Manfred History & Preservation, Inc.
Helge and Bertha Myhre
Husband's Full Name: Helge B. Myhre
Husband's Place of Birth: Vang, Valdres, Norway
Husband's Father's Name: Boie Leine Myhre
Husband's Mother's Name: Berit Brekke
Husband's Siblings' Names: Betsy Helgerud
Wife's Full Name: Bertha Nertrost Myhre
Wife's Place of Birth: Drammen, Norway
Wife's Father's Name: Mads Nertrost
Wife's Mother's Name: Sigrid Strand Nertrost
Wife's Siblings' Names: Mads, Sennev, Anna, Nels
Children's Names: Conrad and Walter
Helge B. Myhre was born at Vang, Valdres, Norway on December 31, 1858. He left his native land when a young man, arriving in the United States in 1889. In 1898 he came to Wells County where he resided the rest of his life. He was engaged in farming and stock raising. He was a good farmer, progressive and thrifty and developed one of the finest farmsteads in the Four Corners community as well as acquiring other holdings in the county. He was most successful in his work and built up an ideal farm home.
In 1899 he was united in marriage to Miss Bertha Nertrost at Manfred. Bertha Nertrost Myhre was born near Drammen, Norway on March 16, 1878, the eldest child of Mads and Sigrid Nertrost. With her parents and infant brother she came to the United States in 1880 entering the new land at Castle Garden, New York City. After several years in Northfield, Minnesota, she moved to her father's claim near Cooperstown, ND, then a territory. She too shared the struggles and hardships of early pioneering.
After attending country schools in the community, she entered her high school class at Cooperstown, ND. At 16 years of age she taught her first rural school. Arriving in Manfred in June 1894, she joined her family and pursued her teaching career in Wells County. She attended the State Teachers College at Valley City several years.
Helge and Bertha were the parents of two sons, Conrad Myhre, an electrical engineer at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and Walter Myhre who resided on the farm. Both are now deceased.
H. B. Myhre was a very prominent resident of Manfred Township. He served as Clerk of the Manfred School Board from 1901 - 1906, as Treasurer from 1910 1912, and as Director in 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914. During this time there were three schools in the district.
In 1907 the Myhre family joined the Vang Lutheran Church and from 1907 – 1911 Helge served as one of the trustees on the church board.
Mrs. Myhre was a charter member of the Vang Ladies Aid, having served as its president several years, and also a member of the Vang Lutheran Church organized in 1906. She gave freely of her time and talent to the church and the community and was ever an inspiration to her family and her friends. She was laid to rest in Vang Cemetery in 1949, beside her husband, who died in 1932.