Class Reunion

Here's a miscellany of pictures taken the day of our reunion. In no particular order. It's a bit tricky to get pictures on blogspot the way I'd like so here they are. "Gate run" is the way a cattleman might say it.

 

Potluck

Our condo association gathered for a little potluck get-together last night. We are fortunate to have good neighbors.

The Story of the Stone

 

     Sometimes in person, more often in spirit, I return to a slender gravestone in a lonely cemetery in the sandhills. This modest monument marks the burial place of three of my ancestors: a great-great grand

mother, a great-grandmother, and a newborn baby of unknown sex who would have been either my grand aunt or grand uncle. 

     The sandstone was easy to inscribe with names and dates at the time the monument was placed, but the harsh effects of weathering through the decades have caused the lettering to deteriorate and become hard to read. When you study them and the light is just right, the following information for one of my great-great-grandmothers reveals itself: Dorthe H. Anderson  FODT  28 Feb 1829  DOD 26 Mar 1889. On another side we find her daughter-in-law: Helena Maria Anderson  FODT 1 Aug 1866  DOD 15 July 1892. On a third side, Helena’s baby, born and died on the same day, is recorded: DOD  FODT 11 Juni 1892.

     Names and dates do not reveal anything of their lives except to deduce from the etchings that Helena’s baby did not live, probably stillborn. Dates also tell us that Helena probably did not recover from any complications of child birth and died just a month later. A few dedicated people bent on uncovering something of their lives and struggles have found facts of their existence. From their research we can peer dimly into the past and capture something of their essence.

    

Dorthe was known by other names such as Durdim and Dordei which may have been the result of translation errors or misunderstandings. Her husband Anders worked on a freight boat that plied up and down the coast of Norway but died when the children were small. In order to supplement their income, the family had put their large house to good use by taking in roomers and boarders. 

     She came by sailboat as a widow from Norway with three sons and two daughters, a journey that took six weeks to cross the Atlantic Ocean. After reaching the east coast in 1864 they traveled by train, we think in a boxcar, to Wisconsin. After consulting the Norwegian genealogy and history book known as the Bygdebok, we found they brought with them as cargo 1/2 barrel of barley and three barrels of potatoes. For what purpose these items were brought we are not told. Were they for use as seed stock or simply their daily food?

     In need of money, one son, Henning, went to Lansing, Iowa to work in the harvest fields. As a consequence of slow traveling news, when he became sick and died, he was buried before his mother knew it. The family continued on to Dakota Territory by wagon in 1866, an interesting fact since few white settlers had arrived in the territory by this time.

     One of Dorthe’s sons was Thomas Anderson, my great-grandfather. It was Thomas who married the above named Helena, my great-grandmother. Their marriage bore two children besides the baby who died, my grandmother Clara and a son David who died of polio at the age of 57. 

     After Helena’s death Thomas married Miss Louise Olson who bore him five more children: Anna, Mrs. Sam Grant; Hilda, Mrs. C. T. Hartho; Molly, Mrs. Ted Strand; Ethel, Mrs. Ole Hoel; Lewis; Ernest; and Irene, Mrs. Alan Anderson.

     

     

     

     

After the Funeral

 We attended my uncle's funeral yesterday and were able to visit with my cousin Jerry Hagen who I hadn't seen or visited with for a long time. We also did a lot of visiting at Robin Johnson's place after the funeral and got to see and visit with all the kids in Darrel and Ardis' family. Here are pictures taken of Jerry, Ardis, and Mary.

Theater for the Kids

 Our youngest grandchild Ari participated in a week long theater workshop and today they performed the results. Very enjoyable!

A Research Trip to Grand Forks

Mary wanted to do some research and translating in the archive collections at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. It had been awhile since we’d been in Grand Forks which is an easy drive to go up there. I had attended the university from 1960-62, already many years ago. While there a man named Chester Fritz made news by giving $1,000,000 to the school for the purpose of building a new library. The building still stands. 

     Mary brought back a good deal of family history information that now needs to be digested. While in town, how can a person leave without driving to East Grand Forks and visiting Cabela’s. 

Lucas and Lily Keep Busy

 We drove to Mpls/StP last weekend to attend events participated in by our two grandchildren. Lily skated and did well enough to move up a level. Lucas acted in a production of "Shrek" that played several times. His part was small but he was on stage a lot. It's fun watching both of them grow and find pleasure in learning new things.

1882

 H. A. Laughlin of Ransom County played a prominent role in the early history of the county. He was invited to speak at the Sheldon Old Settlers Picnic on July 27, 1907. It was a lengthy talk, and I’ve selected that portion where he tells of first coming to the county.

***

     On the 26th day of January, 1882 I first saw North Dakota,

arriving in Kindred that morning via Wahpeton, with H. A. Palmer, who still lives near Lisbon. We unloaded a carload of Van Brunt seeders and started the next morning on foot for Lisbon forty miles away, as there were no teams going through. It was a bright, beautiful morning. They told us to take the old government road, and that there were three hotels or places where travelers were kept.  

     These were the only three houses along that forty mile road. About 10 o’clock a dark cloud appeared in the northwest and we were soon in the middle of a genuine blizzard. At French’s they could not keep us, so we tramped on to Porter’s, facing the blizzard nine miles. Mrs. Porter could not give us even a cup of tea, as they were entirely out of provisions. I asked her if she could spare a little heat from her stove.

     We rested awhile, when fortunately a four horse sleigh drove up loaded with merchandise for Joseph Goodman’s store at Sheldon. It was driven by Charlie Smart and Richard Jackson; we got permission to hang on to their sleigh. There was only room on one small box of goods for one to sit on, and as Mr. Palmer had been sick I gave him that privilege. A bundle of brooms stood upright in one rear corner, and by clinging to a broomstick I could keep my head in the shelter of the brooms and stand on the rear end of the runner.

     Once we were lost on the prairie and headed for the sandhills southeast, but Charlie took to the snow ahead of the lead horses and found the trail by intuition. He wore a wolf skin coat and cap, which may have helped him. 

     Arriving in Sheldon about five o’clock the boys stopped in front of the hotel kept by Robert Grieve. It was new and had two blocks of square timber for steps. I got one foot up one step and could not induce the other one to follow, and fell down, unconscious with cold and exhaustion. Mr Grieve and Mr. Smart carried me in and seated me near a good hard coal fire.

     I could not have been unconscious more than two or three minutes, for the boys moved very quickly. Then followed a couple of hours of severe pain, like the toothache in every nerve. Tramping through the snow all day without nourishment was a little too much for me. I felt the circulation stopping and the dull sleep of death, knew that I was freezing and used every possible exertion to keep the blood coursing. The last sensation was one of quiet restful sleep. The storm was so fierce we could not see the lights in the store twenty rods away.

     We slept upstairs and the next morning the snow was an inch deep all over the bed. Our hands were so badly frozen that the landlord had to assist us in dressing. It was forty-four degrees below zero. We arrived in Lisbon that day by the stage driven by Thomas Eastman via Bonnersville and Shenford.

Too Much Rain

 We saw some pictures from Mary's childhood home where the rain came down so hard it started to flood. This is west of the Missouri River in Grant County.

Our Anniversary

June 8, 1974

 If I could save time in a bottle

The first thing that I'd like to do

Is to save everyday 'til eternity passes away

Just to spend it with you

Obituary for my Uncle

 Darrel T. Sandvig, age 87, of Moorhead, MN died peacefully on Sunday, May 30, 2021, at his home surrounded by his loved ones.

Darrel Thomas Sandvig was born on September 25, 1933, at his family farm in Ranson County, ND to Andrew and Clara (Anderson) Sandvig. He graduated from Sheldon High School with the class of 1951. He went on to serve in the Army from 1955 to 1958 when he was honorably discharged.

Darrel married the love of his life, Ardis Carlson, on August 5, 1955, at Fort Belvoir, VA. A true love story, Darrel and Ardis moved to Moorhead after he was discharged from the Army, and raised five children together in the same house where they continued to live until his passing. Darrel worked at Fairway Foods in Fargo until his retirement in 1993 after 35 years. He kept himself busy (and out of Ardis’ hair!) in retirement by working part-time at Berg Auto for 25 years.

Darrel was a loving and dedicated husband and father. His devotion to his family was apparent, supporting his children in all they did, and encouraging them in his own quiet (but no-nonsense) way. He was humble, and to his family, Darrel was a treasure. He loved to dance, and Sundays always brought country music, church, and polka on the radio – all in that order.

Darrel was known to tease people, whether it was family, the office ladies at church, or the nurses who took care of him. His big smile was only surpassed by the twinkle in his eyes when he was giving you a hard time.

Darrel was able to take a dream trip to Norway upon his retirement, and he often spoke about the natural wonders he saw and the people he encountered. He was also an avid collector, amassing an impressive collection of vintage toy tractors and trucks, model semis, and coins. With the sounds of Classic Country (Waylon and Willie were favorites) in the background, he often could be found researching and recording information about potential toy acquisitions.

Darrel was a deeply dedicated and loyal member of Trinity Lutheran Church. He served as an usher for several decades, actively supported church youth programs, and appreciated the friends he had within the church community.

Darrel is survived by his wife of 65 years, Ardis; children, Robin (Kevin) Johnson of Moorhead; Ryan (Ayako) Sandvig of Moorhead; Randi Kautz of Mille Lacs, MN; Rory (Susan Welo) of West Fargo, ND; and Rea (Jeremy) James of Long Lake, MN; grandchildren, Tyler (Quinn) Johnson, Zachary (Tarah) Johnson, Linzee Johnson, Justin (Hannah) Mittet, Jordan (Carley) Mittet, Jennifer (Brandon) Larson, Connor Sandvig, Cody Sandvig, Iris Erickson, Audrey James, and Lila James; great-grandchildren, Sloane, Griffin, and Cooper Johnson, Brooks Johnson, Peyton Mittet, Kendra Larson, and Hadley Mittet.

Darrel was preceded in death by his parents and all his siblings. His loyal and steadfast dog, Abby, died earlier this year; there is no doubt she was among the first to greet him in Heaven, ready for a walk and a treat – though not necessarily in that order.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at 11:00 A.M., with a visitation starting one hour before, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead. A livestream of the service will be available here on Darrel’s page.

Visitation Information

Date: Saturday, June 19, 2021

Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Trinity Lutheran Church - Moorhead

Address:

210 7th Street South

Moorhead, MN 56560