Nils Thompson

Nils Thompson known as "Little Nils" arrived in Claresholm with his Father and Stepmother from Hedmarken, Norway at the age of seventeen in March of 1907.

They came to the farm homesteaded by Nils' Grandfather (Nils) who had come from the Dakota area to Claresholm in 1902. The farm was located about a half-mile east of Claresholm on the Starline road (now owned by his nephew Oscar Thompson).

Nils worked on Ole Amundsen's farm, in the lumber yard and on the CPR section crew until 1912, when he started buying grain for the Independent Grain Co. Ltd., now the Pioneer Grain Co. elevator.

In 1912 Nils married Borghild Johnson, who at the age of sixteen had come to Canada from Mosjoen, Norway in 1910. They had a family of six children all born in Claresholm. They lived at 236-50th Ave in Claresholm until moving to Cereal in 1932.

The children where Trygve, Lillian, Clarence, Mildred, Gordon and Ralph. The family lived in Cereal for one year, a year which was very tough as the Cereal district was almost like a desert in the 'Dirty Thirties".

In 1933, the family moved to Picture Butte, living there for six months and then on to Vulcan for six years. They moved from Vulcan (with the exception of Lillian who was now married) to Diamond City. Nils and Borghild lived in Diamond City for twenty-two years, during which time the other children married and moved to other locations in Alberta.

Nils and Borghild returned to Claresholm to retire.

Borghild passed away on January 2, 1963.

Daughter Lillian passed away in January 1968.

Excerpt from "Where the Wheatlands Meet the Range" published 1974