Marit, known as Mary was the seventh child born to Knud and Guri Melby on September 13, 1880 in Rogne, Øystre Slidre, Valdres, Norway living there only in infancy. In 1881 when she was just eight months old, her parents sold the Melby farm and the whole family emigrated from Norway to Goodhue County, Minnesota. In 1884, his parents homesteaded to Griggs County, North Dakota, and in 1887 they moved to Foster County and farmed there for six years. It was here that her father and older brother Ole helped to establish the Melby School District in 1888 where she attended most of her grade school years. In 1893, her parents moved to the newly opened land of Manfred Township in Wells County where she completed her schooling in 1896 at age 16.

Arvid Satterberg, an avid horseman, and his brother John filed on homesteads in Fram Township bordering Manfred Township to the north. Arvid’s land was in section 26, and in this way Arvid and Mary had the opportunity to meet through living in the same community. They were married around the turn of the century at Manfred and farmed for some years in Fram Township. It is very interesting to note that Arvid and Mary’s land was located in the next section north from Olaf Wolding, he later married Mary’s sister Nellie. Olaf and Nellie moved further west to Hillsdale Township and started a new farm there.

Six children were born to Mary and Arvid: Roy, Elmer 1902, Arvid 1904, Ruby 1905, Lillian 1907, and Marion 1909. Five children have descendents;. Marion did not have children. The family later moved further west to Montana for a while, and then on to California. Though California was a long way from North Dakota, Mary was able to see her brothers and sisters from time to time. She died in 1957 and is buried in California.

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Source:  Wanda Melchert