lindahl. He sold the farm and moved to Minnesota. He still resides in Browerville, Minn.

Mrs. William Stewart passed away in 1931. William Stewart passed away in 1937. They are buried in the Milton Memorial Cemetery north of Milton.

ARNE SUKKE FAMILY

Arne Sukke, 85 years old, of Antelope, MT, died at the home of his son there Monday morning at four o’clock April 23, 1923, after a short illness as the result of old age. The funeral was held Saturday, April 28, at the St. John’s Church in the McNulty precinct. Rev. Ed Sandis officiated and interment was made in the St. John’s cemetery.

Arne Sukke was born April 12, 1838. He came to this country in the spring of 1882, taking a homestead immediately near Milton where he raised his family. He resided there up until three years ago when he and his aged wife went to live with their son, Ed Areneson, in the Antelope precinct. He wife died a year ago and was also laid to rest in the St. John’s cemetery. He is survived by one son, Ed Areneson, of Antelope.

THOMAS SUNDERLAND FAMILY

Thomas (Tom) and Diane Sunderland both grew up in the Milton area and both graduated from the Milton High School.

Diane is the former Diane Tollefson, daughter of Maynard and Runa Tollefson of Milton. Tom is the youngest son of Robert and Iva Sunderland of Fargo. Tom and Diane have one son, Scott, who is a freshman in high school. He was confirmed into the Presbyterian faith in 1982.

Tom and Diane are both affiliated with the Sun Cat, Inc. They have recently built a new home in East Alma Township.

Tom has long been a member of the Milton Town Board and has served as Mayor of Milton for a number of years. He is a member of the American Legion Post 179, the Masonic Lodge and the Milton Firemen.

Diane is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 179 and has served in several offices, including that of president. She is a member of the Past Presidents Parley of the American Legion Auxiliary.

The Sunderlands are members of the Presbyterian Church.

HENRY SWANSON FAMILY

Henry Cornilius Swanson was born Dec. 29, 1903 to Ole H. Swanson and Johanna Carlson Swanson at the farm home in East Alma Township, rural Milton. His parents immigrated from Norway, and were rural Milton pioneers.

Henry received his education at the rural one-room school, East Alma No. 1. He was a member of the West Mountain Lutheran Church, and was secretary for this congregation for a number of years.

Henry and Olive Thorun Walstad were united in marriage at the bride’s home on Nov. 2, 1932. She was the daughter of T. L. Walstad and Runa Einarson Walstad. To this union four children were born.

Henry Wallace Swanson was born Oct. 23, 1934. He married Elizabeth Vondell on Nov. 20, 1956. Their children are Ruby Myria, Gene Charles, Ole James, and Violet Arlene.

Ruby Janice Swanson was born Aug. 28, 1939. She married Boyd Lee on June 23, 1957. Their children are Boyd Malcolm, Joe Robert, and Melody Sue.

Wilma Marlyce Swanson was born May 18, 1941. She married Richard Frank Slama on July 16, 1957. Their children are Richard Lynn, Randy Lee, Janelle Kaye, Janette Ranae, and Jolene Faye. This marriage was dissolved in 1977. Later, Marlyce married Allan Geir, and they have a son, Wendel Allan, born in May, 1979.

Alice Doreen Swanson was born Jan. 29, 1950. She married Larry Clarence Johnson on July 27, 1958. Their children are Suzanne Ray and Jeremy Allan.

Henry and Olive lived and farmed on the Swanson homestead until his death on May 31, 1964. Henry had two brothers, William F. and Oliver James Swanson. He also had six sisters, Thora, Josie, Clara, Margaret, Anna and Wilma. All are now deceased with the exception of James.

Olive Swanson now lives at Osnabrock, and in addition to her four children, all of whom are living, she has fifteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

OLE H. SWANSON FAMILY

Ole H. Swanson was born in Norway on June 16, 1850, the son of Halvor Swanson. He immigrated from Norway and spent some time in both California and Winnepeg, Man., working as a shoe cobbler. He returned to Norway and brought back with him to North Dakota, his father Halvor, his step-mother Gunhilde, and brother Hans, and his father’s step-daughter Johanna Marie Carlson. They settled in East Alma Township, rural Milton.

Ole H. Swanson and Johanna Marie Carlson were married Aug. 19, 1887, and made their home on the Swanson homestead, where they farmed.

Ole’s step-mother Gunhilde died in 1906, and his father Halvor died in 1912.

Ole died in 1936, and his wife Johanna died in 1938.

Ole’s brother Hans returned to Norway about 1916 where he lived the rest of his life.

Ole Swansons raised six daughters and three sons.

Thora Swanson was born July 14, 1890, and died Aug. 8, 1953.

Josie married Henry Olson and died Jan. 9, 1961.

Clara, born Sept. 8, 1893, married Oscar Bjornson and she died Aug. 7, 1972.

Margaret, born Dec. 8, 1895, married Paul Miller, and she died June, 1982.

Anna, born Dec. 2, 1899, married Oscar Herseth, and she died Oct. 6, 1956.

Wilma, born Oct. 14, 1897, married Thomas Stinar, and she died Jan. 3, 1953.

Henry, born Dec. 29, 1903, married Olive Walstad, and he died May 31,1964.

William, born Feb. 9, 1907, married Vera Close, and he died Dec. 27, 1980.

James, married Amelia Beliveau. He is the only surviving member of the family.

WILLIAM F. SWANSON FAMILY

William Swanson was born to Ole and Johanna Swanson on Feb. 9, 1907. His parents had come to the Milton area from Norway in 1874 and homesteaded in East Alma Township.

William, who had six sisters and two brothers, spent his early years working for the steel plant in Duluth, and also worked for several years in Chicago for the Ford Motor Co.

Vera (Mrs. William Swanson) was born to Melburn and Ethyl Close on April 11, 1912. She graduated from Milton High School in 1932 and spent her early years at Milton. She has one sister, Mrs. Henry Rustan, of Milton, and one brother, Harold, of Grand Forks.

William and Vera were married at Milton on Sept. 18, 1936, and lived in Chicago until 1939. At that time they purchased their farm northeast of Milton.

William and Vera had four children. Their son William R. lives near Milton and works at the Par Site. He is married to the former Carol Bartlette, and they have three children.

Vernon, who has lived in Grand Forks since 1968 works for LaBelles Showrooms. He is married to Elaine Chaput, and they have one child. Vernon served in the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1967 in the Mediterranean and Vietnam areas.

Wayne, who graduated from Milton High School in 1963, worked on the home farm and also at the A.B.M. site. He now lives in Grand Forks.

Judy graduated from Milton High School, and is now married to Mark Josephson and they live at Thief River Falls, Minn. She graduated from Aaker’s Business College, and has worked at clinics in Grand Forks and Thief River Falls.

William Swanson died on Dec. 27, 1980, and Vera now resides at Grand Forks, N.D.

William and Vera Swanson were members of the West Mountain Lutheran Church and later, when that church closed, they joined the Milton Lutheran Church.

William (Bill) had many hobbies including music, hunting and trapping, community history and was very interested in steam-powered threshing and "threshing bees." He also collected antique water-cooled stationary engines.

"Bill" enjoyed playing a guitar and singing, and quite a number of times played and sang for West Mountain Luther League programs.

WILLIAM R. SWANSON FAMILY

William R. Swanson, the son of William F. and Vera Swanson, was born Feb. 20, 1939. He attended school at Mountain, and also at Milton, where he graduated from high school.

William and Carol L. Bartlette, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Abe Bartlette of Walhalla, N.D., were married at the Grafton Lutheran Church on June 24, 1961. Carol was born on July 20, 1943.

After their marriage they lived at Grand Forks, N.D., for twelve years, where William worked for the Pillsbury Co., and Carol worked for the Valley Memorial Home for five years.

They moved back to their farm home northeast of Milton on Sept. 1, 1973, and since that time William has been employed at the C-MEWS Site as a security guard. Carol also worked several years at the Borg Memorial Home at Mountain as a nurse’s aide. They are members of the Vikur Lutheran Church at Mountain.

The Swansons have three children. Carl Robert was born on June 25, 1962. He attended school in Grand Forks and at Milton, where he graduated in 1980, and now lives and works at Drayton, N.D.

Carolyn Ann was born Jan. 1, 1968, and attends school at Milton.

John Robert was born June 18, 1979, and resides at home.

OLE THORESON FAMILY

The Ole Thoreson family was one of the pioneer families of East Alma Township. They came from Norway — Mrs. Thoreson was born at Ringsaker, Hallmarken, Norway, in 1849; she died at the family home at the age of 83 years. Her husband had preceded her in death several years before.

The Thoresons had two sons, Ole and Hjalmar, and one daughter, Clara (Mrs. Neuss). Hjalmar and Clara lived at Williston, N.D. Ole, who had come from Norway with his parents and to the East Alma farm in 1883, lived there his entire life — he was unmarried and passed away at his home in 1932, the same year as his mother.

JAMES TORRANCE FAMILY

James Torrance was born in Ripley, Ontario, Nov. 8, 1859. In the spring of 1881 he left home, having heard of the wonderful land in Dakota Territory, which could be had for homesteading on same. He arrived in Grafton, N.D., by railroad and then walked northwest as far as the present town of Olga. He then walked south and chose the quarter section northeast of Milton where he spent the rest of his life.

He filed on the land, although it was not yet surveyed. After the land was surveyed in 1883, he and Angus McKay built a shanty on the line with a bedroom for each on their land as you had to live so many months a year on your claim until it was proved up. Later each built a house, and the original shanty was used for a school. It was the first school in East Alma Township.

James Torrance married Agnes Nicholson in Langdon on Dec. 21, 1887. Miss Nicholson was born in Hedemarken, Norway, on Nov. 24, 1863. She came to Dakota Territory at the age of 19. Her father had been over here for several years and drove the government mail. She also homesteaded, but she gave it up when she married. To this union nine children were born, Mary, Ida, Margaret, James, Agnes, Carol, John, William, and Frank.

James and Agnes celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1937 on the farm where they spent their entire life. He died in 1941 and she in 1945. They were Presbyterians and were founders of the church in East Alma which they helped to build. Mr. Torrance also belonged to the Orangemen’s Lodge and the Odd Fellow’s Lodge in Milton of which he was a charter member.

Carol (Mrs. E. J. O’Brien), Devils Lake, and John Torrance, Milton, and William, Grand Forks, are the only surviving children.

JOHN TORRANCE FAMILY

John was born on his dad’s homestead in East Alma Township in 1904. He was the son of James and Agnes Torrance. He attended rural school in East Alma through seventh grade and finished his education at Osnabrock High School, graduating in 1923. He married Annie Cudmore in the Presbyterian Church in Grand Forks in 1927. Ann was the daughter of Mary and Russell Cudmore of Crystal City, Manitoba, where she was born in 1908 and attended school there. Russell Cudmore immigrated to Osnabrock, N.D. in 1924 and then moved to Grand Forks, ND. They lived in Grand Forks until the fall of 1928, where John worked for Grady Plumbing Company. In the fall of 1928 they moved to the farm in East Alma Township Section 16, where they still farm. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the Legion hall in Milton in 1977.

Ann was a charter member of East Alma’s Homemakers Club, also a member of the Ladies Aid of the Presbyterian Church in Milton.

They had two children: Lois, Mrs. Richard Price, who died in 1969, and Robert of Milton. They also have nine grandchildren.

John is East Alma Township clerk, serving for 42 years, also secretary-treasurer of the Milton Rural Fire Dept, serving since it was organized in 1954. He was also a Community Committee man for seventeen years. He also measured and checked bins for the ASCS for many years.

ROBERT TORRANCE FAMILY

Helen and Robert Torrance are both descendents of pioneer homesteaders in the Milton area. Both graduated from Milton High School in 1953 and from the University of North Dakota with majors in education.

Following their marriage in 1957, they taught in Minnesota, Illinois and Minto, North Dakota, where they lived for fifteen years. Helen taught English and Spanish, and Bob taught social studies and coached, taking one team to the state finals in 1974.

In 1965 they bought a quarter of land northeast of Milton and spent the summers there with their three children, since they firmly believed that picking rocks and hoeing trees curb any tendencies toward waywardness in of the young. Bob began teaching at Milton-Osnabrock High jK School in 1979 and Helen in 1981.

Their children are Paula and John, both seniors at the University of North Dakota, and Jim, who is a junior at Jamestown College.

In addition to teaching, Bob farms and is an elder of the Presbyterian Church; Helen reads.

LARS WALSTAD FAMILY

Lars Thorneson Walstad was born in Ringsaker, Hedemarken, Norway, on December 23, 1852, and Mrs. Walstad, whose maiden name was Olava Nelson Frydenlund, was born on December 29, 1852, in Ringsaker.

They were married in the Ringsaker Church, February 6, 1874, and immigrated to America in 1882.

They had temporarily made their home near Brandon, Minnesota, and in 1883 (100 years ago) moved to the then "Dakota Territory" and settled on government land in East Alma Township. They first settled five miles northeast of Milton, North Dakota, and built a log house. A few years later, they moved eight miles northeast of Milton and built their second home, and lived there continually on the farm until they retired and moved to Milton, in 1923.

Mr. and Mrs. L. T. Walstad celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on February 6, 1924, at the Milton Lutheran Church.

Mrs. Walstad died in 1926. Mr. Walstad died in 1928. They are buried at West Mountain Cemetery.

The Walstad’s had six children, two boys and four girls.

Ida Walstad was born in 1874 in Norway and she died in 1905. She is buried at West Mountain Cemetery.

Anna Walstad was born in 1876 in Norway. Anna Walstad was married to Anton Haraseth in 1895. They had one son, Bernt Louis. Anna died in 1898 and was buried at West Mountain Cemetery.

In 1883 Trygve (Tom L.) Walstad was born on the family farm where he lived all his life. Tom was married in 1912 to Runa Einarson. They had one daughter, Olive Thorun.

Tom died in August 1955. Runa died in 1973. They were buried at West Mountain Cemetery.

Nathan L. Walstad was born in 1887 in East Alma Township, near Milton. Farming was Nathan’s lifelong work.

In 1914 Nathan married Manda Olson.

They had ten children: Lucille Selma, Malinin Orin, Norme Mandus, Vernice Lenore, Thelma Ruth, Lorna Alvera, Alpha June, Lawrence LaMonte, Eunice Charmaine, and Alda Dagny.

Nathan died in 1953. Manda died in 1982. They were buried at West Mountain Cemetery.

Laura Othilde Walstad was born in 1890 on the family farm near Milton. Laura was a seamstress much of her life. She also taught Sunday School and she was organist at West Mountain Church for many years.

She married John Martin Anderson in 1925.

Laura and John farmed the Walstad farm eight miles from Milton. The Anderson’s had two daughters, Lois Orlaine and Margaret Ann.

John died in 1977 and is buried at West Mountain Cemetery. Laura Anderson is now living in Milton.

Agnes Bertine Walstad was born in 1892 at the family farm. She married Harry Strand in 1916. They had one son, Harland Lewis. He passed away in 1939. Agnes’s husband died in 1918. In 1927 Agnes married Donald MacDonald. Donald (Dan) was a widower with four children. Dan was a constructor of grain elevators. They lived in Fargo and later moved to Minneapolis, where they retired. Dan died in 1978. He is buried at Milton Cemetery. Agnes now resides at the Masonic Home in Minneapolis.

NATHAN WALSTAD FAMILY

Nathan L. Walstad was born in East Alma Township in 1887, and lived there all his life except for a short time while he homesteaded in Montana.

His father came from Norway, as did his grandparents, there are three generations of Walstad’s buried in West Mountain Cemetery.

Manda (Olson) was born in East Alma Township also. Her parents were Sigvard and Marie Olson. Nathan and Manda were married Dec. 16, 1914. They lived a short time in Montana 1914-15, came back and lived in the Milton area the rest of their married life.

Nathan and Manda had ten children. Nine are still living. All of the children except Lawrence are living out of North Dakota. Lawrence has lived in North Dakota all his life except while serving during the Korean War time. Malmin served with Patton’s 3rd Army in Germany.

Malmin Walstad lives at 1689 Pennindton Rd., Trenton, New Jersey 08600; Lucille Berg lives at 248 River Road, Sequim, Washington 98382; Vernice Schulz lives at Rt. 4, Box 204, Bluff City, Tenn. 37618; Thelma O’Sullivan lives at 537 Drew Street, San Lorenzo, California 94580; Lorna McDowell lives at 1016 Park Drive, Dunedin, Florida 33528.

Alpha June Johnson lives at Big Fork, Minnesota 56628; Lawrence lives at 2014 Wintergreen Court, Grand Forks, ND 58201; Eunice Carlson lives at 303 Overlook Drive, West LaFayette, Ind. 47906; Alda Cartez now resides at 6610 N. Woodrow, Fresno, California 93710.

Norme Walstad died at the age of 31 in 1951. Nathan Walstad died at the age of 66 in 1953 and Manda Walstad died at the age of 87 in 1982.

TRYGVE L. WALSTAD FAMILY

Trygve L. Walstad, better known as Tom, or T. L., was born December 25, 1883, to Lars T. and Olava Walstad, in a sod shanty on the SVi of the N'/i of Section 26, in East Alma Township, northeast of Milton. This was where Lars and Olava homesteaded in the fall of 1883, after immigrating from Norway.

Tom was the first white child born in East Alma Township. He received his education in the country one-room school known as East Alma No. 3. Church services were also held in this school building until the West Mountain Lutheran Church was built.

Trygve L. Walstad and Runa Einarson were united in marriage August 2, 1912, at the Milton Lutheran

parsonage, by Rev. Aarthun. Trygve purchased the land his father homesteaded and the couple lived and farmed there until his death August 20, 1955. He was active in township, school and church boards and was a lifelong member of the West Mountain Lutheran Church, rural Milton.

Runa Walstad passed away on March 27, 1973, at Pembilier Nursing Home at Walhalla, ND. She had also resided at Borg Memorial Home at Mountain, and Good Samaritan care center at Osnabrock. She was born in Iceland on June 10, 1885, and immigrated with her parents Einar and Thorun Einarson to the Gardar community at the age of fourteen years.

One daughter was born to this union, Olive Thorun Walstad, who was born on April 27, 1913. Olive and Henry C. Swanson were married on Nov. 2, 1932.

H. O. WOLD FAMILY

The H. O. Wold family moved to the Meibom Close farm east of Milton in 1919. They resided on the farm until March 6, 1924, when a fire destroyed the home. Despite help from neighbors, the fire which started at 3 o’clock in the attic, could not be extinguished. The family then moved to the Pratten house in the coulee until 1928 when they moved to Grand Forks, ND.

Children of Mr. and Mrs. Wold were Leola, Irene, Francis, Andrew, Ernest, Gordon, Osmund and Hilmen.

George Walsh J. N. Sletvold J. Stephenson Anton Moller W. M. Graham

FORMER EARLY SETTLERS AND RESIDENTS OF EAST ALMA

(Names and addresses of kinfolk unknown)

James O’Brien

Pete Flanagan

Martin Wangen

Miss Bennett

Abraham Jacobson

George Walsh

J. N. Sletvold

J. Stephenson

Anton Moller

W. M. Graham

Cp. William Hummell (Civil War veteran — township may have been named for him)