Manfred History & Preservation, Inc.
Clarence and Olive Kopseng
Husband's Full Name: Clarence E. Kopseng
Husband's Place of Birth: Heimdal, North Dakota
Husband's Father's Name: Knut Kristoffersen Kopseng
Husband's Mother's Name: Ragnhild Persdatter Arnegard
Husband's Siblings' Names: Gudrun, Ben, Theodore, Arne
Wife's Full Name: Olive Olm
Wife's Place of Birth: Edgeley, North Dakota
Wife's Father's Name: Martin Olm
Wife's Mother's Name: Esther Olm
Wife's Siblings' Names: unknown
Children's Names: Robert (Cynthia) James
Clarence E. Kopseng was born March 16, 1906, to Ragnhild and Knut Kopseng on the Kopseng farm seven miles east of Harvey. A twin brother Arne died at the age of six months of the summer flu.
He attended school in Fram Township at a one room schoolhouse one-half mile east of his home. As a young lad he enjoyed swimming in the summer and skating and skiing in the winter on the Sheyenne River with his brothers and neighbors,
but his skiing came to an abrupt end when he broke his leg.
In 1924 and 1925, he left the farm for a brief time while he attended Hansen's Auto School in Fargo. He then returned home to work with his parents on the family farm.
Olive (Olm) Kopseng was born at Edgeley on January 20, 1912. She was the oldest of three daughters born to Martin and Esther Olm. She attended school at Edgeley until the family moved to Marshfield, Wisc. in 1918. They lived in Marshfield for six years and then moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. where she finished her high school years. In 1929, the Olm family moved to Harvey, where she met Clarence Kopseng. They were married on October 27, 1935, and lived on the home farm. In 1938, they took over the farm and continued farming until their retirement in 1970.
Clarence and Olive had two sons. Their first son, Robert, was born in February of 1937 and lives with his wife Cynthia (Schwarz) on the home farm. They have three children.