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Knute and Josephine Melby

Husband's Full Name:  Knute Knutson Melby

Husband's Place of Birth:  Øystre Slidre, Valdres, Norway

Husband's Father's Name: Knud Olsen Rudi

Husband's Mother's Name: Guri Kristensdotter Melby

Husband's Siblings' Names: Guri, Ole, Christen, Ragnhild, Gulbrand, Marit, Caroline, Martin and Oscar

Wife's Full Name:  Josephine Jurgenson

Wife's Place of Birth:  Clinton County, Iowa

Wife's Father's Name:  John E Jurgenson

Wife's Mother's Name:  Hannah B Jorgenson

Wife's Siblings' Names:  unknown

Children's Names: Beatrice Miller, June Woods

Knute Josephine Melby family.jpg

Knute, also known as K. K. Melby, was the fourth child born to Knut and Guri Melby on November 10, 1870. During his childhood, he lived on the Melby farm in Rogne, Øystre Slidre, Valdres, Norway and attended the Rogne school and church. In 1881 when he was 10½ years old, his parents sold the Melby farm and the whole family emigrated from Norway to Goodhue County, Minnesota. In 1884, his parents moved to Griggs County North Dakota where they filed on a homestead, and in 1887 they moved to Foster County.

 

By this time Knute was a young man, ready to go on his own. He went north to Ramsey County ND where he was in the grain business at Souris and Edmore. Later he became a representative for Hixson and Grannon Grain Co. His job took him to Nebraska, and it is here that he met and married Josephine Jurgensen in 1896 at Omaha. Two children were born to them there: Beatrice Melby 1897 and June 1900. Later, Knute and his family moved to North Dakota first living in Manfred for awhile, before settling at Grand Forks. It was at Grand Forks that Knute worked for the Tenney company, auditing the books for elevators in the region which included the elevators at Manfred ND. One of the elevator managers in Manfred at that time was Paulson. These frequent job-related visits to Manfred gave Knute the opportunity to visit his parents and others at Manfred. It is remembered that he would have coffee with folks during his stops.

 

During the years living at Grand Forks, Knute was an active member of the Presbyterian Church in Grand Forks, and also the Masonic Lodge, Sons of Norway, and the Union of Commercial Travelers. It was here that both of their daughters graduated from the University of ND, June graduating in 1923. Josephine died April 1936 in Grand Forks. Knute later moved to Minot living there for 16 years, first with his daughter Beatrice and husband Paul Miller, and then at the Lutheran Home for the Aged during his final years. Knute died in 1959 at Minot ND. Knute and Josephine are both buried at Grand Forks ND.

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