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

Fred and Marlys Koenig Husband's Full Name: Fred Koenig Husband's Place of Birth: Manfred Township Husband's Father's Name: Jacob Koenig Husband's Mother's Name: Fredericka Hildenbrand Koenig Husband's Siblings' Names: Emma, Lydia, William, John, Edward, Esther, Adeline, Walter, Jacob Wife's Full Name: Marlys Jeanette Hagen Koenig Welstad Wife's Place of Birth: Sheyenne, ND Wife's Father's Name: Melvin Hagen Wife's Mother's Name: Jennie Hagen Wife's Siblings' Names: Virgil Hagen, Elmer Hagen, Diane Bratvold, Sherman Hagen Children's Names: Shirley Freeze, Frances Kostad, Connie Oasheim Fred Koenig was born March 19, 1918 in Manfred Township to Jacob and Fredericka Koenig. He received his education at the Manfred elementary school. He grew to manhood there and assisted his dad with the farming duties until May of 1941 when he was inducted into the United States Army. He served in the armed forces until September of 1945. When he was discharged, he came back to the home farm at Manfred and continued with the farming. In June of 1949, he was united in marriage to Marlys Jeannette Hagen, daughter of Melvin and Jennie Hagen of Sheyenne. Rev. H. Thoreson married them at the Eden Lutheran Church, rural Sheyenne. Marlys was baptized and raised in the Lutheran faith and confirmed in 1942 at the South Viking Church by Rev. G. R. Estrem. Marlys attended elementary school at Valhalla No. 2 and one year of high school at New Rockford High, and then she transferred to the BCATS at Maddock graduating in 1947. After attending Minot State Teachers College, Marlys taught in the Valhalla and Norway Lake schools. Fred and Marlys made their home on Fred's home place near Manfred. Fred and Marlys have three daughters, Shirley Mae, Frances Ann and Connie Faye.They all attended and graduated from Manfred elementary school and Fessenden High School. After high school Shirley attended Bottineau School of Nursing for three years. In 1970, she married Darrell Freeze of Elkhart, Indiana. They made their home in Elkhart for three years then returning to Hoople, where they purchased a grocery store. They have three sons, Darrell Jr., Troy, and Ryan and a daughter Tiffany. After a serious illness, Darrell passed away in 2001. Frances attended Minot State College for two years. In March of 1973, she married Kenneth Kostad of Kenmare. They live in Bottineau, where Kenneth is a college recruiter for the Bottineau School of Forestry. They have two daughters, Jennifer Lee, and Lynn Ranae. Connie attended Lake Region Junior College graduating in Fashion Merchandising and Business Administration. In August of 1978, she married Richard Oasheim of Hoople. They have two boys Elliott Richard and Jarod Fred, and a younger daughter Stephanie Jean. Richard works at the potato processing plant and Connie is bookkeeper at J.C. Penney’s at Grafton. Fred was active as a township supervisor and director of the Wells County Farmers Union Board. In 1980, Fred and Marlys retired from their farming duties and are thoroughly enjoyed retirement. Fred passed away in December of 1991. About 1999 Marlys married Sherman Welstad. They lived in Minot. Marlys died in 2019. Source: Growing With Pride 1981 with updates

Joseph and Ida Strauss Husband's Full Name: Joseph H. Strauss Husband's Place of Birth: Harvey, ND Husband's Father's Name: John F. Strauss Husband's Mother's Name: Mary H. Jenny Strauss Husband's Siblings' Names: Arthur, Gertrude, Francis, Edwin, Aloysius, John, Marie, Bernhard, Henry Wife's Full Name: Ida Schnabel Strauss Wife's Place of Birth: South of Harvey, ND Wife's Father's Name: Frederik Schnabel Wife's Mother's Name: Katherine Schnabel Wife's Siblings' Names: Eleanor, Furbie, Walter Children's Names: Kathryn (Ordean Gladheim); Donald (Shirley Johnson, Muriel Knodel); James; Elaine (Art Weigelt); Lucille (Maynard Wahl); Arlene Strauss (Ellery Ehni); Audrey (James Larson); Joseph; Richard (Patricia), Judy (Tom Schaudel); John (Jennifer, Gretchen Greenwald) Joe Strauss was born near Harvey. Ida Strauss grew up on a farm south of Harvey. She also attended school in that area. Joe and Ida Strauss were married in 1927 at Harvey. They lived in Harvey for a short time before moving to the Strauss family farm south of Harvey. They moved again in 1942 to a farm east of Manfred. They had a large family who all attended school in Manfred. They were active in the community.

Edgar and Jeanne Flick Husband's Full Name: Edgar Allen Flick Husband's Place of Birth: Malta, Montana Husband's Father's Name: Ray Flick Husband's Mother's Name: Gena Melby Flick Husband's Siblings' Names: Clayton, Margerette, Marian Nicholson, Roger Flick Wife's Full Name: Jeanne McBain Flick Wife's Place of Birth: Manfred, ND Wife's Father's Name: Henry McBain Wife's Mother's Name: Margaret Janssen McBain Wife's Siblings' Names: Ronald, Harris, Paul, Roger and Dale Wife’s Step Brothers – Bernard and James Children's Names: Randy, Ardis, Myrna, Linda, Corey Edgar Allen Flick, fourth child of Ray S. and Gena Melby Flick was born north of Malta, Montana. Edgar served in the Korean War and following this in 1953 he began farming. He married Jeanne McBain on January 21, 1955. Edgar and Jeanne live on the C. C. Melby homestead, farming until 1993. They had five children: 1 . Randy was fatally injured in a car accident in 1981 at the age of 26. 2 . Ardis lives in Bismarck. She has two sons Allen and Justin who farm near Harvey, and a daughter Carla who works in a bank in Brookings, SD. 3 . Myrna married Dean Beilke and had one son Joshua Beilke who will be a Senior in high school. She married Vern Hoekstra in 1995 and works at Mainstream in Fargo. 4 . Linda married Trygve Letnes in 1991. They have three daughters: Chelsey, Taylor, and Hannah. Linda works for a land developer in Moorhead and they live in Fargo. 5 . Corey married JoAnn Volk in 1985. Corey works for Napa in Minot. JoAnn is an RN at Trinity Hospital. They have three sons: Levi, Mitchel, and Andrew and live NE of Burlington. All five children attended Manfred School until it closed in 1973 and then went on to graduate from Harvey High School. Edgar was postmaster of the Manfred Post Office from January 1964 until October 2, 1992, his tenure being the longest served in this position. He served on the Manfred Township Board, was active in the Manfred Telephone Company, Fagerlund Sons of Norway Lodge, Harvey Masonic Lodge, and the National Association of Postmasters of the US serving several terms as president of the 4th Class Offices of the State of ND. He has enjoyed inventing things. Jeanne served as Sunday School superintendent at Vang Church, as well as Sunday School teacher, and Vacation Bible School teacher. She worked at the ASC Office in Fessenden for 25½ years, retiring in 1994. She is a member of the Vang Ladies Aid. Edgar and Jeanne were active participants of Manfred History and Preservation, Inc., helping with the Manfred Newsletter among other things. They enjoyed spending their winters in Arizona since beginning in 1995. They have now passed away after spending several years in Minot.

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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