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Wells County Writers Traced Building of the Railroads by Bob Cory – May 5, 1984 – Minot Daily News The Soo Line was built in Manfred in 1892-1893, and this railway was critical to the building of the Great Northern rails much later as the following account by Bob Cory indicates. The Great Northern – 1910-1912 I am indebted to back issues of the Wells County History for the story of how the towns of Wellsburg, Heimdal, Hamberg and Bremen had to wait two years for the Surrey cutoff of the GN (now Burlington Northern) to be completed. The line was opened in early fall of 1912, as a new main route from Fargo to Minot. First grain was shipped from elevators on this line in October of that year. Correspondents for the Wells County Free Press at Fessenden were able to report that the first carload of wheat from Bremen consigned to Minneapolis by William R. Hartl was shipped early that month and a carload of barley consigned by Mrs. August Piper. At Heimdal the Farmers Elevator managed by A. N. Greenfield received 78 wagon loads of grain in one day. That was October 4 and the grain kept coming. Initial construction activity for the new line started in July 1910. The main contract for grading and structures on the entire line had been let to A. Guthrie and Co. of St. Paul in April. Sale of first lots in the new town sites was starting in June. Businesses began to be organized in each town at that time. Expectations ran high. A news correspondent at Bremen said there was talk that “the road will be completed before the snow flies.” The editor of the Free Press, however, felt obligated to write: “Nothing definite can be learned of the Great Northern’s intentions until the work begins to show for itself”. The real show developed in 1912 when as the late E. S. Killie, Wells County historian would say years later, “Every day was circus day.” As correspondents of the Fessenden paper recorded bits of the story week by week, a searcher of the files found it fascinating to follow developments through the eyes of local writers. What they wrote revealed their hope and their curiosity. All they knew was what they could see for themselves. They just had to wait for two years and watch. After all, the rail line for which the contract was awarded in 1910 was 225 miles long. It presented some engineering problems. Among them was the long high bridge across the Sheyenne River east of Hannaford known as the Luverne Bridge, and the lesser yet difficult structure for crossing the upper Sheyenne near Heimdal in Wells County. It was the 500 foot wooden trestle near Heimdal, 63 feet high at the river crossing, about which the residents of northern Wells County were most concerned. It was not finished until June of 1912, when the big steam shovel completed its job and track layers arrived. When the contract to the Guthrie Company was awarded the Wells County hopefuls included people who could remember how fast the Soo Line had accomplished its track laying job in 1892-1893. In one year, the Soo Line constructed 153.8 miles of main line from Cathay in Wells County all the way to Portal on the Canadian border. It was, you see, nothing new for Wells County to witness railroad construction projects. As of 1910 Wells County already had upward of 75 miles of rail line within its borders, including the Soo Line and the Carrington-Turtle Lake branch of the Northern Pacific. Noteworthy is the fact that when the Guthrie firm, began work on the Wells County segment of the Surrey cutoff, it shipped in men, materials and power equipment over the Soo Line to Manfred in order to get a head start on the upper Sheyenne crossing west of Heimdal. Everything essential was moved overland from Manfred about eight miles to the site where the trestle would be erected. How this was done is worth a note. The contractors unloaded at Manfred one big steam shovel, built to be moved over rails, plus railroad dump cars, plus a whole trainload of bridge timbers and lesser items. The Manfred dray line and a number of farmers were hired to haul what they could. But to move the shovel, dump cars and heavier timbers they used a sort of Caterpillar system. Short stretches of temporary track were laid. The hovel was unloaded on these rails and moved as far as it could go – under its own power. Then the temporary track behind it was taken up and re-laid forward. This method was used for the string of dump cars also. They were drawn along the trackage, little by little by Andrew Erickson’s thresher engine. Earth moving for the river crossing began immediately for the contractors knew better than the Heimdal rubbernecks that this project would take a long time. Meanwhile grading was started at Bremen also. In July it was reported that “men and teams are arriving daily.” The base camp for this 1910 activity was set up at Manfred, where camp operators would have access to rail supply. Crews were living there in large tents, and the Manfred correspondent of the Free Press described this camp as “a white city.” A little later that year tracks for the new line were laid from the east as far as New Rockford. But the need for a supply base at Manfred on the Soo continued through 1911. Grading work west from New Rockford was halted for the season in August of 1910. The men and equipment were moved elsewhere. Work did continue, however, with shovel and scrapers at the upper Sheyenne bridge site near Heimdal until February 1911, when there was a shutdown for the rest of the winter. In the spring of 1911, work was not resumed at Heimdal until June. The big shovel was active again. A large amount of filling was done on both sides of the river, and crews of men were shaping the banks that would be needed at the ends of the trestle. Two weeks later basic grading was being done “all along the line”. Cutting and filling operations for the Wells County segment continued into autumn. It was October before actual work on the wooden trestle that would bridge the river was commenced. Meanwhile in September, electric lights had been installed on the steam shovel so that it could operate longer hours. By this time, it was evident that men and machines would have to remain on the job as long as possible during the winter to build foundations for the trestle and to excavate a large cut that was required between the river and the town of Wellsburg to the west. For this cut, a large amount of blasting with dynamite was done in February 1912. The winter campaign for cut and fill and grading between Heimdal and Wellsburg meant that when the time came for laying track, the rails and machines would be moved into Wells County from Minot, not from the east via New Rockford. With arrival of work trains from the west expected in the spring of 1912, the contractor’s base cam now was set up near the trestle site. Seven or eight “tar-papers” bunk houses were placed there. A dining hall was built large enough to accommodate more than a hundred workers. Along with the work trains, a large pile driver was brought to the scene in April. It had been used on bridges that were built east of New Rockford. By that time, according to historian Kellie’s account – “Across the level prairie crews were at work building grade with four-house frescos and two horse scrapers. Across low places where more dirt was needed, it was hauled in horse-drawn dump wagons loaded from elevator graders drawn by eight or 12 horses. Crews of men with picks and shovels put in the final touches of leveling the grade to the height indicated by the surveyor’s stakes. “At Heimdal most of the activity was still centered on the bridge across the Sheyenne, where a quarter mile long structure for the trestle, which reached a height of 65 feet was being erected and filled in.” The Heimdal correspondent for the Free Press reported in early June that the steam shovel had about finished its work at this site; that yes, the steel would be laid into Heimdal from the west. The steel gang had arrived at last, and at first was “occupied in laying track and sidetrack for the gravel pit west of town.” When July came, the correspondent at Bremen wrote: “The greatest event in the town of Bremen was the laying of steel by the great Northern. There was a large gathering of people welcoming the long looked for rails.” Then the big steam shovel was brought to Bremen and used to make a cut for a large gravel pit. After continuous track wax in place all along the line, the final job to e done was to spread and pack the last coat of ballast around the ties, to hold them there. For this work, gravel from the large pits at Heimdal and Bremen was used. This gravel provided ballast all the way east to Hannaford. As a last note: In 1923 the wooden trestle was replaced by a series of four concrete box culverts. Source: Wells County Writer Traced Building of the Railroads by Bob Cory May 5, 1984 –Minot Daily News

Quality Goods Location: Unknown Proprietor: unknown Year Begun: unknown Year Ended: unknown History of Business: There is evidence that the building that became Solheim Service was once a company by the name of Quality Goods from the name that shows through the paint along with that of Rogers Lumber. No information is known about Quality Goods at this time. Since the building became a garage when it was moved to the LeGrand Addition, it is likely that the business was so named at an earlier location.

Confectionery Location: Block 3, Lot 5 Proprietor: Annie Jensen Year Started: after 1908 Year Ended: History of Business: The first building, on the corner is the C. C. Melby Store, then the Anderson Drug Store; our historian's notes say the confectioner was located next to the C. C. Melby Store. This implies the confectionery was possibly the same building as Anderson Drug Store. Very little is known about this former business. Daisy – Confectionery Reference points: Red rectangle - Manfred School Blue rectangle - Vang Lutheran Church Purple rectangle – Post Office/Bank Green rectangle – Solheim Station

Otto and Petronella Bergsgaard Husband's Full Name: Otto L. Bergsgaard Husband's Place of Birth: Odnes, Sondreland, Prestegield, Norway Husband's Father's Name: Lars Olsen Bergsgaard Husband's Mother's Name: Agnette Andersdatter Tranby Bergsgaard Husband's Siblings' Names: Gunda (Nels Nelson); Johan, Aagot, Cecilia (Albert Sundet) Wife's Full Name: Petronella Ovidia Langlie Bergsgaard Wife's Place of Birth: Mo I Rana, Norway Wife's Father's Name: Peder Olsen Langlie Wife's Mother's Name: Dorthea Jakobia Olsdatter Wife's Siblings' Names: Konrad, Bjarne, and Olaf Langlie Children's Names: Lloyd (Alma Below), Randall (Hazel Berghagen), Woodrow (Dorothy Aas (div), Agnetta (Donald Buckman) Otto Bergsgaard’s family immigrated to the US in 1885. All of Lars and Agnette Bergsgaard’s children except Laura were born in Norway. After four years in Spring Grove, MN, Otto’s father Lars filed a homestead in the Viking, ND community and most of the family (except Peder, the oldest son) moved there in 1889. Otto worked on his father’s farm until he was married to Petronella Ovidia Langlie on August 13, 1911 in the South Viking Church. Shortly afterwards, they moved to Heimdal, ND, where he took his two horses and began a dray business, and finally opened a butcher shop. About 1925 they moved to Manfred, ND, where he managed a grain elevator until the depression and all the grain elevators were closed. From there the family moved to Barnesville, MN, then to Nome, ND, where he had another butcher shop. Otto and Petronella lived in Valley City, ND from 1935-1943, and then moved to Portland, OR to work in the shipyards. Both Otto and Petronella died in 1962 in Portland. They were returned to the South Viking Church and Cemetery for burial. Petronella Ovidia Langlie was born 2/16/1892 in Mo I Ranen, Norway. At age 17 she came to the United States.

Reier Reistad Full Name: Reier Reistad Place of Birth: Nedre Reistad, Tukudalen, Sigdal, Norway Immigrated: To North Dakota in 1893 and settled in Manfred, ND Father's Name: Ole Knudsen Dahlen Mother's Name: Gunhild Reiersdatter Siblings' Names: Ole O., Thea, Knut, Lars, Gunhild Jorstad, Torstein, Knut, Karl, Vilhelm R. O. Reistad, Manfred, North Dakota, was born January 9, 1876 and was brought up at Nedre Reistad, Tukudalen, Sigdal. His father, Ole Knudsen Dahlen, worked as a mason. His mother was a daughter of Reier Hunstad, and his grandmother was Hvil Kolsrud. He came to America in 1893. He was at first at Northwood, North Dakota and worked as a mason and plasterer. His home is now 3 miles north of Manfred, North Dakota where he has a 280 acre farm with good outstanding land. Reistad took a trip back to Norway in 1913 and visited his father and mother who are still living. His brother, Ole O. Reistad, now manages (the) Reistad (farm); he has also been in America. While Reistad was in Norway, he fished again in Svarteput as he had done so many times as a young boy. Svarteput is the mountain lake that is the source of the Tuku River. Tukudalen is named after the river and is one of the small valleys that stretch out from the main community. It is said that Svarteput is bottomless, and it has been called that from very old times. Reier Reistad was a farmer, a carpenter and a bricklayer. He was a member of Vang Lutheran Church. He died in 1955, and was buried at the Vang Cemetery, north of Manfred.

Mike and Julia Thomas Husband's Full Name: Mike A. Thomas Husband's Place of Birth: North Dakota Husband's Father's Name: Andrew Thomas Husband's Mother's Name: Apolonia Haberlack Thomas Husband's Siblings' Names: Casper Thomas, Frannie Thomas, Veronica Thomas Grossman, Louie Thomas (Rose Fenner); Mary Thomas Peterson, Frank Thomas Wife's Full Name: Julia Burgard Thomas Wife's Place of Birth: Selz, Pierce, North Dakota Wife's Father's Name: Peter Burgard Wife's Mother's Name: Francis Gisinger Wife's Siblings' Names: Pauline Lithun, Tom, Frances, Tillie, Mary, Magdelina, Betty, Margaret, Barbara, Vernie, Katie, Mike Children's Names: Beatrice, Jeanette, Frances The Thomas Family Back –Francis, Janet and Beatrice Front – Mike and Julia Mike and Julia (Burgard) Thomas moved to Harvey from Manfred in December 1967. Mike was one of the sons of the late Andrew Thomas’s of Selz. Julia is one of the daughters of the late Peter Burgard’s of Orrin. While living in Manfred their farm was just south of the Soo Line Depot. Mike worked for Keller Implement and in the last few years he worked for the Park Board. Mike passed away in 1991. Julia worked at St. Aloisius Hospital until her retirement in 1979. Julia died in 1988. They have three daughters: Beatrice is married to Gene Anderson. They have four children and one grandson and live in Wimbledon. Jeannette is married to Melvin Miller. They also have four children and live in Fargo. Frances is married to Larry Goldade. They have two children and live in Grandin. Source: Growing with Pride with updates

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, 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.

Rasmus and Margit Jacobson Husband's Full Name: Rasmus Jacobson Husband's Place of Birth: Norway Husband's Father's Name: Jacob Mikkelsen Ekrem Husband's Mother's Name: Ann Martha Aarøe Husband's Siblings' Names: Severin Jacobson Ekrem, and Sina Jacobson, Lena Ekrem Wife's Full Name: Margit Gulliksdotter Nordtorp Jacobson Wife's Place of Birth: Heggenes, Valdres, Norway Wife's Father's Name: Gullik Rønjusson Nordtorp Wife's Mother's Name: Ragnhild Olsdotter Hegge Nordtorp Wife's Siblings' Names: Ingrid, Ingebjorg, Bergit, Jennie, Oscar, John, Anne, Hilda, and Gladys Children's Names: James Jacobson, Gladys Jacobson Rasmus Jacobson accepted the position as buyer at the O & M Elevator in August of 1905. He married Margaret Nordtorp on May 4, 1907. They were the first couple to be married at Vang Lutheran Church. Rasmus' brother and sister, Severen and Agnes served as their attendants. From 1907 to 1917 Rasmus and Margaret lived in the white corner house in Manfred, which was later occupied by the Ostrems. Their son James was born in 1908 with Bertha Melby attending the birth. A daughter Gladys died in infancy. The family moved to Fairview, Montana in 1917, where Rasmus acquired elevators and had farming interests. Margaret (1885 - 1948) Gladys (1909-1909, and Rasmus (1872-1960) are buried at the Vang Cemetery. Their son James who always considered Manfred "his home", became a senior vice-president at Chase Manhattan Bank, NY and was highly recognized for his executive and international achievements. James died in 1992.

Ray and Gena Flick Husband's Full Name: Ray Sylvester Flick Husband's Place of Birth: Red Willow Lake, ND Husband's Father's Name: Sylvester Flick Husband's Mother's Name: Martha Lyon Wylie Husband's Siblings' Names: Walter, Blanche Jones, Roy and Edward Wife's Full Name: Gena Mathilda Melby Flick Wife's Place of Birth: Manfred Township, ND Wife's Father's Name: Kristen Melby Rogne (C. C. Melby) Wife's Mother's Name: Anna Olsdotter Stokkebryn Melby Wife's Siblings' Names: Clarence, Clara Shearer, Anna Cook Children's Names: Clayton, Margerette, Marian Nicholson, Edgar, Roger Roger, Marion, Edgar Allen, Gena, Ray Flick 1950 Five children were born to Gena and Ray at their homestead north of Malta, Montana: Clayton 1921, Margarette 1923, Marion 1926, Edgar 1928, and Roger 1930. Two of the children, Clayton and Margarette, died when they were young. Clayton passed away November 14, 1935 at the age of 14 from pneumonia. He rests in the Vang Cemetery Manfred, ND. Margarette born January 6, 1923, passed away October 18, 1923 of spinal meningitis. Because of this contagious disease, her remains could not be moved to the family plot at Manfred, ND so she rests at Malta. Ray and Gena’s farm was located 50 miles north of Malta, Montana and 6 miles south of the Canadian border. Despite living 50 miles from town during the depression, they were always well fed because of Ray’s wonderful gardening and Gena’s cooking abilities. They farmed their land, and also farmed Emma Nordtorp’s quarter each year for her. At night, the children slept on a rollaway bed that served as a couch during the day. Their daughter Marion recalls her mother sitting nearby in the rocking chair knitting or crocheting by kerosene light. Until they fell asleep each night, a favorite activity for Marion was asking her mother to teach them Norwegian. They would ask her things like “How do you say ‘lamp’ in Norwegian? How do you say…” and on, naming items in the room. Gena would also play them tunes on the piano such as “Springtime in the Rockies.” During Ray’s bi-yearly trips to Malta, he would buy sheet music to bring home. He also bought an accordion and taught himself how to play. Gena’s father had died in 1930, and her mother and two sisters were all living in California so no family was left in ND. In the fall of 1935, Ray and Gena decided to sell their farm in Montana and move back to ND to carry on with her parent’s homestead. It was in the middle of this move, that Clayton suddenly took ill and died. That winter the family lived in the apartments above the C.C. Melby Store, and the next year moved to the family farm to begin farming. Gena was a gentle soul, wonderful sewer, hard worker, pianist, and a good cook. Ray was a good violin player and was full of good nature. The children have fond memories of their parents, and their house filled with music. Ray and Oscar Melby who was Gena’s cousin enjoyed playing their violins together. Their daughter Marion recalls enjoyable evenings either at their home or over at the Oscar Melby home hearing music such as the waltz, polka, and schottische. A favorite tune was “Life In the Finish Woods” fondly known as Oscar’s Waltz. Following a short illness, Gena died August 19, 1950. Ray passed away on December 5, 1962. They are buried at Vang Cemetery. Source: New Manfred News – August 2005

John and Malena Johnson Husband's Full Name: John A. Johnson Husband's Place of Birth: West Salem, Wisconsin Husband's Father's Name: Nils Jensen Husband's Mother's Name: Husband's Siblings' Names: Albert, Mary, Dave, Dora, Anna, Ole, John, Nennie Wife's Full Name: Malena Johnson Wife's Place of Birth: Iowa Wife's Father's Name: James Johnson Wife's Mother's Name: Pernille Hjemli Thompsen Wife's Siblings' Names: Children's Names: Alvin [Lila Kielly], Edna [David Howie], Pearl [Edward Gutschmidt], Miles, Leslie [Olga Opsal], Russell, Everett John Andy Johnson was born in West Salem, Wisconsin February 2, 1871, and Malena (nee Johnson) was born in Iowa, August 16, 1874. They were both children of Norwegian immigrants. Malena's family were prosperous farm owners who had cotters working on their farm in central Norway, and John's family were farmers and fishermen in the northern part of Norway. John's ancestral surname was "Jensen," and Leslie Johnson in Some Facts and Thoughts Relating to the Johnson Ancestry (1995) explained how the name change came about: "During the mid-19th century, Nils Jensen emigrated with his family from northern Norway to West Salem, Wisconsin. Upon enrolling in a country school, the children were, of course, asked their surnames. The obviously ignorant teacher said, 'Jensen? That's no American name!' She wrote down 'Johnson.' Nils said, 'All right, if that's the way it is in America, we are Johnsons.'" John had an older sister, Anna, who had married Peter B. Anderson, and they had procured Preemption and Tree Claims in Paradise Township near McHenry in Foster County. At that time, John was not yet old enough to file his own claim, but he, along with his brother, Nennie, came to North Dakota during the summers. Nennie later married Alpha Skogmo (the same family as the Gamble-Skogmo hardware store fame) and settled in the platted town of Manfred where he built and operated Hotel Johnson and other businesses. John worked in the area on various jobs, such as construction on the Wells County Courthouse, and in the harvest fields. On his return trips home from "The West," Malena Johnson, a neighbor girl who had been cool to him formerly, began regarding him as a dashing and romantic figure. They became engaged. Poor land, drought, and grasshoppers had prompted Anna and Peter Anderson, along with several of their Paradise Township neighbors, to look elsewhere for permanent settlement. The Soo Line Railroad had been platted through Wells County, and this area was opened for homesteading. In 1896, John filed on a homestead northwest of Manfred, adjacent to his brother-in-law, Peter Anderson's homestead. (The Johnson family still has the original homestead deed signed by Theodore Roosevelt.) John built a sod shanty and went back to Wisconsin where he and Malena were married April 28, 1896. Life for a young pioneer family on the prairie had its share of hardships, and John and Malena's first child, born in the sod house, died in infancy. In 1898, John replaced the soddie with a small frame house that he had bought from a neighboring homesteader. Their son, Alvin, was born the same year. Five other children were also born in this house: Edna in 1900, Pearl in 1902, Miles who died in infancy in 1908, Leslie in 1910, and Russell in 1912. (Everett was born in 1917 in the new Sears house.) The old house is still standing in the farmyard and was used as a granary for many years. John began his farming enterprise by breaking sod with a one-bottom walking plow pulled by four horses. After a few years of successful farming in small grains and some livestock, John and Malena expanded into the dairy business. John obtained an exclusive contract with the Soo Line Railroad to provide milk for the Soo Line restaurants located at Harvey, Portal, and Enderlin. The restaurants leased by the Soo Line Railroad were owned by W.M. Laslie, after whom John and Malena's son, Leslie (with a slight variation in spelling) was named. John and Malena called their property Riverside Farm, and they registered this name at the Wells County Courthouse. The Leslie Johnson children, who now own the farm, have registered this name with the North Dakota Secretary of State, and thus Riverside Farm remains the official name of the Johnson farm. In 1914, John and Malena decided to build a new and bigger house, and since Sears Roebuck seemed to offer the best choices and most economical buys, the Johnsons ordered "Sears Modern Home No. 114." This package consisted of the blueprints and all materials including lumber (which was not precut). The basement of the Johnson house was dug in the summer of 1914 by Oscar Ongstad from Manfred using a 2-horse scraper, which is still in the possession of the Johnson family. The materials were shipped by rail freight on the Soo Line Railroad from Chicago to Manfred, and John hauled them to the farm in a horse-drawn wagon in the spring of 1915. Local builders, the Meland Brothers from Wellsburg, were contracted to construct the house, and the first thing they built was a ladder, recalled Leslie who was almost five years old at the time. The Johnsons moved into their new home in the fall of 1915. Malena furnished the home with Mission Style furniture, and several pieces of this furniture are still in daily use by one of her granddaughters, Dianne Aull, and several of her great grandchildren. The Johnson Sears Home is now in the process of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During Prohibition years, the Johnsons occasionally noticed that the empty milk cans which returned from Portal, on the Canadian border, contained labels or other evidence of Canadian liquor. They speculated that someone at Portal was smuggling liquor from Canada in their milk cans, with a confederate removing it for distribution and sale somewhere along the line before their cans were returned to Manfred. John and Malena were members of Vang Lutheran Church, and all of their children were baptized and confirmed there. In view of the fact that both John and Malena had been born in America and thought of themselves as Americans, they did not feel a kinship with the "Old Country" and had no interest in perpetuating the Norwegian language and traditions; therefore, because the worship services were held in the Norwegian language, they seldom attended. They were, however, a viable part of the community, attending special church events, Sons of Norway dances, and other community activities. In the summer of 1925, Malena was troubled by gallstones and took the train to Minneapolis to have surgery. She wrote home regularly, and one day Leslie went to Manfred to see if another letter from his mother had arrived on the train. He returned home empty handed, and when he got there, his Uncle Peter Anderson, was at the house delivering sad news. On August 18, two days after her 51st birthday, Malena died from the effects of ether pneumonia. Daughters Edna and Pearl came home to help with the three boys still at home, Leslie, Russell, and Everett who ranged in age from 14 to 7. John also hired housekeepers to help out. John and his three youngest sons continued the farming and dairy business, and after John retired, he moved to Long Beach, California, where he resided until his death in 1960. Alvin had left the farm in his early 20s to work in Seattle. He married Lila Kielly and they had four children: Marlys, James, Landis, and Darrel. Edna married David Howie, and they moved to Seattle in the 1930s. They had five children: Ada Mae, Eileen, Jeannine, Malena, and David. Pearl married Edward Gutschmidt, and they also lived in Seattle. They had 12 children: Marlyce, Earl, JoAnn, Carol, Edward, William (Bill), Mylo, Roy, Everett (Nicky), Charlotte, Ralph, and James. Leslie married Olga Opsal, and they lived on the Johnson Farm all of their married life with the exception of five years at "The Other Farm" in the late 1940s. Their six children are Larry, Laverne, James (Orville), David, Dianne, and Marilyn. Russell married Mary Phippen in Washington State when he was in the Army during World War II. They lived on the Johnson farm from 1946-1951 before moving to Seattle. Their four sons are John, Russell (Russ), Terry, and Charles (Chuck). Everett moved to Seattle where he became a Merchant Mariner and traveled to exotic ports all over the world. Everett was twice widowed. Alvin, Edna, Pearl, Leslie and Russell are deceased. Written by Laverne Johnson

Perry and Lilly Anderson Husband's Full Name: Perry Andreas Anderson Husband's Place of Birth: Manfred, ND Husband's Father's Name: Peter Beck Anderson Husband's Mother's Name: Anna Dorothea (Johnson) Anderson Husband's Siblings' Names: Arthur, Nennie, Orren, Cora, Esther, Gertrude, Florence, Cora, Matilda, Frederick Wife's Full Name: Lilly Rodne Wife's Place of Birth: Manfred, ND Wife's Father's Name: Ole J. Rodne Wife's Mother's Name: Maggie Knutson Rodne Wife's Siblings' Names: Louis, Sarah, Mabel, Lloyd, Henry, Clarence, Carolyn, Norma Children's Names: Margaret, Peter, Donald, Verna, Ruth, LoAnn, Orren Perry Anderson was the son of Peter and Anna Anderson; Lilly’s parents were Ole J. and Maggie Rodne. Both Perry and Lilly were born in 1899. They were married in 1922. They had seven children. Perry farmed his folk’s farm from 1919 to 1953 when they moved into their new home on Judy Boulevard in Harvey. Their son Peter rented the farm and later purchased it. Perry and Lilly were very active members of Vang Lutheran Church in Manfred. Lilly was the church organist for many years and Perry served in various capacities on the church board. While on the farm, Perry was the president and director of the Farmer’s Elevator for many years; served as the director of the Wells County Soil Conservation district for 19 years and secretary and director of the Harvey Cooperative Creamery for many years. Their children are as follows: Margaret is married to Ted Thorson. Margaret and Ted have 7 children, 6 boys and 1 girl. They live in Bemidji, Minnesota. Margaret was an elementary school teacher, Ted taught instrumental music at Bemidji State. Peter, who is married to Rose, lives on the home farm. They have 5 children, 2 girls and 3 boys. Donald married Fran; they lived in Minot for many years where Donald was an attorney. They retired to snowbird country. They had 2 children, a girl and a boy. Donald recently passed away. Verna Bowers moved from Jacksonville, Florida where she was employed by the Southern Bell Telephone Company for nearly 25 years. When she retired she moved to Harvey and cared for her mother, living next door for the last years of her mother’s life. Ruth Anderson married Reiner Widiger. They lived in Fessenden and had the Standard Oil Station until their retirement. They now live in a retirement community in New Rockford. They have three girls and one boy. LoAnn is married to Wayne Dybing. They live in Fargo. They are the parents of two boys. Wayne worked for First State Bank of LaMoure, prior to his retirement. Orren and Peg Anderson have three children. They live in Minot. Orren worked for White Drug Co. and is now retired. Perry Anderson’s Obituary 1899 - 1982 Perry A. Anderson, 82, Harvey, active for many years in Wells County affairs, died Friday. Funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Vang Lutheran Church, with burial at the church cemetery. Perry Anderson, son of Peter and Anna Anderson, was born September 28, 1899 near Manfred and was reared there. As a boy he farmed with his father and took over the farm's operation in 1919. He married Lilly Rodne December 2, 1922 at Manfred. They made their home on the farm until retiring in 1953 and moving to Harvey. His son Peter then took over the farming operation. Perry was a life member of Vang Lutheran Church, the Sons of Norway, past president and director of the Manfred Farmers elevator and served 19 years on the Wells County Soil Conservation District as president or director. He was past secretary and director of the Harvey Cooperative Creamery for many years, a member of the Manfred School Board and was a founder of the Wells County Historical Society. He was also Vang Lutheran Church cemetery sexton for several years. Survivors; wife Lilly; son: Peter, Manfred, Donald and Orren of Minot, Daughters: Mrs. Ted (Margaret) Thorson, Bemidji, Mrs. Verna Bowers, Jacksonville, Florida, Mrs. Reiner (Ruth) Widiger, Fessenden, and Mrs. Wayne (LoAnn) Dybing, LaMoure; 23 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Funeral was held May 25, 1982 Lilly Anderson Lilly Anderson was born November 17, 1899 north of Manfred to Ole and Maggie Rodne. She was raised and educated near Manfred. She was employed for a time in the local general store in Manfred. She married Perry Anderson on December 2, 1922 in Manfred. They farmed the Anderson family homestead near Manfred. They retired in 1953 and moved to Harvey. Her husband died May 21, 1982. She was a member of Vang Lutheran Church, Manfred and had served as church organist for many years. She was a member of Fagerlund Lodge Sons of Norway for over 75 years. She passed away in 1998 in Harvey, ND. Pictured above are Perry and Lilly with their children: Standing left to right: Donald, Verna, Margaret, Peter Seated left to right: LoAnn, Orren and Ruth