Ole Pedersen Dåbu

SAK, Gjerstad sokneprestkontor, F/Fb/Fbb/L0001: Klokkerbok nr. B 1, 1813-1863, s. 21 Brukslenke for sidevisning: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/kb20070529370641

HISTORY OF THE DOBBE FAMILY Ole Daabu & wife Maren, from Vegaardshei, Norway had seven children; Magnild, Per, Ingeborg, John, Maren, Helene, & Ole.

They left for America in early spring 187O. Magnild stayed in Norway, as she had hired out for a year and thus earned her fare. She came with some acquaintances the next year. Ingeborg was married to Jens Haraldson in Norway and their oldest child, Helen, was two years old on the trip. They came with the Daabu family and settled on the corner by the old Alban church.

They came be sail boat and were nine weeks on the ocean. It was the last trip the old "Tauro" made, as it sank shortly after it started on the next voyage.

The Daabu family came to Amherst and having food left, ate and changed clothes in Jim Nelson's barn. From there they were met by wagon and team, sent by Olve Engebretson (a cousin), and came to his place July 3, 1870. They had plenty of bedding along too, so they slept all over the floor. Their youngest son, Ole, could have been confirmed in Norway, but he said he wanted to wait and be confirmed in America. The next year he was confirmed in the old New Hope church, the same day that his brother, Per, and Anne Linland were married.

There were nine children in this family: (Per & Anne) Ole, Peder, Martin, Anna (Brown), Marie (who later married Dan Danielson), Gunder, Anton, Paul, Carl. Haraldson's had six more children that grew up after settling in Alban; Ole, Harald, John, Martin, Marie, and Emma.

Magnild Daabu married Thor Sorenson and they settled in Wild Rose, Waushara County. Their children were Inger, Soren, Clara, Olga, and Andrew. Maren married Knut Lien, having two children, Ingeborg (unmarried), and Jorgen (George).

John Daabu (Dobbu) married Karen Brekke on May 5, 1878, on the old, Brekke farm where Irvin Brekke now lives. They raised a large family of five girls and three boys, Olofine Martine (usually called Mattie), Ida, Olga, Josephine, Alma, Melvin, Oliver, and Palmer. Helene Daabu married Ole Quisla and they settled close by, also having a large family; five boys and one girl grew up: Per, Ole, Arne, Oscar, Nels, and Pernilla.

The youngest of the Daabu family, Ole, married Karen Rasmussen and they lived on the original Daabu farm. Their children were Maren (Mrs. Adolph Erickson), Anna, Clara (Mrs. Gust Halvorson), Ole (Ole R. or "Ford"), and Jens. Jens died in his teens probably of appendicitis.

In the year of 1870 the family of Ole and Maren Dobbe (Olga's grandparents) started on a trip from Vegaardsteien, Norway, and came to their destination on July 4.

Ole Ingebutsan came with team and wagon to Amherst and took them to his home in Alban, Portage County, where they lived until they took land nearby. Grandpa, a carpenter, built a house. First the sides were out off

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then the corners were fitted with wood and a piece of wood to hold it. This house was sold and moved about seven miles and held together. When I saw the house it had two added dormers where the upstairs windows were.

There were seven children in the Dobbe family. Magnild (Aunt), the oldest, was hired out for one year and stayed in Norway and came with some acquaintances the next year. Per had spent one year in service as was compulsory at the time. He was engaged to be married but the girl did not have money for her fare, however, Uncle found a girl nearby where they settled. Her name was Anne Lindland whom he married. He was hired to survey land and he soon located 160 acres which he earned thus. They had a family of nine

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Ole, Peder, Martin, Anna, Marie, Gunder, Anton, Paul and Carl.

The next one was Ingeborg whom was married to Jens Haraldson in Norway. They had one little daughter, Hannah, who was quite a favorite with the Captain on the old sailboat. When they were to cross the port at Riser, the ship became entangled with another ship. It was here that the Captain told them you had better say your prayers as we are doomed. John Dobbe (Olga's father), the brother who died October 2, 1936, was the most adventuresome of the men on board and volunteered to release the two ships. He climbed above the ship on which he was a passenger and chopped apart the riggings of the two ships with an axe. The sister Ingeborg told us the cause of the collision was the absence of lanterns on the ship the Dobbe's were on. After nine weeks at sea the Dobbe's reached America and came directly to Amherst. They travelled by boat on the last part of their trip to Gill's Landing to Amherst where they slept in a barn at Jimmy Nelson's. Then they went to the town of Alban where they have resided since.

Maren Dobbe married Knut Lien and they bought 40 acres of land 1-1/2 miles north of the old Alban Church. They had a daughter, Ingeborg, and one son Jorgen (he was called George). Emma, as she was called, did not marry and was a housekeeper for Palmer and his family for several years. George worked in Nelsonville and when we were married gave us a set of silverware with bone handles and were very nice.

Jens and Ingeborg Haraldson, whom came over with the Dobbe family, bought land near the old Alban Church and built a home which still exists. They had Hannah, whom I've mentioned was a pet of the old Captain on board the sail vessel, and the other children were--- Ole, Harold, John, Martin, Marie and Emma.

John O. Dobbe (Olga's father) was the next in line. He married Karen Brekke at the Brekke home on May 5, 1878. They moved to land John had bought one mile away. Ole Brekke (Karen's Father) was the carpenter. The house had only one room, a pantry and a bedroom. The pantry shelves were for towels and all sorts of kitchen utensils.

Before they had a schoolhouse the first two families, Brekke and Gutho, met in the old Brekke bedroom. When I was 4-1/2 years old I stayed at Grandpa Ole Brekke's and they thought I was a very smart kid, so they sent me to school there. Parents had to buy their own books, and as I was not prepared, I was given an 8th grade spelling book which had the alphabet in it. I thought my job was to repeat after the teacher. One day she was out of patience with me and hit me on the head with the nice long pencil with a rubber on it-- the one I had been admiring so much. It did not hurt but the children all laughed, although I cried. Then all summer I ran barefoot and forgot all about school. When our next teacher, Eliza Brathovde, came to teach she asked me to recite the alphabet and I knew them all, backwards and forwards. I was then admitted to the first grade.

August 20 was sister Josie's birthday and the blackberry season which we always figured was at its best about the same time. The Ellingsons came up, the three Brekke brothers, my mother and I. We strayed away from the men and got into a place where it was almost impossible to get through as a cyclone or tornado had passed through. Mother said, "Do not leave me!" I had no idea of doing that, only to go for help. I was wondering if I dared go to Gutho, but when he was drunk we were afraid of him. The other place would be back across the field to Andrew Brekke, mother's cousin. We finally made it to Grandpa Brekkes. Then we got a ride home with Ellingsons.

There were eight of us Dobbes who lived. One little brother, a 7 month baby, died. Grandma baptized him and named him Isaac, after her Dad. Our oldest sister's name was Martine Olufine, which name she rejected and always went by "Mattie" later on. Ida Louise, Olga Marie, Clara Josephine, Alma Othea, Carl Melvin, Gustav Oliver and Lewis Palmer. So there were four in our family who had their names backwards.

The next one in our family was a sister named Clara Josephine. The teachers started to call her "Josie" and she has always been called Josie Olson. Her husband, Oscar, was the only son in their family. There were five sisters

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Clara, Thesa, Emma, Marie and Gina. They were married at our old Alban Church. His sisters were all there and one of them said, "Oh! If only mother could have been here." They moved to the Olson farm after the wedding and sister Mary, who was married to Edward Leer, moved to a place of their own. Grandpa Elev Olson lived with them for a short while. He was fond of his liquor and had been on a spree when he died. A neighbor found him and brought him home. Josie even helped the man to carry him into the house.

Josie was able to change some of the old house and it became more convenient and up-to-date. There was a big barn on the farm and when Oscar took over he had the barn raised and underground made. Josie cooked for the crew of men that summer but became so sick Oscar decided to get the doctor. Mattie was down visiting us sisters and went over to Olson's and delivered two husky boys who weighed as much as average babies. They named them William Jeffrey and Willard Eugene. It was hard to take two babies to church to be baptized so they had the pastor come to the house. I never was able to tell the twins apart and I noticed Josie had to look close.

One day the Pastor in Hitterdahl Church met the two twins, William and Willard. They asked the Pastor to come to their house and baptize our babies. He went and sure enough, there was another set of twins, but not identical this time! They were named Leonard and Charles. When they graduated from high school in Iola, Charles did not care to go any further. He stayed home and worked the farm. Leonard went to college and worked his way. This was during the Depression. On November 10, 1919, Ruth Carol Olson was born and October 16, John Albert Thompson (Olga's son) was born. He was a large 11 pound baby. We planned to go to Iola and Rosholt for Christmas.

Brother Oliver whom had been in the service five years, I think, came home and visited us in Boyceville. One day he said, "Isn't that baby unusually good?" I said, "He was!" We told him we planned to go down to Iola and Rosholt for a visit. We got an old acquaintance to do the chores at our place and we would leave the two girls. We went to Waupaca first as Oscar's brother Tom Thompson and family lived there. Gina had made Jule'ol or brew as usual and we had to sample that and her Christmas baking. Gina was an exceptionally good cook.

From Waupaca to Iola we took the Ole Hitterdahl train to Iola where Julius and Carrie lived. Oscar had made up his mind to be in his old home church at Hitterdahl. Oscar Olson was there and Josie had sent Leonard and Charles along. The sermon was in Norwegian so we heard the two twins talking. One twin mentioned how cold it was (meaning the Pastor's sermon was cold and lukewarm) and the other twin said, "Yes, it was cold in here". I was so sorry for Josie that day as she had us there besides her own family and a large German family from her old school.

In the Simonis school district of our old Alban Church we always had to have our big holiday services on the second day. New Hope had first choice as the Pastor's home was near the old church. The big old church had burned down and a new one was built.

Sister Alma had a millinery store in Rosholt for a short time. She bought Clara Peterson's stock and that was when she met Perry Carter who was a depot agent there. They lived in different towns and always had a bible class where ever they lived. One time Alma said, "You did not know I married a preacher, did you?"

They had five sons

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Robert, Perry, Clarence, Lyle and Neal. They attended public school 1/2 mile south of the Alban Church. In Rosholt, Aunt Alma had Ellen Dobbe for five years, I believe. Then she went home to live with her Dad and brothers John, Clarence and Richard. Carl Melvin Dobbe was born on March 8, 1890. He was praised by the Pastor whom I think was Pastor Farseth. He took a short business course but I cannot remember where he attended. He and Cora Torbenson were married and had a large family

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Doris, Sarah, and the twins Owen and Ada. She was crippled so Owen used to carry her to confirmation class and all through school. Everett died young and two sisters were about two years old when they died. Everett and the two young sisters are buried in the Alban Church Cemetery. Melvin died many years ago and is buried on the family lot. I just read in "The Herald" that Cora died and is buried where she has lived for some time.

When Oliver (brother) came back from the service he married Mabel Anderson from Benson Corner. He was a well—to-do man so he bought two lots in Rosholt where he and Mabel have lived ever since. He could go to a Veteran's Hospital but he wants to stay at home. He has service at home and Mabel hires help to do some of her work, so they get along.

Their oldest son, Earl, lives in Madison, Wisconsin, I think. Harriet's husband is a serviceman and they live down south most of the time. Jean Ann's husband travels all over and she generally goes along. They left the two children they had with Mabel and Oliver. They were extra bright so they enjoyed having them. I cannot remember what Harriet's husband did but since they live in Wisconsin she can come home often.

When the last one was born Oliver said, "Now I will name him Albert John after the two Grandpa's." He can repair and has made over the basement for a lovely living room plus buys material and makes his own curtains and drapes.

Brother Palmer's wife died young as she had high blood pressure. Once a cousin of ours, Hannah Teslow, was visiting us and I told her Bertha was being doctored for high blood pressure. She asked how old she was and when I told her she said, "I am afraid her days are numbered." I said, "Oh no! She is the one that can be spared the least of all our family." They had four small children and our parents to take care of.

Our father was sick only two days and he told my mother, "You won't have to take care of me long." They sent word to different families nearby who all came. Sister Maren Lein who lived about one mile from there even walked over although she was sick. She said, "I will not be long in coming after you, John." She lived only three weeks after that. The "Stevens Point Journal" had quite a write-up about the two old settlers who died. Father John was 88 years and Aunt Maren 86 years old.

Father's sister, Helene, married Ole Quisla and they lived only a short distance away, 1/2 mile off the main highway. They lived in a small log house for many years. They had five boys and a girl who lived. There were three small graves with markers on them and lovely flowers. Their names were Pete, Ole, Arne, Oscar, Nels and the girl's name was Pernella.

Pete Quisla married Mabel Anderson who lived in the same community and went to our church. Oscar married Anna Stenson and they lived 1/2 mile from our home. They did not have any family but willed their property to her nieces and nephews. Oscar did not have any on his side, I think. Their farm included three small lakes and was called Three Lakes.

Ole Dobbe was the youngest of the family. He could have been confirmed in Norway but said he wanted to wait until they settled in a U.S.A. church. But the day Uncle Pete Dobbe and Annie were married, Ole was confirmed in the New Hope Church. He admired Aunt Mary (Ellingson) but she already had decided to marry Ole Ellingson. He married Mina Rasmussen and they lived in the home Grandpa Dobbe had built. Grandma Dobbe lived with them for quite some time. She became very senile but Aunt Minnie was very good to her. Once when Aunt Mina unraveled what she had knit, we asked if she would not feel bad, but she said she wouldn't know. Grandma Dobbe walked over to visit us too but we had to help her or see that she got home safely. They had five children --- Maren, Anna, Ole, Clara and Jens. Jens died when he was only 17 years old. He had inherited his Grandpa Rasmussen's gift for music and he was asked to sing alone when he was very young.

The Rasmussens were Danish and also several other families in our little village of Rosholt. I believe Beloit had the most Danish people in Wisconsin. Waupaca was second and Rosholt third.

The Rasmussens had another girl, Karen, who married mother's cousin Anund Ostenson. She had a baby boy, Carl, and never got over same. We heard it was because they had a midwife and she did not do what should have been done. The Rasmussens raised the boy and Anund Ostenson always had his home there too. He helped his father-in-law to run the feed mill. They used the same power as Rosholt did for his sawmill.

John O. Dobbe (Olga's father) owned a little piece of land across from Kiolbassa Lake. However, a rich man, Pete Kiolbassa, came from Chicago and built a big barn and house there and bought Dobbe's piece of land. He hired a contractor to build a large barn and house where Mrs. Pete Brekke (Emma Danielson) taught our school in District #1. Della Clishman, a friend of hers also from Stevens Point, taught in the next district. They decided to have a joint picnic on the last day of school and would meet at Kiolbassa and eat their dinner in the new barn. We also had practiced the same songs so we had a program and took turns on boat rides.

Pete Kiolbassa had a brother, Frank, who was married twice. They had two sons, Frank and August, by his first marriage. Then Peter, Francis, Mary and several more who later played with my brothers nearby.

There had been an Indian burial ground across the lake. One time the settlers nearby found out a man was uncovering these graves. It was said that Indians buried their valuables, I presume, knives and hatchets. My cousin Emma said her father carried a coil of rope and along with the neighbors went there and told him to cover the graves again or they would hang him. All I can remember was seeing bones around on the ground.

The first one to live across the lake was a man with a wooden leg. The stock used to be allowed to go where they wanted as there were not many fences. One time my father was out fishing and he heard a hog squealing. He rowed to land and picked up a pole they used when looking for hogs (called a hand spike) and he met a bear that had killed a big hog. Every time Dad tried to strike the bear, he caught the pole. He must have decided Dad was not afraid because he covered the hog with some leaves and wandered off. Dad left the man with the wooden leg, Gunnar Lea, to guard the carcass. He was so frightened he cried. Dad never owned a gun in his life, but his brothers or neighbors came and laid in wait for the bear. The bear was shot and it was very large.

The first wedding I think I attended was at an old log house where Friemark and family lived. The two oldest daughters, Veronica and Marinka, had been away from home and learned to do housework.

When couples were married in the Catholic Church they went to the dance hall and there everyone was supposed to dance with the bride. They had stacks of plates piled with silver dollars and they would all try to break the plates. I attended one such wedding where he was German and the bride was Polish.

In 1873 Grandpa Brekke decided to leave for America. He sold the land which was about 200 acres and contained many high cliffs and lakes, but the soil was very rich and they raised good crops. He borrowed the fare for the two oldest girls, Grethe and Karen, because he had to have money to start with when he reached his destination. The oldest son, Anund, helped his father build and the first addition is still there. When Grethe was married to Ole Halvorson, they lived near what was called the town line of Alban and Polonia. They had two girls, Hannah and Ida, there. They moved from there to Cottonwood County, the very last corner of Minnesota. They used to get their mail in Redwood County as they had to drive to Lamberton.

When Grethe expected another baby they came back to Brekke's where she gave birth to Oscar and he worked up near Galloway for that winter. Andrew Brekke and his brother-in-law, Nels Ness, were logging off the timber there. Halvorson's had three more children--- Clara, Alfred (we believe he later became Secretary of the state of Minnesota) and Joseph. (All our Olga's cousins) When I was there the summer of 1903, they had applied for a mail route but still got their mail in Lamberton, Minnesota. During the busy harvest season we drove there on Sundays to get the mail. There were no cement-made roads and Alfred used a heavy club to take off the heavy clay on the wheels.

Uncle Knut Halverson was a very particular farmer. He did not want the tall mustards which grew thick in the fields, so he hired Clara, and of course I wanted to help her. We each took a wide stick and walked through the grain. Every trip was two miles and we got them all. Clara received $2.06 as she needed a pair of slippers. As soon as the grain was in shocks, we would see threshing rigs coming and going. However, Uncle Knut was so particular and he wanted the grain to sweat and was waiting for one particular man to thresh his grain.

I had not planned to stay out there so long but they asked me to stay and help as it took one person, Aunt Grethe, to try to care for Joseph. When he saw a machine coming he would get so wild and run around the rigs, so they generally stopped and it was my job to go and get him. The only way I could get him to come was to pick a little weed or stick and he minded then, although he had never had much of it. Uncle had sent to Fargo, I think, for information about his type; but when the time came Aunt could not consent to let him go. She said God had placed that cross on them for a reason and they should bear it.

When Aunt died, Uncle did not try to live. His daughter Hannah, a nurse, said he was no worse off than he had been for years but he did not try to live. He died six months later. Joseph was sent to the feeble—minded home and did not live long. I think he was 16 years old and the only one in the family to die of T.B.

The second in the Brekke family was Karen. She worked in Stevens Point most of that time, except when she worked for Walker whose brother was a county judge at the time. This brother had a large farm and had many young people working during hop picking time. Mother was the cook and she said they danced every night until mid-night. After mother was married and lived on the farm, old man Walker came and stayed overnight. He was out looking for hired help. I can remember mother had two pictures of his daughters, Ada and Jessie Walker.

In the fall we used to see many wagon loads of hunters drive past and up toward Elderon or halfway between us and Wittenberg.

When Dad had not been in the woods or on the drive which they used to do every spring, he worked for two different farmers. One of them was Ole Moen who had a large farm and the other one was Hans Johnson who had a large farm and later ran a sawmill. So when he commenced to farm he bought horses, but I always said that was a mistake. He should have used oxen who were slow but hardy and easier to feed than horses. Because Pa had a team, when the neighbors heard he was going to Stevens Point, they would come to our place in the evening and leave for Stevens Point about two o'clock. They took their jars of butter and if it turned soft on arrival it would not be fit to sell at the market square.

After the schoolhouse was built we had one mile to walk (1/2 mile to the corner by Knut Halvorson and 1/2 mile from there to school). When it was possible we cut across our neighbor’s field and made a short cut.

Our oldest sister's name was Martine Olufine. Once when mother heard Ida and me making fun of her name she said, "We thought we gave her such a nice name." Dad was 29-1/2 and mother was 25 years old when they married. The next one was Ida Louise and I was named Olga Marie after Ole and Marie Brekke. Mattie was named after Dad's folks. The next one was Clara Josephine named after John and Karen. The fourth one was Alma Othea, then Carl Melvin, Gustav Oliver and Lewis Palmer.

John O. Dobbe and Karen Brekke were married in the Brekke home May 5, 1878, and Soren J. Anderson and Mattie O. Dobbe were married in the Alban church May 5, 1878. Soren Anderson's had a large family

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six sons and two daughters. The oldest one was Della Ormelia, then James Clarence, Otis Harry, Alfred Leroy, Sylvia Marie, George Washington, Harold Phillip and John Andrew. John was only one year old when his father died at home after a long, hard illness. Aunt Mary Ellingson was there helping her and she said Mattie prayed that he would be relieved from his suffering, and then she turned to Aunt Mary and said, "How can I pray for something my whole heart and soul cries against."

Sister Ida Louise was born June 9, 1881. She married Oscar H. Wrolstad July 10, 1901, at the Alban Lutheran Church. He was quite a small man and had not been strong enough for farm work, so his father and, I think, Uncle Martin Wrolstad who lived close by started him in a nearby store where he got to be postmaster too. At first they rented part of Uncle Martin's home, but later he bought land close by this property. It had a large barn where they stored crops. They built a one-room house downstairs with bedroom and a very nice pantry. They had a beautiful assortment of dishes and stored them in the pantry. A stairway led up to the second floor which was divided and finished for two bedrooms.

One day as I was going to the store I had Margaret and the faithful dog with me. A stray tough looking dog came running up and as he passed us he bit our dog. The stray dog had rabies and our lovely dog had to be killed, but it was a blessing it was the dog instead of us.

Oscar always brought his money home at night. Once his safe had been broken so he always asked his cousin Alfred to sleep at their house. One night Ida woke up when she heard someone trying to take a screen off. The people they mistrusted did not live very far away.

Margaret Wrolstad was three years old when her brother Julian Hanford was born. Margaret was very smart and one day when Ida returned from the store she surprised Margaret and found her changing Julian's diapers. Margaret realized she was caught and said, "Julian Hanford Wrolstadt What have you done to your pants?" Then Phillip and Vernon were born. The last boy was born in the fall and was named Oliver Martin after Uncle O. Ellingson and Martin Wrolstad.

Our wedding was set for July 18, 1905. We all decided it was the hottest day that summer. We had a large wedding—about 200 invited guests. 0.C. Farseth was the pastor in the New Hope church and parsonage closely. The other congregations were from Nelsonville and Alban. Pastor Farseth had a very close call with death and promised the Lord if his life was spared he would study and become a pastor. He was not as young as the others when he began to study. He was called to Wittenberg to the Hammi homes first, then to New Hope.

The Pastor said he would not marry any couple if they were going from the alter to the dance hall. He preached a very good sermon and was wiping sweat when all of a sudden he left us standing in front of the alter and went out to the sacristy and tore open the south door. We heard crashing and he tore away the seats on the south side, came back in, and continued our marriage service. After the service I saw the large nails which had held the seats on the south side and they made a perfect "V" in the corner.

Ole Thompson (Oscar's brother) came up from home and had his parents and sister, Mrs. Anna Beck along. Grandpa said she had to come up to see her "baby" get married to Oscar. She had selected several nice pieces of chinaware for us and Grandpa gave the usual $20.00 in cash.

Perry Carter's Dad was the agent at Rosholt then and we had a little trouble with some of our goods. We had received so many gifts and I had my good machine trunk and all dishes packed. We received a very nice fruit bowl and dishes from Amy Peterson and another set from Lystul. Maren Dobbe worked at the Jensen store and picked out the nicest cake plate I ever saw. I was going to save it and packed it in my suitcase, but later it broke. Otherwise, we were very lucky packing them so many times and being able to keep them so many years.

We left from Rosholt and when I was only 3/4 mile from my old home, Mrs. Lee had told Mattie she had seen my crying. We went as far as Duluth and stayed overnight and saw a good show. A man from Kelliher, O.B. Olson, was on the train and he knew Oscar had clerked for Kolden & Thompson in Blackduck (I think five years), and he asked if he could hire Oscar to work in his general store and meat market. Mr. Olson also had a homestead and in order to "prove up", had taken his wife and two small girls there. Olson had divided the upstairs into rooms and that was where he and his family lived. He also rented out rooms to traveling agents and that was where we stayed too. Oscar worked in the store and I took care of the rooms which he rented. We were both kept busy and were happy when our folks and friends from Blackduck came to visit.

Henry and Maggie Kolden came up and had baby Alice along. We had been sponsors for Alice when she was baptized. Later they had Helen and then the youngest girl, Annette, named after Grandmother Kolden. These girls all went to college and universities after high school and, perhaps, I can find what they accomplished later on.

I worked hard there taking care of the rooms and all the laundry. Oscar put up a clothesline for me and had only nailed it with small nails. Well, we had quite a sweep of wind from Lake Superior and all my clothes were down. I had to get them upstairs again, wash them over and hang them up again. Oscar did a better job then!

The neighbors next door were a couple who had been following the little towns as they moved up. His name was "BS" Joe and hers was Lumberjack Annie. I heard one time he had beaten her so badly that even the drunks interfered. Then Lumberjack Annie got the best of "BS" Joe and she was sent to the Bemidji jail. The old judge let her off, however, and said they were a team. One time when she was climbing the stairs she invited me to come in and have a drink with her.

Olson asked me to sew dresses for his girls and I did the best I could without any fitting. When the butchers and bartenders found out I could sew a little, I cannot remember how many aprons I sewed for them (I think 10 in each lot).

Oscar bought lumber and hired a team to take the lumber and supplies out to our homestead. There was much low and swampy land at that time, and they had small logs on the road or what they called "corder" roads. We waited until we thought it had frozen enough to drive over. I got a ride with someone Oscar knew and we drove to within 1-1/2 miles of our homestead. We waited there because the last time we had seen Oscar, they had trouble and had to reload again. Lizzie had been kind enough to send out bread and other food supplies, so while we waited we decided to eat. We needed a fire and he hunted through his pockets and finally brought out one broken match. I held my breath while he scratched that match! We did have a fire and ate our lunch. When Oscar came and I was asked to make lunch for him and the fellows, I looked at the little #7 cook stove he had carried 10 to 12 miles out here and laughed.

Oscar had not been on his claim very much as he worked in Blackduck, so his claim had been contested. But later he received word he could come down to Bemidji and "prove up", so I was all alone those days. I heard guns sometimes and was so afraid someone would come and find me alone. It got dark early in those heavy woods so I went to the spring to get my water about h o'clock in the afternoon. We had one neighbor by the name of Broquist.

When my parents were clearing up their land, I remember my father had to go out and earn money for their living. They had only a small patch of potatoes and I think mother had sister Alma then, so they hired a Polish girl nearby to harvest the potatoes. They had not started to use forks to dig the potatoes, but dug them with a hoe. First they pulled up the vine, then used the hoe to be sure they got them all. I thought the Polish girl was very nice because she carried me home on her back.

The road past our home turned aside because of a marsh, but later a bridge was built across it which straightened the road. We had a tedious job in the spring to pick all the small, loose rocks and pile them. Later Dad would come with the team and wagon to gather them to dump into the marsh. I may have told about one big pile of rock which Dad was paid for hauling to Bradway Corner. It filled quite a stretch of road there.

I can remember when sister Alma was a baby. Her birthday is June 18. Mina Rasmussen Dobbe was hired to work at our place and I still have some samples of her marvelous handwork. She was Danish as so many were in the village of Rosholt. John Rosholt was Norwegian and his three wives were too.

I think it was in 1898 that the big ship "Maine" was sunk by the Spanish. The war was practically taken care of immediately, but took two years to settle up.

John Thompson had finished college and was Second Lieutenant and his cousin, F. Linnerick, was First Lieutenant. I remember coming to downtown Iola one night when I heard John drilling his men. Oscar was downtown too and John had told him he saw me go into Nel Johnson's store. When he came into the store we wanted time to visit, so we went into Whip's Lumber mill where there was a place in front to visit. When John came back to Blackduck, Minnesota, he and Henry Kolden had a large general merchandise store. John was married to Lizzie Kolden. They lived in a small house at first, but when they did build, it was a very large and beautiful home.

Their first boy named Clement lived only a short time. They named their next son Clement also and he lived several years but also died. The girls were Ruth and Annette and they attended school in Blackduck until they were sent away to college.

When John was very sick the girls came home but Ruth could not stay. It was so hard for Ruth to see her Dad so sick, but she was teaching school and left before he passed away. He did ask for Ruth as she had been her Dad's favorite since birth. John had been in the service and had a military funeral. It is a lovely cemetery and Ole, John Auton and Annie are all buried there.