Alma E. Page

Alma herself was the source of the Knudson family history and now it is her turn to be revealed. Alma was born the twelveth child on November 19, 1895. Her last contribution was on August 10, 1954. At that time she would have been 61 years of age.

Alma reveals many fond memories of her life as a child growing up on the farm south of Audubon, Mn.

She recalls a location on the farm she called "The Lyst Hus". It was a little house built out of lath by Emil for Anna in the late 1890's. It was her favorite spot to play with her younger sister Elvira.

She recalls a lawn swing that her father brought home from Fargo after one of his visits with Ingvald who was undergoing surgery at the time. It was placed on the lawn between two Birch trees near the Lyst hus. Mother and Dad used to sit in it frequently and when mother had visitors like Mrs. Moe, Mrs. Eilertson, Mrs. Oien or one of the Fagerlies, she would bring them out there and we girls would serve them coffee and lunch there.

Alma said she loved potatoe picking time and it was a thrill to hurry home from school, change into work clothes and go to the potatoe field to pick potatoes. She liked to ride back to the house on a load of potaotes on the old lumber wagon and guide the potatoes into the cellar as they were dumped off the wagon.

She recalled the dry years when crops were poor, especially 1890, 1900 and 1910. The Blizzard of 1888 was particularly bad. Fortunately they had moved into the new house in 1885 so they were well protected.

Since the family was scattered out over a period of 24 years, Alma recalls living with the youngest five the best.

She was fond of the pond south of the barn where they skated in the winter time. She loved the horse back rides and walking on stilts that were made for she and Elvira by Bert, Hi and Sam.

She says the older children were almost strangers to Elvira and herself and she loved it when they came home to visit..

Alma married Howard Page and they had three children, Elisha Boyd, Frank and Mary.  

She writes about what she had heard about Norway where her father was raised in Hallingdal. How he was orphaned at four years old when his father died and how he eaned his own living herding sheep at age ten.

Her father grew up and joined the Norwegian army where he was honored by the king Oscar.

She also has a good grasp for her mother's early years in Norway. This can be seen in the details under Olianna and Inger Marie Engen.