Climax - University of Minnesota Crookston

Climax History
This is the story of Climax as re me mbe red by so me of the
"Old T imers ", a nd the few record books ava ilable. Th e village
was first located a bo ut one a nd one- ha lf miles so uthwest of its
present loca tion . Th is site was along the Red R iver o n the old
Steen erson farm . The mail route passed this way, beginnin g at
Fisher's Landing a nd mak ing sto ps a t Neby, Climax a nd
.Niel sville. At this first locat ion there was a general store, post
office, blac ksmith, harn ess sho p a nd a doctor who was also a
veterinarian.
In 1893, the Fargo a nd St. Vincent extens ion of the Great
or thern Railr oad began bu ildin g in the Sa nd Hill a rea, co ming throu gh where it now is, thu s byp assing Neby, Frog Poin t
an d Old Climax . The first ra ilroad train came through in 1896.
Th e town was moved to its pre sent loc at ion a t this time. Levi
Steenerson had a rra nged to have the depot built on his land
a nd the village was plotted around it, tak ing the na me of Climax from the old post office . Ma il often ca me add ressed to
Sand ville. as this is wha t the railroa d officia ls ca lled the tow n.
Dr. Norm an 's office was moved a nd it also served as a post
office un til a new one wa s bu ilt. T he harn ess shop a nd blacksmith sho p were moved a nd part s of these bu ild ings are still in
use. The schoo l was moved from its former locat io n south of
Bergit Ce metery and was used until a lar ger two-story bu ildi ng
was erec ted. Th e first old school is now the Cora Berg residence. Part of the Sherid en hom e (forme rly owne d by G un der
Bjaland) was the first reside nce in Climax, bu ilt by Gunder
Bjaland 's moth er in 1896.
Durin g these yea rs a diphtheria epidemic swe pt th rou gh the
area a nd man y children di ed.
Th e town was growing and a lot of building was don e in
1896-1897. Amo ng these were the gene ral store, post office,
but cher sho p, ph ot ograph y sho p, several hot els, dru g store,
hard ware , restaurants. mach ine hall, livery sta ble, bank a nd a
number of saloo ns. Papers of incorpora tion were filed on
Oct ob er 25, 1897. Two elevat or s were built on the ir pre sent
loc ati on s . They wer e th e SI. A n t ho ny , M on arc h a nd th e
No rthwestern. Three lumber ya rds were also locat ed along the
railroad tracks. The value of the town as assess ed in 1900 was
recorded at $49,600. Thi s included both person al and real
esta te. A barber sho p was opened with ch ar ges of [5¢ for a
sha ve, a nd 25¢ for a haircut excep t on Saturdays, when the
charge was 35¢. Th ese bu sin esses cha nged hands often during
the followin g yea rs.
Th e Climax Dair y and Creame ry was orga nized in 1902.
T he total cost of the bu ild ing a nd equipmen t was $3500. C. M.
Davidson was hired as buttermak er for a sa lary of $55 a
month . Ole O. Estenso n was man ager. Th e two men held these
position s as lon g as the cr eamery ope ra ted. T he building was
sold at a uction in 1920 for the sum of $105.20. In 1902, we find
that the Buxton , Reyn old s, Belmon t and Climax Te lephone
Co mpa ny got con sent for the right -of-way in C limax . Par t of
the town burned in 1902 a nd had to be rebuilt. T he churches
a nd sc hoo ls were s ho wi ng pr o g re s s b y now . T he C limax
Luthe ran Church a nd Lad ies Aid were organized in the lat e
1890's. The lar ger two-story schoo l loca ted a t the west end of
town was now in use. In Mar ch, 1909, the to wn went "dry," so
all saloo ns were closed .
By 1915, electric power came our way. Th e power was first
furn ished by F. G. Stearn s, who ope rat ed the flour mill. Thi s
mill was destro yed by fire in 191 9 a nd was never replaced. In
1918 ca me Prohi bit ion , followed by boot -leg moon shine days.
A sho rt spurt of prosperity followed World War [ and then
came the Depre ssion yea rs. Th e ba nks closed.
In 1939, a gro up of [00 farm ers. eac h bu ying a $ [00 sha re,
formed the Climax Co-op Eleva to r Associati on and bou ght
out the old St. Antho ny Eleva tor, selling the ir grain th rou gh
the Gr a in Terminal Associat ion in St. Paul. Later the Monarch
a nd Vict or ia Eleva tors were purchas ed and add ed to the company. In 1956, a seed plant was added and the barley house in
1961. Pot at o production had increas ed in the Vall ey, so sto rage
houses were bui lt. Th e old creamery bu ildin g was used as
office bu ilding for the Clim ax Pot at o Compan y for man y
yea rs. .l n 1969, the Crookston Credit .U nion me rged with Climax; In [970, Beltram i was added ; In 1972 Sherack and in
1974 Warren joined . A new post office was bui lt in i959. At
the present time (December, [975) , Climax ha s a po pulation of
255 permanent residents, Many of these are th ird and four th
genera tion descendants of the first settlers.
. W~ a lso ha ve a volunteer fire departmen t wit h adequate fire
fightin g equipment. A sewage and wa ter sys tem was insta lled a
fe~ year s ago and in 1974, a garbage pick -up was begun . T he
Climax branch of the Polk Count y Libr ary is located here a nd
IS open to local residents th ree days each week . Our main
streets a re 'pa v e~ ~ n.d two main highways join here.
Fo r SOCial acuv iues, we ha ve an ac tive community club, Jaycees and G ard en Club, plus many school a nd ch urch activities.
History of the
Climax School
The first grade schoo l on record for the Climax are a was
located a t the old town site so uth of the present Bergit Cemetery. Wh en the railroad was completed in [896 , the Village of
C limax was moved to its present loca tio n. The small schoo l
building was moved a nd used for a few yea rs. T hen a twostory school was built on the west edge of the town. When the
con solidat ion took place , thi s became an apartment bu ilding
and eventually was moved to the center of town a nd served as
a town hall. It still sta nds a nd is now the home of Ro nald
Peterson .
In 191 8, the first con solid ated high school was built in Climax. It was co ns truct ed o f brick and for its da y was con sidered a most outstand ing building. The first graduating class in
1920 had two grad uate s. Th e clas s sizes increased unt il the
lar gest grad ua ting class was the one in [965 , which had 44
members. The or iginal building served its purpose unti l [939,
when a lar ge add ition was built. This con sisted of a new gymnasium, library, kitchen and lunch room. With the new a thletic
fac ilities, the schoo l's basketball team s became kn own and
respected th rough out the district and region. They were always
a threat to the lar ger schoo ls and won the district 3 [ crown in
1943. On February 24, [954 , the d ist rict was dea lt a shoc king
blow when the entire school was leveled by fire. It seemed
ra ther hopele ss to face the ta sk and cost of rebuilding. But the
people rallied to the cause, a nd the outlying d istr icts to the
north vo ted to join the origina l district. Plans went ahead with
great speed and the building which is now in use in C limax was
compl eted in December 1956. Since that time , the distric ts of
Shelly, Nielsville a nd a part of Eldred have joined the high
school a rea to make the pre sent school di strict 592.
The sta nda rd of educati on of the school ha s alway s been
superio r. The perc entage of graduates who continue on to
schoo ls of higher learning is far ab ove the sta te ave rage . From
this sma ll high schoo l have grad uated students who have gone
on to en ter the professional fields. These include three doc tor s,
two denti sts, one ch iropractor , one mini ster , o ne lawyer and a
la.r!?e number of tea chers, registered nurses an d medical techrucians,
Through the years, since the 1918 consolidation , the schoo l
has had the followin g able leaders serving as superintendents:
Mr. R. Wakefield, Mr. I. Amundson, Mr. E. Swenson, Mr. J.
Westby, Mr. O. T. Olsen, M r. G . Kerestes. For the past three
yea rs the schoo l has been affi liated with the a rea voca tio na l
school a t Crookston, which incl ude s the schools of Crookston,
Climax. and Fertile.
This o ffers a var iation of subjects not tau ght as a par t of the
regular curricul um. The voters of school dis trict 592 rece ntly
showed their loya lty to and con fide nce in their school by voting a twenty mill increase in the school tax, thu s making it possible to ope rate the school at its p resen t high sta nda rd, du ring
the infla tion and rising price index. As the smaller schoo ls are
forced to close a nd even tually beco me a part o f a lar ger high
school a rea. the people of district 592 proudly support thei r
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small school and fight to keep it alive and growing.
History of the
Climax Lutheran
Church
With the first influx of pioneers in th e Red River Valle y. a
settlement grew up along both sid es of the Red River. Ver y few
ven tured far out o n the prairie when the y so ugh t a place to
bu ild a home. The reasons we re obvious. In the first place. the
river with a ready supply of water and a n a b und a nce of fine
timber o ffered conveniences that could not be had o ut o n the
pra irie . Also. the Hudson 's Bay Company had se t up a trading
post on what was then kn own as Frog Poin t. This offered a
place where the pioneers cou ld dispose of whatever they had to
sell and in return. bu y most of th e things the y needed .
However. with the ever increasing number of pe ople who
en tered the Valley the y were Forced to go Farther o ut From the
Red River. The early pioneers had begun congregations a nd
hu ilt churches a lo ng the Red River. As di stances were lon g
and transportati on slow . the y felt the need o f a con gregation
whe re the y could assemble more conveniently; where they
mig h t wors hip even though ro a ds might not be to o good and
the wea the r not a lways Favorable For a lo nge r j ourney. The
First effort along thi s line wa s the o rga niza tio n o f a Ladies Aid.
A group o f lad ies met o n N ovember 6. 1890. and o rga nized the
Skatvold Ladies Aid. It was due to their work and act ivity that
a cong rega tion was la ter organized on January 25. 1894. by
Rev . J . H . Villesvik.
Due to a lack o f records. the exact date o f o rga niz ing th e
C lima x Con gregati on is som ewh at uncert a in. Records sho w
that the church wa s built in 1898. The Skat vold Co ng rega tion
con tinued un til December 6. 1923. when they united with the
congregati on at Clim ax . during the mini stry o f Re v. Lud vig
Pederson . On May 21. 1944. th e C lima x Lutheran Fr ee C h u rch
ce lebrated its 50th a n nivers a ry . The pari sh was enl arged to
Fou r churches during the mini stry o f Pastor Ca rl Ca rlse n in
1956. Th is then inc luded the Sand Hill co ng rega tio n a nd Rin gsa ker a nd Grue congre gation in North Dak ot a . Pastor L. B.
Sate ran served the parish For seve n months a fter the departure
of Pastor Carlsen a nd befor e the arrival o f Rev . N. C. Anderso n in 1960.
As earl y as 1955. a Fund wa s sta rted For th e purpose o f building a n additi on to the old church o r the co ns truc tio n o f a new
buildin g. In 1966. the decision wa s made for a new bu ilding
and the ground breaking ceremonies For a new church took
place in J uly 1967.
The dedication o f the New Climax Lutheran C h urc h was
held o n June 23. 1968. with severa l Former pastors in a tt endance.
Bsid es the building project the most significa n t event during
tha t time was the de cisi on in 1961 to j oin The American
Lutheran Church . The actua l merger was con summated in
1963. and the parish is now part o f the C rooks to n Conferenc e,
as well as th e Nort hern Minnesota District o f the A.L. e.
Rev. Ral ph Ok land, present pastor. came in M arch o f 1969.
Followin g the resign ati on of Rev . N. C. A nd erso n in th e Fall o f
1968.
The Following pastors have ser ved th e con gre gation: Rev. H.
J . Villesvik fro m January 1894 to M a rc h 1900 ; Rev . B. L. Sun da l, Apri l 1900 to April 190 1. Rev. H . Ostgulen, M ay 1901 to
April 1903. Rev. J. O. Brano, May 1903 to June 1905 ; Re v. O.
N. Bergh. Jul y 1905 to June 1917; Rev. H. A . B. Winther. June
1917 to N ovember 1921; Rev . N . Halvorson . N ov ember 1921
to Ju ne 1922: Rev. Ludvig Pederson. June 1922 to Jul y 1927;
Rev. C. J . Christenson . Jul y 1927 to Jun e 1936 ; Rev. Louis
Ols on . N ovember 1926 to Au gu st 1951; Re v. Ca rl Ca rlse n.
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Decembe r 195 1 to October 1959 ; Rev . N. e. Anderson , April
1960 to September 1968; Rev. Ralph Okl and, March 1969 to
Janu ar y 1976.
ARN OLD AMUN DSON
Mr. a nd Mr s. Arnold Amundson a re both life-l on g resid e nt s
o f the C limax area . M rs. Amundson. nee Alyc e Jevning, was
born in Fi sh er. Minnesot a. to Mr. a nd Mr s. Ole Je vnin g. She
has two sisters. Mrs. M orris Marst en (Verna) a nd Mr s. Lawrence Carrell (Ruth); a lso two b rothers. Orl and a nd Ronald.
Ron ald pa ssed aw ay in Lo velock. Neva da in 1974.
Arn old Amund son was born July 10. 1912. o n a Farm nea r
C lima x. Hi s parents. Mr. a nd Mr s. A. B. Amundson. were both
natives o f the C lima x and N ielsville areas. They opera ted the
farm whe re the child ren we re born unt il the d eath of Sigrid
Amund so n in 1946. Th ey had three child ren : Arn old. Orvella
a nd Fo rres t. Forrest passed a way in 1927.
Alyce Jevnin g a nd Arn old A m undso n both gra d ua ted From
the Climax High Sch ool. They wer e married May 15. 1936.
They lived on the Fa rm until the y mo ved int o their pr esent
home in C limax . which was built in 1950. Arn old was engaged
in Farmin g until 1969. He was employed as a pr oduce insp ec tor
by the Minnesot a Department o f Agriculture in 1937. and still
co n tinues wor king a t thi s j ob. Arn old a nd A lyce Amundson
had three so ns. Bru ce. Brent. a nd Brian.
Bruce. born October 23. 1938. gra d ua ted From C limax H igh
Sch ool, Au gsburg Co llege a nd U nive rs ity o f Minnesota M ed ical Sch ool, He a nd his Family reside in St eamboat Sprin gs.
Co lora do. wher e he Founded the Yampa Va lley Fa m ily H ealth
C linic. whe re he pr actices medicine. He marri ed Jo ann Eliaso n
o f Wilm ar. Minn esot a . Sh e a ttende d A ugsb urg Co llege a nd
ha s a de gree in Medi cal T echnol ogy From Swed ish Hospital o f
M inneapolis. M innesot a . They ha ve two so ns. Ga ry a nd De an.
Brent. born Nove m be r 25. 1940. gra d uated from C limax
High Sch ool a nd M oorhead Sta te College a nd received his
Master 's de gre e From Bem idj i State College .
He a nd his Family reside in M ahn omen . Minnesot a . wh ere
he tea ches a nd coaches. He married Judy Lin d ell of Crooksto n. Minnesot a. who is a gra d ua te o f M oorh ead Stat e Co llege .
a nd a lso tea ches kin d ergarten a t th e M ahnomen school. They
ha ve two child re n. Kri stine and M atthew.
Brian. born Sep tembe r 12. 1949. gra d ua ted From C limax
H igh Sc hool an d M oorhead Stat e Co llege . H e an d his Fa m ily
reside in Det roit Lak es. Mi nn esot a . H e is employe d by th e
Be c ke r Co u n ty R ec o rd. H e m ar r ied Pam el a Ba g gerud o f
Shelly. Minnesot a. wh o gra d ua ted From Climax High Sch ool
a nd Moorhead Sta te Co llege. She teaches spec ia l ed uca tio n in
th e Detro it Lak es sc hool. Th ey ha ve o ne d a ugh ter. Randi Jo.
LEONARD AN D ROS E DA VIS
ANDERSON
How man y people o f tod ay ca n trace the ir a ncestry ba c k to
th e pion eer s o f A merica during th e ea rly 1600's a nd to th ose
wh o lived d urin g the Re volution ar y W ar d ays?
In thi s Bicentennial Year o f 1976. it is in te res ting to not e
that Mr s. Leo nard Ander son o f Cli max ca n do j ust th at. T he
Former Rose Da vis is a niece of J ohn a nd A n na D a vis Shelly.
the First perman ent white se tt lers in Norma n Co unty. in 1870.
a nd For wh om th e villag e o f Shell y. Minneso ta was named .
Mrs. Anderson has coats of a rms From both sides of her
Fam ily. being a d escendant o f th e R oyce Famil y. who arrived in
th e New World in 1631 and wh o Fou ght in In d ia n wa rs a nd th e
Rev olution ary War, and o f th e Prescotts of Bunker Hill Fam e.
Rose D avis was born D ecember I. 1894. to parents. Fr ed
Lor en zo Da vis a nd N ellie E. J or gen son Da vis. O F th e six chil d ren born to th e Da vises, Rose A nderson is the on ly living
mem be r o f the Fam ily tod ay. She was rai sed in A ndover Township o n a Farm now occ up ied by th e Ralph Finke n bi nde rs.
Rose D avi s Finished school a t Crooks ton a nd after gra d ua tion . tra veled to G oldendal e. W ash ingto n. wit h he r fath er a nd
returned to C roo ks to n in 19 J 6.
Rose D avi s m arried Leon ard An d erso n o n Februa ry 14.
1917. T hey se ttled in the rural C limax a rea whe re he was
en ga ged in Farm in g. Rose remem ber s that they a lways had a
lot of h ired help o n th e farm a nd tha t she di d a lot of coo ki ng
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Anderson.
a nd bakin g to acco mmoda te the hel p.
Two so ns were born to th e Ande rso ns, Don in Janu ar y of
1918. a nd Merle in A ugus t of 1921. Mr. a nd Mr s. Don Anderson live in Fort Meyers, Flori da, with their ado pted children ,
William Ala n, a nd G race Mar ie, Merl e And erson a nd his wife
reside o n the famil y home place, the farm loc at ed severa l miles
northwest of Climax , Minn esot a . T he ir o nly d a ught er , Bar ba ra, is marri ed to Jerry Tronnes, who farm s with th e Anderso ns.
Leona rd An de rson 's fat he r, Erick Anderso n, was born in
Van a ka , Sweden , Nove mbe r 10. 1846. Eric k A nde rso n lived
for two yea rs in C hicago. Illin ois, a nd later in his life sett led
so uth of Fisher in Section 4 of the Town of Roome.
His moth er ca me from C hristia nia o r Oslo, No rway, a nd
met Erick when he ca me to No rway to build bridges in the
a rea of Botn e, No rway. T hey were married in C h icago in 1881.
Returning to Minnesota. they lived on a farm until Erick
Ande rso n died in 1897. He was killed by a horse.
Leon ard Ande rso n had th ree b roth ers a nd a sister; two of
his brot her s died from di ph th eri a. T he Ande rson s ha ve farmed
all of thei r lives.
In trac ing her a nces try, Mr s. Leo na rd An d erson spo ke of
her gra nd pa rents. Mr. a nd Mrs . Lor en zo Da vis, a nd o f her
genea logy. whic h mak es her eligible to bec om e a member of
the Dau gh ters of the Ame rica n Re volution .
Six feet tall a nd sha rp-eye d, Lorenzo Davis was a sturdy
repr esentati ve of the ninth gene ra tio n founded by Robert
Royce. who left Engla nd a nd ar rived in Boston , Massachusetts
in 1631. Members of the Royce famil y fou ght in the Indian
Wars of New Engla nd sta tes a nd lat er played a prominent part
in the Revolut ion ar y War.
Mr. Da vis a nd his siste r. Mr s. Burt (widow o f Maj or Burt
who was a Minnesot a a tto rney a nd capta in of Compan y C of
the 7th Minn esot a Volunteers) were th e rem ain ing children of
a famil y of five.
Robert Royce. the founder of the fam ily. was given a coa t of
a rms in England for service to his country, but was disowned
so me time after locat ing a t Boston by the Royal Co urt for
sy mpat hizing with the so -ca lled Am eric an rebel s.
Jon as Royce. so n of Robert, married Deb orah Calkins, of a
prom inent co lonial family ; thei r so n, J onathan Roy ce, married
Ruth Beckw ith. a br illiant wom an of her time. Nehemiah
Royce. so n of Jonathan and Ruth, married Ab igail Gustin,
a nd pur chased a porti on of th e Gustin land gra n t.
Nehe miah Royce a nd his famil y fought th rough the French
a nd Indi an War s. N ehemiah 's so n, Samuel, was the father of
Loren zo Davis' mother. It has be en told of the famil y that
Samu el Royce rem embered sta ndi ng gua rd o ver corn in th ose
ea rly hist oric al days. All crops had to be wa tched becau se of
the raid s of the Indian s.
Samuel's broth er , Abner Royce, wa s a minister who loc at ed
a t Clevela nd a nd founded a no ther br anch o f the famil y. N eh emiah Royce, who was the grea t-grea t gra nd fa ther of Lor en zo
Da vis. was given a land gra nt a t Marl owe , Ne w Hampshire,
which to wn he fo unded.
Loren zo Dav is' gra nd fa the r o n his father's sid e, William
Da vis, a nd the latter's brother we re both Re volutionary War
vetera ns a nd were in the Battle of Ben nin gton . William Davis
had enli sted in the army Sept ember 10. 1776.
Lo ren zo Da vis belon gs to the oxca rt class of the Red Ri ver
Valley. He ca me to Reed s Land ing near Wabasha , Mi nne sota,
in 1856. In the fall of that yea r, Lorenzo traveled back to D ublin. Ne w Hampshire. a nd lat e r returned to M innesota with his
wife. Th ey resided a t Reed' s Landin g for a peri od of twelve
yea rs bef or e going to Pope Co unty in 1868.
In 1877 . Lorenzo Da vis ca me to Polk Co un ty a nd filed o n a
tree cla im . He brou ght his famil y to thi s a rea in 1883. They
lived o n his farm near Burnham Creek until 1901, when he
moved to the town o f C roo ksto n . Lorenzo Davis served as
judge of prob at e in Pope Co unty a nd also a t Reed's Landing.
Loren z o D a vi s' so n , Fred Loren zo D avi s , w a s b orn at
Reed' s Landin g. May 12. 1860. Fred married Nellie E. Jo rgenso n (b orn Septembe r 12, 1859) on N ovember 26, 1885 . Six chi ldr en were born to th e F red Lorenzo Da vises, am ong them,
Rose Davi s Anderso n.
The ge nea logy of M rs. Da vis' a nces to rs is no less interesting.
She was a direct de scendant of Co lo nel William Prescott of
Bunker Hill fam e. Th e titl e was given for br avery on the part
of Jame s Prescott, he was gra n ted a co a t of a rms.
Another member o f the famil y. John Prescott, went first to
Barbad oes, where he became a land o wner. He landed in Boston in 1640 a nd fou nded Lancaster , Massachusetts. Another
de scend ant, Jon as Prescott. was born April 7, 1727. J onas
se rve d under Ca p ta in Asa Whitc omb a t C ambrid ge a n d
Bunk er Hill durin g the Re volution ary War da ys .
In ad d ition to the historical co nnec tio ns of members of Mrs .
Leon ard Ande rso n's family. she a lso sta tes th at some were
a mo ng the signers o f th e Magn a Ca rta , the great ch arter which
formed the basis of civil liberty.
Leon ard a nd Rose Anderson of C limax, Minnesota recently
o bse rved the ir 59th wedding a nniversa ry . In sp ite of their age s,
8 1 a nd 84 year s, both a re in excellent health a nd enjoy ma ny
ac tivities in the community as well as visiting with friends.
KNUTE BOE
Knute Boe is a life-lon g resident of Polk County . His gra ndfather, Jor gan Knutson , ca me to Polk County in 187 1 and
return ed to Polk Co unty in 1873 with his family. Knute's parents were Sena Knutson. born in Houston County, Minnesota
in 1871, a nd Svenung Boe, born ne ar Bo, Norway . Knute was
born o n the la nd which his gra nd fa ther settled as a "squatter"
before the survey was made. A strip of land a rod o r so wide
was left between his gra nd fa ther's la nd a nd that of a no ther
pioneer se ttler. This strip was la ter sett led by Niels Pau lson. As
the survey a pproa ched, th ere was mu ch loc al di scu ssion as to
wha t would happen with this strip of land, man y believing he
would lose the narrow corridor, o thers asserting that "Niles vii
ha", He did, a nd the narrow corridor became the width of
forty ac res and so came the name of the town Niel sville.
Lola and Knute Boe.
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Knut e was educa ted in local schools and attended North
Dakota Agricultural College in Fa rgo. He and his broth er,
Gunnar (1901-1975), bought what was known as the Engen
Farm in 1936, where he and his wife Lola, reside. They have
one child, a son, Kenneth Boe.
Lola Reeves Boe was born in No rth Dakot a of pa rents who
were " Ho mesteaders" , and whose ancestors were am ong ea rly
American settlers, with several bran ches of the family that
traced back to Colon ial days. She was edu cat ed in her local
schools, gradu ated from the North Dakota Agricultural College at Fargo with a degree in English, history and French and
minors in science and psych ology. She is a member of Phi
Kappa Phi (Honorary Scholastic) (Na tional Honora ry Social
Science), has been a member of Crookston Branch A.A.A.W.,
holds the state Horticulture Society' s Award , and is a Hort icultural Jud ge. She also paints, has exhibited in Minnesota,
North Dakota , and Florida. She is a member of Dade City Art
~Iub, Tampa Academy Art League and Florid a Fed eration of
Fine Art. She has worked with various local organizations for
many yea rs.
THE DALE HISTORY
Gunder G. Dale, greatgra ndfather of the Dale fam ily, sailed
from Telemaken, Norway, a t the age of 16, first settling nea r
Mad ison, Wisconsin at a place then called Jefferson Prairie.
After farming a few yea rs, he married Gonel Skrie. The y had
two sons, Gunder II a nd Halvor. Later, they moved to southern Minne sota, where their third son, Ole, was the first white
child born in Fillmore County. When the Civil War sta rted in
1861,Gunder Dale left his fam ily to join the Minnesota men to
fight for the Union . Upon his return, he farmed until he
retired. His wife G onel is buried near the Highland Prairie
Church near Rushford, Minne sota . Th is cemetery has the pioneer stone containing the pioneer name s, familiar to those in
the Red River Valley, as her e their parents lie: Hans Franz en
. . . Aker . .. Vraa . . . Vigness, all of them parents of those
living in West Polk County at Climax. After his wife's death
Gunder traveled to the Climax area, where he ended his days,
living with his son, Gunder II. Th e family still has his Civil
War musket and ammunition to this day. He is buried at the
Gronberg Cemetery near Climax.
Gunder G. Dale II traveled by ox-ca rt to the Red River Valley, homesteading between what is now Nielsville and Clim ax.
He married Elsie Hauge , raised eight children, and farmed
there all his life. The children were Heline, Gel ine, Gunder III,
Marcus, Turine, Helmer, Josephine, and Alvilda.
Helmer Dale attended the North Dakota Agricultural College a nd later married Betsy Hanson, daughter of Frank Hanson. Betsy attended Normal Teacher's School at Cro okston,
and later taught at Gully, Minnesot a before going to Montana
to care for her brother Henry's three tiny children after the
death of his wife. Helmer and Betsy were married in Great
Falls, Montana in 1919, and soon returned to Climax, where
he farmed a short time.
The following spring Helmer heard potatoes were selling for
$12 .50 per bus hel in Mont ana , so they loaded their new
Model-T onto the train boxcar, filled the rest with sacks of
potatoes, and returned to Montana. The y sold the potatoes,
and purchased a hotel in Alabama. Thi s venture did not prove
lucrative, so they soon returned to farm again for a short time
near Climax. Later Helmer turned to selling tractors and farm
machinery for the J . I. Case and Company, and the Minneapolis Moline Company. His fluent Norwegian soon helped to
make him a top salesman in the area, as man y farmers spoke
little English. HIs family moved several times, as his districts
expanded. He died in 1933 at the age of thirty-nine from blood
poisoning, having shaved a sore on his chin. There was no penicillin in those days so it proved fatal in a week.
By then there were five children, Gordon, Ralph , Grace,
Mildred , and Helmer, Junior. Betsy started a rest home for the
elderly until the children were raised. She then worked as a
licensed practical nurse at Bethesda Hospital in Crookston
until her retirement. She died November 5, 1965.
Gord on Dale, a marine in World War II, married Dorothy
Stock in Los Angeles a nd was an officer on the police force
there until his death at age forty-six, in 1967. He has two
22
daughters.
Ralph Dale, an infantryma n in Wo rld War II, includi ng the
Battle of the Bulge, married Janet Dosier in 1946. T hey have
two childre n, Steven and Melissa. They lived in N ielsville and
later in Mo ntana, where he now lives in Gr eat Fa lls.
G race Dale atten ded Min nea polis Business Co llege, a nd has
lived there since. She married Ca rl Gunnar Brodin in 1946,
a nd they have two dau gh ters. Grace a nd Carl Gun nar now live
in Richfield, Minneso ta where he has been with the Minnesota
Gas Co m pany fo r th irt y years , a n d is ve ry ac ti ve in the
Maso ns an d Shriners.
Mildred took nurse's training for nearly three years, and
then married Howard Busse, in 1946. Th ey have one son, John
Howard. Howard died in 1959 a t the age of fort y. She has
made her home in Halstad , where she is active in many com munity ac tivities.
Helmer Dale Jr. served in the Korean War , an d attai ned his
doc tor's degree in dent istry at the Un iversity of Minnesota . He
practices in Little Fa lls, Minnesota where he lives with his
wife, Lucille, and their three child ren, Joel, Lor elie a nd Karla.
He is active in community affairs, and also enjoys hunting a nd
fishing, as everyone else always has in the Red River Valley.
ORDEAN AND HELEN ESTENSON
Ordea n is the eldes t so n of the late Peder an d Josie Estenson. He was born at Climax and still lives there. He atte nded
school a t District #6, a cou ntry schoo l four miles northwest of
Climax. When he started schoo l, there were 70 pup ils in a oneroom school. Several of the pup ils including Ord ean , were unable to spea k the English lan guage before ente ring schoo l. Most
families had No rwegian gra ndpa rents living with them, so this
was the lan guage spoken at home .
Helen was born in Indi an a. She is the da ughte r of the late
Evelina an d Lemual Char ais. She came to Minn esota with her
parent s a t the age of three. She atte nded schoo l at Climax and
Eld red. Orde an lived with his parents an d helped with the
farmin g. When he a nd Helen were mar ried in 1933, they made
their hom e on a neighb orin g farm owned by his father.
After Peder's death in 1945, Ordean and Helen bought the
home farm and moved there. Th is farm is located three miles
northw est of Climax on Section 23. With the help of his sons,
Ordean farmed the land unt il 1964. His main crops were
wheat. oa ts, barley, flax a nd potat oes. He kept a lar ge herd of
milk in g short ho rns unt il 1948, when the cattle contra cted
Bang 's disease a nd had to be disposed of.
Orde an always believed in co-ops. He was a cha rter member
of the Climax G rain Co-op Associa tion. He served as a board
member of several of the local co-o ps and is presentl y chairman of the Halstad Telephone Co-op . At the death of his eldest son, he retired from ac tive farm ing and leased out his land.
The farm was sold in 1971 a nd Ordean a nd Helen purchased a
home in Climax, where they are living at this time . Ordean and
Helen had four children, Wayne, Noel , Lionel and Kathryn.
Wayne attended the State School of Science at Wahpeton. He
married the former Carol Morken of Climax . The y had three
children ; Patrici a, Perry, and Matthew. Wayne lost his life in a
car accident in 1963 at the age of 28. Noel graduated from
North Dakota State University in Fargo with a degree in agricultural economics. He is now employed as vice-president of
financ ial services for Cenex at St. Paul. He is married to the
former Ethel Hanson of Willow City , No rth Dakota. The y
have four children, Keith, Craig, Kimberl y and Denni s. The y
live at Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota .
Lionel graduat ed from the North Dakota State Un iversity
with a Master' s degree in business and econ omics. He is
emplo yed at the St. Paul Bank of Co-ops as assistant vice president in charge of the loan department for the western division .
He is married to the former Bernadette Welder of Zeeland,
North Dakota. They have two children, Patrick and Lynette.
They live in Hasting s, Minnesota .
Kath y graduated from Moorhead State Teacher's College
with a degree in special educat ion. She is married to Steven
Hedm an a nd they live in Detr oit Lake s, where she teaches.
ELIZABETH GRAY GLOVER
Born December 2. 1907. Nie lsville ; co mple ted eight h grade.
June. 1920: graduated. Cl imax High School, J un e. 1924. completed two-year course. Mayville State Teachers Co llege. June.
1926: add itiona l co llege, Sta te U niversity o f Ne w Mexico;
taught school, Ken ilworth . Mo nta na; G lenrock, Wyoming ;
Grand Valley. Co lor ad o: an d schoo ls in New Mex ico.
Elizabeth. named for a gra nd mo ther a nd a grea t-grandmother. was the seco nd da ugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. G lover.
All her life lon g. her str iki ng features were her lon g, th ick
au burn ha ir. worn in a braid a rou nd her head for man y years.
and her fai r complexio n. Wh ile Eliza be th's skin was the most
delica te o f the thr ee sisters, Mo the r insisted th at in summer all
of us mu st prot ect o ur complexion s by wea rin g sunbo nne ts
when we were children. and wide br imm ed straw hat s as we
grew older.
In the summer as child ren Eliza bet h and her yo unger sister,
Ma ry. enjoyed a make-believe play hou se in the gro ve near the
house.
Outside play in winte r fo r Eliza be th an d he r sisters meant
tumbl ing in the snow. slidi ng down the sno wba nk north of the
house. o r riding in the bob -sled when Fath er went for stra w or
on othe r erra nds . Becau se o f the gro ve north o f the ga rde n,
snow would d rift into th at a rea, piling up until we could not
see out of the kitch en window, a grea t d isa ppo intme nt, since
watching for the a rrival of W. S. Brekke, for yea rs our friendly
mail carrier, was a di version of eac h weekd ay ! In the winter,
Fa ther often took him hot coff ee a nd a sa ndwich (espec ially in
the years when he used a team ), in summe r Eliza beth a nd her
sisters tried to be a t the ma il-box for a visit with Mr. Brekke
when he han ded them the ma il. Eliza beth never wa nted to miss
school. Ou r parents wanted their dau ghters to have a good
ed uca tion , never kep t us o ut for a ny reason , pr odded us to
excel, and kept us at our hom ework! Moth er, who had a whole
sto re of read ings memori zed , listened to our mem ory work,
a nd " coached" us for express ion. So me yea rs we recei ved certificat es for perfect a tte nd a nce - so me times with a sta r
a ttac hed for not being tardy. Father took us to schoo l on stor m
days .
When we entered high school, Mother might spend mo st of
a week-end makin g us a new dre ss. Thi s was because we stayed
in Climax during the winter months, Father tak ing us in Sunday afternoon, an d b ringing us hom e Fr iday a fternoon. If we
Standing, left to right: Elizabeth Gray Glover, Mary Verdilla Glover,
Mildred LucilleGlover. Seated: Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Glover.
wanted to stay for a party or game, he indulged us, usually
waiting for us in Mr. Ed Howland's blacksmith shop, where
the two visited un til it was time for the schoo l event to end.
Th e rural schoo l was the social center of the community.
T he grea t feature o f the rag ball and box soci al s, combination
fund-raising a nd socia l events held several times a year, was
dancing - folk a nd sq uare dance acc ompanied by fiddle,
acco rd ian. or harmon ica, or a ll three. The Gl over sisters, especially Elizabe th, enjoyed thi s. Elizabeth , after she entered college. learned socia l dancing, which she also enjoyed.
Elizabe th did her sha re o f farm work , succeeding her mother
in "tramping" down the load s of ha y, and working with Mildred. sho cking. She a nd her sisters enjoyed watching the operati on s of the stea m rig thresher - the hum of the separater, the
build ing of the stra w pile , and hearing the steam whistle calling
for bundles!
Eliza beth sa ng in her high schoo l and college glee clubs. She
was ac tive in the Presb yterian church . In Col orado she j oined
the Neighbors o f Woodcraft.
J.E.GLOVER
Born Ma y 20, 1866, Laurelton, Pennsylvania; M. Jennie
Lucas, 1903; farmed former Ellingson farmstead (80 acres)
one fourth mile ea st of Knute Aker farm, and a qu arter section
one fourth mile south of the B. F. Rarick farm; died Bethesda
Ho spit al, Crookston, January 19, 1930; buried, Caledonia,
North Dak ota.
Father was born in historic Buffalo Valle y, Union County
Penn sylvani a . The farm had been held by the Glover famil y
since bef ore the American Revolution . Two of his great-grandparents, John and Sophia (Duncan) Glover, were Scotch-Irish
em igrants from County Donegal, Ireland. He also had German a ncestors. Baptized Jonas Eli, after some uncles, he was
the yo ungest of seven children.
A first cou sin of Mrs . James Hayes, my father came to the
Hayes Brothers Farm to work about 1901 or 1902. The Burd
brothers, the Rarick brothers, and J . Ward Katherman came
from the same gene ra l area as my father.
Diver sified farming wa s pr acticed in those years. We a lso
had dairy cattle and hogs. From boyhood my father's great
interest was hor seflesh . He rai sed hi s own colts and was one of
the kindest of owners a nd handlers of horses. Droughts and
hailstorms made farming unpredictable, but father had tremend ou s faith in God , and started each new year with
renewed hope - as all farmers must.
Father was a reverent man . He never sat down to a meal
with out asking a ble ssing, even with a large threshing crew at
the table! He knew his Bible almost from mem ory (as did my
mother), qu oted it often, a nd tried to live his belief. In Pennsylvania he had be en very ac tive in church and Sunday School.
H e a n d my m other were g la d when the H a ye s Brothers
arran ged for semina ry students to conduct Sunday School a nd
pre ach ing services in the school house on our property during
the summer months for many years. It was on a Sunday evenin g in August, 1909 or 1910 that my sisters and I were baptized in that schoo lho use - my mother holding the baby,
Mary ; my father, holding Elizabeth ; and I, standing between
them .
Father had a good, though untrained, singing voice, changing from tenor to baritone as required! Sunday wa s a day for
rest of th e body and refreshment of the spirit, with no unnecessary work to be done. Sunday even ings we sang through his
Presbyterian hymnal , and through my mother's Methodist
hymn al - a cherished time , though we had no instrument to
acco mpa ny us. My parents sa ng both hymns and secular so ngs
at the school pro grams.
Father had a deep interest in world aff airs, and kept abreast
of them through dail y new spapers. My mother a nd he subscribed to farm journ als a nd other periodicals for the family.
My father was a clerk of the local school board for many
years. He , with the other directors, took a deep interest in
keeping high educational standards in the school.
A sociable man , my father enjoyed visiting with neighbors
on the way to town , or wh ile trading in town . Patient, as often
23
as possib le. he includ ed his wife and children o n trips to town
or to the neighbors. Th oughtful, kind to wife and children. he
made every sacrifice for them . He used neither alcohol nor
tobacco; he was generous with as much as he could offer his
family.
About 1928 the farm passed into other ownership. For
several years Father worked for others. In 1929 the family
move d abou t a m ile so u t h of C aled onia . N orth D ak ot a .
Father's health was grad ua lly failing. due to the developm ent
of cancer of the pancreas, which gave him grea t pain . Just a
short time before he died . o thers in the hospital hea rd him
singing hymn s!
MRS. J. E. GLOVER
Born March I. 1870, Laurelton. Penn sylvani a ; a ttended
State No rmal , Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania; Nursing. Attendant. State Men tal Hospital s - Danville. Penn sylvan ia ; Canton and Massilon, Ohio; married J. M. E. Gl over ; died October. 1933. Rifle, Colorado ; buried, Montrose, Colorado.
Born on a farm ab out three -fourths of a mile from where my
father was born, my mother was baptized Ma ry Jane. Her parents were William and Tamer (Diehl) Luca s. Of Scotch-Irish
and Germa n (He sse. Germany) an cestry. her forebear s had
come to Pennsylva nia before and during the Ameri can Revolution. Like the first American generation of my father's ance stors. they fought in the American Revolution. Several generations la ter some fought Civil War. From ab out 1901 or 1902
she did hou sework and cooking for Mrs. Jame s Hayes, succeeding her aunt, Miss Kate Lucas , in that position .
Three children kept Mo ther busy , but she helped exten sively
with farming, including hay ing - one summer she " tra mped"
70 loads of hay ; raising chickens, ducks, and turkeys (turkey
pro fits paying for our windmill and corn harvester) ; milking
cows. and making butter for sale in early yea rs. An excellent
sea mstress, my mother made dresses from new or used materi als. which looked, to us. at least, like those in the catalogues! A
fab ulous cook . always try ing out new recipe s, she cou ld make
a tasty soup out of home grown vegetable s o r prep are a holiday feast. Her bread was like cake . She helped with the garde ning, ca nned vegetables a nd fruits , dried corn, and made
fruit jellies and butters.
Butchering time usually involved a neighbor or two for the
outside work, a nd my mother shared with my father the final
processing of the meat. Memories I recall from such times: the
smell of lard rendering on the stove, sausage, fried for storage.
scrapple (Pennsylvania Dutch) cooking o n the s tov e. or
dough nuts being fried (always for Shrove Tuesday, a Pennsylvania Dutch custom). The scr apple, a winter breakfast delight
- sliced, fried crisp on both sides , with or without syru p, it
was delicious!
Seasonal and holiday activities on the farm were reflected in
the kitchen. The Fourth of July dinner was a traditional meal
of fried chicken, new pot atoes and peas in cream, a nd icecream - rich and smoo th , made in a hand-cranked freezer.
What fun, taking turns with the crank, then helping lick the
dasher! T hres hing day s meant extra cooking, with sometimes a
"hired girl" (Clara Vieland, for one) to help ; Thanksgiving and
Christmas found the kitchen smelling of spice , turkey, and
other flavors ; during the summer, canning, preserving, and
pickling odors prevailed . During the winte r, Mother made pop
corn ba lls and various kinds of candy. In early years she colored Easte r eggs with onion skins. For a picnic one of her specialties was sweet and sour eggs pickled with the beets.
Like my father, my mother was a sociable, and enjoyed the
programs and social ga therings in the school, the Old Settlers'
Picnic, for many years annual affairs on the Estenson property
north west of Climax . On Indian Summer Sundays, along with
all of us. she enjoyed rides in the surrey as we drove around
Hub bard and Vineland Townships. Mother often may have
been ho mesick for Pennsylva nia, but both she and father liked
the prairie land of the Red River Valley.
Mother moved, with my sisters, to Montrose, Colorad o after
Fa the r's death, to be near her sister and other relatives. She
was always a good correspondent, and now she had time to
compose long, interesting letters to relati ves a nd friend s. With24
out the heavy work of the farm. Mother's hea lth improve d . It
was a shock to all when she developed uremic poison ing.
which took her life in three da ys.
MILDRED LUCILLE GLOVER
Born N ielsville. April 25. 1904; co mpleted eighth grade. district 17. Jul y 17. 1917; grad ua ted. Climax High School. June
1921; co mple te d two- year tea ch ing co urse . St a te No rmal
Sch ool. Mayvi lle. No rt h Dak ot a Jun e. 192 3 ; B. E. d eg ree .
Mayville State Teachers Co llege, July 1928; additional training: Stat e Universities - Minnesota. Montan a. Washin gton .
Ta ught English. history. dr am atic s: high schoo ls - No rth
Dakota a nd Montan a un til 1947. Executive Director . YWCA
Gr eat Falls. Mont an a. 1947-1954; Program Director. YW CA
Salem. Oregon. 1954-1956; Executive Directo r. YWCA Vanco uver. Washington. 1956-1958. Direct or . retir ement hom es.
Sunland a nd Pasad ena . Ca liforn ia, 1959-1 967 ; Administr at ive
Assist ant. Meth odi st H omes o f N e w J er se y ( re tire me n t) .
Ocean G rove. Ne w Jersey. Live-in Volunteer, Neig hbo rhoo d
Ce nter. Ca mden. Ne w Jer sey. 1972.
Present a t my birth on our farm was Mrs. Knu te Aker, a lso
present at the bir th of my sisters. A lively child. I tried to follow my Fa ther everywhe re. an d once bar ely esca ped injury.
a nd possibly death. because the two lead horse s walked a pa rt
when they came to me. sea ted in a field that was bein g summer-fallowed - a nd stopped just when the even er was within
inches of my head.
Mother tau ght me to read before I entered schoo l, a qu arter
of a mile from our home , a nd on o ur qu a rter section. I mar vel
a t the qu ality of educ ati on pupil s in Minne sota received in
rural schools of that time! Th e best possible teachers were
hired . a nd paid as much as could be afforded - perh ap s $40$50 or less a month . The schoo l library was excellent. Te achers
leaving a special imprint on my life were Jessie Wilder (later
Mrs. Frank Hedle y), Croo kston ; a nd Jennie Vigsto (later Mrs.
Warner Stred), sister of Mrs. Ole Aker, Stephen, Minnesot a. I
visited both of them in August. 1975.
A high-light each year was the visit of Mr. or Mrs. N . A
Th orson . superintendent. a nd deputy superintendent. respectively. of the county schoo ls. When Mr. Th orson came, he
would pump up the reed organ, play with a great " flourish" .
a nd lead us in some of the man y songs we knew .
The county held the rur al schoo l commencement exercises
in those days. Alon g with o ther eighth graders, Andrew a nd
G ina Rod seth and I received our certifica tes from Mr. Th orson, Jul y 17, 1917. in the Croo kston Arm ory. The da y continued with lunch. ga mes in the park, and ended with a watermelon-eating contest !
Every farm child had after schoo l duties. I gra d ua ted from
co llecting kindl ing. before age six, to helping with barn ch ores
- putting hay and straw in the sta lls, milking, watering stock ,
tak ing cream to town . cultivating corn and pot at oes, mowing
a nd rak ing hay; shocking gra ins, a nd, infrequently. drivin g the
reaper. Shockin g was the hardest of those jobs. My sisters a nd
I liked the calves. but we disliked feeding them, because they
bumped the buck et. and splashed milk over us.
I learned to do hand-sewing, to tat and crochet, a nd also to
embroider ; Elizabeth liked to embroider, and Mary did both
embroidery and crocheting.
Mesdames Jame s, and Samuel Ha yes, supplied us with discarded magazines, lovely books, a subscriptio n to the Youth's
Companion for man y years, and other a tte ntions. Mrs. Jame s
Hayes assisted me with my first two year s in college, and did
likewise for Elizabeth.
Othe r highlights: winning a free trip to the Minne sota State
Fair (1917). a reward for placing first in the 4-H , Class B division, breadbaking contest at the county fair ; a ttending high
school. with splendid teachers, Miss Sigrid Oien , a nd Profe ssor
Ira Amundson, the many activities, including schoo l plays.
Nostalgi a: pulling the handle on the wash machine, a nd
turn ing the barrel churn ; eating lefsa at our Norwegian neighbors; the many visits of lon g-time friend . Cha rles Burd , and
our famil y's rides in his car.
MARY VERDILLA GLOVER
Born Augu st 18, 1909; completed eighth gra de, district 17,
June, 1923: grad ua ted, Duran go, Co lorado high sch ool; di ed
November, 1959: buried, Albuquerque, New Mexico, in grave
adjoining her sister, Eliza beth.
Mary Verdill a Gl over was named a fter her father's sis ter.
She was the sma llest of the three sisters. With her dark hair,
dark brown ey es , a n d qu ick s p ee c h a n d m o vem ent s , s he
resembled her fath er's cou sin, Mr s. James Ha yes. She developed a stutter when she be gan to talk, but had a pleasant singing voice, and , like most singers, never stutte red when she
sa ng.
Our parents communicated their love of mu sic to us. Mother
could switch from so pra no to alto a t will. Both Mar y and Eliza be t h in he r ited mod est sing ing tal ent fr om th eir parents .
Rad io provided grea t j oy to a ll the G lovers, but especia lly to
Mary, who quickly mem ori zed all the so ngs she heard on
WDA Y a nd other sta tions. Wh en the first crystal sets cam e
out. Fred Hay go t one a nd invited us to spend man y evenings
with them . Fr om a sta tion in Zion C ity, Illin ois, came ma rvelous co ncerts of sa cred a nd sec ular mu sic. Puzzling us was the
belief. held by the city' s resident s, that the ea rt h is flat , T od ay
(I believe) that commun ity is famous for the Am an a F reeze r!
In later years the Gl overs had a rad io, brin gin g ed uca tion a nd
entertainment to the fam ily circle.
Mary, a long with the o the rs in her famil y, enjoyed goi ng to
the James Hayes ' hom e, wher e one of the first Ed iso n ph on ogra phs played such mar velou s cy linde rs as " Liste n to the
Mockin gbird," "The Preach er a nd the Bear," a nd nu merou s
hymn s. Before the Gl overs went home, " Aunt Mar y," as we
called Mr s. Hayes, acco mpa nied the gro up at the o rga n for a t
least half an hour of si nging.
Mary did the usual farm ch ore s for her age . In summe r her
j ob was bringing lunch a nd cold water to us in the field in the
mid-m orning a nd mid -afternoon . Mary sha red in pulling mu stard and knockin g with a stick, pot at o bugs int o can s of kerosene. Pulling mustard, in June, after scho ol closed , wasn't too
unpleasant, but no one liked the pot at o bu gjob!
When Mary was a bo ut five, Ringling Brother s and Barnum
and Bailey Circus came to Crooksto n. Father took us fo r our
first train ride - Clim ax to Crooks to n - gre at , in spi te of soo t
a nd cinders through the ope n wind ow . A tr ip to the dentist
enabled us to view the circus par ade from his balcon y! Later
we went to a stud io to have a photograph tak en. The climax
was the circu s matinee. T ryin g to wat ch seve n rin gs, plu s trapeze arti sts and clow ns was mind-bogglin g for co u ntry children. We left Crook ston a bo ut seven o'clo ck and reached
home a bout dark. Wh at a da y to rep ort to Mother!
Mary enjoyed school, sta rting in the o ld bu ilding, constructed ab out the turn o f the century - window s o n opposi te
side walls, makin g it light, even o n gloo my da ys ; with a j acketed stov e replacing a sma ller one in the middle of the roo m,
remembered by Mary a nd her sis ters. All o f us felt sad, th en,
but Mary sobbed as we watched from our yard the old building go up in flame s one March evening a fter 1920. Th e replacement was modern for its tim e, a nd is still in use, thou gh no
longer as a school.
Other highlights for Mary a nd her sisters: stringin g popcorn
a nd cra nberries for the Christmas tree ; enjoying stories told by
our parents of their lives a nd Pennsylvani a, a ttending county
fair s; visits from the "Bell Sn icklers" during Christmas holidays .
After Ma ry' s father died, she moved, with her moth er. to
Montrose, Colorado. After Mother died , she a nd Eliza beth
were together in Albuquerque, New Me xico where both were
active in the Presb yteri an Churc h for the rem a ind er of th eir
lives.
JOHN A.HONG
Mr. and Mr s. John A, Hon g were born in Gulbrandsd alen ,
Norwa y. Mr. Hong came to the U nited Stat es June 15, 1883,
settling near Buxton, N orth Dak ot a, where he resid ed nin e
years. He then return ed to Norway for a br ief visit, a fte r which
he came back to Buxton in 1892 a nd was married to Marie
Olso n, Dece mber 18, 1892. The followi ng year, they purchased
the farm near Climax, where they lived un til retirem ent.
Mr. a nd Mr s. John A. Hon g we re cha rte r members of the
Climax Lut heran ch urc h. They be longed to th is co ngregat ion
fro m the very beg inning, where they helped build the first
church in Climax. M r. Hon g was trustee of the chu rch for 28
years a nd a lso co llec tor for~th e chu rch fo r ma ny yea rs. Mrs.
Hong served as preside n t and treasurer o f the Ladi es Aid for
severa l years .
They' were act ive in co mmunity a ffa irs such as upg ra d ing
the sc hoo ls. imp ro ving roads a nd in gene ra l see king newer a nd
bette r ways of farm ing. T hey were the first to install a Delco
plant in their ho me to give them electric ligh ts a nd power.
T hey had seve n children, thr ee o f who m a re living: A lbe rt
Hon g a nd Ru th Pet erson of Croo ksto n, a nd J oseph ine J on es
of Eas t G ra nd Fo r ks . Minne so ta . Th ey h a ve o ne g ra n d da ught er. Ca rol Hai re of St. C loud, Minnesot a .
ORLAND JEVNING
Mr. a nd Mrs. Orl and Jevnin g a re life-lon g resident s of Polk
Co unty . T hey have spen t th eir married life a t C limax , Minneso ta a nd have resided in th eir pr esent home since 1941. M rs.
Jevning, nee Orv ella Amundson , was born September 2, 1910.
o n a fa rm near N ielsville. Her par ents were Sigrid a nd Alfred
Amundso n. She had two brothe rs; Arno ld, now of C limax ,
a nd For rest. who passed away in 1927. Her mo ther di ed in
1946. a nd her fa ther in 1965.
Orland Jevnin g was born Aug ust 16, 1909 in Fis he r, Minneso ta to Ida a nd Ole Jevn ing. Th ey had five childr en : Orl and ;
Ron ald (who d ied in 1974 ): Mr s. A rno ld A mundso n (Alyce);
Mrs. Mo rris Ma rsten (Ve rna); a nd Mr s. Lawrence Ca rre ll
(Ru th). T he Je vn ing famil y moved fro m F isher to Climax in
1917, Mr. Jevning being ope ra to r of C limax Impl em ent. Mr s.
Jevning d ied in 1929, a nd M r. Jev nin g in 1959. Orvella a nd
Orl and J evning are a lumni o f Climax High Sch ool. Th ey were
married December 3, 1930. Orl and was engaged in farming
a nd ret ired in 1970. Th ey ha ve two so ns, Jerom e a nd Leslie;
five gra ndc hild re n; a nd two grea t gra ndchild re n.
The o ldes t Jevnin g so n, Jer om e, was born A ugus t 27, 1931.
gra d ua ted from C limax High Schoo l a nd a ttende d Moorh ead
Stat e Co llege. He a nd his wife live in Minneap ol is, where he is
s u pe rviso r o f ce rtifi ed see d d ep artm ent in th e M inn esot a
Department of Agr icultu re. He married Solveig Hagen of
Shelly, Mi nnesot a who teach es first gra de in th e Ano ka -He nnepin sc hoo l distr ict. Th ey have two children: Steven is a sen ior a t Mankat o Sta te Co llege, a nd Jeri is married to T ho mas
Miller. They reside in Coon Rap ids, Minnesot a a nd ha ve two
ch ildre n, J enn ifer a nd Eric. Th om as is a n o ptician in Mi n nea po lis.
Leslie was bo rn A ugus t 2, 1933, gra d ua ted from Clima x
High Sch ool, a tten de d U niversity o f North Dak ot a , and gra d uat ed from the U nive rsi ty o f Minn esot a Schoo l of Dentistry.
He is a n orthodo n tist in Portland, Oregon . He married Linda
Pett y, a nati ve of Portland, a nd a dental techn ician . Th ey have
thr ee chi ldren: Derek , Mar shal a nd Brid get.
NORMAN KOBBERVIG
No rma n a nd Elaine (Lunos) Ko bbervig were ma rried Jul y
25, 1948 a t Climax . A lawn wedding cerem on y was held a t the
home of th e brid e's a unt a nd uncl e, Mr. a nd Mr s. Ern est Stor troen . Th e Rev. Louis Olson officia ted . Th ey ha ve lived a t Climax all of their married life. Th eir two child ren, Wayn e a nd
Fay , gra d ua ted from C limax High Sc hool. W ayne is presentl y
a ttendi ng the U nive rsity of No rth Dak ot a, a sen ior majoring
in socio logy . Fay Ellen gra d ua ted with a n acco un ting maj or
from Moorhead T echnica l Sch ool a nd is employe d in East
G ra nd Fork s. She a nd Tod d Evenso n, so n of Mr. a nd Mr s.
G lenn Evenson of Climax, were ma rried August 23, 1975 a t
the Clima x Luthera n church. Th ey mak e the ir home in Eas t
G ra nd Fo rks where To d d, up on grad ua ting from Eas t Grand
Fo rks A rea Voca tio na l In stitut e , is e m p loyed a t Pr e st on
Impl em ent.
No rma n ca me to C limax with his father. Theod or e Kobbervig and fa mily in 1936. He assis ted his dad in the mea t ma rket
25
bu siness until he entered the se rvice in 1942. He saw army d uty
G erma ny a nd Fr an ce and also sta tes ide du ty. He was dischar ged in Sept ember 1945 a nd a sho rt time lat er he en tere d
into bu sine ss with his father a t the Kobbervig Meat Market
wh ich he is opera ting now a t present. His wife. Elai ne. is the
daughter of Mr. an d Mr s. Ca rl Lun os. She is a nati ve of the
C lima x a rea. having a tte nde d the earl y years of her schoo ling
in the little rural schoolho use. d ist rict #41. locat ed nea r the
John Ostgaa rd farm. She gra d ua ted from Climax H igh School.
Mr s. Kobbervig is presently a fu ll-time bookkeep er a t the
Fam ers Union Oil Co mpa ny in Cl imax . having begun her
employment in 1965. T he Kobb ervigs are mem be rs o f the Climax Luth eran Ch urch where Norman se rves o n the co unci l
a nd Elaine is active with the A LCW a nd cho ir. No rma n is a lso
active with the village co unci l a nd Climax Co mm unity Cl ub .
in East Grand Fo rks. Mi nnesota .
In
THEODORE KOBBERVIG
Th eod ore (Ted) a nd Lula Kobbervig an d family moved to
C lima x. Minnesot a in Oct ober 1936. having j ust purchased a
home a nd the C ity Meat Market. Mr. a nd M rs. Kob ber vig are
both nat ives of the Buxton , No rth Dak ota a rea , T heodo re. the
so n of Mr. and Mr s. Ant on Kobbervig, and Lu la , the dau ght er
of Mr. an d Mrs. Nels Smith. The co uple spent the earl y yea rs
of their marriage farm ing the Kobbervi g hom e far m near Buxton in Traill Co unty . Thi s farm is now owned a nd ope ra ted bv
Mr. a nd M rs. Milt on Larson and so n, Wayne. Wh ile th ere.
their children were born. Norma n. th e eldes t, a nd his wife.
Elaine. live in Cl imax. Lois and her hu sband, C. S. (Sa m)
Dicker son a nd famil y. Judy a nd M ich ael live in San D iego.
Ca liforn ia.
Also living in Ca liforn ia a re Mr. a nd Mr s. A ugus t Spea rs
(Inez) a nd their child ren. Stephen Pears on a nd his wife. Patti.
the ir children. Patricia a nd Kri sta ; a nd, Mr. a nd Mr s. Rob ert
Fetters (Mary Jo) a nd their children, Shellee Lynn a nd Todd .
Th e Spear s make the ir home in Lem on G rove, the Fett er s fam ily at Lake side a nd the Pear son s a t EI Cajon. Mr. and M rs.
C ha rles Ta ylor (Verna) live a t Fountain Va lley. Ca liforn ia.
Thi s brin gs us to the yo ungest members of th e fam ily. Betty.
who with her hu sband. Larry Th orn, a nd ch ildren. Leslie A nn,
Lori and Todd. live a t Lincoln , Neb ras ka. A not her so n. Raymond. died at six years of age. The ch ildr en received their
early years of schooling in rural sc hools in the Tr aill Co unty
a rea. with the girl s all gra d ua ting from Climax High Sch ool.
Upo n movi ng to Climax in 1936. Mr.Kobber vig, assisted by
No rma n. opera ted the Kobbervig Me at Market there until the
time of his death. Oct ober 22. 1961. His wid ow . Lula , who is at
pre sent eight y-six year s of age. still lives in the family ho use in
Climax.
CHAS. L. SHERIDAN
C harles Sheri da n was bo rn i n A lle nda le , Mi ch iga n o n
December 18. 1890. His a nce sto rs have lived in Mic higan for
severa l genera tions. As a you ng man he came to wo rk o n a
far m at Good ridge . Min nesota where we me t.
My maide n name was O lga Swenson. I wa s born a t Beltram i. Minneso ta on Jan ua ry 30. 1895. Charlie a nd I were
ma rried in Jan uar y 14. 1914. a t Warren. Minneso ta .
Ou r first home was a hom estead in Esplee Township. six
miles from G ryg la. Minneso ta . We bu ilt a one-roo m cabin.
had a small gar den. so me ch icke ns. a cow and two ho rses.
Charlie go t a job ha uling sup plies fro m Th ief River Fa lls to
G rygla , a dis ta nce of 40 miles.
On Febr uary 22. 1915 o ur first d a ugh ter. Blanche. was born .
It was sto rming a nd we had no pho ne a nd no way to get a doctor or midwif e. so we de livered the bab y ourselve s. The next
day my sister ca me to help o ut for a sho rt time.
The following summe r Cha rlie got a job to finis h a ditch . He
hired two men with tea ms a nd du g a d itch one mile lon g. ten
feet wide and seve n feet d eep. Wh en th at job was done a nd the
"h om estead " prov ed up. we decided to go back to Mich igan.
where C ha rlie go t a job in Fl int at the Buick factory. In A ugust
1917 our seco nd daught er . Berenice, was born .
In 1919 we returned to o ur homestead . on ly to find the
buildin gs had all bee n moved away. So we ma de our hom e
with my mo ther a t Good ridg e. There two more childre n were
bo rn. Dor is in Fe brua ry 1920 and Cha rles J r. o n December 31.
1921.
In the spring of 192 I. we moved to N ielsville. Minnesot a in
Sca nd ia To wnship. T here we bou ght a farm which was to be
o ur hom e for the next 50 yea rs. T hree more so ns were born a t
Niel sville. Gl enn in 1925. Leslie in 1928 and Don ald in 1931 .
We put in long hours o f hard wor k on the farm . Besides
wo rking the farm land we ha d chicke ns. cows a nd pigs a nd all
the o the r things tha t went with farm ing in th ose days. Dur ing
the summer we co uld pick wild strawber ries. an d there were all
kinds of wild flowers on th e mead ow .
There were man y hardships on the fa rm. flood s. grasshopper s. dr ou ght , wind a nd ha il but there were ma ny rewa rd s,
such as a lways having plenty of food during th e Depression
a nd havi ng a healthy happy famil y.
We saw 50 yea rs of cha nge in farming fro m hor sedra wn
machin ery to the lat est mod ern d ay equipment. All our childre n grew up on the farm. Our oldes t dau gh ter . Blanche. mar ried Har old Einarson. T hey farmed in the Goodridg e area for
man y yea rs. Blan ch e d ied in 1974. T hey had no child ren.
CARL LUNOS
Ca rl Lun os, so n of Mr. and Mr s. Halvor Lun os a nd Ma bel
Evelyn Stortroen, d au ghter of M r. a nd Mrs. Erick O. Stortroen , a ll of the Climax a rea. were married January 9, 1926 a t
Crookston. Minnesot a . They lived in the Climax a rea the early
years of their marriage a nd were members o f the Sandh ill
Lutheran Church near Climax . Mr. Lun os was eng aged for
so me yea rs in farming a nd a lso worked a t gra in eleva tor s in
Eld red a nd Croo ksto n. He also spent some tim e with the
Farmers U nion Oil Co mpa ny a t Climax as a bulk trick dri ver.
Mr. a nd Mr s. Lun os a nd their famil y moved to Sherack ,
Minnesota in 1948. where he managed the Farmers Uni on Eleva tor. In 1951. they and their four so ns moved to Warroad ,
Minne sot a where Carl managed the Farmers Union GTA Eleva tor unt il retirement. Their four sons, Carroll. Roger, J ames
and Leland grad ua ted from Warro ad High School. A dau ghter. Elaine. was married a t the time o f this move to Warroad .
Mr. Lun os died January 17. 1973. His wido w, Mab el. is living at Warroad. a s is Carroll and his wife, Carol. the ir ch ildren.
Mark and Tara Je an . Roger lives at Warroad. His ch ildren.
Roger and Teri Ann. live at Roseau. M inn esota. Also livin g a t
Rosea u are Leland a nd his wife Helen with their so n. Eric
Daniel. James and Fr ances Lunos a nd dau ghter s. Juliann and
Janelle. live in Portl and, Oregon. Elaine a nd her husb and.
N orma n Kobbervig, a nd their son Wa yne . make their hom e in
Climax . Their dau ghter. Fay Ellen (Mrs. Todd Evenso n), lives
26
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sheridan and fam ily.