Lars Dalager – Self Made Man

Lars Dalager was born February 28, 1876, the youngest son of Lasse Dalaker and Guri Nilsdotter Staveteig. Lars was born and grew to manhood at Kaupanger, Norway, which is located on the Sognfjord.

Lars’ father, Lasse, had inherited the farm they lived on from his father, Solfest Dalaker, because he was the oldest son. It may have been because Lars was the youngest son of Lasse and would not inherit the land or because of his adventurous spirit, but he decided that his future lay in America. He emigrated to the United States from Norway by way of the port of Liverpool, England. Lars arrived at the port of New York on March 27, 1901 on the ship Eutruria, Connard Line after a 10 day crossing. He traveled to Glenwood, Minnesota where he stayed with his uncles Hans and Nels for about 5 years before moving on to Noonan, North Dakota. On March 29, 1908 Lars bought land in Mentor township, Divide county, about 6 miles northeast of Noonan.

Lars was a successful grain and sheep farmer and at one time operated nearly four sections of land. On July 6, 1914 Lars applied to became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. On June 22, 1915 Lars Dalager received his citizenship.

In 1917 Lars surprised his many friends in Mentor township when he returned from a visit to Glenwood, Minnesota accompanied by his new bride. She was the former Marie (Molly) Vindedahl of Glenwood. They had been married at Glenwood on June 22, 1917.(1)

A year later, on June 23, 1918, Lars and Molly were blessed with the birth of a son, Alton Benjamin. You can be sure the summer and fall of 1918 was a new and joyous experience for this couple who were newly married but were not a young couple. Neither of them had been married before but Lars was 41 and Marie was 38.

The newfound happiness of Lars and Molly was short lived.

The Noonan Miner

November 7, 1918

Mrs. Lars Dalager, living north of town, died at the hospital in Estevan, on Tuesday morning, Nov. 5, 1918 from a short illness of pneumonia. she was 38 years of age and was married to Lars Dalager about a year and a half ago. She leaves to mourn her death, her husband and a small baby boy about four months old.

Mrs. Dalager was a woman highly respected by all who knew her, and by her many good qualities. She made friends wherever she went. She proved to be an excellent wife and mother and her family was always her first consideration. The family have the sympathy of all in their hour of bereavement.

It was shortly after this that Lars appeared on the doorstep of his neighbor’s home, Ole Hanson, with a baby boy in his arms…The Hansons had two small children, Olga and Martin. Mrs. Hanson said that she was willing to care for Alton as if he were a member of her family.

The Hansons moved into Noonan between 1920 & 1922 where they operated a dairy. Alton attended school in Noonan, graduating from high school in 1936. He went on to school to study electrical engineering at North Dakota Agricultural College (now NDSU), Fargo, North Dakota in the fall of 1936. In 1938 he transferred to the University of Texas in Austin, graduating in June of 1941 with a degree in Electrical Engineering.(3)