Cora (Dalager) Anderson: Lavilla (Dalager) Peterson remembers

Cora was married to Adolph Anderson. Adolph was a farmer and their farm was in the Garfield area. Adolph was killed in an accident. What kind of accident? _______ ______________________Cora was a teacher before she was married. All the girls in the second family were teachers except Tillie.

Their sister Alma died from an appendicitis when she was about 7. Lavilla said that she remembered Karl, my dad, coming to visit Amelia. Lavilla thought every thing was fine between them.

Lavilla did not remember much concerning the death of Hans. She was 7 years and Lucille was 5. She remembered that someone told them to get up because Papa had died. They kept the body in the home in those days until the funeral. She remembers seeing Hans lying on the bed.

LaVilla (Dalager) Peterson: Memories

Lavilla is the daughter of Hans and Amelia, half-sister to Karl. What follows are some memories I compiled from an interview. –James Dalager

I was born May 18, 1903. I have been reminded many times by my sister Tillie that she, a girl of 14, came home from a dance and had to stay up and take care of things in the home while I was born. No doubt it was more like being born into a company as I had 7 sisters and 3 brothers older than I. I was also unfortunate enough to be born on a different place than any of my sisters and brothers. This was because the family was living on the Allen Hanson (1976) place waiting for their new home to be vacated by our Lutheran pastor Gens Bale. Pastor Bale was living there until the parsonage was completed and ready for occupancy.

My older sisters tell me that the family moved to the new home in September of 1903. I never lived on the homestead as this had been rented to Sophia and Theodore Ogdahl. Sophia was my half-sister. We never moved back to the homestead. I have two sisters younger than I so that was 10 children my mother had between 1888 and 1910.

During the 1908-09 school year my sister Cora went to live with Julia and Tollof Solverud in Sherwood, North Dakota. She finished 8th grade there. Tollof was real friendly and treated Cora as their adopted daughter who they nicknamed ‘Tootse.’

Tollof was a druggist by profession. Later Julia and Tollof went to Kirksville, Mo. to study and become chiropractic doctors. The started their Osteopathy business in Mankato. Later Tollof and Julia adopted a boy who they named Truman. They had plans to adopt girls also; however, Tollof died at an early age (1915-1916) so they never adopted a girl. Julia continued the Osteopathy work at Mankato for a short time and then moved to Glenwood. Julia took a job as teacher in Lowry. Later she became Superintendent of Pope County schools. Mother rented the house Hans had bought in Glenwood to Julia. Frances, Hilda’s daughter, still lives in this house.

Later Julia was a matron at an orphanage in Willmar and director of the House of Mercy, a home for pregnant girls in Fargo.

Julia’s son, Truman Solverud, finished college at St. Olaf during the depression years. Jobs were scarce. Julia suggested that he do volunteer work at the welfare office. This eventually lead to his work with the Red Cross. Following WWII he became director of Red Cross activities in Japan, Korea and Okinawa, the Philippines and Taiwan. By 1956 he was director in Hawaii, Guam, Enewetok and Kwajalein working with military hospitals, educational programs for military personal.

In later years Truman was located in Washington D.C. and lived at 5701 Colfax Ave., Alexandria, Va. His wife, Lila, whom he met while a student at St. Olaf College, was from Watford City, North Dakota.

In 1914-1915 my sister Cora took normal training in Glenwood and taught in school district 78 during the 1915-1916 school year. Lucille, Helen and I all had Cora as our teacher that year. She was super.

My niece Christine also taught for a number of years at Cokato, Minnesota. She had a blond haired boy friend named Tilrud but this didn’t go. Alice went to live with Christine in Herman, Minnesota where she took her 8th grade.

My nephew Kenneth Dalager married Barbara Steward June 15, 1956. Ken was employed as an electrical engineer at Remington Rand Univac. They have divorced and Ken has married Judy Beiswinger and they live in New Brighton. She is the owner of Biswinger Hardware.

My brother Herman Dalager and Clarence Pladson were head of the church crops project to raise money for the Barsness Church. The project leased 65 acres from N. P. Halvorson.

Fun on the farm

When growing up Hannah played a mouth organ and the youngest children danced and had fun.

The hired men were Anton Hoff, Rasmus Feigum, Anton Ogdahl, ‘fatty’ Gunder Johnson. Fatty became part of the Dalager family for a long time. After working for dad he worked for Cora and Adolph Anderson and later in the 3d generation my son Ralph teased my daughter Lila about him by just pointing his finger at her and saying ‘fatty Gunder.’

Hans Dalager: A brief history by Lavilla, his daughter

by Lavilla Dalager Peterson

My father was born in Bergenstift, Indre, Sogn, Norway on November 5, 1842. He was the third son of Mr. and Mrs. Solfest Dalager. His brothers were Anfin, Lasse, and Nils. He had one sister Brita. Anfin, who was the oldest, came to America when Hans did in 1858. Anfin was so sold on becoming an American that he looked at America as his homeland and even gave up his birthright in Norway. When these two boys, 21 & 16 years old stopped in Wisconsin they went to a meeting where they were asking for volunteers for service against the Indians. Anfin volunteered. He became ill shortly after and spent the rest of his life (maybe two years) with a couple who cared for him.

Dad went on to Goodhue County, Minnesota where he worked for an aunt and uncle-in-law. He worked here for several years. He was paid a few pounds of wool for this work. Another cousin of his made him a pair of stockings from the wool. During the winters he worked in the pine forests near St. Cloud and Little Falls. After the Indian scare was over he filed a claim for a homestead in Pope County in 1866. His homestead was issued by President U. S. Grant October 1, 1873. His homestead is where Herman Dalager now lives.

Hans was married to Ingeborg Knutson in 1871. The following children were born to them. Jenny Grove, Christine Houston, Julia Solverud Knutson, Hannah Johnson, and Karl Dalager. Fifteen years later, in 1886, Ingeborg died.

Hans Dalager’s brother Nils, his sister Brita and his mother who was widowed came to Pope County from Norway. Brita lost her husband by accident and she and grandma Guri Dalager, Mrs. Solfest Dalager, later moved to Webster, South Dakota. Here Hans’ mother, Guri, lost her life in a prairie fire. She had gone to the barn to same the animals and was overcome by fumes. This was in 1886. Brita was saved by jumping into a shallow well but she was so badly burned she was in a wheel chair the rest of her life.

Brita had three children: Andrew, Julia and Sophia.

Nils Dalager settled in Pope County. He has passed on. He left many boys who carry his name, son at Benton Harbor, Mich. and in California.

In 1888 Hans married Amelia Bentrud. To them were given 10 children: Tillie, Cora, William, Selmer, Alice, Herman, Lavilla, Lucille, Helen and Alma who died in 1908 at the age of 8 years.

Hans died at his home in Chippewa Falls Township of cancer. He was 68 years old at the time. He was buried at the Barsness Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Hans Dalager and Amelia: First and second families, buttermilk, fire, and a surrey

On April 7, 1888 Amelia Bentrud married Hans Dalager, a widower. The wedding took place on the Bentrud farm. Hans’ first wife, Ingeborg, had died in child birth in 1886. Ameila did not turn 20 until June 20, 1888. Amelia stepped into a home where there were 6 children, 5 girls and 1 boy. The oldest girl was 16 years old and the baby boy was 3 years old. The following children were born to Hans and Amelia: Tillie (Mrs. Anton Ogdahl), William (Willie), Cora (Mrs. Adolph Anderson), Selmer, Alice (Mrs. Torwald Disrud), Herman, Lavilla (Mrs. John Peterson), Lucille (Mrs. Arnold Selness), Helen (Mrs. Charles Thomas), and Alma (who died in April 1908 at the age of six).

The farm Amelia moved to was a large farm at the time consisting of about 2000 acres. There were sometimes as many as 7 hired men and 2 hired girls during the summer What would the bread making task be at this house? The women also did the milking and other chores during the summer months.

As the family of Hans and Amelia grew, the children of Hans and Ingeborg were growing up also. Sophia was married to Theodore Ogdahl in 1890, just two years after Hans married Amelia. Her oldest son, Henry, was born in 1892. Sophia and Theodore were living on the place that Ralph Peterson now owns and where his son Mark lives. Jenny taught country school after completing her training at St. Cloud Normal School. Country school at that time was usually held during the fall and spring. As a teacher, Jenny was on her own and did not live at home. Christine also trained as a teacher and taught in school district 78. During this time she made her home with Sophie.

Hannah, Karl and Julia lived at home with Hans and Amelia during the years following their marriage. Julia was a great story teller. One of her jobs was to watch the children which she was very successful at because of her interest in story telling. She went on to study at St. Cloud Normal School were she became interested in stars. Julia would tell the children stories about the stars. She also taught them English and would tell Bible stories.

Everyone was home at Christmas. This included the hired help which were usually two hired men and a hired girl in the winter. The Christmas tree was always important. The tree was usually a boxelder. Each branch was wound with green tissue paper. Then flowers were made and attached and small candles were tied on. There were gifts under the tree. There were pocket knives for the boys and dolls for the girls. A pie was made over a big dishpan with oats. In each one was a gift for each child of apples, popcorn etc.

Hans Dalager usually wore a beard and was a very loving and affectionate person. He usually brought Amelia gifts on special occasions. He was witty, cheerful and very good with children. He did not like to listen to gossip, always spoke Norwegian, and did not drink alcohol. Hans drank butter milk instead of whiskey. He might smoke once in while for the fun of it with friends. He would punish children if needed, loved family parties, especially at Christmas time, and would serve wine at the beginning of parties. Hans liked to sing when he drove along. The neighbors said they could hear him singing, mostly hymns in Norwegian.

Every day Willie was expected to bring in the wood for the next day. One time when he failed to do this and was expecting a whipping he hid all day by crawling under his bed so no one could find him.

In 1901 the Gilbertson school house burned. There was rejoicing that morning when the announcement was made–no school because the school had burned down. Bridget Olson, the teacher, was saving ashes in a wooden box at the school for Mrs. Gilbertson to use in making lutefisk and this caused the fire. The school board asked to have school at the Dalager place. There was no happiness for the Dalager youngsters now as school was soon in session again. The school was set up in the new addition to the house that was used as a summer kitchen. All the neighborhood children came to school at the Dalager place. There were over 20 students. Most of the children walked to school. Lunch usually consisted of slices of bread with molasses, molasses cake and once in a while an apple. To have apples they would be bought by the barrel.

Once when Cora was walking to the Gilbertson school she met a wolf. She had a tin pail to hold her lunch. She banged on the pail and the wolf ran off. It is not known if this was before or after the school was rebuilt.

One year a prairie fire took all the crops and a pair of oxen.

Once when Carrie Scokerstaff, who lived near Terrace, was to come over to help with house work, a big winter storm hit. Hans, who had gone to Terrace to pick up Carrie, and Carrie were caught in the storm and had to wait out the storm under the tipped over wagon box.

In 1888, when Tillie was a baby, Hans bought a team of horses in Goodhue County where he had relatives. On the way home from Goodhue County the horses became frightened and ran away. This happened near Willmar. The wagon tipped over and Hans broke his leg. Hans was hospitalized at Willmar. Because the leg was not set properly he always walked with a limp and had to have a heel built on his shoe.

Amelia Dalager went to church every time there was church service. Children and hired help also went. They usually loaded a wagon in the summer and a sleigh in the winter.

Hans served on the church building committee in 1883 when the first church was built in Barsness township.

He built an elegant brick house on the homestead place in about 1899.

Hans Dalager was always a hard worker and by persistent effort he became one of the richest farmers in the county. At the time of his death he owned nearly 2 sections of land.

Hans’ daughter Alice remembered when Hans brought home a new surrey around 1903-05. A surrey was a two-seated buggy pulled by two horses and had plenty of room for the kids. He had gone into town by himself that day. She did not know where he bought the surrey, whether in St. Cloud where he did most of his shopping, Alexandria or some place else. He came home while it was still light. The roads were not very good at that time but she didn’t think it was muddy. Alice didn’t think Hans would have taken them out in the mud. First they ate supper. The kids didn’t know any thing about the surrey as yet. After supper Hans said he had something to show and they were all surprised and excited. Hans loaded as many kids as would fit in the surrey and took them for a mile and a half ride to school district 78 as he wanted to look at some land that was for sale near by. Alice thought he bought the land later on because this land later went to the Groves as a part of Jennie’s share of Han’s estate.

According Lloyd Vindedahl of Glenwood—a distant relative of the Dalagers—Hans was a good operator. Lloyd had worked for a man who had worked for Hans Dalager many years before. This man had been hired to plow for Hans and his was one of eleven walking plows that Hans had working in his fields. A walking plow had only one moldboard. The pay was fifty cents a day plus food and lodging which was not bad at that time.

Julia (Dalager) Solverud-Knutson: Midwest Hebrew Mission

The Midwest Jewish Mission moved the headquarters to St. Paul in the early 1940’s and renamed themselves the Midwest Hebrew Mission. Their headquarters was located in a large house at 1349 Midway Parkway, St. Paul, Minn. The building still stands only a few blocks east of the east entrance to the State Fair Grounds. The building had two cement lions, one either side of its front steps.

Following is a letter describing her work written by Julia to her sister Cora. She was in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada at the time. Because of her reference to Tollef, we know that the letter was written in November, 1944.

My dear Cora,

Here I am at the above, look it up on the map. Way north, south of Edmonton. I will leave here the later part of the week to go to Edmonton. Calls are coming in fast and I do not know how long I will be here. Have been called back to a few places before I return so may not get back until December. I am meeting a lot of fine people at the meetings. Weather was lovely while I was in Winnipeg. Spoke in four churches and at the Winnipeg Bible Institute gave 8 messages in all. Then I went to Killarney (Irish settlement) gave 4 messages there at two points and thus I have journeyed on thus far. I have delivered 35 messages from 45 minutes to 1 hour & 15 minutes. Where my audiences are most interested some have asked for extra time.

I had such a good rest and fine visit at your house. I think you have a lovely place and am sure you will have it all paid for in a short time. Then one surely can make a good living and not work so hard. As we grow older we need more rest. (Missing a sentence about a fine boy.) I believe in putting all grief behind us and look ahead to the great goal we hope to reach looking neither to the right or to the left but ahead.

I am feeling good but get very tired at times. Yesterday I spoke 4 times, one message was short however and this morning I took an early bus and had a ride of 70 miles. Will rest this evening as it is Monday. Tomorrow at 10 A.M. I am speaking at a ministerial meeting, only ministers. I was surprised when I heard I was booked for that meeting. May the Lord give me a powerful message as I go before that group.

Remember me to all your family. Hope you had a lovely visit with Lorna while she was at home. May God bless the young couple. I feel happy over her marriage. I feel it will be a successful one. Enclosed find one of my articles I have written to fight anti-Semitism.

Lots of Love. Julia

My dear Cora, I so often think of you living with Tollef and I at Sherwood, N.D. Tollef was so proud of Cora. He used to say how lovely that young sister is. Love from Julia.

The close of this month marks Tollef’s rest as 29 years.

The need for this ministry is well described by the following paragraph taken from the Annual Report dated May 1945.

The great difficulty of this work may be seen from the fact that although thousands of able pastors have preached the gospel, and hundreds of splendid churches have been ministering to Jew and Gentile alike for some eighty years or more here in the Twin Cities, yet the fruit among the Jews is so negligible that it can scarcely be seen at all, for hardly a Jew can be found on the church rolls in the entire Northwest.

The work of the mission was carried out using a letter outreach to Jewish families, 2nd using a flyer named “A Voice to Israel” which was given a wider distribution and finally using the spoken word and personal contact. The job of bringing the spoken word fell mainly on the shoulders of Julia.

As a result of the ministry that Aunt Julia carried out during the time that I was growing up, I was able to get to know her well. A lot of her ministry was in Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Therefore, she would stop at our home at St. Hilaire, Minn. quite often. Our family, especially my sister and I, loved to hear her tell of her trip to Palestine. She told about her experience swimming in the Dead Sea and of the Handkerchief spring or geyser. You could put a dirty handkerchief in it and after a while it would return to the surface sparkling clean. She made Bible stories really come alive.

Aunt Julia’s second husband, Judge Knute Knutson, died August 6, 1946. Following is a card written to her sister Lavilla Peterson from Miami, Florida, December 22, 1948.

Dear Johnny and Lavilla,

Must drop you a card from Miami. We are having a nice time. It is however very warm. Sunday it was 82 degrees, like some of our hottest days in July. The city is beautifully decorated for Christmas but to me it seems strange. Children in shorts and barefooted. A Merry Christmas to you all. Julia

My sister Shirley visited Aunt Julia many times when she was in nurses training at Fairview Hospital from 1948-51. She stated that when she needed a change or felt homesick, she would visit Aunt Julia. They would sit together and Julia would entertain Shirley with vivid descriptions of bible stories and of her own adventures. Shirley would sometimes stay over night.

After I was discharged from the Army in February of 1953 I returned to school at the University of Minnesota for the spring quarter and several summer sessions in following years. I remember visiting Aunt Julia at her home at the Midwest Hebrew Mission many times. At this time she was 75 years old but still dedicated to the Jewish ministry. I even remember washing my car at the Mission located at 1549 Midway Parkway.

When she retired, Aunt Julia went to live with her sister Jenny Houston who had a house in St. Paul. Later on she went to live with her son Truman Solverud who lived in Alexandria, Virginia. Truman had a good position with the Red Cross and had just returned from serving seven years in Japan.

When Truman graduated from St. Olaf College in 1933, our country was in the midst of the great depression. Truman had majored in sociology and social work but jobs were hard to find. Julia was still at the House of Mercy in Fargo and she suggested that Truman do volunteer work at the welfare office in Fargo and he could live with her. He did this and he found that he liked social work. Knowing that education was important, Julia urged him to get more education. As a result he earned another degree in social work at the University of Chicago.

This degree, along with his volunteer work in Fargo, led to employment with the American Red Cross. He remained with the Red Cross the rest of his life, moving into supervisory positions and working in many parts of our country and the world.