John Anton Pedersen Wolla

JOHN AND IDA WOLLA

By Mrs. Myrtrice (Wolla) Dilland

John Wolla was born September 12, 1877 in Stange, near Hamar, Hedemarken, Norway, the son of Peder C. Wollas. In 1887, at nine, he came with his family and settled at Benson, Minnesota. A friend of the family, Johannes Torgerson, who had just one child, a son, Etedius, asked Dad to live with them so his son would have companionship. They were a very dear family and good to Dad but there were times when he missed his family and longed to be home with them, but he stayed on at the Torgerson home until he was a grown man.

In the spring of 1902 Dad and his father came to file for a homestead in West Bank. Peder C. Wolla, his sons and daughters were the first homesteaders in West Bank Township. Dad filed on 160 acres and later acquired 200 acres more.

Dad helped build his father's home and put up 40 ton of hay before returning to Benson. The fall of 1902, Dad, together with his parents and brothers and sisters immigrated to Tioga, arriving there Oct. 21, 1902. That fall a prairie fire swept over the area from Ray to White Earth and for miles around the south Tioga area. The 40 ton of hay that had been put up that summer burned but their home was saved.

That winter they hauled hay for the stock and wood to heat their homes from the area near the Missouri River. The winter was a hard one with memories of men getting lost in blizzards while hauling hay and wood as there were no roads at that time. Water was hauled in barrels for the stock, from one family water well.

White Earth was the nearest town and their mailing address. Lumber for the homestead shacks was hauled from there as well as other necessities.

The first barn was made of sod. Eventually Peder E. Wolla, Dad's cousin whose claim joined Dad's, built a larger home and Dad built a large barn for the stock they both owned and the two lived and farmed together for several years. A "Big 4" tractor and a threshing machine was purchased in partnership with his brothers and two cousins, Peder and Christ. The "Big 4" was one of the first in the area and was used to break the new land. Dad's first car was also in partnership with his cousin, Peder.

Ida Knutson was born in Benson, February 9, 1892, daughter of Rasmus and Anna Simenson Knutson. At nineteen she left Benson to work at the McKinley Hotel in Ray. When Dad and Peder needed a housekeeper she went to work for them. In 1913 she and Dad were married.

Seven children were born, Arnold, Myrtrice, Evelyn, Kermit, Ada, Jeanette, and Deloris. Arnold, the oldest son died when he was eight. They attended Wolla School on Grandfather's homestead.

Myrtrice married Palmer Dilland, of West Bank.

Evelyn married Edwin Heen of Pleasant Valley and lived on the Throen Heen farm for several years and later bought this farm.

Kermit married Bernice Nesvik from White Earth. They bought the homestead from Dad when he retired. They have three sons and three daughters.

Ada also married a neighbor boy, James Fretland, and they also chose to stay on the farm. They rented his father's farm for several years and later purchased it. They have 4 sons and 1 daughter.

Jeanette married Elgin Mortenson. They lived in Minot a few years and returned after the discovery of oil to work for Amerada Hess. They have three sons and three daughters.

The youngest daughter, Deloris, married Milo Iverson. They were engaged in farming several years before moving to Phoenix. Recently they returned to the Tioga area. They have one son and two daughters.

Our thoughts drift back again to the pioneer days. There were many hardships. A couple years after settling here, Dad had to have an operation for appendicitis. Since there were no hospitals or doctors in the area, he had to go to Minot a distance of 90 miles for surgery. He was very ill and had to be hospitalized for almost two months. It is interesting to note that records show the hospital cost per day was $1.00 in 1904 compared with the high costs of today.

Church services were held in the homes until the Bethany Church was built and organized. Mother and Dad were charter members of this church. Rev. A. J. Logeland was the first pastor to serve them. Ladies Aid met in the homes and ice cream socials and fancywork auctions brought the whole community out.

Winters were hard and cold. Often Mother would heat bricks or rocks in the oven to be tucked in blankets as "foot warmers" for the little children when they went by sleigh to church or made a trip to town. Just when things were beginning to look bright the depression hit and went hand in hand with the drought. In 1931 grasshoppers hit the area and even chewed the clothes on the washline. The state had no funds for destroying grasshoppers so it had to be handled by the counties. Later funds were received from the Greater North Dakota Association. Then the army worm destroyed the grass and crops, again creating the problem of keeping the stock alive. In 1934 came severe dust storms and the erosion of valuable top soil. The year 1936 was the coldest on record and the summer the hottest and driest so more cattle had to be sold. Needless to say, the cream checks which the folks depended on for groceries dwindled and there was less cash to buy necessities.

Low income causes a decline in land value. In the late 30s the average value of land was $12,00 an acre. The Federal Government provided loans to keep going from year to year. Dad had to borrow, cull herds and go without many things but his determination, faith and love of the land always gave him the hope that the next year would be better. After the hardships that go with home-steading, you don't give up easy. Somehow he knew that there would be better days ahead and he saw these days too.

Employment for some of the members of the family was found through various Federal Government projects like the CCC, W.P.A. and N.Y.A. The last four years on the farm were very rewarding with good crops and green pastures for the stock.

Schools were the center of entertainment. Everyone looked forward to the programs and community plays put on by the teacher and her pupils. People would come for miles around to attend the programs and the entertainment that followed, which often included a basket social and a dance. Young and old alike joined in the activities of the evening.

Dad rented his farm to his son Kermit in 1944 and later sold out to him. Dad bought a home in Tioga in his retirement years but his heart was always on the farm. Mother and Dad were used to hard work on the farm so moving to town was quite a change. Dad liked yard work and gardening so that kept him busy and he was always available if any of the children needed help. Mother was a good baker and cook so she went to work for Helga Sandberg in her restaurant.

Mother and Dad loved people, young and old alike ,so during the oil boom when it was hard for oil field workers to find a place to live, they opened up their home to them and several of them stayed on for years.

Dad passed away in 1960. Life became lonely for Mother but she was a very independent person and continued to live in her home until illness forced her to move to the Good Samaritan Home in Crosby and later the Bethel Home in Williston. She passed away in 1974.

From: “The Wonders of Williams, A History of Williams County, North Dakota” compiled & published by the Williams County Historical Society.