Sophie (Dalager)Ogdahl writes to her sister Julia (Dalager) Chilson

The following is a letter written by Sophia after their 40th wedding anniversary in 1930. It is written to her cousin Julia Dalager Chilson in Webster, S.D. The Sophia mentioned in the letter is Julia Chilson’s sister.

Dearest cousin Julia,

Received your fine letter and big gift. (Tusini Tak). Julia it is entirely too big a gift. May God bless you and all your dear ones? Greet Andrew and family.

Oh! It would have been grand if you and Andrew could have been with us. It was the first time since I got married and moved away that all my sisters and Karl have been gathered.

We have so much to be thankful to God for. I got married as a child who lost my mother. Had no one to go to. But God had given us strength and given us so many nice children and there have been dark day, sickness. But always every cloud has had a silver lining and now letters, gifts, from nearly every state from friends and relatives so all we can say, “May God bless them all and may we all meet in Heaven.”

I presume you knew Mr. & Mrs. Rudy Dalager went to Norway some years ago. They live in California. I think his address is 783 E. Clairmont St., Pasadena, Calif.

How nice you could visit Sophia’s children. She left a grand family didn’t she?

Say when you go up north next year come and visit us. We love to have you.

Thanking you again for this big gift and greet Herman (Julia’s husband) and the Peters (Julia’s daughter’s family).And so I shall close with a tight hug and a big kiss to our darling cousin Julia.

Lovingly Theo and Sophia

Did you get the Tribune? Write when you want to hear from us dear.

Brita (Betsy) Dalager: Life and Times

The following was written by my aunt, Lavilla (Dalager) Peterson, in 1958 after a long awaited family reunion between the Glenwood, Minnesota and Webster, South Dakota branches. My Grandfather Hans’ family was separated from his sister Brita’s family in the late 1800s when tragedy struck Brita, and she moved with her children and my Great Grandmother Guri to Webster, where she would raise her family alone with little connection to Hans and his family until this reunion.

Today is the day to begin writing about our ancestors. It is the day following the 17th annual picnic, that the families of Hans, Nels, and Brita have had. It was in 1958 that Herman and Alma Dalager were invited to come to Webster, South Dakota to take part in their reunion. My brother Herman and his wife Alma in turn invited us and so after nearly 50 years of little communication the two families were brought together. Bertha’s son Andrew was there, his nephew McCarlson was there, their wives and many of their children and grand children.

You never heard such talking before. There were so many things to ask about, to marvel at and to tie together with long past events. I think by night fall we were all horse in voice and happy in spirit to think we had been united as kin.

We met and talked to my cousin (Guri) Julia Chilson, Brita’s daughter, and her children. She lived in Webster and her husband had run the Elevator Store which is still in Webster. It is still run by Herman and his sons. The Chilson family have records of their families so I do not have to go into that.

How did Brita happen to drift from Minnesota to South Dakota? She was living in Glenwood township, close to road 18 and joining Gerhard Swenson’s farm when there was an accident in their family. Her husband, Sjobakken, died mysteriously (hanging). Brita was grief stricken and determined to look for a homestead where there was room and a place for her and her five children. She decided to take her maiden name for herself and her children.

Now we must go back to see if we can get her mother into the picture. Guri Dalager had arrived from Norway bringing a small girl with her. I gather that Guri’s husband, Solfest, had passed away so she came to join Nils, Hans and Brita.

Brita and her mother Guri with the child from Norway started out in a covered wagon drawn by oxen traveling cross country. They set up on a piece of land in Day County, South Dakota. Her arrival in Webster was by covered wagon driven by oxen, Mike & Star, with all personal belongings, 5 children, Guri, her mother, and Kristie, a niece.

The first house built there is still standing and used as a granary. It was the first frame house built and it is now owned by John A. Dalager, a great grandson of Brita’s and the son of Albin Dalager.

When they arrived, they had 3 cows which they milked 3 times a day, trading milk for meat and potatoes from the Indians along the way. Jens Vinedahl was a cousin of Betsy’s who worked as a hired hand for her and also for the John McCarlsons and Andrew Dalagers. He almost lost his life in the 1888 blizzard that struck so suddenly while he was doing chores at Betsy’s.

A rocker was found there on our first visit to this location. I asked for the back piece of the chair and have it here. There is some carving on it.

Betsy lived in a wheel chair for her final 35 years, died at the home of her daughter, Julia Chilson in Webster March 31, 1921. Although severely handicapped, she often instructed confirmation classes and Bible school in place of the pastor.

Note: There is a plaque in Brita’s memory in Webster, South Dakota, commemorating her survival of a great prairie fire. To survive the fire, Brita hid down in a well for an extended period. Sadly, though she survived, her legs were paralyzed for the remainder of her life. Guri (Hans and Brita’s mother) passed away in the fire. Much later, the relatives decided to buy a marker for Guri’s unmarked grave under the lilac bushes on the original homestead near Webster.

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.

Julia (Dalager) Solverud-Knutson: A History

Karl Dalager’s older sister, Julia Dalager was born June 7, 1879, was a daughter of Hans and Ingeborg Dalager, pioneers of Barsness township.  She attended country school and later attended St. Cloud Normal school. 

Following are several letters written by Julia from Normal School to her cousin of the same name, Julia Dalager, who lived in Webster, South Dakota.  Guri Julia Dalager of Webster married Chil Chilson in 1904.  Their son Herman was born Sept. 27, 1905

Sunday Feb. 16, 1896

Dear Cousin Julia,

Today I started to think of you and I thought it was a shamed to think we do not write to each other.  Therefore I sit down and write a few words.

The first thing that will be interesting to hear is where we are. Jennie, Christine and I are going to school in St. Cloud.  We board ourselves, have rented two rooms and keep house in one way.  We have been down here since last September.  We had two weeks at Christmas and then we went home.  It seemed a very short vacation to us.

At home we had a very nice time, one day we went out to uncle Nil’s.  They had been sick, this is the little boys but then they were all well again.  I suppose you know that there was born a little girl last summer.  She was very small and pretty, the prettiest baby I ever saw. 

Last year when I went down here, as you know, I was put into the middle school, but have now passed into the high school.  I like it very well although I get homesick and think the lessons are hard.

I suppose you remember when we went out to Helge Rime when you were visiting at our place.  A few weeks before Christmas Karen died.  A little baby boy was born to her and when she was getting better again and walking around she sat down into the rocking chair and suddenly died.  She had been sick all the time since we were there.  The little baby that was born is living and growing very fast.  Karen’s husband’s brother that lived near them took the little girl, and he himself has the two boys.  He has a hired girl.  The old people went to stay with Helena.

When I came home last spring I was very surprised to hear that your sister was dead.  It seems so funny to think that you should happen to come and see us and shortly afterwards she died.  Christine was very sorry that she did not come home from Minneapolis so she could see and talk with Anna and you.  But I hope we can meet her in a better and happier place than at home.

This is all I can think of to write about this time.  I think Jennie and Christine will write too.

Remember you cousin,

Julia Dalager, State Normal School

St. Cloud, Minn.

Write back soon and write a long letter too.  We send our best regards to you all.

I think I must tell you that Willie has remembered you all the time since you left.  Even at Christmas he asked me when you were coming back.

At the time Julia wrote this letter she was 16 years old.  This letter doesn’t tell much about her school life but it tells us something about her family and pioneer life.  The sister who had died was Anna Dalager of the Webster Dalagers, a cousin of Julia’s, who died May 5, 1895 at the age of 19 years.