Dalaker, Norway

The following material on the Dalaker farm is a composite of material written by Rudolph L. Dalager, son of Nels Dalager, describing his trip to the Dalaker farm and the Sogndal area in Norway in the early 1930’s, and my trip with Phyllis to this same area in 1991. Rudolph and my father, Karl Dalager, were first cousins.

As we cross the Sognefjord we see the beautiful pine covered mountains and the many small hay meadows (click to see map). All tillable land is utilized. We land at Kaupanger which is on the north shore of the Sognefjord. As we take the road to Sogndal, it is not long before we see the old Kaupanger Church where Anfin, Hans, Nils, Brita and Lasse, the children of Guri & Sylfaest Dalager were baptized and confirmed. In the graveyard next to the church can be found the grave markers for Lasse, the brother who stayed in Norway and his son Andreas. In some unmarked grave lies the body of Solfest, the father and husband who died before Brita and Guri left for America.

As we traveled along the good black topped road on our way to Sogndal, we saw a sign pointing off to the right with the word ‘Dalaker’ (dal-valley, aker-cultivated fields). This would indicate that the tract of land was quite level and that the family was comfortably situated.

With the modern automobile, it did not take long for us to reach Dalaker. Rudolph described his path to Dalaker as a strenuous up-hill walk. The farm is located very high up and from it we have a magnificent view of the Sognefjord and the surrounding mountain peaks. The Dalaker farm is set amidst the beautiful Kaupang Forest.

When Rudolph visited the Dalaker farm in the 1930’s he found that the house was like the pictures he had seen with some modernization. It was not a large house but was strongly built. Rudolph was told that the doors and some of the furniture and inside conveniences dated back to his father Nils’ time. He could reflect that his grandparents, Solfest and Guri–whose maiden name was Hostager—had lived here and that all the children were born here except Lasse. Lasse, the one who remained in Norway, was born at Amla, which is closer to Kaupanger. It was Lasse’s children Guri and Olav who accompanied Rudolph to Dalaker and who he later visited in Olso.

When Phyllis and I visited in 1991 there were no Dalakers living at Dalaker; however, the buildings were in very good condition. We enjoyed a light lunch with the new owners and were able to experience the view that our ancestors were a part of every day of their lives. The Dalaker setti, which was located further up the mountains where the milkmaid stayed at night during the summer, is now a part of the area museum. The three pictures of the buildings on the Dalaker farm which accompany this piece were provided by Aasmund Dalaker, a grandson of Lasse Dalaker.

When Rudolph and his party returned to Kaupanger, they walked the road that our grandparents must have walked hundreds of times. Along the road they saw farms like Hostager (Guri’s maiden name), Olstad, Bjork, Holten. The father of Henry Holten of Glenwood, Minnesota, came from that farm. Henry Holten and Hans Dalager were 1st cousins. This was also the berry season and the walkers in Rudolph’s party enjoyed berries such as lingonberry as they walked. The walk to Kaupanger took about one hour.

In historic Norway, the eldest son would inherit the farm. Therefore, Sylfaest Lassesen must have been the oldest son of Lasse Bottolfsen Hagen. Sylfaest was born March 4, 1797 and baptized February 26, 1800. Sylfaest married Guri Anfindsdatter Hostager, baptized November 15, 1806, the daughter of Anfind Anfindson Hostager on March 19, 1833 . To this marriage five children were born: Anfin, born May 15, 1834; Lasse, born April 3, 1837; Hans Solfest, born November 5, 1842; Nils, born December 11, 1846; Brita, who became known as Betsy, born August 7, 1851. Solfest is the Americanized form of Sylfaest. However, records attach the name Dalaker to Guri’s family indicating that Guri may have inherited Dalaker farm where she and Sylfaest lived..

According to tradition, Anfin should have inherited the Dalaker farm. However, he decided to come to America to seek his fortune. Therefore the farm went to Lasse, the second oldest son. Anfin and Hans were the first from this family to come to America crossing the ocean in a sailing vessel in 1861.

After arriving at Quebec, Hans and Anfin made their way by river boat and wagon to Wisconsin

Julia (Dalager) Solverud-Knutson: Matron of the House of Mercy

During her two terms as County Superintendent, Julia had spent much time helping people with their personal and family problems. Therefore, at the age of 47 years, she took a position as Matron of an Orphanage in Willmar, Minnesota.

We do not know how long Julia stayed with the Willmar Orphanage but sometime in 1930 or earlier she became Matron of the House of Mercy, a home for unwed mothers, in Fargo, North Dakota. The date when she began this job is not known but her name is in the minutes of the board of the House of Mercy for November 1930. In the 1935 minutes the board approved a request to let Julia live in a private room for the sake of rest. Her salary was increased from 60 to 70 dollars per month to cover rent.

Some history of the House of Mercy

In 1922 the Lutheran Children’s Home Finding Society of North Dakota purchased the Nygaard Hospital at 1505 5th Avenue South in Fargo, for the purpose of providing residence for unmarried mothers, and office space for staff. On June 30, 1961, the Lutheran Welfare Society of North Dakota and the North Dakota House of Mercy merged. They also broke ground for a new building at 1505 5th Avenue south in Fargo. In 1967 the House of Mercy was renamed Luther Hall. In recent years the mission of the former House of Mercy has changed and it is now licenses as a residential child care facility for adolescent boys and girls.

Mrs. Solverud-Knutson resigned as Matron of the North Dakota House of Mercy and it was accepted by the board effective May 23, 1936. I remember visiting Julia at the House of Mercy with his parents when I was about 7 years old.

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.

Karl and Ida: The Fire

In May of 1928, tragedy struck the home of Karl and Ida.

St. Hilaire Spectator

 

Mar 15, 1928 K.T. Dalager & family were visitors Sunday at the E.H. Stephen’s home.

 

CHILDREN MEET DEATH WHEN FARM HOME BURNS

 

May 17, 1928 Trapped in their bedroom on second floor of the home, the two small daughters of Mr. and Mrs. K.T. Dalager, Katherine, age 5 and Adelaide, age 9, perished in a fire which completely destroyed the Dalager farm home five miles southeast of here shortly after midnight last Thursday, May 12th.

 

The parents were aroused about midnight by noise from downstairs and upon investigation found the incubator and wall behind it ablaze. After calling the children, the parents made an attempt to extinguish the blaze that seemingly had not gained much headway by that time. It is believed gas must have generated from the heated incubator lamp as the whole room suddenly burst into flame, driving the parents out and cutting off escape by the stairway for the children. The two boys, Horace and Vincent, managed to break a window and jumped to the ground clad only in their night clothing. Mr. Dalager made a heroic attempt to reach his daughters but was driven back by the flames that completely enveloped the interior of the house by that time.

 

Help was summoned from the Walseth house nearby and a general alarm was sounded on the farm telephone line. Help was soon at hand but too late to be of any assistance in rescuing the children or saving any of the contents of the house that burned to the ground. Position of the remains of the children found after the fire would indicate that neither had awakened and it is likely they smothered before the fire reached them.

 

Rev. M.L. Dahle assisted by Rev. Lerohl of Oklee at the Norwegian Lutheran Church here Saturday afternoon conducted funeral services for the little girls. Internment was made in the cemetery east of the village.

 

The heartfelt sympathy of the community is extended to Mr. and Mrs. Dalager in the sad loss of their little ones and their home under such heartrending circumstances.

 

Pastor Lerohl was from the Glenwood, Minn area and had officiated at Karl and Ida’s wedding. Because Oklee and St. Hilaire are not to far apart, the Lerohls visited with each other quite often.

May 17, 1928 Mr. & Mrs. J.O. Grove of Glenwood, Mrs. K. Knutson of Willmar, relatives of K.T. Dalager, arrived here Friday being called by the holocaust that occurred at the Dalager home Thursday morning. They all returned home Sunday, Mr. Dalager accompanying them to spend a short time with his relatives.

The Glenwood Herald

May 17, 1928

 

Mr. & Mrs. J.O. Grove of Glenwood and Mrs. Knute Knutson of Willmar left here last Thursday evening for Hazel, Minn., called there by Mr. Karl T. Dalager, brother of Mrs. Grove and Mrs. Knutson, on account of the burning the night before of Mr. Dalager’s farm residence where two of his children lost their lives.

 

The fire was noticed in the middle of the night and at that time it had reached such headway that Mr. and Mrs. Dalager and the two elder boys barely exited in their nightclothes. Some of them had to jump out through the windows. It is not known how the fire started except that it is thought that it may have come from an incubator that was running in the house at the time. The two children that lost their lives were: Adelaide nine years old and Kathryn four years old.

 

Funeral services were conducted on Saturday afternoon at St. Hilaire. Relatives from Hallock, Minnesota also attending were Mrs. John Brendal and Hazel Grove.

 

Karl and Ida took this especially hard for if they had cleared the house of people before trying to put out the fire, no one would have lost their lives.

 

At the time of the fire, Gladys Peterson remembered waiting along with her mother for her dad, Gabe, to return. He had gone over to the Dalager place when central had sent out the general call. Horace went to stay with the Gabe Petersons and Karl, Ida & Vincent went to Walseths. As a result of the fire my parents lost all their pictures. They had lost the house and Katherine and Adelaide but also their memories.

Hazel Dann was the teacher at the East-Side school during the 1927-28 school year, the year of that fire. Hazel remembered that Katherine was visiting school the day before the fire. Katherine and Adelaide were having so much fun and they did not want to go home. Hazel described the girls as being “sweet.” When school met again Hazel said she had a “sad group of children.” One of the hardest jobs she had was to clean out Adelaide’s desk.

My parents never talked about the fire, however, the cellar and foundation of the house was always there as I grew up. The pain of the event is evident, also, in the fact that Dad left the farm for a time to live with his sister in Battle Lake, and Mom’s hair turned from black to white in a year’s time.

One of the sweet memories that mother told Shirley in later years was that Katherine and Adelaide had run down to the barn to say “good night” to their dad before they went to bed on the night of the fire.

Karl and Ida: Starting Over

After the fire, August Erickson, a neighbor who had built a new house on a forty about 1/4 mile away, let the family live in his house while a new house was built. The new house was completed during the summer and fall. That fall James was born on August 23 and Horace started high school in St. Hilaire. He drove a model A Ford car to school as long as he could and stayed in town during the winter.

Vincent took his eighth grade at the St. Hilaire School starting in the fall of 1930. Horace was a junior in high school there and Karl and Ida thought it would be simpler if they both went to the same school. Horace and Vincent drove to school every day. A neighbor, Paul Jepson also rode with them. Vincent could not remember what they did on stormy days or when the roads were impassible but they most likely had to resort to horses. Horace graduated in 1932 and Vincent graduated in 1935. Shirley was born May 28, 1930.

St. Hilaire Spectator

May 16, 1929 Evelyn Peterson, Annie Walseth and Horace Dalager spent the weekend at their respective homes.

Jan 9 1930 Mr. & Mrs. K.T. Dalager & family were guests at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Hansen of Red Lake Falls, Sunday Jan 3, 1930.

Feb. 13, 1930 Mr. & Mrs. K.T. Dalager & Mrs. G B Peterson attended the PTA meeting at St. Hilaire last Friday. They reported the Declamatory Contest very good.

May 28, 1930 Karl and Ida Dalager were blessed with the birth of a daughter. This was the birth of Shirley.

July 24, 1930 Rev. & Mrs. M.L. Dahle and family were guests Monday at the K.T. Dalager home.

Oct. 30, 1930 Mr. & Mrs. Fred Erdmann, accompanied by Mrs. K.T. Dalager motored to Moorhead Sunday to spend the day with Helena Erdmann while Mrs. Dalager visited her sister-in-law Mrs. Knutson of Fargo. On their return Mrs. M.L. Dahle and Maria Erdmann who had spent the weekend in Moorhead accompanied them.

Karl and Ida: James and Shirley go to school

After graduating from high school in 1932 Horace stayed home to help on the farm. Following his high school graduation in 1935 Vincent took a two-year electrical course at Wahpeton State School of Science graduating in 1937 with a two-year degree in electricity.

When I started school in the fall of 1934, I rode in a car driven by Clif Schantzen along with Vincent, Paul Jepson, Henry Bothmans and Stella Omundson. The car picked us up at the cluster of mailboxes, located at the intersection of two roads about a half mile north west of our farm. Vincent and I had to walk the half-mile across country. I remember Vincent making a path for me through the snow.

For my second year I had to meet the car bus at the Bothman corner. This was over 1.5 miles from home or one mile west of the cluster of mail boxes.. Since Vincent had graduated from high school and was now at the Wapeton Technical school, I was on my own. During good weather Horace took me to this corner in the car in the morning. During the winter Horace took me on Jerry, our black and white pinto pony. On the way home from school, I would walk home from the Bothman corner. My usual path was one mile east on the gravel road and then across Anderson’s field through the Larson yard where Ron Hink lived later, then the path through the woods to home. Many time I stopped at the Larson house to get warmed up. Iris Larson, who later married Art Dicken, would give me something warm to eat before I left.

When Shirley started school in 1936, they had a real bus and the route was changed and we met the bus on the county line road south of our place. To meet the bus we had two routes. We could walk either through the Gabe Peterson place that was south and east of our place or through the Dan Johnson or Peterson place. We did this for three years until Carol Walseth started school in 1939. I was in sixth grade when Carol started school. The school bus had changed route again and we met the bus at the mailbox corner which was about 1/2 mile north of the Walseth place. Thorstein took Carol and later Bob by car to meet the bus. Shirley and I would walk to the end of our driveway and Thorstein would pick us up in his Model A Ford. We did this for several years until the bus started coming south from the mailboxes and turned at the Walseth crossing. This may have happened when Robert Peterson and Bob Walseth started school. There were five getting on the bus at that location so the bus came to the Walseth driveway.

Karl and Ida: 4-H, the State Fair, and Ida’s driving

Because there was less than two years difference in our age, Shirley and I took part in many of the same activities as we grew up. We had an active 4H club and Luther League. When we were old enough we usually went to the Lake of the Woods Bible Camp. Shirley went several times and I believe I went twice, once when I was in high school

One of the big 4H projects we had was to raise a beef calf. Both Shirley and I did this. This was during World War II and this was to help the war effort. Because it was a special project, there was a special beef competition in the fall. The top prize went on to further competition. The other calves were all sold at a local auction where local merchants bid on the calves. Our calves were sold locally. Shirley’s calf was purchased by the Jung’s Bakery and mine was purchased by Mostue’s Flower Shop.

Shirley was active in the Style Review and also in Demonstration for which she won a trip to the state fair. However, since this would have been a short trip the county agent recommended that she work at the Farm Camp. This way she had to do some grandstand work but she had free food and housing and some free time. In all, she spent 11 days on the fair grounds. When Horace was about 15 or 16, he also won a trip to what was called the Farm Boys camp during state fair time. This was truly an educational experience for him.

When Vincent was in high school, he played in the high school band. The St. Hilaire high school band played at the 1935 Minnesota State Fair. Although Vincent had graduated that spring he was able to take part in this adventure. Therefore, all three of my siblings earned trips to the Minnesota State Fair.

One of the high points of every summer was our annual July 4th trip to visit the Franze cousins in the Battle Lake area. Uncle James lived on the home farm near Battle Lake and most of the other Aunts and Uncles lived near by. There were always many of kids our age and lots of good food, games, swimming. Because of the cows that Dad had, we either had to find someone to do the chores or Dad or Horace had to stay home. I remember on one return trip home we had a billy goat riding on our running board. Another time a small accident occurred on the way home from Battle Lake when mother was driving because Dad was tired and Shirley and I were riding in the back seat. As mother came over the hill on highway 59 just east of Erskin, Minn she was faced by a dead end. Mother did not drive very often and did not know what to do. This was when highway 59 ended at that point. Dad woke up and grabbed the wheel trying to turn to the right. However, we went into the ditch and the car tipped on its side. However, the car was not hurt badly and we were able to drive home from there after getting it back on its wheels

Karl and Ida: James’ and Shirley’s teen years

Over the years, mother had several hired girls.  Both Helen Hesse Simpson and Gladys Peterson Johannick talked about working for mother.  One of the hired girls my sister Shirley and I remember was Evelyn Vandestreek.  I think she was either a junior or senior in high school when she worked for us.  Shirley remembers that I would chase Evelyn around the yard.  I do not remember this but it could have been when I was in 8th or 9th grade.  One of the things I do remember is the very wet spring or summer when Evelyn worked for us and that once when Lester Swanson came to pick Evelyn up he got stuck about half way down the driveway.  I do remember that I took our steel wheeled Minneapolis Moline tractor down the road and pulled them or him out.  Shirley did not remember why we had help that year but it may have been because mother did not feel well.  It could also have been the harvest and canning season when the workload increased and mother needed help.

Gordon Nohre is the only hired man that I can remember.  He worked for dad when he was in high school and maybe some afterwards.  He graduated in 1938.  He was a good worker and fun for me to have around.  He also played drums in a dance band to earn an extra five bucks for a nights work. 

Shirley remembers that I had a single bed in the dining room when I was recovering from rheumatic fever in the spring of my junior year.  I remember I was laying there listening to the radio when I heard that President Franklin Roosevelt died.  This was April 12, 1945.  Shirley also remembers that when I came home after a three-week stay in the hospital I commented, “It surely is dull around here.”  I had several room locations while in the old Mercy Hospital starting with the upstairs hall, a double room downstairs and a ward upstairs.  One of the men in the ward was an old man to me who was dying of cancer.  He had been a well driller and had a large mustache.  It was at this time that I had Alvina (Arveson) Hanson as a nurse.  We have known the Hansons ever since we joined Zion Luthern Church.  However, I did not figure out that she had been my nurse until recently.  I remember her as being pretty and friendly and she still is an attractive woman.

The summer of 1945, following my rheumatic fever, was when Horace and Gladys Nelson were married.  Horace wanted me to be his best man but because of my illness my doctor felt that it would be best if I weren’t involved in the wedding party.  Gladys’s cousin, Hazel, was the maid of honor and Joe Peterson was the best man.  Shirley and Lloyd Nyborge, Hazel’s husband, were the attendants.  Several of the Franze relatives were present but the only ones I remember for sure were Uncle James and Aunt Irene.  I remember Evelyn Stephens was there and  trying to decorate their car.  Dad was not to happy about this as he thought he would not be able to clean it off.  Horace and Gladys stayed in the Pennington Hotel in Thief River Falls the first night and then took the Duluth train in the morning.  When they returned from Duluth they set up farming and house keeping on the old Fellman farm where they lived for several years.  Scott Peterson lived on that location for several years. 

Because of the war and a shortage of teachers, the high school at St. Hilaire was closed in 1943 with most of the students being transported to school in Thief River Falls where both Shirley and I graduated.  I attended Concordia College graduating in 1950 while Shirley attended Fairview Hospital School of Nursing graduating in 1951.